SIUE’s Recovery Support Professional Training Program to Host Graduation of its Seventh Cohort

SIUE's Recovery Support Professional Training Program to Host Graduation of its Seventh Cohort

June 25, 2026, 12:53 PM

"To be admitted, applicants must be at least 18 years of age and identify as a person in recovery," said Swanke. "The goal of this program is to strengthen the behavioral health workforce in Southern Illinois by increasing the number of certified peer professionals. Strengthening the peer workforce reflects a recognition of the vital role that lived experience plays in the field of behavioral health, and this program provides graduates with a meaningful pathway to apply that experience in a professional capacity."

Since its founding, 135 students have enrolled and 110 have successfully completed the program. More than half of all graduates have passed one or both certification exams. Of the current cohort graduating June 28, six students have already passed their exams and secured employment in the recovery support field.

For graduating student Chad Dickerson, the program represented a turning point. Dickerson first heard about it while incarcerated and enrolled immediately upon his release and has since passed his certification exam and is looking forward to pursuing a career in the field.

"God has turned my pain into purpose," Dickerson said.

He also noted that the lived experience of a recovery support specialist offers a quality that is difficult to replicate. "When a person has lived experience, it gives compassion that is hard to match-and hope for others who are still suffering, because we know personally that if we can recover, they can too."

Chelsea McGiffen, another member of the graduating cohort, described the program as transformative both personally and professionally.

"It taught me that it is not the person who I was, but who I am today," she said.

McGiffen has yet to take her certification exam and intends to do so next month. She said she is eager to use her training to help others. She pointed to the value of the connection that lived experience creates between a peer specialist and the people they serve. "I know how you feel. I understand how you feel," she said. "That type of thing, you can't manufacture it."

Rick Richardson came to the program with prior experience in the recovery support field and a deeply personal motivation. After experiencing loss and relapse, he saw the training as an opportunity to reenter work he describes as a calling. Richardson, who is currently employed at Amari in the Metro East area, is preparing to sit for both the CRSS and CPRS exams. He emphasized that effective peer support requires graduates to prioritize their own recovery first.

"You can't give away what you don't have," Richardson said. "If you want to go into this line of work, you have to be passionate about it, you have to live it."

Applications for the fall 2026 cohort are now open. The application deadline is July 15, 2026. Interested individuals can apply online and must also submit proof of high school completion, a letter of support and a personal statement about their recovery journey.

PHOTO: Jayme Swanke, PhD, LCSW, CADC, director, SIUE's Recovery Support Professional Training Program; Dunham Hall on Edwardsville campus, graduation location