Provide direct support and supervision to patients in behavioral health and substance use settings. Monitor safety, lead therapeutic and recreational activities, assist with crisis intervention and de-escalation, document observations, process belongings, support orientations and visitation programs, and collaborate with clinical staff to promote recovery-oriented care.
Job Summary & Responsibilities
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Recovery Support Specialist (RSS) provides direct support and supervision to patients receiving substance abuse and behavioral health services. Working under the direction of the Recovery Support Supervisor and in collaboration with clinical, nursing, and medical staff, the RSS promotes patient safety, engagement, recovery support, and therapeutic milieu management. Responsibilities include, but is not limited to, supporting patients in daily activities, leading patients in educational and recreational activities, facilitating psychoeducational and recovery-oriented programming, assisting with crisis intervention and de-escalation, monitoring patient behavior and safety, and contributing to a structured, trauma-informed treatment environment. The RSS supports individualized patient care through therapeutic engagement, observation, documentation, and collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Monitors patient activities, provides security/safety checks throughout shift, completes documentation to include, but not limited to, rounds sheets, therapeutic activities notes, and End of Shift reports; records patient behavior.
- Participates in direct patient care including ensuring patient safety and utilizing trauma-informed approaches when interacting with patients.
- Assists in the activities of patients' daily schedule.
- Recognizes signs of emotional distress, escalation, and behavioral instability and responds appropriately
- Assists with de-escalation, behavioral crisis intervention and emergency response procedures as appropriate
- Communicates patient concerns and observations promptly to appropriate clinical and nursing staff.
- Performs all aspects of patient belongings processing for new admissions and resulting from visitations, including search, heat treatment, and delivery.
- Assist patients with packing of belongings in preparation for discharge.
- Monitors Business Center/Workflex for patient compliance with rules and schedules.
- Monitors patient activities at the Wellness Center/Fitness Center.
- Partner with Clinical team to conduct a welcoming New Patient Orientation (if applicable).
- Assists with all aspects of visitation program, including greeting, sign-in, orientation, search and belongings processing (if applicable).
- Demonstrates understanding of recovery-oriented systems of care, including 12-Step
- principles, relapse prevention, and patient-centered recovery approaches.
- Aids and instructs clients in facilitation and presentation of the RCA Clinical Curriculum with corresponding notes in medical records system.
- May assist in transporting patients and/or patient belongings (as applicable)
- Demonstrates appropriate confidentiality when interacting with patients, residents, families, visitors, referral sources, and all other contacts.
- Exhibits excellent customer relation skills as evidenced by supportive and constructive communication with all contacts including co-workers, patients, residents, visitors, families, and referral sources.
- Perform any other job-related duties as assigned.
STATE SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES (if applicable):
QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Experience of 1 year working in behavioral health and/or substance use disorder treatment is preferred.
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize workload and meet deadlines.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
- Proficiency with all technology hardware, systems and tools required to perform duties; training will be provided as needed.
- Familiarity with behavior modification and 12-step modality.
- Valid driver's license and a safe driving record (as applicable).
- Customer Service: Demonstrates concern for meeting internal and external customers' needs in a manner that provides satisfaction for the customer within the resources that can be made available.
- Problem Solving: Identifies problems, involves others in seeking solutions, and conducts appropriate analyses, searches for best solutions; responds quickly to new challenges.
Communication Proficiency: Comfortable using a broad range of communication styles, and ability to choose appropriate, effective ways to communicate to different audiences in diverse situations. - Flexibility: Is open to change and new information; adapts behavior and work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles. Adjusts rapidly to new situations warranting attention and resolution. Is willing to assume new responsibilities if the quality of patient care dictates.
- Time Management: Uses his or her time effectively and efficiently; concentrates his or her efforts on the most important priorities; adeptly manages several tasks at once.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
This position operates within a behavioral health environment, including residential, inpatient and/or detoxification settings. This role requires frequent interaction with patients experiencing mental health, substance use, emotional and behavioral challenges. The environment may include exposure to emotionally distressed individuals, behavioral escalation, and crisis situations. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, tablets and photocopiers.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or listen. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is constantly required to walk and stand, and occasionally required to sit, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move objects up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
TRAVEL:
Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-the-area and overnight travel may be expected.
A former patient may not be hired at the same location where they were treated until a minimum of one year has elapsed since the completion of their treatment at that location. Former patients may be considered for employment at other RCA locations within a year after treatment. This consideration will be subject to the standard hiring process and must not compromise ethical standards, patient care, or the reputation of RCA.
Similar Jobs
Healthtech • Social Impact
Provide direct, non-clinical support to patients in addiction treatment: monitor safety, facilitate groups and activities, assist admissions/discharges, document care, support visitation, perform de-escalation, and use company systems to help maintain therapeutic environment.
Top Skills:
AdpAvatarIpadIpodExcelMs PowerpointMs WordSmartforce
Healthtech • Social Impact
Provide direct behavioral health support to patients with substance use and mental health disorders. Conduct safety checks, assist with daily schedules, lead therapeutic and recreational activities, facilitate groups, document patient interactions, assist with admissions/visitation processes, and support discharge preparations while collaborating with clinical staff.
Healthtech • Social Impact
Provide direct support to patients with substance use and mental health disorders: monitor safety, facilitate groups and activities, assist with admissions/discharges, document care, de-escalate crises, support visitation and transport, and use company systems to support the clinical team.
Top Skills:
AdpAvatarExcelIpadIpodMicrosoft WordPowerPointSmartforce
What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
With vibrant neighborhoods, great food and more affordable housing than either coast, Chicago might be the most liveable major tech hub. It is the birthplace of modern commodities and futures trading, a national hub for logistics and commerce, and home to the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association. This diverse blend of industry influences has helped Chicago emerge as a major player in verticals like fintech, biotechnology, legal tech, e-commerce and logistics technology. It’s also a major hiring center for tech companies on both coasts.
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
