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Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association, Inc.

July 31, 2010 

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Section Title

Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS)
CRSS Home | Requirements | Performance Domains | Core Functions
Fees | How to Apply | Written Exam | Maintaining Certification | Code of Ethics

As the field of authentic peer support and assistance continues to expand, we believe in a fundamental need for CRSS professionals to assist consumers, agencies and professionals in making proper decisions concerning the correlating of CRSS professional competencies with existing consumer needs.

The CRSS certification process recognizes a wide range of experience and training, and a full range of job functions, knowledge and skills for CRSS professionals. This Model incorporates all elements of a professional system and is based upon accepted and validated standards. The CRSS credentialing program includes:
  • objective testing instruments
  • a meaningful code of ethics
  • a disciplinary review mechanism
  • a continuing education requirement and
  • a supervised work experience

The CRSS professionals are individuals trained to incorporate their unique personal experience in their own recovery with a distinct knowledge base and human service skills. This combination of experience and training allows the CRSS professional to facilitate the recovery and build the resilience of persons with mental illnesses or those dually diagnosed with mental illness and substance use disorder. The knowledge and skill base may be acquired through a combination of specialized training, education and supervised work experiences. CRSS professionals help consumers to address their physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual needs to facilitate and maintain wellness throughout the mental health recovery process. Persons served by a CRSS include persons with mental illnesses, persons dually diagnosed with mental illness and substance use disorder, family members/significant others and/or staff of organizations seeking consultation on the mental health recovery model.

CRSS professionals assist consumers in becoming involved in their own mental health recovery process so they might develop personalized action plans for their own mental, emotional, physical and social health. They provide experience, education and professional services to assist and support individuals, in developing and/or maintaining recovery-oriented, wellness-focused lifestyles. In addition, CRSS professionals recognize problems beyond their training, skill or competence, and are carefully trained to refer to appropriate professional service(s).

The requirements for each level of ICB certification (CRSS) include:
  • Training in the Illinois Certified Recovery Support Professional Performance Domains: Advocacy, Professional Responsibility, Mentoring, Recovery Support
  • Successful mastery of the core functions and knowledge base required for CRSS certification, demonstrated by a passing score on the CRSS examination
  • Agreement to disclose personal experience as a consumer of mental health or dual diagnosis services, demonstrated by signature of the CRSS Statement of Disclosure
  • Ongoing continuing education
  • Training/education specific to the certification level
  • Supervision in CRSS functions
  • Supervisory evaluations
  • Payment of appropriate fees
Next: Requirements

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