Job Description

State Opioid Response (SOR) Peer Recovery Specialist

Make a Difference Through Your Own Experience

Are you passionate about recovery and helping others find hope, stability, and a path forward?

This is an opportunity to turn your lived experience into meaningful support for people navigating recovery.

What You'll Do

As a Peer Recovery Specialist, you will:

• Build trusting, supportive relationships with individuals seeking recovery.
• Use your lived recovery experience to provide hope, encouragement, and practical guidance.
• Help participants identify personal recovery goals and develop plans to achieve them.
• Connect individuals with treatment, recovery, housing, transportation, and community resources.
• Provide education about recovery options, harm reduction, and available services.
• Advocate for participants and help reduce barriers to treatment and recovery.
• Support individuals as they navigate behavioral health and substance-use services.
• Promote dignity, choice, self-determination, and recovery.
• Collaborate with Human Services staff and community partners.
• Help connect people to resources that can support long-term recovery.

Why This Role Matters

The State Opioid Response Program helps Virginia Beach residents overcome barriers to opioid-use-disorder treatment and recovery. Peer specialists bring something uniquely valuable to that work: lived experience, understanding, credibility, and hope.

The SOR program as providing Peer Recovery Specialist support, education, resources, advocacy, and assistance connecting residents with treatment and recovery services.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is someone who:

• Has personal lived experience with substance-use recovery.
• Is passionate about helping others achieve their recovery goals.
• Can establish rapport with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Communicates effectively and maintains appropriate professional boundaries.
• Understands the importance of confidentiality, respect, and person-centered care.
• Can work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Is dependable, compassionate, and comfortable working with individuals experiencing complex challenges.