In Illinois there are two peer support certifications available. Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS).
The acronyms CRSS and CPRS can be used to refer to either the credential itself (e.g., “how do I earn my CRSS?”), or the person who holds the credential (e.g., “I am a CPRS”). People who have earned the CRSS or CPRS credential are professionals trained to incorporate their unique and personal recovery experiences with mental health and/or substance use challenges to support the recovery of others. The CRSS and CPRS credentials are for people in recovery who provide professional peer support services for persons recovering from mental health and/or substance use challenges. They are also credentials that verify that a person has the knowledge and skills that meet minimum acceptable standards of the recovery support profession, regardless of whether they have an academic degree or not.
- The CRSS is owned by the Illinois Certification Board. The CPRS is owned by International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC)
- CPRS can be reciprocal between states. For more info on reciprocity, visit https://iaodapca.org/Credentialing/Reciprocity )
Choosing which certification to pursue is a personal and professional choice.
