Working Title
Peer Support Specialist
Department
Addiction Counseling & Prevention
Physical Location of Position (City)
Sioux Falls
Posting Text
The Department of Addiction Counseling and Prevention at the University of South Dakota is hiring a Peer Support Specialist. This position will be responsible for providing a variety of services to participants involved in the Minnehaha Drug and DUI Courts. To provide these services, a variety of activities are required:
- Connecting participants to court related and non-court related resources
- Support participants navigating resources and finding/utilizing transportation
- Ensure participant’s understand requirements of Drug/DUI Court
- Collect and report data as required
- Attend court hearings, team meetings, and case reviews as needed
- Participate in community outreach efforts
- Work with the courts, legal professionals, probation/parole officers, and other key stakeholders
Required Qualifications:
- Associate’s or technical school degree in a helping profession (social work, psychology, nursing, criminal justice, etc.)
- Certified, or willing to become certified, as a Peer Support Specialist, Addiction Counselor, or Prevention Specialist
Preferred Qualifications:
- Personal and/or work experience in the Treatment Courts
- Familiarity with recovery processes, substance use disorder treatment, harm reduction, and criminal justice system protocols, particularly treatment courts
- Basic computer skills for case documentation and reporting. Familiarity with case management software is an advantage
- Strong interpersonal, listening, and verbal communication skills; ability to build rapport and trust with participants
- Prior work experience where confidentiality and discretion were important
- Ability to work independently
The Peer Support Specialist is a grant funded position. The anticipated end date of the grant is 9/30/2029.
This position offers state health insurance and benefits, which includes a retirement plan with 6% matching, 10 hours of annual leave each month, 9.34 hours of sick leave each month, and 11 paid holidays.
Must be authorized to work in the U.S. Sponsorship is not available for this position.
First Consideration Date
08/03/2026
Duration of the Term
Other
If Other, describe duration
Anticipated end date of the grant is 9/30/2029
Work Hours
This will be non-faculty exempt. The Peer Support Specialist will have a malleable schedule that changes depending on the current needs of treatment court participants. It’s projected to be a 40-hour per week position with flexing available to work different lengths of time or different number of days depending on the week. For example, one week may be 8-430p Mon-Fri and the next week could be 9-7p Mon/Tue, 8-4 Wed/Thu, and 8-Noon on Friday.
Typical Hours Worked Per Week
Scope of Search
External (includes Internal)
If internal, define scope of search
This position requires
Travel, Overnight stays, Valid Drivers License
If other, please indicate
Travel required and overnight stays optional. It would be for conferences with a maximum of 5 overnights per year, though the person could opt to not attend overnight conferences with no consequence. per calendar year.
Department Description and Cultural Expectations
USD Addiction Counseling and Prevention is one of ten programs within the USD School of Health Sciences, offering a Baccalaureate of Science and Master of Art Degrees in Vermillion and Online. The School of Health Sciences and the USD Sanford School of Medicine Comprise the Division of Health Affairs.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
USD is committed to fostering a dynamic and welcoming working and learning environment for all. USD provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to ideological, political, or sectarian opinions or perspectives; or race, color, creed, religion, sex, ancestry, disability, national origin or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. USD is committed to the principles of free expression and encourages the timely and rational discussion of topics in an environment that is intellectually and ideologically diverse.
