Peer Recovery Specialist II

Peer Recovery Specialist II

Salary

$46,160.40 - $80,780.75 Annually

Location

ADULT DETENTION CENTER, 10520 JUDICIAL DR, FAIRFAX (FJ23), VA

Job Type

FT Hourly W BN

Job Number

26-01298

Department

Sheriff

Opening Date

08/22/2026

Closing Date

9/4/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Pay Grade

S15

Posting Type

Open to General Public

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Job Announcement

The person in this position uses their personal recovery experience, peer support training, and passion for helping others to make a meaningful impact on individuals receiving Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) while incarcerated, as well as those receiving Medical Branch and Behavioral Health services.

In this role, you will build trust and connection through authentic peer support, provide recovery-focused education and group support, and encourage individuals to actively engage in treatment and work towards their recovery goals. Help individuals identify needs, develop future-focused goals, access harm reduction and basic needs resources, and establish community connections and reentry supports to promote continued recovery after release. Advocate for individual concerns, collect program data, and collaborate with Medical Branch staff, peer professionals, work groups, and other Sheriff's Office teams.

This position is ideal for someone who is ready to turn lived experience into hope and positive change. Must bring personal recovery experience, formal peer support training, and the ability to use recovery journey appropriately and professionally to build trust, inspire hope, and model the possibility of long-term recovery.

Note: As a condition of employment, the Peer Recovery Specialist II is expected to serve as a credible role model for individuals in recovery. The Peer Recovery Specialist II acknowledges that sustained personal recovery is an essential qualification of this position. Throughout employment, the employee agrees to maintain sobriety from alcohol, illegal drugs, and the non-medical use of controlled substances, comply with all agency drug-free workplace policies, and remain eligible for any required peer recovery certification. The Peer Recovery Specialist II acknowledges they are subject to random substance screening and failure to maintain these requirements may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description.)

• Leads, facilitates, or co-facilitates peer support groups or other education or support groups with a wellness or recovery focus, including preparing materials and developing curriculum;
• Assists individuals served in developing a self-directed recovery plan, (including Medicaid billable Recovery, Resiliency, and Wellness (RRW) plans) and enacting their plans;
• May collaborate with other service providers including Case Managers, Therapists, Nurses, Psychiatrists, and other partners;
• Service locations are varied and may include outpatient program sites, crisis programs, residential treatment programs, in the community, telehealth, and justice system settings;
• Provides navigation services for individuals, families, and other concerned persons, identifying and linking them to community resources that support the individual's goals and interests, including navigating crisis systems of care;
• Collaborates as needed with other health care providers in providing coordinated services;
• Conducts outreach and engagement activities to connect with individuals that may benefit from behavioral health services;
• Provides follow-up support after mental health and/or substance use emergencies, assisting individuals to learn skills, access resources, and receive emotional support to avoid future crises.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

• Knowledge of the principles, theories, and methods of peer recovery services;
• Knowledge of local resources, services, and support in the community relevant to the population;
• Knowledge of wellness and recovery terminology, theories, and best practices;
• Knowledge of basic clinical psychological, physiological and psychiatric terminology, theories, and practices;
• Ability to effectively relate one's own lived experiences of wellness and recovery;
• Ability to provide one-on-one peer recovery services;
• Ability to provide group peer recovery services;
• Ability to establish rapport and maintain effective relationships with individuals served;
• Ability to facilitate development of wellness, recovery, and resiliency plans;
• Ability to assist individuals to access supports and services needed for recovery;
• Ability to collaborate with other behavioral health professionals;
• Ability to manage a caseload;
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, including consistent use of recovery-oriented language;
• Ability to maintain records and use evaluation and survey tools;
• Ability to recognize signs of distress and threats to safety in individuals served and in the environment;
• Ability to take appropriate action, consistent with scope of practice, to address distress and crisis.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")

Graduation from high school or a GED issued by a state department of education; plus, any combination of education and experience equivalent to 1 year of Human Services experience.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

• Virginia Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) through the Virginia Certification Board, or peer recovery certification by a member board of IC&RC through another state, or National Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (NCPRSS) through NAADAC within 6 months of hire.
• Registered Peer Recovery Specialist (RPRS) through the Virginia Board of Counseling within 1 year.
• CPR/First Aid certification (Required within 3 months).

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, polygraph exam, psychological exam, and tuberculosis test to the satisfaction of the employer.

This position is emergency/essential services personnel. (Required to report for duty during inclement weather and/or other emergencies.)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Personal experience/experience working with individuals with substance use disorder or mental health challenges.
• Two to three years of experience facilitating educational and support groups.
• One to two years of experience working in a corrections environment.
• Familiarity with multiple pathways to recovery.
• Community outreach experience.
• Virginia Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to input, access, and retrieve records from computer. Ability to lift up to 25 pounds. Ability to move self throughout Adult Detention Center. Ability to observe patient symptoms, communicate complex information to medical and confinement staff, in writing, and in person. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview and may include exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home - including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others. We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.

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Merit Positions

Fairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
• Group Term Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• LiveWell Program
• Flexible Spending Programs
• Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
• Paid Holidays
• Contributory Retirement Plan
• Deferred Compensation
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employees Child Care Center
• Continuous Learning Opportunities

Please click here for a summary of our benefits.

NOTE: Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program: Public Service Loan Forgiveness | Federal Student Aid

For additional details please visit the Countys benefits webpage.

Non-Merit Positions

• Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage

• Flexible Spending Program

• Deferred Compensation

• Temporary: scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.

• No benefits

01

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

• Less than 12th grade
• High school diploma or GED
• Some college
• Associates degree
• Bachelors degree
• Masters degree
• Doctorate degree

02

If you answered "Some college" for the highest level of education completed, please indicate the number of quarter or semester hours you have completed towards a degree.

• Less than 45 quarter hours
• 45 to less than 90 quarter hours
• 90 to less than 135 quarter hours
• 135 to less than 180 quarter hours
• 180 or more quarter hours
• Less than 30 semester hours
• 30 to less than 60 semester hours
• 60 to less than 90 semester hours
• 90 to less than 120 semester hours
• 120 or more semester hours
• Not applicable

03

Please indicate all major(s) or minor(s) for your completed degree(s). Check all that apply.

• Psychology
• Social work
• Counseling
• Human services
• Other (related field)
• Other (non-related field)
• Not applicable

04

If you answered "Other (related field)" or "Other (non-related field)" for the previous question, please list all of your majors and minors. If this question does not pertain to you, or you do not have a degree, enter "Not applicable".

05

How many years of full-time equivalent human services experience do you have?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

06

Please indicate which of the following license(s) and certification(s) you possess. Check all that apply.

• Virginia Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) through the Virginia Certification Board
• Peer recovery certification by a member board of IC&RC through another state
• National Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (NCPRSS) through NAADAC
• Registered Peer Recovery Specialist (RPRS) through the Virginia Board of Counseling
• None of the above

07

Are you familiar with multiple pathways to recovery?

• Yes
• No

08

Do you have experience working with individuals with substance use disorder or mental health challenges?

• Yes
• No

09

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have facilitating educational and/or support groups?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

10

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have with community outreach?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

11

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have in a corrections environment?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

12

Have you ever been charged with any criminal offense as a juvenile or adult, regardless of the disposition?

• Yes, I was charged as an adult
• Yes, I was charged as a juvenile
• Yes, I was charged as a juvenile and an adult
• No

13

If you answered "Yes" to the previous question, provide specific details, including the approximate year, charge and outcome. If this question does not pertain to you, enter "Not applicable".

Required Question

Employer Fairfax County

Address 12000 Government Center Pkwy. Suite 270

Fairfax, Virginia, 22035

Phone 703-324-3311

Website http://agency.governmentjobs.com/fairfaxcounty/default.cfm