Peer Recovery Specialist III (Opioid Response Team)

Peer Recovery Specialist III (Opioid Response Team)

Salary

$47,262.29 - $79,180.82 Annually

Location

As assigned, Norfolk, VA

Job Type

Special Project w/Retirement

Job Number

14144

Department

Fire Rescue Services

Opening Date

06/05/2026

Closing Date

6/15/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

Salary range: $47,262 - $54,351/annually

Are you compassionate, motivated, and ready to inspire and support individuals on their recovery journey? Norfolk Fire-Rescue is seeking applications for the position of Peer Recovery Specialist III.

As a Peer Recovery Specialist, you will provide peer support services to adults experiencing serious mental illness and/or substance use challenges such as accessing needed psychiatric treatment, housing, medical, social, educational, and vocational supports. Peer Recovery Specialists assist individuals in creating a foundation in recovery by promoting self-determination in identifying personal goals. As well as performing community outreach and crisis intervention.

Norfolk Fire-Rescue is your next opportunity to provide encouragement, advocacy, and mentorship to the citizens of Norfolk.

Essential Functions

Essential functions include but are not limited to:

• Is a role model of recovery by maintaining personal recovery, consistent self-care, and utilizing coping skills.
• Conducts outreach to individuals in the city of Norfolk; attempts to develop relationships with persons experiencing, substance use challenges, and homelessness; discuss goals and needs and identifies natural supports and resources that may be helpful to the individual; contacts consumers face-to-face through contact, site visits, and office visits, virtual visits, or in another community setting.
• Assists individuals in building meaningful social ties within the community.
• Links to services, resources, and supports as identified, including linking to psychiatric treatment, housing, entitlements, medical care, food, skill training, etc.
• Assists the individual directly, which may include transportation, for the purpose of obtaining needed resources; advocates for the consumer to procure needed resources or services, while empowering the individual to be as independent as possible.
• Coordinates services and service planning with other providers within Norfolk Community Service Board and with other agencies, and private providers, such as psychiatric hospitals, counselors, vocational programs, doctors, etc., and obtains clinical documentation as necessary from other providers to ensure continuity of care. May perform administrative duties.
• Ensures self-determination of the individual by meeting them where they are at, providing multiple pathways to treatment and recovery, providing education, and advocating on the behalf of the individual when requested.
• Facilitates groups to provide recovery and wellness education as well as opportunities to socialize in a meaningful way with others who may have shared experiences, challenges, and solutions.
• Provides peer support services within NCSB Peer Recovery Drop-in Center.
• Maintains the Norfolk Warm Line as needed to provide support and resources to those in the community.
• Attends outreach events to advocate on a community level and provide information to those outside of the NCSB.
• Provides practical guidance and education to guide the individual in problem-solving strategies and to develop a supportive therapeutic relationship; encourages compliance with treatment, discusses relapse prevention strategies, stress management, etc.; works to resolve critical or situations; links to emergency services as needed.
• Maintains chart documentation that follows agency guidelines and state regulations; ensures that documentation substantiates billing by completing documentation and submitting filing within specified time frames of providing the service; completes an accurate record of direct and consumer related service provided daily; documents within the role of a peer support specialist.
• Complies with regulations for HIPAA, mandated reporting of abuse and neglect, consumer confidentiality, and other consumer rights; maintains clinical data, in accordance with agency requirements, for consumers on assigned caseload.
• Attends agency staff meetings, case review meetings, supervisory meetings, and training as required.
• Performs related work as assigned.

Education/Experience

• High School diploma or GED.
• Two years of experience working with consumers with mental health and substance use challenges. Personal Recovery Plan in self-demonstrated recovery.

The preferred candidate will possess:

• Lived experience with substance abuse disorder.

Additional Information & Requirements

• Possess a drivers license.

• Completion of the DBHDS 72-Hour Peer Recovery Specialist Training.

• Registered and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist issued by Virginia Certification Board.

• CIT Trained.

• Regular full-time and permanent part-time employees may receive paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, employer paid pension plan, basic life insurance, voluntary participation in medical and dental, Section 457 deferred compensation, long-term disability, optional life insurance for self, spouse and children, medical and dependent care reimbursement plans, access to membership in credit union and employer provided parking.

• Special project/grant employees are generally eligible for the same benefits of regular full-time employees; however, retirement, life insurance and participation in health plans vary depending upon funding and authorization.

• Temporary/seasonal and part-time employees are generally only eligible for employer provided parking and access to membership in credit union.

• Retirement

If you are hired October 5, 2010, or after to a position with City of Norfolk Retirement System benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.

If you are hired January 1, 2022, or after to a position with Virginia Retirement System (VRS) benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.

• The Tuition Assistance Program is established to encourage employees toward continued self-development and education. Permanent full-time and permanent part-time classified, unclassified permanent, full-time special projects, and constitutional employees who have completed six months continuous service will be eligible to apply. The applicant's school of enrollment must be an accredited institution.

NOTE:

The benefits described above are broad generalizations. The specific benefits that an employee may be eligible for are governed by City regulations, as applicable to job type.

Non-City

Positions listed with a job type designation of "Non-City" are not subject to the benefits descriptions above. Refer to the content of the job posting for information regarding these positions.

01

The following Supplemental Questions are specific to the position for which you have applied to assist the hiring manager in screening applications for specific experience being sought. Please be specific in answering these questions as they will be used to evaluate which applications will be given further consideration in the process. Do not answer "see resume" or "see application" as these are not valid answers. Please note that if you are invited to be interviewed by the department, your responses to the following questions may be subject to verification.

• I understand and will answer the following supplemental questions completely and thoroughly.

02

Please select the highest level of education you have completed.

• High School Diploma/GED
• Some College (6 months or more)
• Vocational/Technical Degree
• Associates Degree
• Bachelors Degree or higher

03

Do you possess a drivers license?

• Yes
• No

04

Do you have a minimum of two years of experience working with consumers with mental health and substance use challenges?

• Yes
• No

05

Please describe your experience working in a team environment.

06

Have you completed the 72-Hour Peer Recovery Specialist Training from the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services?

• Yes
• No

07

Are you currently a Registered and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist issued from the Virginia Certification Board?

• Yes
• No

08

Have you completed the Crisis Intervention Team Training?

• Yes
• No

09

Which computer programs are you proficient in using? (Select all that apply)

• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Teams
• PeopleSoft

10

The expected hiring salary range for this position is between $47,262 - $54,351 annually. Are you willing to accept this salary range if selected for hire?

• Yes
• No

11

This position is labeled as essential personnel. If you are scheduled to work, you will be required to report to work during periods of inclement weather.

• I acknowledge that I understand this requirement

12

A conviction (felony or misdemeanor) does not necessarily eliminate you from employment consideration. A criminal background check is conducted on all new hires. Failure to disclose all criminal convictions may result in disqualification from employment consideration or may result in dismissal from City of Norfolk employment if you have been hired. The nature of the offense; the time that has passed since the offense, conduct and/or completion of the sentence; and the nature of the job sought may be taken into consideration. Have you ever been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor?

• I have been convicted of a felony
• I have been convicted of a misdemeanor
• I have been convicted of a felony and a misdemeanor
• I have not been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor

13

If you answered that you have been convicted of a felony and/or a misdemeanor, please provide an explanation including the city, state and date of the conviction. This excludes minor traffic violations such as speeding tickets.

14

Please indicate your veteran status. (A copy of your long form DD-214 may be required)

• I am not a Veteran
• I am a Veteran
• I am a Disabled Veteran

Required Question

Employer City of Norfolk