Tag Archives: CCAR

What do I need to be a recovery coach?

Recovery Coaching within a Recovery Oriented System of Care - SHE RECOVERS®  Foundation

Posted by Melissa Killeen, MSOD, MPhil, NCPRSS

I published the second edition my book Recovery Coaching – A Guide to Coaching People in Recovery from Addictions in 2019. Since the first edition was released (in 2013) there have been several changes in certification requirements for recovery coaches, or peer recovery specialists. The training of coaches has become one of the fastest growing aspects of the coaching field. So what kind of training do I need to be a recovery coach?

Many of the organizations that offer addiction recovery coach training or peer recovery-support specialist training are listed on my web site . For many people interested in being a recovery coach, the training costs are an important factor. Deciding on the best training organization and the training necessary to fulfill the state certification requirements can be confusing. So I would like to attempt to clear up this confusion and will attempt to answer these questions in this post:

What are the guidelines I must meet to apply for recovery coaching training?

Applicants must meet the following guidelines to apply for a training course in order to be a recovery coach or a peer recovery support-specialist. These guidelines are shared by many training organizations and certification boards across the nation as a standard for what a potential recovery coach must have before applying for recovery coaching training:

High school diploma, GED or higher

Minimum of one year of direct knowledge of sponsorship and 12-step programs

Minimum one year of sobriety from substance use or one year sobriety in co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (self-attestation)

Have a minimum of one year experience working with a family member, loved one or significant other that is addicted, is attempting to recover or who has loss their life due to an addiction(self-attestation)

What kind of training do I need to be a recovery coach?

Certification boards require the coach to receive peer recovery specialist or recovery coach training from an organization that is authorized by the state to give this training. This ensures the training will fulfill the requirements mandated by your state’s certification board. In order to find out what authorized training organizations are, go to your state’s certification board.

After your research, you will need to complete the following:

  • Each state and organization has different requirements. So first check with your state to ensure the courses you take will be accepted by the state credentialing board.
  • A certain amount of hours in coaching training (46-120 hours depending on the state) in topics such as addiction recovery theory, motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, cultural awareness, suicide prevention and HIV-AIDS education
  • 8-16 hours of coaching ethics.

The places in which you receive this training are quite diverse. In the links section of this web site,  ( https://www.mkrecoverycoaching.com/recovery-coach-training-organizations/ ) I list over 250 organizations offering recovery coach training. The courses can be virtual, or in a classroom. The costs for this training is diverse as well, from free (in Ohio) up to $4,000 per course. The length of the course could be three days or four months.

At no time does taking a recovery coaching course give you an immediate state certification board recovery-coaching credential. It gives you a document (called a certificate) that says you completed the training hours. There are many coaches who do not seek state board certification and use this document or certificate from a training organization as adequate proof they are knowledgeable in performing the duties of a recovery coach.

There is a central international credentialing organization, the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium, commonly known as the IC & RC, which runs many state credentialing boards and has developed an exam for a Peer Recovery (PR) Certification. The IC & RC suggests applicants check with their state credentialing board for specific test-taking guidelines.

What differentiates a Peer Recovery Coach from a Professional Coach?

Why the “Professional Coach” title? The word “professional” will differentiate Peer Recovery Coaches with more coaching experience and more training from other peer coaches with credentials or certifications. Employers ( e.g., hospitals, providers, prisons) employ coaches, and for these employers  the term “Professional” signifies a higher level of competence and expertise.

There are trainings offered that can give a coach more information that may not be on the state certification board list but are very helpful. The kinds of training I found helpful as a new recovery coach are conflict resolution and management, anger management, intervention training, co-occurring disorders, behavioral addictions, the pharmacology of addiction, as well as knowledge about coaching families in relationships with addicted persons. There are also trainings on how to be a recovery coach in a hospital Emergency Department, working with Narcan revived patients, or working with people in prisons or the homeless. There are also organizations that offer Professional Coach certification (CCAR- Conneticut Community of Addiction Recovery, (https://addictionrecoverytraining.org/ ) and the International Coaching Federation that offers three different levels of life coach training: associate, professional- and master-level coaching certificates https://coachingfederation.org/

After you receive this initial Peer Recovery Coach training, additional trainings can open up to you. The more time you engage in being a recovery coach and the more educational credentials you receive; you move closer to the “Professional Coach” status.

Are there any additional credentialing organizations for recovery coaching certification?

NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, and the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCC-AP) offer the Nationally Certified Peer Recovery Support-Specialist Certification. Similar to the state certification- however- the NAADAC certification is good to use in every state in the union. So a coach does not have to worry about reciprocity from one state to another. The requirements the  NAADAC recommends, in order to receive certification, mandates a coach read and sign a statement on the application affirming adherence to the Peer Recovery Support-Specialist Code of Ethics. The new coach will confirm they have taken the NAADAC six-hour ethics training course and have completed six hours of HIV/other pathogens education and training course (also available through NAADAC).Credentialing boards require supervisors of the coaches-in-training to sign a document verifying they have supervised the coach during the 200-hour period of the coach’s  practice training. Letters of recommendation are also items required by some credentialing boards. Other state boards require a recent photograph.

 NAPS, or National Association for Peer Support is an organization for peers focusing on mental health recovery peer support as well as addiction recovery support. They have education and credentialing standards that are listed at : https://www.peersupportworks.org/.

As always, check with your state credentialing board for specific requirements for credentialing training. Many states only accept training from an organization that have had their trainings screened by the state and authorized to be used as a credentialing training source.

What is the next step in the  process of being qualified, getting training, and then credentialed as a recovery coach or peer-recovery support specialist?

After you have completed the research as to what type of credentialling you want (e.g. state certification board, IC & RC or NAADAC), then seek out the training you can afford. Go to https://www.mkrecoverycoaching.com/recovery-coach-training-organizations/ for a list of addiction recovery coach training organizations

  1. Verify that you meet the qualifications to apply for the course (e.g. be 18-years-old, have a GED or high school diploma, one year sobriety from any addiction)
  2. Take and pass the course, retain the coaching certificate for future purposes
  3. Research places like Recovery Community Organizations or treatment centers to work or volunteer as a recovery-coach-in-training to receive your practice hours.
  4. Complete the recovery-coach-in-training supervised practice hours that are required by the state board or the NAADAC
  5. Apply to your state certification board or the NAADAC for the time to take the recovery coach exam(a fee will apply)
  6. Send in your application with paperwork verifying the completion of practice hours to the state credentialing board with a certification fee (the additional fee varies for every state, from $100-$250)
  7. If you pass the exam and meet all the requirements listed on the application, you will receive your recovery coaching or peer-recovery support specialist certificate
  8. In the next 2 – 4 years take the required courses for renewing this certificate. Refer to your state board or the NAADAC for more information on courses and renewal time frames. A renewal fee will be required.

So, whether you are working as a coach, looking to become one, if you are a family member, or an ally ready to learn about the recovery process, we can promise you the process to become a coach is a transformational experience.

Good luck on your journey.

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Posted in Addiction Recovery Posts, alcohol, Alcoholism, Coach Credentialing, Drug Abuse, Family Dynamics, Gambling, gaming addiction, love addiction, mental health, Opioid addiction, Parents, Pornography, pornography addiction, Recovery Coaching, Research, Sex Addiction, Sponsor, video game addiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What do I need to be a recovery coach?

The Recovery Support that is Available Following Overdose

What happens to people who experience a drug overdose and are successfully revived through emergency medical intervention?

What is their fate after they leave the hospital or other emergency care setting?

Missing in the media coverage of the unrelenting legions of drug overdose deaths in the United States is an equally important but less heralded story. What happens to people who experience a drug overdose and are successfully revived through emergency medical intervention? What is their fate after they leave the hospital or other emergency care setting? The Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) and other grassroots recovery community organizations (RCOs) nationwide are influencing positive outcomes to overdose by placing recovery coaches with first responders and doctors in the emergency departments in hospitals to advance recovery options for the revived overdose patients.

The Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) is one of several hundred recovery advocacy and recovery support organizations (RCOs) rising on the American landscape in the last two decades. One of the first RCOs, CCAR pioneered what have since become standard RCO service fare: recovery-focused professional and public education, legislative advocacy, recovery community centers, recovery celebration walks and conferences, recovery support groups, training for recovery home operators, face-to-face and telephone-based recovery support services, family-focused recovery education and support services, and collaboration with research scientists on the evaluation of the effects of peer support on long-term recovery outcomes. As an example of its reach, CCAR’s Recovery Coach Academy curriculum has been used in the training of more than 20,000 recovery coaches worldwide.

CCAR began piloting an Emergency Department Recovery Coach (EDRC) Program in March of 2017. Through this program, CCAR-trained recovery coaches are on-call for hospital emergency rooms to offer assistance to patients and their families during an emergency room visit resulting from an adverse drug reaction or other alcohol- or another drug-related medical crisis. An evaluation of EDRC services provided between March and November 2017 within four collaborating hospitals revealed the following. CCAR-trained recovery coaches provided recovery support services to 534 patients/families during the 8-month evaluation period with a relatively even distribution of services provided across the four hospitals. Of those served by the EDRC, the majority were in the ER due to an alcohol- or opioid-related condition; 70% were male; and 5% were seen more than once during the evaluation period. Most importantly, of the 534-people interviewed, 528 were assertively linked to a detoxification program, inpatient or outpatient treatment, or community-based recovery support resources.

A more formal and sustained evaluation of the EDRC program is underway in collaboration with Yale University, and the program is now being expanded to an additional four hospitals. Funding support for the EDRC comes from the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services through support of the federal block grant and a Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

CCAR’s EDRC program has many distinct features worthy of replication and local refinement. Among the more striking of such features are the following.

  • The EDRC program is governed by a formal agreement between CCAR and each participating hospital that delineates the roles and responsibilities of each party.
  • The EDRC program is currently staffed by one Recovery Coach Manager and 9 full-time Recovery Coaches (RCs).
  • Emergency Department Recovery Coaches (EDRCs) are recruited and screened (2 interviews with background and reference checks) based on desired experience, skills, and a good work history, but also for what our EDRC manager, Jennifer Chadukiewicz, calls “a servant’s heart.”
  • All EDRCs go through more than 60 hours of training and spend the first weeks shadowing tenured EDRCs. The training includes the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy© (30 hours) as well as topical trainings, e.g., Narcan (naloxone administration), medication-assisted recovery, ethical decision-making, crisis intervention, and conflict resolution. Hospital specific training includes such areas as fire/general safety, OSHA, blood borne pathogens, infection control, hazardous materials, and HIPPA regulations.
  • EDRC Recovery Coaches are employed by CCAR rather than the hospitals and enter the hospitals as service vendors and “guests” who defer to leadership of ER staff.
  • The RCs are paid a livable wage ($20-$25/hr. to start plus benefits, health insurance, etc.) that allows them to work full time and support themselves and their families while affording time away for rest and self-care.
  • EDRC coverage is provided from 8 am to 12 midnight, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
  • Patients have the option of enrollment in enhanced Telephone Recovery Support (TRS) program (i.e., patients receive daily support calls for the next 10 days and then weekly if desired).
  • EDRC’s provide assertive linkage and transportation (when needed) to treatment and recovery support resources.
  • The EDRCs spend considerable time with community providers and other stakeholders building collaborative relationships that facilitate this patient referral and service linkage process.
  • CCAR provides each hospital emergency department with “prescription pad” style resource handouts that can be attached to discharge paperwork and given to patient friend/family member.

There are critical windows of vulnerability and opportunity within addiction and recovery careers that serve to plunge one deeper into addiction or mark the catalytic beginning of a recovery process. The reversal of a drug overdose or treatment of other drug-related medical crises can constitute a recovery tipping point.

The emergency room is not the only critical point of potential intervention to reduce the risk of drug-related deaths and to promote addiction recovery. For persons with a history of addiction, the days and weeks immediately following release from a correctional facility, release from an inpatient or residential detoxification/treatment program without medication support, or cessation of medication-assisted treatment, and even transfer from one medication-assisted treatment provider to another all constitute a zone of heightened risk for re-initiation of risky drug use and death. Altering such risks and tipping the scales toward recovery stabilization, recovery maintenance, and enhanced quality of personal/family life in long-term recovery should be the goals of every community. Recovery community organizations like CCAR are showing us how this can be done.

This blog was written by William White, Rebecca Allen & Phil Valentine. It was originally posted on the William White web site: www.williamwhitepapers.com on January 18, 2018

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Posted in Addiction Recovery Posts, alcohol, Alcoholism, Coach Credentialing, Drug Abuse, Opioid addiction, Recovery Coaching, Relapse, Research | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Recovery Support that is Available Following Overdose

Recovery Coach Training Organizations (part 7)

melissa-new-post

Melissa Killeen

In 2013, I published a list of recovery coach training organizations in my book, Recovery Coaching — A Guide to Coaching People in Recovery from Addictions. That list totaled 21 locations worldwide. Last month I posted over one hundred and fifty organization names, addresses and web contacts for recovery coaching training! Wow, in just two short years this field has EXPLOADED!! As follows is a list of facilities in the U.S. that offer online addictions recovery coach training. A complete list will be published in my next newsletter, and soon on my MK Recovery Coaching website. To receive a newsletter, just subscribe to my blog (see top-right of sidebar).

 Addiction Recovery Coaching Training Locations

Online Training

aCE-Classes.com
2728 Davie Blvd
Suite 130
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
2728 Davie Blvd
Suite 130
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
http://www.ace-classes.com/lms/_portal/account/account.php?page=4&
Addiction Academy – On Line and Classroom South Campus
6555 NW 9th Avenue, Suite 210
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309
Phone: (877) 944-4235
Fax: (954) 771-2098

North Campus
4731 West Atlantic Avenue, Ste B16
Delray Beach, FL 33445
(877) 944-4235
http://www.addictionacademy.com

Addictions Academy 1.800.706.0318
http://www.theaddictionsacademy.com
All CEUs – On Line Training http://www.allceus.com/recovery-coach-certification/
Crossroads Recovery Coaching Inc.
5612 Holly Street
Port Angeles , WA 98363
(360) 452-5005
Email to: coachalida@gmail.com
http://www.crossroadscoaching.net/
Diversified Intervention Group 800-919-4546
info@interventiontreamentrecovery.org
http://interventiontreatmentrecovery.org/trainings
Elite Continuing Education 1452 North US Highway 1. Suite 100
Ormond Beach, FL 32174
Hours: Mon – Fri 9 AM to 6 PM EST
1-888-857-6920
https://addiction.elitecme.com/IA/course/IAAD01RMC09
Fowler International Academy Fowler International Academy,
P O Box 2508, Daytona Beach, FL 32115,
+1.407.446-3740 and +1.407.236.9400
http://www.recoverycoachtraining.com/
GORSKI-CENAPS- Relapse Prevention Training GORSKI-CENAPS® Corporation
13194 Spring Hill Drive,
Spring Hill, FL 34609
Phone: 352-596-8000
Fax: 352-596-8002
Email: tresa@cenaps.com
http://www.cenaps.com/The_Cenaps_Corporation/Home.html
Infidelity Recovery Institute 848 North Rainbow Blvd, Suite 5311,
Las Vegas, Nevada
attn: Dr. Savannah Ellis,
InfidelityCoaching@gmail.com
http://infidelityrecoveryinstitute.com/
#sthash.zu6ZBLQj.dpbs
Institute for Integrative Nutrition (877) 730-5444;
Skype: IntegrativeNutrition,
email: admissions@integrativenutrition.com
http://www.integrativenutrition.com/health-coaching
Institute for the Psychology of Eating PO Box 941, Boulder, Colorado 80306;
email: info@psychologyofeating.com
Eating Psychology Coach certification –
http://psychologyofeating.com/nutritionist-certification/
NAADAC Web Seminar- Understanding the Roles of a Recovery Coach 1001 N. Fairfax St. Suite 201
Alexandria, VA 22314
p 800.548.0497
http://www.naadac.org
NET Institute NET Institute,
P O Box 2508, Daytona Beach, FL 32115,
+1.407.446-3740 and +1.407.236.9400
http://www.recoverycoachtraining.com/
Recover Resources 755 Alta Dale
Ada, MI 49301
(616) 773-8866
steve@recoverresources.com
http://www.recoverresources.com/
Recovery Innovations Academy 2701 N. 16th Street, Suite #316
Phoenix, Arizona 85006
(866) 481-5361 or (602) 650-1212
http://www.recoveryinnovations.org/services.html
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of
Health
Related Professions, Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions
Certificate in Wellness coaching for Physical,
Mental, and Addiction Disorders
Stanley S Bergen Bldg – Room 152,
65 Bergen St. Newark, NJ 07107-1709
Ruth Gonzalez – 973-972-6207 or
gonzalre@ca.rutgers.edu
http://shrp.rutgers.edu/dept/psyr/programs/documents/CertWellCoaching.html
Suicide Prevention Resource
Center
Suicide Prevention Resource Center
offers free suidicde prevention training as well as
CEU for certification. It is a project in the Health and
Human Development Division of Education Development Center (EDC)
43 Foundry Avenue,
Waltham, MA 02453-8313,
877-GET SPRC (877-438-7772)
sprctraining@edc.org
http://training.sprc.org/course/description.php
The Institute
for Life Coach Training
P.O. Box 562,
Hudson, Ohio 44236
Ellen Neiley Ritter Ph.D. Dean of Students
USA PHONE 888-267-1206
INTERNATIONAL PHONE 011-330-974-1244
EMAIL ellen@lifecoachtraining.com
http://www.lifecoachtraining.com/programs/all_courses/beyond_recovery
The Sober Network (866) 835-1618
http://www.recoverycoaches.com/
Tobacco Awareness and other free training  for Public Health Professionals National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.
1541 Alta Drive, Suite 303
Whitehall, PA 18052-5642
Phone: (484) 223-0770
Toll-Free: (888) 624-3248
Fax: (800) 813-0727
http://www.nchec.org
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill FREE for North Carolina Residents School of Social Work –
Behavioral Healthcare Resource Program –
The SpringBoard Program University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill University
Operator: (919) 962-2211
http://bhrp.sowo.unc.edu/nccpss/dashboard
Wainwright Global Institute of Professional Coaching 1785 E. Sahara Avenue, Suite Suite 490-1008
Las Vegas, NV 89104 ,
Telephone: +001 949-281-6737
Contact: CustomerSupport@WainwrightGlobal.com
http://www.wainwrightglobal.com/coachtraining/en/courses/crc/liveonline.shtml
World Coach Institute PO Box 372026,  Key Largo, FL  33037
1.877.633.5082 from 10am – 6pm EST.
Email:   info@worldcoachinstitute.com
http://worldcoachinstitute.com/courses
World Coach Institute – Addiction Coach http://www.worldcoachinstitute.com/
WRAP – Wellness Recovery
Action Plan 
PO Box 6471 · Brattleboro, VT · 05302
(802) 254-5335
https://copelandcenter.com/contact
https://copelandcenter.com/wellness-recovery-action-plan-wrap

 

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