A credential for individuals with personal, lived experience in their own mental health recovery. By offering insight into the recovery process based on their own experience, peer specialists are able to provide a unique perspective while providing peer support services. This credential is for persons with serious mental health or co-occurring (mental health & substance use disorder) lived experience. 

Requirements & Training Information

A recovery specialist supervisor provides supervision to recovery specialists and/or family recovery specialists.

A credential for individuals with personal, lived experience in their own substance use disorder recovery. By offering insight into the recovery process based on their own experience, recovery specialists are able to provide a unique perspective while provide recovery support services. The CRS is not a sponsor, case manage or a therapist but rather a role model, mentor, advocate, and motivator.

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A credential for adults who have been directly impacted by their own family member or loved one’s substance use disorder. The CFRS shares their lived experience with other families to provide recovery support services and understands the stigma associated with substance use disorder and its impact on the family. A CFRS’s are trained to help families move into and through the recovery process.

A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a trusted individual who contributes to improved health outcomes in the community. CHWs serve the communities in which they reside or communities with which they may share ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status, or life experiences. The term “community health worker,” includes but is not limited to other titles such as outreach worker, patient navigator and promotores de salud.

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A credential for individuals working in the behavioral health field in positions where they are working primarily with populations who have experience with substance use disorders or co-occurring disorders. These individuals have a variety of roles and skills. A professional who earns a CAAP demonstrates their competence with substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders.

An entry level credential for those with a High School Diploma/GED or higher level. A substance use disorder counselor is a professional who works with individuals who are experiencing issues with substance use disorders. These professionals work with individuals to develop treatment plans and provide individual and/or group counseling to assist them to recover. A substance use disorder counselor may specialize in specific theories, modalities or work with specific groups.Available to newer addiction counselors wanting to begin the process of working toward full certification.

A High School Diploma/GED or Associate’s degree level substance use disorder counselor is a professional who works with individuals who are experiencing issues with substance use disorders. These professionals work with individuals to develop treatment plans and provide individual and/or group counseling to assist them to recover. A substance use disorder counselor may specialize in specific theories, modalities or work with specific groups.

A bachelor’s degree level substance use disorder counselor providing primary, direct, clinical, substance use disorder or co-occurring counseling to persons whose primary diagnosis is that of substance use disorder or providing supervision of said counseling. They have primary responsibility for providing substance use disorder counseling in an individual and/or group setting, preparing treatment plans, documenting client progress and is clinically supervised.

A Master’s degree or higher level substance use disorder counselor A substance use disorder counselor is a professional who works with individuals who are experiencing issues with substance use disorders or co-occurring disorders. These professionals work with individuals to develop treatment plans and provide individual and/or group counseling to assist them to recover. A substance use disorder counselor may specialize in specific theories, modalities or work with specific groups.Addiction Counselor credential that requires a master’s degree, is international in scope and reciprocal, and meets the state staffing requirements.

A credential for professionals who provide clinical supervision to substance use disorder counselors. Supervision is a formal or informal process that is administrative, educative, and supportive. It ensures quality of clinical care and extends over time. Supervision includes observation, mentoring, coaching, evaluating, inspiring, and creating an atmosphere that promotes self-motivation, learning, professional development, and ethical decision-making.

A credential for professionals who facilitates and promotes positive growth in self, specific populations (i.e. groups at risk developing substance use issues), and the community at large. This professional uses specific knowledge and skills to design, implement and evaluate programs aimed at precluding or reducing problems caused by the use of substances.

A credential for professionals who have the primary role of facilitation and participation in substance use disorder interventions. Intervention professionals guide families, friends, and others through an intervention process where the individual is encouraged to enter treatment. The CIP is not a marketer or recruiter for a treatment facility; rather they are a front-line professional who is directly engaging an individual and family to help guide them to treatment and is a part of the recovery team.

An endorsement acknowledges additional education and expertise of a certified professional. It indicates a specialization in a specific area. This endorsement acknowledges education in the treatment of problem gambling from a clinical perspective.

An endorsement acknowledges additional education and expertise of a certified professional. It indicates a specialization in a specific area. This endorsement acknowledges education in the various criminal justice involved systems and the impact on treatment and recovery of the individual.

An endorsement acknowledges additional education and expertise of a certified professional. It indicates a specialization in a specific area. This endorsement acknowledges education in clinical supervision including the quality of clinical care, the inclusion of observation, mentoring, coaching, evaluating, inspiring, and creating an atmosphere that promotes self-motivation, learning, professional development, and ethical decision-making.

A credential for professionals who assist individuals and communities in recovering from the challenging effects of natural and human-caused disasters and personal crises through the provision of community-based outreach and educational services. These professionals strive to stabilize emotions and reactions to crisis and disaster.