Peer Recovery Support Specialist – Return to Work

Peer Recovery Support Specialist – Return to Work

Ascension Recovery Services
West Virginia | Field-Based Position | Regional Travel Required

Use Your Experience to Help Someone Else Move Forward

Ascension Recovery Services is seeking six Peer Recovery Support Specialists (PRSS) to provide recovery-focused support to individuals working toward meaningful, sustainable employment across several West Virginia communities.

This is a field-based position. PRSS team members will be assigned to a primary service region and will regularly travel throughout that region to meet with participants, connect with community partners and recovery resources, and support Return-to-Work activities.

Regions We're Hiring For

• North Central West Virginia
  Monongalia & Marion Counties
  Primary communities: Morgantown and Fairmont
• Southern West Virginia
  Wyoming, Mercer & Raleigh Counties
  Primary communities: Beckley, Bluefield and Princeton
• Southwestern West Virginia
  Mingo, Logan, McDowell & Wayne Counties
  Primary communities: Wayne, Williamson, Welch and Logan

Candidates will have the opportunity during the application process to identify which region or regions they are most interested in serving.

This is an opportunity to use your recovery experience, peer support training, and ability to connect with others to help participants navigate the real-life challenges that can impact both recovery and employment.

As part of our Return-to-Work (RTW) Program, you'll work alongside Return-to-Work Liaisons and other program team members to help participants strengthen their recovery supports, connect with community resources, overcome barriers, and continue moving toward their employment goals.

This is a peer support role—not a clinical treatment position. You'll meet participants where they are, help them identify their own goals and strengths, and provide practical, recovery-oriented support throughout their journey back to work.

What You'll Do

• Build supportive, respectful relationships with participants using recovery-oriented, strengths-based, and person-centered approaches.
• Help participants identify recovery goals and understand how recovery stability can support successful employment.
• Encourage connection with peer support, recovery groups, community resources, and other appropriate recovery services.
• Provide encouragement, practical guidance, and recovery-focused problem-solving within the scope of the peer role.
• Help participants strengthen self-advocacy, confidence, and informed decision-making.
• Identify recovery-related barriers that may affect attendance, job readiness, workplace adjustment, or continued employment.
• Work closely with Return-to-Work Liaisons to develop practical strategies that support both recovery and employment responsibilities.
• Support participants during job searches, onboarding, workplace transitions, and post-placement follow-up.
• Help participants navigate resources related to transportation, housing, recovery meetings, community support, and other needs that may affect employment stability.
• Respond quickly when recovery challenges could put a participant's employment at risk and connect the participant with appropriate support.
• Facilitate warm handoffs to recovery organizations, peer resources, community programs, and other approved services.
• Help participants navigate access to clinical care when needed while maintaining appropriate boundaries between peer support and clinical treatment.
• Participate in team meetings and case consultations while maintaining participant confidentiality.
• Engage with community partners and other resources when appropriate and authorized.
• Document peer contacts, referrals, participant engagement, and follow-up accurately and timely.
• Recognize and promptly escalate safety concerns or participant needs that fall outside the scope of peer support.
• Complete required training, supervision, continuing education, and professional development.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who understands that recovery is deeply personal and that connection, hope, accountability, and practical support can make a meaningful difference.

The right person will be approachable, dependable, compassionate, and able to use their experience appropriately while maintaining strong professional boundaries.

Preferred background includes:

• Meets applicable West Virginia requirements for Peer Recovery Support Specialists and any credentialing or certification required for the position.
• Relevant peer recovery or recovery-support experience.
• Lived experience with recovery may be required or preferred consistent with applicable certification requirements and organizational policy.
• Understanding of recovery-oriented, person-centered, strengths-based, and trauma-informed approaches.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to establish trust while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
• Strong documentation and follow-through.
• Ability to recognize when a participant's needs require clinical or other professional intervention.
• Ability to work collaboratively with participants, Return-to-Work Liaisons, community organizations, recovery providers, and other members of the RTW team.
• Understanding of confidentiality and appropriate information sharing.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout the assigned West Virginia service region.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role isn't about having all the answers.

It's about building trust, helping participants recognize their own strengths, connecting them with the right resources, and staying engaged as they navigate recovery and employment.

You'll help participants access recovery supports, work through barriers, successfully navigate employment transitions, and build greater stability in their lives.

As part of the larger Return-to-Work team, you'll also contribute to meaningful employment outcomes, including 30-, 60-, 90-, and 180-day employment retention.

Why Ascension Recovery Services?

At Ascension Recovery Services, we believe recovery can transform lives, families, and communities.

We also understand that meaningful employment can provide more than a paycheck. It can create structure, independence, connection, confidence, and purpose.

Our Return-to-Work Program brings those pieces together by helping individuals strengthen their recovery while building a sustainable path back to employment.

You'll join an organization that values people, ownership, collaboration, continuous improvement, and meaningful results—and you'll have the opportunity to use the power of peer support to help someone else take their next step forward.

Position Details

Status: Full-Time, Hourly, Non-Exempt
Location: West Virginia – Field Based
Travel: Regular local and regional travel throughout the assigned service area is required.

If you believe in recovery, connection, and the power of helping people build meaningful lives through purpose and employment, we'd love to hear from you.

Ascension Recovery Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer.