If you have personal experience with addiction, you should consider being a professional recovery coach.
Most states allow you to become a recovery coach without a lot of training or upfront expenses.
You can start your new career quickly, without a huge investment.
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What is a Professional Recovery Coach?
It’s important to note that a recovery coach is different from a therapist who aids in addiction recovery.
Generally, you’ll work in a private capacity to supplement your client’s recovery efforts.
Your clients may be in a formal recovery program, or they may have already completed an addiction recovery program. Your role is to support them in their recovery.
Therapists typically focus on underlying mental and emotional issues that can lead to addiction, and helping clients work through issues that led to addiction or developed due to their addiction.
Recovery coaches, on the other hand, focus on practical aspects of recovery, rather than in-depth mental health issues.
This can include providing aftercare that helps to prevent relapse, helping them create a plan to recover and stay sober, and guiding them in finding a job and housing.
You may also help them find a new social support network and avoid interacting with people with active addiction.
Requirements for Being a Professional Recovery Coach
Requirements for being a recovery coach vary from state to state.
Some states require you to be certified.
Generally, you can expect to meet a few requirements.
You’ll need a high school diploma or GED, and you’ll need to be at least 18 years old.
Many programs and states require that you have personal experience with addiction.
Some states specify that you must have recovered from addiction yourself, while other states will also accept you if a close friend or family member has battled addiction.
You’ll also need at least 1 year of clean time if you are in recovery yourself.
Some states require two years.
Costs of Becoming a Professional Recovery Coach
The cost of becoming a recovery coach can vary greatly depending on the education you choose, the certifications you want to obtain, and the state you live in.
Generally, you can expect to pay between $500 to $5,000 to become a recovery coach.
Let’s take a closer look at your options and expenses.
Schools and Training Programs
The majority of the costs of becoming a recovery coach are training or education.
Some states require training.
Even if you live in a state that doesn’t require training, it’s still helpful to your career.
Your clients will depend on you to help them stay clean and sober, so you have an ethical responsibility to understand how to do your job well.
Recovery Coach Academy
Recovery Coach Academy is provided by CCAR.
It’s an online workshop that lasts for 5 days, which allows you to get the knowledge you need quickly.
This program provides 30 of the required 100 education hours for IC&RC certification.
This program costs $675, including the participant manual.
World Coach Institute
World Coach Institute offers a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach program, also known as CAC, and a Certified Professional Coach, or CPC.
The program is ICF, or International Coaching Foundation, accredited.
In addition to learning how to be a recovery coach, you’ll learn how to manage and promote your coaching business.
The basic course costs $997, while the more in-depth course costs $3,247.
The International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches
This is the most expensive, but also the most expensive, program on the list. The International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches, or IAPRC.
The IAPRC is accredited by the ICF, and the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, or NAADAC.
It’s also approved by the Florida Licensing Board.
Two programs are offered.
The Certified Professional Recovery Coach, or CPRC, program, offers a solid foundation in addiction recovery.
This program costs $4,497.
You can also choose the Certified Professional Recovery Coach Dual Program, which gives you a Professional Coach Certification for life coaching, and the CPRC program for addiction recovery.
This program costs $5,097.
Completing the program also gives you membership in ICoach Recovery for 18 months.
Recovery Coach Certification
The other major cost of becoming a recovery coach is certification.
Many states require you to be certified through the IC&RC certification.
However, some states have their own requirements or certification programs, so fees can vary based on the state you live in.
IC&RC Certification
Fees and requirements to take the IC&RC certification exam vary from state to state, and sometimes from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
However, you can take a practice exam for $49.
State Certification Costs
Generally, states charge between $20 and $200 for certification.
You may also need to pay a fee for state-required training, depending on the state.
New York certification costs $100 for the application, and $100 for the computerized testing.
North Carolina only charges a fee of $20 for certification.
New Jersey charges $200 for certification.
Final Thoughts
You can become a professional recovery coach for as little as $500, but costs can range up to $5,000 or more.
The type of education you choose and the state you live in will affect your costs.
