Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) Program

What is a CRPA?

Certified Recovery Peer Advocates (CRPA's) are individuals with lived experience who have been certified to provide coaching, support, information, guidance, and motivation to those seeking or sustaining recovery from a substance use diagnosis.

We are actively recruiting individuals for Spring 2024 CRPA classes. Apply now! 

Upcoming program dates:

March 25, 2024 - May 29, 2024. 

Mondays and Wednesdays 6 PM - 8.30 PM 

 

Register for one of the upcoming Information Session:

Upcoming program dates:

Foundational Training in Peer Recovery:

March 25, 2024 - May 29, 2024. 

Mondays and Wednesdays 6 PM - 8.30 PM;

and

HE104 - Addictions and Dependencies Class:

May 28, 2024 - June 20, 2024

Tuesdays and Thursdays 6 PM - 8.30 PM;

and

Digital Literacy Training:

Schedule will be announced soon. 

 

 


 

Requirements

Requirements to qualify:

  • At least 18 years of age
  • Hold a high school diploma
  • Personal experience or relationship with someone who has dealt with substance use.
  • Eligibility to work in the United States.
  • Candidates must score at an 8th grade reading level to be considered for the program.

Course requirements:

  • Attend every session to its entirety, for both the CRPA Training class and the HE 104 course.
  • Computer training, etc
  • 500 hours of volunteer or paid work experience specific to the PR domains.
  • 25 hours of supervision specific to the PR domains. Supervision must be provided by a qualified supervisor.
  • Pass the IC&RC Peer Recovery Exam.

Course Description

Our ground-breaking Educational and Career Readiness CRPA program includes the non-credit CRPA workshop and a three-credit complementary Public Health course in Addictions and Dependencies, which ensure our students learn successful knowledge and practice as they pursue their CRPA certifications. Other unique elements of our CRPA program model include wraparound services, including an Instructor, Assistant Case Manager, Employment Specialist/Career Counselor and a Computer Technology Instructor to ensure that students have job-ready technology skills to be successful in a CRPA position in today's job market. Additionally, QCC is committed to job placement for students who have completed the CRPA program.

Information About the Grant

Queensborough Community College received $499,994 from the New York State's Workforce Development Initiative Fund for the Queensborough's Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) program. The program, established in 2016 and replicated by several CUNY colleges, provides people who are seeking or sustaining recovery from substance addiction with the support they need to regain their health and tools to enter New York's workforce. Under the new funding, up to 50 percent of adult learners from culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged communities will be trained to enter CRPA careers in NYC healthcare institutions.

Our Trainees:

  • Trained both CUNY & SUNY Community colleges in our CRPA Training Model
  • Trained NYC Health and Hospitals Staff on Advanced Peer Skills and Management Skills
  • Developed a and trained a Hospital Emergency Room Training for Peers throughout NYS for OASAS

Our Partners:

  • NYC Health + Hospitals Corporation
  • Bridge Back to Life
  • Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
  • Friends of Recovery NY
  • Fortune Society
  • Anchor House
  • Hudson Guild Mental Health Services
  • Institute for Career Development
  • Lower East Side Service Center
  • Mount Sinai Beth Israel
  • NADAP
  • Northwell Health
  • VIP Community Services
  • OASAS
  • Odyssey House
  • Outreach NYC
  • Samaritan Village
  • Services for the Underserved
  • Su Casa

Contact Us


Staff:

CRPA support and inquiries: CRPA@qcc.cuny.edu

Yuliia Pylypenko, Program Manager: ypylypenko@qcc.cuny.edu

Contact us: 718-631-6681

Earline Asbury, MSW, Case Manager

Ed Diller, Professor HE 104

Candy Herbert, Peer Recovery Trainer

Christina Cairoli,  Job Developer

Computer Readiness Professor

 

Get To Know Us

Grant Sponsored Programs and Partnerships

  • Youth: College and Career Readiness
  • Technology
  • Workforce Development
  • Healthcare/Medical related

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