Dorm Parents

Position Type:Tutors/Other Date Posted:3/27/2026 Location:Upper St. John Valley Recovery High School Dorm ParentsAbout the Upper St. John Valley Recovery High School:At the Upper St. John Valley Recovery High School, we work with teens in recovery. We use a goal-oriented approach to support their recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) and/or co-occurring disorders. We help them identify and establish healthy, constructive habits so they grow personally, behaviorally and socially while also making progress toward a high school diploma. We offer an academic pathway to these teens while placing a clear focus on their recovery and their ability to maintain sobriety. We use an approach that blends substance misuse and mental health supports into their entire educational experience on a daily, weekly and on-going basis. Our supportive process is tailored to the individual needs of each participant. We also emphasize the development of a recovery community built on the critical elements of self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, social awareness and trusting relationships. Maine School Administrative District # 27 is seeking applicants who have experience working with adolescents to work as Dorm Parents at our Upper St. John Valley Recovery High School, a specialized alternative high school program with a school-week (Sunday evening to Friday afternoon) in-residence program component. The Upper St. John Valley Recovery High School serves teens recovering from substance use disorder and/or co-occurring disorders. Our mission is to create a safe, supportive, and structured school-day, school-evening, school-week environment where our students can progress through the initial stages of recovery to the point of stable recovery and leave our program with the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain healthy, substance-free lifestyles. We are seeking passionate and compassionate paraprofessionals to join our team. The Recovery High School Dorm Parents will support the work of our Teacher and Education Technician III, will work closely with and receive regular consultation and supervision from our Recovery Counselor (licensed clinical substance misuse counselor), will be provided direction by the Alternative Education Coordinator, and will interface with parents, family members and community-based service providers as we provide students an academic pathway to a High School diploma while also placing a clear focus on their recovery and their ability to refrain from substance-use and to maintain their health, wellness and well-being. The ideal candidate will have experience or training in education and/or residential life, social or human services, allied health, counselling, social work, criminal justice, or public safety administration and lived or living experience with substance misuse and/or co-occurring disorder recovery; they also will demonstrate a commitment to supporting teens in recovery as well as the ability to foster a supportive and engaging learning/recovery/in-residence environment built on self-awareness, social awareness and trusting relationships within our student cohort and between our students and staff. Key Responsibilities:Support students' social and emotional needs within the context of recovery Collaborate with the Recovery Counselor, teaching staff, the program coordinator, families, community-based service providers and other staff to ensure student's success in their recovery journey by blending substance misuse and mental health supports into their learning and residential life experience on a daily, weekly and on-going basis. Participate in ongoing professional development related to residential education and recovery support (i.e., required UMFK Residential Life staff training, required Recovery Coach training). Provide school-week morning, after-school, evening, and overnight supervision and support to school-week in-residence students. Foster a welcoming, supportive in-residence environment that promotes community respect, resilience and trust. Ensure the safety and well-being of resident-students by implementing and enforcing residence hall policies. Act as a mentor and role-model to students, offering guidance and encouragement. Organize and oversee residential life activities on a daily basis (including daily after-dinner Physical Activity hour), group outings, after-school recovery sessions and study sessions. Communicate regularly with school administrators, faculty and parents regarding students' recovery progress and concerns. Address emergencies and maintain proper records as required. Provide supervision of and supportive interaction with students during daily, family-style dinner-hour. Qualifications:Experience working with young people in an educational, social service or mental health setting is preferred. Current or past education or training in education, residential life, social or human services, allied health, counselling, social work, criminal justice, public safety administration. Earned Associate or Bachelor's degree or willingness to complete and/or current engagement in study and training desirable. Understanding of or experience with substance use recovery, co-occurring disorder recovery, addiction counseling, restorative justice and/or trauma-informed practices. Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team. Passion for supporting students in their recovery journeys. Benefits:$48,000 total starting compensation package includes $36,000 combined salary and health insurance coverage plus 36-week room and board waiver and paid dining hall meal-plan valued at $12,000. Opportunities for professional growth and development, including required training to become a certified youth Recovery Coach. Up to six credits of tuition waivers per academic semester through UMFK for degree programs at the campus. A supportive and mission-driven work environment.