Recovery Coach Academy – Mercer County

Developed by the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR), the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy at COA is a week-long training opportunity designed for those interested in serving as a recovery coach. It is the first peer-based recovery coaching and training program designed for people interested in guiding individuals into and through long-term recovery from alcohol and/or drug addiction. The next scheduled training dates are:

To clear any misinformation regarding credentialing of peers in New Jersey. The Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), is responsible for peer training, particularly in response to the Governor’s 25 initiatives in response to the opioid epidemic.

As the role of peer services is not regulated through any State agency or statue, please know that the Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) certification offered through the Addiction Professionals Certification Board is only one pathway in which peers can be trained and certified. In fact, DMHAS does not require the CPRS as a requirement to work and/or volunteer in any contracted agencies. DMHAS has and continues to recommend that agencies ensure that peers are skilled and knowledgeable in SAMSHA’s Peer Core Competencies.

DMHAS values the CCAR training and believes it provides the necessary components to ensure that peers are acclimated and supported in their roles, whether it be part of a DMHAS contacted agency program, recovery center, hospital, emergency department, or grass roots peer/volunteer agency.

recovery_wordleA CCAR Recovery Coach is anyone interested in promoting recovery by removing barriers & obstacles to recovery and serving as a personal guide & mentor for people seeking or already in recovery. It is invaluable for anyone – counselors, teachers, health care professionals, volunteers, group leaders, community activists, parents, spouses and other family members – working or living with addiction sufferers.

This is a practical, results-oriented training that will provide participants a comprehensive overview of the purpose and tasks of a recovery coach and will explain the various roles played by a recovery coach. The program will provide participants with the tools & resources most useful in providing recovery support services. It will also teach skills to access vital recovery resources within the community.

Because it is founded on a philosophy of “meeting your addict where they’re at”, this program teaches how to support the recovery of virtually anyone challenged by addiction. Participants will be able to:

  • Describe the roles and functions of a recovery coach
  • List the components, core values and guiding principles of recovery
  • Build skills to enhance relationships
  • Discuss co-occurring disorders and medicated assisted recovery
  • Describe stages of change and their applications
  • Experience wellness planning
  • Practice newly acquired skills

 

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The instructors for this program are Kevin Meara, Rob Fasoli, Michele Perez, Char McCallum and Art Ackerman, all of whom have completed the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy and have been trained by CCAR to train Recovery Coaches.

Kevin is a founder of COA and currently serves on its Executive Advisory Council. Rob is a certified interventionist with a strong background in 12 Steps/Recovery Support; he is also COA’s Director of Community Outreach. Michele is COA’s Vice Chairperson and represents COA in Gloucester County, NJ. Char is COA’s Executive Director and a supporter of recovery. Art Ackerman is Associate Executive Director for COA also manages COA Recovery Radio.

Over the past 6 years, COA has conducted thousands of interventions and successfully supported hundreds of young adults in recovery.

RecoverySupportMore than 5,000 people across the U.S. have taken this highly regarded training program since 2008 and it is also being offered in selected countries overseas, including the U.K. To learn more about COA-trained Recovery Coaches and how they are putting their skills to use, click here.

To watch a short video of the program’s two instructors describing the course, and offering insights into working with recoverees, please click the link below.


Refund Policy: If a scheduling conflict arises, registrants may transfer their registration to a later class. For questions or more information please email info@cityofangelsnj.org.