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Benefits of a CRSS in the Workplace

Benefits of a CRSS in the Workplace

Taylor Blakeley, PhD, CRSS, is the training coordinator for the Illinois Behavioral Health Workforce Center at SIU School of Medicine. He is a CRSS in Illinois and former clinical supervisor overseeing CRSSs in behavioral health settings. Dr. Blakeley’s passions are working to train the next generation of behavioral health professionals by providing effective and evidence-based trainings.

What is a CRSS?
A Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) is a mental health professional who uses their lived experience with mental health and/or substance use recovery to help others. Illinois is one of the several states to address the shortage of behavioral health professionals and increase CRSSs.

How is a CRSS trained?
To become a CRSS in Illinois, an individual may go through a state program to meet requirements or pursue the traditional path outlined by the Illinois Certification Board (ICB).

Whether an individual goes through a state program or the traditional path from the ICB, a CRSS is trained in four professional domains:

  1. Advocacy - Supporting individuals with self-advocacy and help express the needs of others in recovery.
  2. Professional Responsibility - Training in professionalism, recovery ethics, confidentiality, de-escalation, etc.
  3. Mentoring - Mentoring and provide role modeling behaviors to those in recovery.
  4. Recovery Support - As professionals with recovery experience, they provide evidence-based recovery support methods that supports long-term recovery for clients or patients.

In addition, everyone pursing certification must pass a proctored state examination through the ICB. After receiving certification from the ICB, a CRSS can be employed in various settings, including behavioral health and mental health agencies, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, courts, policy reform organizations, juvenile justice programs, substance use recovery centers, schools and community outreach programs. A CRSS can facilitate peer support groups, provide crisis intervention services and casework, help develop policies toward providing recovery support to individuals, and several other tasks.  

How does a CRSS benefit my organization?
CRSSs take a unique approach to behavioral health and substance use recovery treatments. Often, a CRSS is part of a multidisciplinary team that advocates for and provides effective recovery support to individuals. By utilizing their lived experience with mental health and/or substance use recovery, a CRSS can help build connections with individuals experiencing challenges in their recovery.

As a Certified Recovery Support Specialist in Illinois and a former clinical supervisor overseeing CRSSs, I have provided crisis interventions, screenings to assess suicidality and substance use recovery support to patients. In addition, I have trained and supervised CRSSs pursing their credential.

From my professional perspective, CRSSs bring much-needed expertise to organizations, helping address the behavioral health and substance use recovery challenges clients and patients experience. From my personal perspective, a CRSS is effective in helping people with recovery by sharing their own personal struggle, allowing individuals to understand they’re not alone and recovery is possible.

Through the State of Illinois Medicaid program, an organization can bill for services provided by a CRSS as they are a mental health professional recognized under Rule 132 in Illinois. Private insurance plans in Illinois must include behavioral health and substance use treatment; however, some plans may not include peer support. There are numerous grants employers may pursue through IDHS for CRSSs.

When working in community behavioral health settings, I noticed several advantages to having CRSSs:

  • Less time to get certified
    • For example, a licensed social worker requires a bachelor’s degree and 3 years of supervised experience or a master’s in social work, which can take an additional 2-3 years after completing a bachelor’s degree. A CRSS can become certified after one year of work experience as long as the other requirements are met.
  • Able to get reimbursed from Medicaid for services provided
  • Apply the latest training techniques in evidence-based recovery support methods to patients
  • Advocate for clients and patients
  • Provide additional support to clients and patients utilizing therapy, psychiatric and/or substance use treatments
  • Provide their recovery insight during multidisciplinary meetings with clients and patients
  • Be a mentor and role model in the recovery community

As a CRSS, I’ve witnessed how these professionals can help an organization provide a higher level of quality care for patients. I’ve seen how CRSSs are valuable members of multidisciplinary teams by using their lived experience with recovery and then building on it with training so they can use their own story to help others. And I know that organizations with professionals who have lived recovery experience have a huge advantage in providing compassionate and caring services to clients and patients.

Please visit the  Illinois Dept. of Human Services CRSS FAQ’s for more information.