Recovery Engagement Specialist (Part Time, 7a-3p)

About the role

Connections Health Solutions is a mission‑driven organization providing immediate‑access behavioral health crisis care that stabilizes, supports, and connects people to resources. Founded by emergency‑room psychiatrists, the physician‑led, data‑driven model has over 15 years of crisis‑care expertise and is recognized by SAMHSA and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing as a national best practice. The RESET Center, operated by Connections in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, offers an alternative destination for individuals found publicly intoxicated (alcohol and/or drugs) who would otherwise go to the emergency department or jail, working with law‑enforcement and public‑health partners to divert individuals from the criminal justice and healthcare systems and connect them to community resources.

Responsibilities

• Take participant vital signs as delegated per protocol.
• Monitor participants throughout the sobering process, ensuring adherence to guidelines and general well‑being.
• Respond promptly to participant needs and requests with empathy, patience, and excellent customer service.
• Provide snacks, hydration, blankets, and other comfort measures to support safe sobering.
• Observe participant behavior and condition, completing required observation logs, rounds, and milieu documentation accurately and in real time.
• Identify escalating or unsafe behavior and promptly notify supervisory or clinical team members.
• Engage participants in supportive, compassionate, and non‑judgmental ways, respecting individual experience and autonomy.
• Leverage personal or lived experience (where comfortable) to build trust, foster rapport, and demonstrate understanding of recovery and harm‑reduction pathways.
• Support safety and calm tone within the center through trauma‑informed communication and de‑escalation techniques.
• Assist with environmental cleanliness and sanitation, ensuring all spaces are organized, hygienic, and supportive of a dignified participant experience.
• Work collaboratively with other team members—including health workers, safety monitors, peers, and supervisors—to maintain an orderly, non‑judgmental environment.
• Participate in ongoing training and development opportunities, including motivational interviewing, effects of alcohol and other substances, trauma‑informed service delivery, crisis and de‑escalation practices, customer service and team‑based care.
• Maintain proficiency with evolving program protocols and standards of care.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• At least one year of personal recovery.
• Experience working with diverse populations including individuals experiencing substance use and intoxication, people living with homelessness or housing instability, individuals impacted by the criminal legal system, and people experiencing mental health crises.
• Familiarity with harm reduction, restorative and recovery‑oriented practice, and trauma‑informed care.
• Lived experience with substance use, recovery, homelessness, or incarceration is highly valued and actively welcomed.
• Must obtain Overdose Prevention and Narcan Administration training within 30 days of hire.
• Basic computer literacy, including ability to document in an electronic health record (EHR).
• Ability to obtain and accurately record vital signs.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to complete documentation in a timely manner.
• Ability to successfully complete Basic Life Support (BLS) certification during the first week of employment.
• Must be fully vaccinated (or exempt per company policy) prior to start date.

Preferred Qualifications

• Possess at least two (2) of the following:
  • Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
  • Alcohol & Other Drug (AOD) Certification and 2 years’ experience working in crisis, detox, or treatment environments
  • Crisis De‑Escalation Training certification
  • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
  • Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
  • Emergency or field‑based work experience

Benefits

• Full‑time only: comprehensive health insurance (Medical, Dental