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Peer Recovery Specialst – Patient Services

Peer Recovery Specialst – Patient Services – 39490 University
Staff Description

University of Colorado Anschutz


Department: Psychiatry – Addiction Research
& Treatment Services (ARTS) – Adult Outpatient Program

Job Title: Peer Recovery Specialist – Patient
Services


Position #: 00828232 – Requisition #: 39490

Job Summary:

The
University of Colorado Anschutz seeks two full-time, University Staff (non-classified) Peer Recovery Specialists within the Addiction
Research and Treatment Services (ARTS) Adult Outpatient Program, with clinic locations in Denver, Aurora, and Arvada. The ARTS Adult
Outpatient Program is within the School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. ARTS Adult Outpatient clinics provide drug and alcohol
assessment, psychosocial and pharmacological treatment for adults. Programs in various clinic locations include traditional outpatient,
intensive outpatient and may contain specialty services for clients referred by the criminal justice system, county departments of human
services, and services for pregnant women, individuals who are HIV-positive and gender-responsive services.



This is a full-time,
University Staff (non-classified) position that provides activities to engage, educate, and offer support to adults with SUD, their family
members, and caregivers to connect patients to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up sessions. This position is also responsible
for conducting outreach activities with patients, staff, community partners, subcontracted agencies, and/or other entities as appropriate,
travel to various sites, and perform other duties as assigned or required.

Working hours are based on a standard 40-hour work week,
to include breaks, as follows:


  • 6:00am-2:30pm on Mondays to Fridays

    Note: The above working hours and locations may be subject
    to change according to the needs of the clinic, and this position may be required to work periodically on some weeknights and/or some
    Saturdays or Sundays, to represent ARTS at outreach events for example

    Key Responsibilities:


    • Serve as
      a Peer Recovery Specialist and peer educator to improve health outcomes for patients who enter care at ARTS Adult Outpatient Program (AOP)
      clinic locations in Denver, Arvada, Aurora, and/or the ARTS Medication Mobile Unit, and are identified for medication-assisted treatment
      (MAT) for substance use disorder (SUD).
    • Use a strengths-based, patient-focused approach with patients to identify any problems or
      challenges.
    • Conduct case management activities for patients, especially around social determinants of health such as issues of
      housing, transportation, Medicaid and/or Medicare enrollment, food/nutrition, access to health care, provide referrals to necessary,
      appropriate resources such as those offered through community/partner agencies.
    • Conduct structured, Peer-led individual and group
      interventions that focus on health education, care coordination, identifying and reducing barriers to care for patients, and conduct
      outreach activities in the community in order to engage patients into SUD treatment and/or MAT treatment.
    • Actively collaborate
      with supervisor and clinic staff to coordinate and provide timely, effective efforts to ensure successful delivery of services to patients
      and monitor their progress with respect to their care plan and/or treatment plan.
    • Attend and actively participate in all clinic
      meetings, huddles, trainings, etc.
    • Continuously maintain accurate and up-to-date records and/or notes as required by agency
      policy.
    • Use electronic health record systems to ensure timely documentation, recording and tracking of communications,
      interventions, and patient data.
    • Schedule and maintain multiple, internal, and external appointments, and
    • Gather,
      analyze, and report patient statistical data.
    • Maintain personal contact with patients that is respectful, empathetic, and aligns
      with the patient’s preferences for such communications (e.g., phone, text, email, in-person, or a combination of these, etc.)
    • Respond courteously to queries and provide excellent customer service to patients, staff, internal and external stakeholders, and other
      individuals associated with ARTS Adult Outpatient Program goals and projects.
    • Work comfortably among patients with or without
      substance abuse disorder, who are referred from city and county parole/probation departments, department of social services, and other
      relevant agencies.
    • Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor and/or other AOP Management Team members.
      Work
      Location:
      Onsite – the person in this position is expected to work onsite and is located in Denver, Aurora, or
      Arvada, Colorado. Why Join Us:

      ARTS promotes the continued development of its employees and assists in
      the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy training and the Colorado Peer and Family Specialist (CPFS) certification.

      Why work for the
      University?


      We have AMAZING benefits and offer exceptional amounts of holiday, vacation and sick leave! The University of
      Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:

      • Medical: Multiple plan options
      • Dental: Multiple plan options
      • Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
      • Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
      • Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year

      o Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)


      o Sick Days: 15/year
      (unlimited maximum accrual)

      o Holiday Days: 15/year


      • Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
      • ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail servi

      There are many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.

      Diversity and
      Equity:

      The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse student body,
      faculty and administrative staff. The university strives to promote a culture of inclusiveness, respect, communication and understanding. We
      encourage applications from women, ethnically minoritized individuals, persons with disabilities, persons within the LGBTQ+ community and
      all veterans. In addition, the Anschutz Campus has also been recognized as an Age-Friendly University. The University of Colorado is
      committed to diversity and equality in education and employment.



      Qualifications:

      Minimum
      Qualifications:

      • High school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED).
      • One (1) year of professional
        experience with connecting individuals in SUD treatment or addictions recovery to resources directly associated with SUD treatment, MAT, or
        addictions recovery.

      o Additional appropriate education will substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year
      basis.


      Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

      Preferred
      Qualifications


      • Associate’s degree or higher in psychology, social work, counseling, human services, or related field
        from an accredited institution.
      • Prior experience in Patient Navigation, enrolling patients for required services such as Medicaid
        or Medicare, or other resources available to patients.
      • Possess certification as a Colorado Peer and Family Specialist (CPFS),
        Peer Recovery Specialist, or Peer Recovery Coach.
      • Experience with motivational interviewing techniques.
      • Experience
        working with clients who are involved with the criminal justice system, drug courts, recovery courts, probation/parole offices, city and
        county departments of human/family services, and/or other similar referral sources.
      • Experience providing administrative support
        to clients, families, staff, and other stakeholders in a SUD or MAT treatment setting.
      • Experience working with individuals with a
        variety of cultural, socio-economic, ethnic, racial, and/or spiritual backgrounds.
      • Experience working with individuals from the
        LGBTQ+ community.
      • Experience working with electronic health records.
      • Current, valid registration with the Colorado
        Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) as Certified Addiction Technician (CAT) license or higher.
      • Multilingual, i.e. English
        and other language(s).

      Competencies: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA’s)

      • Excellent
        communication and interpersonal skills.
      • Excellent written communication skills, which includes the ability to check for
        typographical, grammatical, and spelling errors.
      • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees
        at all levels throughout the institution.
      • Ability to effectively manage difficult behaviors.
      • Ability to engage
        patients in treatment for substance use disorder treatment.
      • Ability to comply with established rules, policies, and procedures.
      • Ability to be open-minded and nonjudgmental.
      • Ability to develop healthy relationships with clients.
      • Ability
        to exercise discretion and maintain patient confidentiality.
      • Knowledge of basic care coordination, medical/hospital, and/or
        community resources.
      • Knowledge of basic therapeutic confrontation and structures.
      • Proficiency with Microsoft Office
        programs (Word, Excel, Outlook etc.).
      • Excellent data entry skills.
      • Critical thinking skills with the ability to
        successfully meet deadlines and multitask in a high-pressure environment.

      Conditions of
      Employment


      • Must possess personal, lived experience with SUD or addictions, and maintain continuous recovery with
        existing sobriety supports.
      • Must be willing and able to obtain the one of the following certifications within six (6) months of
        hire; Colorado Family and Peer Specialist (CFPS), Peer Recovery Specialist, or Peer Recovery Coach..

      o In order for services
      delivered to be reimbursable, Peer Recovery Specialists must either be certified or in the process of becoming certified.


      o More
      information on certification can be found here: https://hcpf.colorado.gov/peerservic
      es



      o Costs associated with certification training may be covered by the University/ARTS. Costs associated with the exam and
      continuing education will be the responsibility of the candidate

      • The employee must successfully complete the CCAR Recovery Coach
        Academy training within 12 months of the hire date (training costs will be borne by employer) if the employee has not completed the training
        already.
      • Must agree to fingerprinting and criminal background check prior to being hired. Required background checks include a
        review with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
      • Subject to pre-employment,
        post-accident, incident, and/or drug and alcohol testing per UCAMC Addiction Research and Treatment Services policies.
      • Possession
        of valid driver’s license and automobile insurance per State of Colorado requirements.
      • The individual in this position may be
        required to work periodically on some weeknights and/or Saturdays and Sundays, for example, to represent the University/ARTS at events,
        stakeholder meetings, etc.
      • The individual in this position may be required to be available occasionally to be on-call for
        emergency purposes. How to Apply: For full consideration, please submit the following
        document(s):

        1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in
        the position. This letter must adequately describe how the applicants work/life experiences satisfy the SUD, addictions, and continuous
        recovery with sobriety supports Condition of Employment. If candidates do not satisfy this condition and/or fail to attach a cover letter to
        their application, then their application will be removed from consideration.



        2. Curriculum vitae / Resume


        3. Three to five
        professional references, including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address.



        Questions should be
        directed to: Heidi McKinnon – heidi.mckinnon@cuanschutz.edu

        Screening of Applications Begins:

        Applications will be accepted until finalists are identified, but
        preference will be given to complete applications received by May 30, 2026. Those who do not apply by this date may or may
        not be considered.



        Anticipated Pay Range:

        The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position
        has been established as $43,812 – $50,830.

        The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University’s good
        faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position may be eligible for overtime
        compensation, depending on the level.



        Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado
        provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.



        Total Compensation Calculator: http://www.cu.edu/node/153125


        Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

        CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable
        federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are
        treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals
        with disabilities.

        ADA Statement:

        The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with
        disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act,
        please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at hr.adacoordinator@cuanschutz.edu.



        Background Check Statement:

        The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to ensuring a
        safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background
        investigations for all prospective employees.

        Vaccination Statement:

        CU Anschutz strongly encourages vaccination
        against the COVID-19 virus and other vaccine preventable diseases. If you
        work, visit, or volunteer in healthcare facilities or clinics operated by our affiliated hospital or clinical partners or by CU Anschutz,
        you will be required to comply with the vaccination and medical surveillance policies of the facilities or clinics where you work, visit, or
        volunteer, respectively. In addition, if you work in certain research areas or perform certain safety sensitive job duties, you must enroll
        in the occupational health medical
        surveillance program
        .
        Application Materials Required: Cover Letter, Resume/CV, List of References Job Category
        : Health
        Care Primary Location
        : Aurora Department: U0001 — Anschutz Med Campus or Denver – 20280 – SOM-PSYCH-ARTS SP/G
        Schedule
        : Full-time Posting Date
        : Apr 2, 2026 Unposting Date
        : Ongoing Posting Contact Name: Heidi McKinnon
        Posting Contact Email: heidi.mckinnon@cuanschutz.edu
        Position Number: 00828232



        To apply, visit https://cu.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?job=39490&lang=en

        jeid-58d1278d01fce641
        a551e3fdf62a01d0


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