Recovery Specialist

Unless posted on USAJobs.gov, the positions and organizations linked to here are in no way affiliated with or sanctioned by the Peace Corps or the United States government. The views, positions, and priorities expressed by the posting organizations are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Peace Corps or the Government of the United States.

About Youth & Shelter Services

One of Iowa's oldest and largest, youth-serving, nonprofit organizations, YSS's mission is to create hope and opportunity by putting kids first. YSS offers a diverse range of programs throughout the state. We offer After-School programs for elementary to middle school-aged youth. We also provide Crisis Recovery Stabilization for 13-18-year-olds. We have a youth shelter that serves young people aged 12-17. We also offer a first-in-the-nation Addiction Recovery Program for 18-24-year-olds. Additionally, we offer Therapy services, Transitional age Homeless services, and Behavioral Health Integrated Services (BHIS). YSS is first-in-class in meeting the needs of youth from particularly marginalized groups, as well as youth from various backgrounds and needs. YSS's mission is to create hope and opportunity by putting kids first. With a diverse leadership team and a new 50-acre recovery campus that opened in January of 2025, YSS is growing and evolving to meet the needs of our communities.

Duties

YSS is seeking motivated, full-time Recovery Specialists. If you are ready to help build coping skills, educate on substance abuse, and motivate youth to be successful in their journey toward sobriety, come work with us! Due to the continued growth and expansion of our services, we are adding new positions to our team.

As a Recovery Specialist, you will supervise and care for recovering youth on a rotating on-duty, off-duty basis, while providing an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.

You will facilitate skill-building groups, support clients in completing treatment goals, assist with daily living routines, and the general management of the house so that each resident can grow and develop as an individual to their fullest capacity.

The position is one of supervision, engagement through skill-building sessions, and maintenance rather than therapy.

These roles are not replacements - they reflect our commitment to reaching more individuals and increasing our impact in the community. Responsibilities include:

• Relating to residents in a caring, supportive, and therapeutic manner, dealing respectively with their thoughts, feelings, and choices.
• Providing the necessary amount of structure to facilitate the growth and productive functioning of the facility.
• Providing for the daily maintenance of the house and ensuring that safe living conditions are provided in compliance with fire, safety, and health regulations.
• Supervising volunteers and substitute staff while on duty.
• Overseeing nightly schedule for residents, including rooms in order and lights out, and maintaining building security.
• Inspect the house to see that it is clean and orderly.
• Transporting residents to meetings, work, doctors' appointments, recreational activities, etc. Please note that this description is not intended to be a complete list of the responsibilities required for this position. Duties may change at any time, with or without notice.

Qualifications

We want to create a world where youth are valued and empowered to stand strong. To do this, we ask our staff to embrace YSS's core values - Commitment, Collaboration, Compassion, Innovation, Integrity, and a "Can Do" Spirit.

MUST HAVES Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma/equivalent
• One year of human service-related experience
• Flexibility to serve on the on-call rotation and cover shifts, as needed.
• Recovering applicants must have a minimum of two years of continuous sobriety to be considered for this position.
• Travel, including transporting clients, is required for this position.
• For YSS insurance purposes, you must: be 21 years of age, have a valid, state-issued driver's license, have a clean driving record, and have adequate insurance coverage per the YSS policy.

SHOULD HAVES Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in social work, education, or a related field
• Client focused and able to collaborate, communicate, and coordinate with others.
• Is an active, patient listener.
• Uses critical thinking skills to problem-solve.
• Ability to manage resources effectively.

The IDEAL candidate:

• Is passionate about helping others and excited to come to work every day.
• Is compassionate, patient, and empathetic, with the ability to relate to diverse populations.
• Speaks a language(s) in addition to English.
• Has personal knowledge and understanding gained through lived experience and the ability to draw on that experience to support others on the journey to stability, recovery, and healing.

Application instructions

YSS's Hiring Process:

• Application - Complete an online application at
• Assessment - Applications are reviewed for qualifications and completeness.
• Interview - Initial phone interviews or direct in-person/virtual interviews.
• References - Submit names, titles, emails, and phone numbers for three or more references.
• Pre-employment Screening - Applicants must submit background check waiver forms when they apply. YSS conducts a Single Contact Repository (SING) background check on final candidates. This review of Iowa Criminal History, the Sex Offender Registry, and the Abuse Registry for Child Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse. YSS requires a clean driving record for roles transporting clients. Verification is done in the issue state of the individual's current license. If applicable, Professional License information is verified through the issuing agency.
• Offer - Selected applicants will receive a formal offer of employment in the Paycom system.
• New Hire Meeting - The offer email provides details. You must have this meeting before you can begin work.

Before responding to this announcement, please review the RPCV Career Link Terms of Use PDF . The Peace Corps is not able to confirm the legitimacy of every position posted to the jobs board and we ask everyone to use caution when contacting and/or sharing information with any organization while seeking employment. If you believe an announcement has violated the Peace Corps Terms of Use, please contact email protected .

Does this sound like the position for you?