The Human Services and Behavioral Science Department at Camden County College will offer a certification program for people looking to help those recovering from overdose and addiction. The new program, created by the The Camden County Freeholder Board, the County’s Addiction Awareness Task Force and Camden County College, will certify participants as Peer Recovery Specialists. The first course began in the current spring 2019 semester, with plans to continue the program in the 2019/2020 school year.

“Peer recovery specialists are regular people who are in recovery themselves and want to act as a friend and role model to someone who’s just beginning to seek help. They provide strength, hope and inspiration to their peers and show that recovery is possible,” says Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr.

For those who decide to continue their studies, the CRPS certification will also count towards the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor Program.

The basic philosophy of the program is that it is easier to communicate with someone who lived through and survived some of the same events or experiences. Peer counseling takes place in a one-on-one, confidential setting and creates a special bond of trust between two individuals. This relationship adds an “assist” for individuals with limited resources to navigate a complicated system of care, and it offers an opportunity for peer recovery specialists to achieve a greater level of self-sufficiency as they become a role model for their peers.

“More than 115 people die every day from an opioid overdose in America,” says Camden County College President Donald Borden. “Offering this program is about so much more than education, it’s about developing an innovative solution to a problem that is affecting the county, and really the nation as a whole.”

If you are interested in this certification, contact Addiction Counseling Program Director, LeRoy Stanford Jr., at (856) 227-7200 ext. 4546 or lstanford@camdenccc.edu.