Recovery Leadership Academy

Meet some of our Recovery Support Specialists and Graduates

Recovery Support Specialist Training and Certification Program

The Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network Recovery Support Specialist Training and Certification Program is an 80-hour course that prepares persons in recovery from a psychiatric or substance use disorder, or family members of people in recovery, to take an exam to become a certified Recovery Support Specialist (RSS).

The course is facilitated virtually over a period of 7 weeks. Students need to possess the computer skills and have access to the required technology in order to complete the course in the virtual format and have or have appropriate access to a Laptop or Desktop Computer (Pads and Cells phones are not appropriate for this course as students are not able to access all of the course material in preparation for the final exam). A thorough description of skills and technology requirements can be viewed by accessing this document.

Each week, students can expect to complete two homework assignment modules and attend two live-streamed Zoom classes facilitated by RLA instructors. Each homework assignment Module will have a central theme with learning content that is comprised of videos (presented by experts of current theme), reading content for student review (document attachments), and questions for students to answer within Google classroom (the learning platform that RLA utilizes). Students have six days to view the content and submit completed written assignments via said preferred format. Class attendance is required both evenings weekly. The live-streamed Zoom classes run for two hours from 7 pm to 9 pm (only), providing the opportunity to discuss the module themes (topics) with RLA instructors and other classmates, engage in group exercises (breakout rooms), and hear from guest speakers/presenters (affording students the opportunity for Q&A post presentations).

In recent years, the Recovery Leadership Academy was able to award graduates a stipend for successful completion of the course. Our grant-funding period has ended, and the stipend will no longer be available (RLA is no longer able to provide electronic devices for the course either). However, the Academy is able to offer the course with no tuition requirement at this time.

Some of the topics covered in the modules include:

Overview of mental health, addiction and co-occurring challenges
Family and natural supporters in the recovery process
Harm reduction techniques
History of behavioral health treatment and patient/human rights
Holistic alternatives to treatment
Legal regulations and patient rights
Recovery Support Specialist Ethics and Professionalism
Cultural competencies and World View
Introduction to Motivational Interviewing and Intentional Peer Support
Physical disability movement
Trauma, trauma informed/human centered care
Evidence Based Practices
Professional resources throughout CT and the US

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Upcoming RLA classes

RSS Training and Certification Course (next offered late January 2026)

RLA currently accepts online applications on a continuous basis and each one is reviewed by our team three weeks prior to the start of each session. All applicants are then notified via email if they have been accepted or considered for future enrollment. Please monitor your email account (including spam folders) for our response. Our current class size is limited to 50 participants so be certain to spend time on your submission as the selection process can be competitive. Applications without a letter of reference are often disqualified; be sure to ask someone to provide insight about your character, skills, work ethic, and ability to communicate and connect with others. We recommend that you follow-up with your reference contact to confirm that they emailed your letter. If you have any questions, please reach out to the RLA team at RLA.info@hhchealth.org.