Recovery Coach
Job Summary
The Recovery Coach works closely with the medical providers and care coordination team, the Recovery Coach provides individualized and evidence-based substance use recovery services to patients identified in various Cook County Health (CCH) locations including Emergency Departments (ED), Ambulatory Community Health Network (ACHN) sites, Community Triage Center, or Cermak Health Services. This is a grant funded position. The grant is intended to support specialized screening, linkage case management, and recovery support services, including Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for persons with Opioid Use Disorders (OUD).
Typical Duties
- Completes screenings for substance use disorders for patients in the ED setting, ACHN sites or Cermak health services. Assesses for patient's readiness for treatment and appropriate level of care, including MAT.
- Assists patients in identifying goals related to reduction or abstinence of substance use. Assess for potential barriers to meeting recovery goals and assist patient with implementing plans to achieve recovery goals.
- Provides education to patients on ways to reduce or abstain from high-risk substance use behavior.
- Educates patients on Narcan (Naloxone) administration and overdose prevention. Facilitates patient's ability to access and obtain overdose prevention kits.
- Relays information regarding results of screening, assessment, and plan of care to appropriate members of the health care team.
- Connects patients to recovery-oriented community resources, including 12-step programs, SMART recovery meetings, treatment facilities, sober living environments, etc.
- Performs supportive tasks for patients, such as appointment scheduling, referrals to community-based resources and directions on how to access; and follows up after all activities to determine success.
- Supports efforts to locate patients. This may include calling medical homes, substance abuse treatment facilities, driving past last known address and meeting patients in the community.
- Makes follow-up calls to patients following discharge from ED, inpatient, clinic visits, incarcerations, or treatment facilities.
- Facilitates didactic and therapeutic groups and activities aimed at increasing recovery behaviors.
- Utilizes internal and external organizational resources to facilitate engagement and retention in recovery services.
- Documents all activities in appropriate files and systems, which may include medical records, care management systems, etc. in aligned with team's quality improvement efforts.
- Retrieves documents from organization to support effective transitions.
- Completes all education activities/training as requested
- Participates in Interdisciplinary Rounds as requested.
- Protects Protected Health Information (PHI) and complies with CCH Privacy Policy.
- Participates in regularly scheduled team meetings.
Minimum Qualifications
- High School Diploma or GED is required. (Must provide proof at time of interview)
- A minimum of two (2) years of experience providing one or more of the following services to individuals with substance use and/or mental health disorders: completing screenings/assessments, providing education, providing therapeutic interventions or supportive services (i.e. counseling or therapy including Motivational Interviewing (Ml) or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), providing case management and/or care coordination activities, develop treatment plans, recovery coaching, and/or developing harm reduction interventions, is required.
- Must possess a Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor (CADC), Certified Reciprocal Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor (CRADC), Medication Assisted Addiction Treatment Professional (MAATP), or Mental Illness Substance Abuse (MISA) certification from Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association, Inc. (IAODAPCA), is required. (Must provide proof at time of interview)
- Must possess a valid driver's license and current vehicle insurance coverage, or other means of transportation. (Must provide proof at time of interview)
Preferred Qualifications
- Associates degree or higher from an accredited college or university, preferred.
- One (1) year or more working with patients in Medication for Addiction Treatment programs (i.e., Methadone, Buprenorphine (trade name: Suboxone) or Naltrexone (trade name: Vivitrol}, preferred.
- One (1) year experience facilitating therapeutic or educational groups, preferred.
- Prior experience in a health care setting, preferred.
- Bilingual, preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics
- Knowledge of evidence-based practices for substance use treatment, with strong emphasis on harm-reduction, motivational interviewing, and stages of change.
- Knowledge of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria and its correlation to determining appropriate level of care.
- Knowledge of community-based recovery resources in the Chicago area.
- Ability to effectively use technology and utilize software for completing notes, tracking appointments, coordinating care activities.
- Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
- Ability to work independently and as part of team.
- Ability to effectively prioritize work.
- Ability to meet deadlines.