Should I get certified as a recovery coach?

Recovery coaching is one of the fastest growing segments of the addiction recovery industry. Many treatment centers and IOPs are beginning to offer recovery coaching services. Many individuals who have successfully gone through recovery are getting certified for a variety of different reasons. Below I’ll share these reasons and at the bottom of this post you’ll find out how to get certified!

Why you should get certified as a recovery coach:

• Help someone close to you. Over 20 million Americans battled or are battling a substance abuse disorder. The skills you’ll learn in a recovery coaching class will allow you frame the conversations with your friends and family in recovery in a way that genuinely helps them get or stay sober.
• It’s a viable revenue stream. Recovery coaching has become widely accepted as a necessary function in the recovery process, right along with clinical treatment and sponsorship. With a certification and a strong network in your local recovery community, you’ll have no shortage of clients.
• You’ll learn skills that go beyond addiction recovery. A big part of the certification focuses on motivational interviewing. This is a technique of questioning someone in a way that gets them to self reflect, then alter their behavior. This is a skill common in many customer facing jobs and it’s also helpful when tackling issues on your own or with a loved one.
• Give back. If you’ve reached over a year of sobriety, becoming a recovery coach is a great way to help someone who has also suffered. There are plenty of organizations that provide recovery coaching services to at-risk populations.
• Lastly, it’s not that difficult! The commitment is generally less than two weeks of training.

How you get certified as a recovery coach

First, you’ll need to be clean and sober for over one year, be at least 18 years of age, and have a GED or high school diploma.

Second, check out this link for a state-by-state breakdown of recovery coach training programs. I suggest speaking to the folks who run the course, as there may be scholarships available, especially if you’re looking to provide coaching for at-risk populations.

After course completion, which generally takes a week, you’ll need to get certified by your state. There will likely be a small fee associated with this. You’ll also need to update your certification every few years.

Once you’ve completed all the steps you can offer your services individually by networking within your community. Another option is to align with a treatment center, IOP, or sober living that offers recovery coaching as a benefit for their clients.