In the attempt to address addiction and mental health issues, New Life II utilizes trained Certified Peer Support & Recovery Professionals (CPSRPs) to implement addiction recovery-related support to participants. Our IHFs are people who are in recovery and have been trained to use their life experiences as tools to assist individuals in all stages of their recovery. Our CPSRPs are graduates of our certification program, whose trainers are provided by New Life II and are certified by the Connecticut Certification Board. CPSRPs are available for one-to-one support to meet with an individual struggling with an addiction, mental health and reentry-related issue. 

New Life II’s CPSRPs provide non-clinical, mutual peer-to-peer support to people whose lives have been affected by addiction, incarceration, trauma, and other life-changing situations. Our team is comprised of individuals who draw from their own diverse experiences and backgrounds to build meaningful relationships. Participants come from throughout the state of Connecticut. The work we do is flexible and designed to meet the individual where they are in their recovery, with enthusiasm and understanding, and without pressure or judgment. 

The CPSRP approach is built around five considerations:

• Impact of Trauma
• Impact of Systemic Oppression
• Science & Research
• Harm Reduction Principles
• Best Practices for Support

New Life II provides the community with CPSRP training on a monthly basis at various community-based sites. Certified trainers educate participants on the competencies specific to work as an CPSRP. Our CPSRP training offers a holistic approach to working with and supporting individuals. CPSRPs view people holistically, as whole people living complex lives and who may be facing a variety of struggles. CPSRP Training and curriculum are taught through a social justice lens that redefines the nature of what “help” means. CPSRP is one of the only approaches that attempt to hold all of these pieces at the same time. In doing so, we consider four primary components of a full life: Mind, Body, Spirit, and Community. There are many different approaches in circulation that are designed to help people learn how to better support one another. However, few of them look at people holistically and through a social justice lens. With this understanding in mind, CPSRP training has proved to be incredibly impactful for “everyday people” and clinical professionals alike. CPSRP training re-envisions what it means to be human, and to have a multitude of struggles. Because of this “human” approach, the CPSRP training is beneficial to all demographic areas of service.

During training, participants learn to:

• Provide support in Reentry, Recovery, and Trauma-informed engagement.
• Support each individual in identifying what is important to them and facilitate connections with their community and its resources.
• Provide supports, or act as liaisons to individuals or systems identified as needed by the individual. 
• Provide transportation as needed to access resources. 
• Provide culturally competent and person-centered services that promote personal recovery.

This includes preparing you with all the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful as an RSS, including building familiarity with:

• History and Foundations of Recovery and Peer Support (Values/ethics/principles/recovery and trauma informed care)
• Use of Lived Experience and Telling our stories to inspire hope
•  Empathic Listening and cross-cultural communication
• Skills for Engaging and Connecting with PIRs
•  Ethical considerations in peer support
• Evidenced based practices in peer support (person centered/health/wellness/recovery)
• Advocacy, Social Justice and Equity
• The RSS in the Workplace: development and leadership
• Working with Families and Communities: Navigating systems, supports and resources

Core Competencies for peer workers foundational principles identified by members of the mental health consumer and substance use disorder recovery communities. These are:

• RECOVERY-ORIENTED: Peer workers hold out hope to those they serve, partnering with them to envision and achieve a meaningful and purposeful life. Peer workers help those they serve identify and build on strengths and empower them to choose for themselves, recognizing that there are multiple pathways to recovery.
• PERSON-CENTERED: Peer recovery support services are always directed by the person participating in services. Peer recovery support is personalized to align with the specific hopes, goals, and preferences of the individual served and to respond to specific needs the individuals has identified to the peer worker.
• VOLUNTARY: Peer workers are partners or consultants to those they serve. They do not dictate the types of services provided or the elements of recovery plans that will guide their work with peers. Participation in peer recovery support services is always contingent on peer choice.
• RELATIONSHIP-FOCUSED: The relationship between the peer worker and the peer is the foundation on which peer recovery support services and support are provided. The relationship between the peer worker and peer is respectful, trusting, empathetic, collaborative, and mutual.
• TRAUMA-INFORMED: Peer recovery support utilizes a strengths-based framework that emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety and creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment

For more information about Trainings and cost please contact dsmith@newlife2.org