Addiction Research Jobs (NOW HIRING)

University of Colorado Anschutz
Department: Psychiatry - Addiction Research & Treatment Services (ARTS) - Adult Outpatient Program
Job Title: Peer Recovery Specialist - Project Bridge Year 2
Position #: 00664918 - Requisition #: 39488
Job Summary:
The Peer Recovery Specialist operates within the Addiction Research and Treatment Services (ARTS) Adult Outpatient Program, with clinic locations in Denver, Aurora, and Arvada. The ARTS Adult Outpatient Program is within the School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. ARTS Adult Outpatient clinics provide drug and alcohol assessment, psychosocial and pharmacological treatment for adults. Programs in various clinic locations include traditional outpatient, intensive outpatient and may contain specialty services for clients referred by the criminal justice system, county departments of human services, and services for pregnant women, individuals who are HIV-positive and gender-responsive services.
The person in this position is an individual with lived substance use disorder (SUD) experience to support positions providing drug and alcohol assessment, psychosocial, and pharmacological treatment for adults with substance use disorder (SUD), who first enter into care at the CU Health Emergency Department (ED) at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, and then transition into SUD treatment at the ARTS Potomac Street Center, in collaboration with STRIDE Community Health Center Potomac Street.
This position provides activities to engage, educate, and offer support to adults with SUD, their family members, and caregivers to connect patients to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up sessions. This position is also responsible for conducting outreach activities with patients, staff, community partners, subcontracted agencies, and/or other entities as appropriate, travel to various sites, and perform other duties as assigned or required.
Working hours will be based on a standard 40-hour work week, which may be worked as follows (to include breaks):
• 10:30am - 9:00pm on any day of the week.
Locations vary and will include the ED, ARTS, STRIDE, community, and other outreach sites. Working hours and locations are subject to change according to the needs of the project and/or the agencies concerned, and this position will be required to work Saturdays/Sundays as well.
This full-time position is supported by grant funds, whose funding will be reviewed on a periodic basis. Accordingly, the position's status may be affected over time by any applicable variations in the grant and/or funding amounts. Therefore, this position is contingent on grant funding and is term limited.
Key Responsibilities:
• Coordinate the assessment and treatment for individuals living with substance use disorder (SUD) who first enter into care at the University of Colorado (CU) Health Emergency Department.
• Communicate, facilitate, and collaborate among the CU Health Emergency Department, ARTS Potomac Street Center, and STRIDE Community Health Center Potomac Street to ensure a smooth and timely transition for individuals to enter into outpatient SUD and/or Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) treatment at the ARTS Potomac Street Center.
• Leverage their own lived experience with, and recovery with supports from, SUD to encourage and support individuals who may be reluctant or hesitant to enter into treatment.
• Coordinating communication and collaboration efforts among the CU Health Emergency Department, ARTS Potomac Street Center, and STRIDE Community Health Center Potomac Street.
• Be responsive to, and affirmative of, the individualized and differing needs of each patient under their care.
• Follow up and outreach all patient participants, including those referred to the project but not admitted.
• Work with project staff to appropriately track project data and peer contacts.
• Facilitate peer-led groups to support patient recovery.
• Track referrals and follow up/outreach, regardless of which treatment agency patient is referred to by the Emergency Department, in an effort to engage them in treatment and offer recovery resources.
Work Location:
Onsite - this role is expected to work onsite and is located in Auora, CO.
Why Join Us:
This position at the University of Colorado/ Addiction Research and Treatment Services (ARTS) provides a very unique opportunity for individuals with lived experience and recovery from SUDs to use, in turn, their specialized knowledge and experience to provide care, assistance and support of individuals currently living with SUD. The individual in this position, through their words and actions, will have a direct influence on helping others with SUD to set themselves on a path to recovery and make health lifestyle choices. In addition, by joining ARTS, employees will be actively engaged in a supportive, professional, and nurturing environment where individuals with various backgrounds and experiences converge and collaborate to provide an evidence-based, multi-faceted approach to provide the best treatment and care to every patient who comes into care at ARTS clinics.
Why work for the University?
We have AMAZING benefits and offerexceptional amounts of holiday, vacation, and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:
• Medical: Multiple plan option
• Dental: Multiple plan option
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year
o Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
o Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
o Holiday Days: 15/year
• Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuse
• ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service
There are many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:
• High School diploma or General Education Diploma (GED).
• One (1) year of professional experience with connecting individuals in SUD treatment or addictions recovery to resources directly associated with SUD treatment, MAT, or addictions recovery.
Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Associate's degree or higher in psychology, social work, counseling, human services, or related field from an accredited institution.
• Prior experience in Patient Navigation and connecting patients to required services or resources.
• Possess certification as a Colorado Peer and Family Specialist (CPFS), Peer Recovery Specialist, or Peer Recovery Coach.
• Experience with motivational interviewing techniques.
• Experience working with clients who are involved with the criminal justice system, probation/parole, human services, and/or other similar referral sources.
• Experience providing administrative support to clients, families, staff, and other stakeholders in a substance abuse treatment setting.
• Experience managing financial paperwork including creating invoices, tracking expenditures, and gathering statistical data.
• Experience working with electronic health records.
• Current, valid registration with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) as Certified Addiction Technician (CAT) license or higher.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.
Conditions of Employment:
• Must possess personal, lived experience with SUD or addictions, and maintain continuous recovery with existing sobriety supports.
• Must be willing and able to obtain the one of the following certifications within six (6) months of hire; Colorado Family and Peer Specialist (CFPS), Peer Recovery Specialist, or Peer Recovery Coach..
o In order for services delivered to be reimbursable, Peer Recovery Specialists must either be certified or in the process of becoming certified.
o More information on certification can be found here: https://hcpf.colorado.gov/peerservice
o Costs associated with certification training may be covered by the University/ARTS. Costs associated with the exam and continuing education will be the responsibility of the candidate.
• Must be able to work comfortably amongst patients with substance abuse disorders, who may be referred from city and county parole/probation departments, department of social services, and other relevant agencies.
• Must agree to fingerprinting and criminal background check prior to being hired. Required background checks include a review with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• Subject to pre-employment, post-accident, incident, and/or drug and alcohol testing per UCD Addiction Research and Treatment Services policies.
• Must possess a valid driver's license, and automobile insurance per State of Colorado requirements, or obtain within 30 days from date of hire.
• Must be willing and able to drive as part of daily responsibilities.
• This position may be required to work on weeknights and/or Saturdays and Sundays.
• This position may be required to occasionally be on call for emergency purposes.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written communication skills, which includes the ability to check for typographical, grammatical, and spelling errors.
• Ability to effectively manage difficult behaviors.
• Ability to engage patients in treatment for substance use disorder treatment.
• Ability to comply with established rules, policies and procedures and meet deadlines.
• Ability to be open-minded and nonjudgmental.
• Ability to develop healthy relationships and boundaries with clients.
• Ability to exercise discretion and maintain patient confidentiality.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution.
• Knowledge of basic care coordination, medical/hospital, and/or community resources.
• Knowledge of basic therapeutic confrontation and structures.
• Critical thinking skills with the ability to successfully multitask in a high-pressure environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook etc.).
• Excellent data entry skills.
How to Apply:
For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):
1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position. This letter must adequately describe how the applicants work/life experiences satisfy the SUD, addictions, and continuous recovery with sobriety supports Condition of Employment. If candidates do not satisfy this condition and/or fail to attach a cover letter to their application, then their application will be removed from consideration.
2. Curriculum vitae / Resume
3. Three to five professional references, including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address.
Questions should be directed to: Heidi McKinnon, heidi.mckinnon@cuanschutz.edu
Screening of Applications Begins:
Applications will be accepted until finalists are identified, but preference will be given to complete applications received by May 30th, 2026. Those who do not apply by this date may or may not be considered.
Anticipated Pay Range:
The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as $43,812 - $50,830.
The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position may be eligible for overtime compensation, depending on the level.
Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.
Total Compensation Calculator
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
ADA Statement:
The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at hr.adacoordinator@cuanschutz.edu.
Background Check Statement:
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students, and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees.
Vaccination Statement:
CU Anschutz strongly encourages vaccination against the COVID-19 virus and other vaccine preventable diseases. If you work, visit, or volunteer in healthcare facilities or clinics operated by our affiliated hospital or clinical partners or by CU Anschutz, you will be required to comply with the vaccination and medical surveillance policies of the facilities or clinics where you work, visit, or volunteer, respectively. In addition, if you work in certain research areas or perform certain safety sensitive job duties, you must enroll in the occupational health medical surveillance program.