Return-to-Work Liaison – Workforce Development

Return-to-Work Liaison – Workforce Development

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

Help People Navigate the Path Back to Work

Ascension Recovery Services is seeking a Return-to-Work Liaison to work directly with individuals navigating substance use disorder, recovery, health-related challenges, and barriers to employment.

The Return-to-Work Liaison serves as the primary point of contact for assigned participants, helping them navigate the process from initial referral through employment placement, stabilization, and long-term retention.

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working directly with people, solving problems, coordinating resources, and helping individuals move toward greater stability and independence through meaningful employment.

You'll help participants identify what's standing in the way of returning to work, build an individualized plan, connect with the right resources, navigate employment transitions, and address challenges before they put employment at risk.

This position is based in West Virginia and requires local travel for participant meetings, employer engagement, and community partner visits.

What You'll Do

• Serve as the primary point of contact for participants throughout their Return-to-Work journey.
• Conduct timely outreach to new participants and explain available program services and supports.
• Complete participant intake and coordinate required assessments and work-readiness screenings.
• Identify employment barriers, participant needs, preferences, and potential risks to employment stability.
• Develop individualized Return-to-Work plans based on each participant's goals, functional abilities, job requirements, and recovery or treatment needs.
• Help participants navigate job searches, applications, interviews, onboarding, workplace expectations, and the transition back to employment.
• Help coordinate appropriate conversations regarding work restrictions, job modifications, and reasonable accommodations with authorized parties.
• Connect participants with clinical, recovery, rehabilitation, wellness, and community resources based on identified needs.
• Coordinate warm handoffs to outpatient care, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), psychiatric services, peer recovery support, recovery groups, and other approved resources when appropriate.
• Help participants address practical barriers such as transportation, childcare, licensing, benefits navigation, and access to community resources.
• Follow up on referrals to help ensure participants successfully connect with recommended services.
• Partner closely with Peer Recovery Support Specialists without duplicating services.
• Maintain appropriate communication with participants, employers, and other authorized partners throughout the Return-to-Work process.
• Respond quickly when emerging health, recovery, or workplace challenges could put a participant's employment at risk.
• Continue supporting participants after placement to identify barriers early and coordinate solutions.
• Track employment outcomes and support follow-up at 30, 60, 90, and 180 days.
• Maintain timely, accurate, and complete participant documentation.
• Participate in case reviews, quality improvement activities, and program performance reporting.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who can build trust while also helping people take meaningful steps forward.

The right person will be compassionate, organized, resourceful, and comfortable working with individuals who may be navigating recovery, behavioral health needs, employment challenges, and significant life barriers.

Preferred background includes:

• Associate or bachelor's degree in human services, social services, behavioral health, workforce development, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Experience in case management, employment services, community outreach, recovery support, workforce development, or a related service field preferred.
• Experience working with individuals affected by substance use disorder or other barriers to employment is highly valued.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent organization, documentation, and follow-through.
• Ability to manage multiple participants, priorities, referrals, and follow-up needs.
• Strong problem-solving skills and knowledge of community resources.
• Ability to communicate professionally with participants, employers, providers, and community partners.
• Understanding of confidentiality, consent, and appropriate information sharing.
• Ability to work with participants in a respectful, person-centered, and recovery-oriented manner.
• Ability and willingness to travel locally for participant meetings, employer engagement, and community partner visits.

What Success Looks Like

Success isn't simply completing an intake or making a referral.

It's building a relationship with a participant, understanding what's getting in the way, connecting them with the right support, and staying engaged long enough to help create lasting employment stability.

You'll help participants move from referral to a clear Return-to-Work plan, connect with needed services, navigate employment opportunities and workplace transitions, and address barriers as they arise.

We'll measure our impact through participant engagement, timely Return-to-Work planning, successful referrals, employment and vocational training placements, resolution of employment barriers, and 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.

Our work is centered on creating opportunities for individuals to build greater stability, independence, and purpose. Meaningful employment can be an important part of that journey.

You'll join an organization that values people, ownership, collaboration, continuous improvement, and meaningful results—and you'll have the opportunity to directly support individuals as they take meaningful steps toward recovery, employment, and long-term stability.

Compensation & Travel

Salary: $50,000–$55,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications.

Location: West Virginia

Travel: Field Based position - Frequent local and regional travel is required for participant meetings, employer engagement, community partnerships, and other program-related activities.

If you're someone who enjoys connecting with people, removing barriers, coordinating resources, and helping others move forward, we'd love to hear from you.

Ascension Recovery Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer.