GSU's College of Health and Human Services' Addiction Studies and Behavioral Health Program present a series of subsidized training programs focused on peer recovery support /mentoring as part of a recovery-oriented system of care for individuals and families dealing with alcohol, substance use, and/or mental health disorders.
Greetings from Governors State University's
Peer Recovery Support Training (PRSS)
The Peer Recovery
Support Specialist Training Program is a selective application program open to people with lived experience in alcohol, substance use, and/or
mental health disorders :
The Peer Recovery Support
Training Program consisting of:
- Mandatory Orientation Class
- 3 courses at no cost to the
participant \ and
- Paid internship
The Peer
Recovery Support Specialist Training Program meets the Illinois
Certification Board (ICB) requirements for Certified Recovery Support
Specialist (CRSS) and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS).
The PRSS Training program is funded by:
- The Illinois Department of Human
Services' (IDHS) Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR)
#43CAC00123
- The Illinois Department of Human
Services' (IDHS) Division of Mental Health (DMH) 814 CRSS Project Success
#45CAB04313
- Federal Health Resources and Human
Services (HRSA) Behavioral Workforce and Training (BHWET) Grant
#1M01HP42507-01-00
GSU currently offers training groups 3 times per year and may meet virtually, online or
in person on campus at
Governors State University University Park, IL
Participants must commit to attend all training and internship hours in order to receive our certificate of program completion and be eligible for certification.
Application will be required to
attend group training.
If you would like to participate in one of our upcoming
Virtual Group Information Session regarding our GSU-PRSS Training Program
will be posted here when we have a scheduled date and you may sign up to be contacted
PRSS Training Virtual Information Session
If you have further questions regarding this please email PRSSGSU@govst.edu
IDHS: Substance Use Disorder
Illinois Department of
Human Services JB Pritzker, Governor · Grace B. Hou, Secretary IDHS Office
Locator. IDHS Help Line 1-800-843-6154 1-866-324-5553 TTY
www.dhs.state.il.us
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Is Peer Recovery Support Specialist something new?
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Yes and No – the concept of Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS) is an effective type of mentor that has been around for a long time. PRSS and the concept of Recovery Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC) have been receiving increasing attention. There is a good foundation of literature and research regarding the principles and practices that contribute to the effectiveness of PRSS, and that is what much of our training is based on.
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Does the GSU Training provide some kind of certification for RC?
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Yes,
this is new program development at GSU content of our training program
that is designed to meet the foundational criteria of 410 hour
educational and internship experience requirement specified in Illinois
and other jurisdictions for Certified Peer Recovery Specialist. (The RC
is considered a Peer Recovery Specialist in Illinois and many other
states.)
Looking
online, you may see many types of RC training programs that provide
their own RC Certification. It is difficult to know, however, how these
will or will not end up meeting State and Federal Certification
standards as they evolve.
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What Illinois Certifications are there for Peer Recovery Support Specialists?
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The
current requirements for various types of Peer Recovery Support
Specialist Certifications in Illinois can be found on the IL SUPR
(formerly DASA) website at http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=99995 . More information on Illinois credentialing can be found athttp://www.iaodapca.org/ You may want to focus on the Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) and the various documents related to it at http://www.iaodapca.org/credentialing/certified-peer-recovery-specialist-cprs/Note
that these certifications involve both educational and experiential
elements, so plan to spend time understanding these requirements,
perhaps contacting these organizations for assistance if needed.
Our training will provide a brief
overview of certification requirements – but will not allow for
extensive questions on the certification process or consideration of
individual cases.
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Recovery
Support Specialist positions are becoming increasingly available across
the country, and in some areas (as California) more than others. We can
expect this trend will continue. You may want to Google open PRSS
positions in your area or elsewhere from time to time to get a feel for
position availability.
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Yes,
GSU is able to offer a limited number of SUPR (Illinois Department of
Human Services; Division of Substance Use Prevention and
Recovery) -funded RC internships to those who successfully complete the
RC training and meet additional criteria. This program and the
application process will be fully explained during your training.