Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS Required) - PHP/IOP

We are hiring a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist to provide direct, billable peer recovery support services to clients in PHP and IOP. The right candidate brings lived experience in recovery AND the professional skills to translate that experience into structured, documented, accountable peer support.

This is not a sit-in-an-office role. A significant portion of this work happens out in the community alongside clients. You must be comfortable and genuinely willing to accompany clients to appointments, coach them through real-life tasks, and teach skills they need to sustain their recovery in the real world.

We are a team that communicates proactively and takes ownership of our work. We keep each other informed, follow through on what we say we will do, and bring problems forward before they become bigger issues. If you thrive in an environment where people trust each other to get things done, this is the place for you.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Direct Peer Recovery Services:

• Carry a caseload of 10-18 clients in PHP and IOP
• Provide individual peer support sessions (minimum 15-20 billable hours/week for full-time)
• Facilitate or co-facilitate peer recovery groups
• Support clients with recovery planning, goal setting, and relapse prevention
• Apply motivational interviewing, strengths-based, and harm reduction approaches
• Assist clients with community integration, resource linkage, and post-treatment planning
• Support clients during transitions - discharge, reentry, housing changes

Community-Based Support & Life Skills Coaching:

• Accompany clients to NA/AA meetings, faith communities, and other recovery support groups
• Accompany clients to appointments - Social Security, DSS, probation, court, healthcare
• Coach clients through job applications, resume building, and interview preparation step by step
• Teach and model life skills: budgeting basics, navigating public transit, making calls to agencies
• Assist clients in accessing benefits, housing programs, reentry services, and community resources
• Walk clients through processes they have never done - or have not done sober - before
• Conduct outreach in the field when clients disengage from treatment

Recovery Support & Engagement:

• Participate in treatment team meetings and communicate client updates
• Identify clients at risk of dropout and respond proactively - before being asked
• Provide culturally competent, trauma-informed, person-centered support
• Model healthy recovery behavior and professional boundaries at all times

Documentation & Accountability:

• Complete all session documentation in the EHR within 24-48 hours
• Maintain accurate, professional service records meeting Medicaid and insurance standards
• Participate in supervision and chart audits
• Meet billable hour targets consistently, * Are self-directed and follow through on tasks independently - you take ownership without needing reminders
• Keep supervisors in the loop proactively - you communicate updates before anyone has to ask
• Take direction well and execute completely - you ask clarifying questions upfront and then get it done
• Own your caseload without waiting to be reminded
• Write professional documentation that reflects your clinical thinking
• Communicate problems to the team before they escalate
• Maintain clear professional boundaries even when clients push back
• Think of yourself as a recovery professional, not just a helper
• Are stable in your own recovery and bring that groundedness to clients
• Are energized by community-based work - accompanying clients, navigating systems with them, teaching real-life skills
• Understand that peer support includes getting in the car, walking into the DSS office, sitting in a meeting, and coaching someone through a job application - and you are good with all of it
• Want to be part of building something - not just filling a seat

This role is best suited for someone who is certified, self-directed, and ready to work. If you are still working toward certification or are looking for a more structured training environment, we encourage you to check back when you are ready.

Do you have a valid Driver’s License license?, Do you have a valid Certified Recovery Specialist certification?, Do you have experience in Working with individuals with mental health conditions?, * Active Maryland CPRS certification - current and verifiable on the MABPCB certification verification site

• Minimum 2 years of documented peer recovery support experience (paid or supervised)
• Experience providing both individual and group peer support sessions
• Ability to document in an EHR proficiently and on time
• In-person availability in the Hyattsville / PG County, MD area
• Valid U.S. driver’s license and clean driving record - community-based transportation is a regular part of this role
• At least 2 years of personal recovery from a behavioral health or substance use disorder

STRONGLY PREFERRED

• Registered Peer Supervisor (RPS) credential - candidates with RPS receive priority consideration and are eligible for the higher end of the pay range and a lead-level track
• Experience working with returning citizens, justice-involved individuals, or reentry populations
• Experience in PHP or IOP treatment settings
• Training in Motivational Interviewing, Intentional Peer Support, CCAR Recovery Coach Academy, WRAP, or similar
• Knowledge of MAT and harm reduction frameworks
• Familiarity with Maryland’s Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC)
• Bilingual (Spanish-English) a plus

Pulled from the full job description

• Continuing education credits
• Professional development assistance
• Employee discount, * $25-$30/hour based on certification and experience (CPRS); up to $32/hour for CPRS + RPS
• Immediate caseload - you are billing from day one
• CEU reimbursement for certification maintenance
• Advancement pathway to Lead Peer and Supervisor roles
• Supervision provided by RPS-credentialed leadership
• Performance review at 90 days
• W-2 conversion pathway as the organization scales in 2026
• A mission-driven, clinically serious team, * Your CPRS certification status and MABPCB verification name or number
• Whether you hold an RPS credential
• Your experience with individual and group peer sessions
• Your experience with returning citizens, reentry, or justice-involved populations

Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Professional development assistance

Application Question(s):

• Enter your active Maryland CPRS certification number exactly as it appears on the MABPCB verification site. If you do not have one, type “N/A.”
• Which EHR or documentation systems have you used to record peer support services? Describe your documentation habits - how quickly do you typically complete session notes?

ITG Academy is an ACHC-accredited behavioral health organization in Prince George’s County, Maryland. We provide Partial Hospitalization (PHP), Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and Outpatient programs for adults in recovery from substance use disorders, including returning citizens and justice-involved individuals.

Our mission: People First. Profit Second. Excellence Always.

We are in an active growth phase and building a peer department that operates at a professional, clinical-grade standard. This is not a placeholder role - it is a core part of our care model.