New Certified Recovery Peer Advocate Training Program Starts
The Office of Continuing Education and Workforce Development at Queensborough Community College is now recruiting participants for its free and unique Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) Training Program, the first cohort of which is slated to begin February 28th.
Made possible by a $435 thousand grant from New York State’s Workforce Development Initiative Fund, the program provides those seeking or sustaining recovery from substance addiction with the support they need to regain their health and tools to enter New York’s workforce. The program is both credit- and non-credit-based and aims to draw from the state’s most diverse and economically disadvantaged communities.
The program is actively seeking two cohorts of 25 participants for the Spring 2022 semester, ideally those with lived experience, high school diplomas, and the ability to work in the U.S. The first session will be held from February 28 through April 27th; the second session will run from April 26th – June 30th.
Online informational sessions will be held on February 9th at 7:00 pm and February 10th at 12:00 pm.
To register for the information sessions and to apply for consideration to the program, please visit:
http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/recovery
“QCC is very proud to have prepared over 130 CRPAs and offered train-the-trainer programs to colleges and agencies in New York,” said Dr. Hui Yin Hsu, Dean, Office of Continuing Education and Workforce Development.
“This program prepares individuals to become certified to provide coaching, support, information, guidance, and motivation to those seeking sustaining recovery from a substance use disorder. CRPAs have a unique blend of lived experience and specialized training in the field of recovery and the use of peer services as part of treatment plans that have been shown to reduce hospitalizations, hasten recovery time, and improve patients' experiences.”
Queensborough's CRPA program is unique in that it encourages students to complete the non-credit CRPA course while earning three college credits through the public health course of Addictions and Dependencies. This non-credit-to-credit model provides students with short-term training leading to a certificate and a longer-term education and career pathway. The program also offers wrap-around services with an instructor, a professor in the College's Department of Health, Physical Education and Dance, an Educational Case Manager, and an Employment Specialist/Career Counselor to ensure that students have job-ready technology skills to enter today’s competitive market.
The Office of Continuing Education and Workforce Development at Queensborough Community College is an educational resource for the community, providing accessible and quality programming for students seeking to enrich their personal lives, advance academic skills or develop professional careers.
For more information about upcoming courses or questions, contact 718-631-6343.
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Contact:
Michael Donahue or Alice Doyle
