Certified Recovery Peer Advocate-Youth

What is CRPA-Youth?

The Certified Recovery Peer Advocate-Youth is a specialization under the existing CRPA (Certified Recovery Peer Advocate). It offers existing Certified Recovery Peer Advocates (CRPA) with the required "lived experience" (see "definition of a peer" below) an opportunity to offer specialized youth peer support.

The CRPA-Youth certification and specialized training have been developed in response to opportunities under provisions of the Children's Health and Behavioral Health Services New York State Plan, effective July 1, 2019. These services are Medicaid-billable and reimbursed at a higher rate when delivered by individuals holding a CRPA-Youth certification.

What are the career opportunities for CRPA-Youth?

Demand for CRPA-Youth is expected to grow as peer expertise in serving eligible families affected by substance use in services delivered in Part 823 Children's Services grows.
These services consist of formal and informal activities and supports provided to the parent or primary caregiver of families caring for/raising a child who is experiencing social, emotional, medical, developmental, substance use, and/or behavioral challenges in the home, school, placement and/or community.

Services may be offered in a variety of settings including community locations, the home where the child lives, works, attends school, engages in services and/or socializes.

The specialized expertise of the CRPA-Youth is expected to address a critical need in those agencies that serve families impacted by substance use disorders and want to enhance their service outcomes through peer-supported, long-term recovery.

Who is qualified to become CRPA-Youth?

CRPA-Youth requires that candidates meet the following standards:

Are 18-30 years of age at time of intial certification application
Have lived experience as having been impacted or affected by substance use disorder and/or be in recovery from substance use disorder
Are already and currently certified as CRPA (not CRPA-Provisional)
Have completed an asynchronous 10 hours online youth supported recovery training (pre-requisite) - see below
Have completed an asychronous 9 hours online ASAP-PWI CRPA-Youth training at https://asapnys.digitalchalk.com/learn/crpa-youth
Have completed a live online 1 hour CRPA-Youth Ethics module with an authorized facilitator - see below
Attest and adhere to the ASAP-NYCB Code of Ethical Conduct posted to the ASAP-NYCB homepage, and its addendum, Youth Supported Recovery-Ethical Standards (click here)
Submit $100 application fee
Understand that certification is valid for three years from date of issue; renewal fee, $50
When certified as CRPA-Youth, undertake approved continuing education credits required for renewal

What is the CRPA-Youth definition of a "peer"?

Lived experience for a CRPA-Youth is defined as: "having been impacted or affected by substance use disorder and/or be in recovery from substance use disorder." Please note: This specific definition of lived experience is unique to the CRPA-Youth role
Work experience is provided via the candidate's pre-existing engagements as a CRPA
Education experience consists of the combined 50-hour CRPA (required for foundational certification) and specialized 20-hour CRPA-Youth training (described below) programs

What is the CRPA-Y training program?

Training consists of the following multiple parts (completed in the order listed here):

Foundational Peer Recovery: 50 hours Peer Recovery foundational training required for CRPA (see details of foundational training at https://www.asapnys.org/nycb-approved-training/). All CRPA certification have completed this training; plus
Pre-Requisite: 10 hours asynchronous online training modules at MacSilver - click here for access. These modules were developed in partnership with Families Together in New York State (FTNYS) whose partnership is gratefully acknowledged
CRPA-Youth Role Training 1 (self-paced): 9 hours youth-specialty online training modules at DigitalChalk - click here for access; followed by
CRPA-Youth Role Training 2 (live):1 hour youth-specialty synchronous online ethics module delivered by an authorized facilitator only (Johanna Dolan, Keithie Lawrence or Lisa Nichols). Visit the trainers at https://www.asapnys.org/asap-nycb-trainer-directory/.

Training is offered to participants interested in:

Expanding their peer knowledge base; preparing for certification as a CRPA-Youth;
Earning approved continuing education hours for peer recovery certification renewal (CARC, CRPA)
Learning how to effectively navigate the challenges of working with youth impacted by substance use disorder