Recovery coaches help people on their journey, moving from addiction to a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle.
The recovery coach is a role model and mentor, encouraging clients to continue to do the work through challenging times and circumstances.
As a recovery coach, your job is centered around aiding your clients in creating a recovery plan to stay sober, discover resources, learn basic life skills, and more!
Page Navigation
- How to Become a Recovery Coach in Oregon
- Recovery Coach: Responsibilities and Duties
- What Does a Recovery Coach in Oregon Do? A Day in the Life Looks
- Achieving Certification as a Professional Recovery Coach in Oregon
- Organizations and Schools to Gain the Skills to Become a Recovery Coach
- To Apply for Certification:
- Education and Credentialing Requirements:
- Salary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How much is the fee for the CRM certificate?
- What does the professional recovery coach certificate renewal process look like, and how often do I have to renew?
- What is a good way to see if being a professional recovery coach is a career path viable for me?
- What does the career outlook for professional recovery coaches look for in the future? Is this a job that a hard-working candidate grows in?
How to Become a Recovery Coach in Oregon
To start on your journey to a career as a recovery coach, candidates must possess a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Candidates also need experience through work or volunteering in the recovery support field, such as peer recovery.
And there are professional training courses to learn and develop recovery coaching skills.
Candidates can earn a state certificate or a license to gain an advantage in the job market.
Although certificates and licenses are state-specific, many states recognize Certified Recovery Coach credentials from other states, enabling practitioners to work in different areas.
Requirements and Qualifications:
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
- High school diploma/GED certificate.
- Personal substance abuse recovery experience or sustained abstinence preferred.
- Post-secondary education in social work or psychology preferred.
- Recovery Coach certification is a significant benefit.
Recovery Coach: Responsibilities and Duties
A recovery coach guides clients with substance abuse problems and related mental health issues through recovery by helping set personal/career/relationship goals, briefing them on community support programs, and instructing family members.
If you have experience overcoming substance abuse, this life experience can be enormously helpful, aiding in understanding and working with clients working towards sobriety.
Career responsibilities include some of the following and so much more:
- Taking client intake interviews.
- Teaming up with and supporting other staff at the rehab treatment facility.
- Leading group and one-on-one sessions.
What Does a Recovery Coach in Oregon Do? A Day in the Life Looks
What does a day in the life of a recovery coach look like? A recovery coach has job duties that include the following skills:
- Adhere to HIPAA guidelines.
- Help or oversee clients with daily activities,
- Conduct one-on-one and group sessions.
- Perform intake interviews.
- Help clients with life management tasks, for example, planning, budgeting, personal hygiene skills, and cooking.
- Conduct safety checks.
- Monitor and document progress.
Achieving Certification as a Professional Recovery Coach in Oregon
A certified recovery coach certificate exhibits the understanding and skills required to deliver recovery support services.
Candidates must undergo training approved by the Oregon Health Authority and meet other requirements.
Organizations and Schools to Gain the Skills to Become a Recovery Coach
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (AMI) | Multnomah
- Central Oregon Community College
- Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO)
- ProjectAble
- FolkTime
- Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare
To Apply for Certification:
Certified Recovery Mentors (CRM I): Apply through the Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO) website.
All applicants need to be able to pass a criminal history background check, and MHACBO will conduct the background check for CRMs.
The Certified Recovery Mentor (CRM) mandates an OHA-approved addiction peer training program (peer-delivered services).
Education and Credentialing Requirements:
- Proof of an OHA-approved addiction training program.
- Certificate of Completion for MHACBO CRM Ethics Quiz
- Code of Conduct (signed and dated)
- Background check
- 40-hour Peer Mentor Certificates must be dated at most three years from the application’s date.
- Must be in recovery from substance use dependence with a minimum of 1 year in recovery (this has been temporarily reduced from 2 years to 1 year)
Salary
If you’ve been reading and this sounds like something you’d be interested in and good at, the next question you may ask yourself is:
How much does a professional recovery coach earn?
The average salary for a recovery coach is $35,727 in Oregon, with a pay range starting at $32,030 and going up to $3,955 annually.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Professional Recovery Coachs in Oregon
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Portland | $35,773 |
| Eugene | $33,794 |
| Salem | $33,914 |
| Gresham | $35,727 |
| Beaverton | $35,773 |
| Hillsboro | $35,658 |
| Medford | $33,485 |
| Springfield | $33,719 |
| Bend | $33,414 |
| Corvallis | $33,517 |
Regional Salary in Oregon
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, OR | 70 | $61,910 | - NA - | $97,810 | $30,110 |
| Bend-Redmond, OR | 160 | $47,940 | - NA - | $76,030 | $30,510 |
| Corvallis, OR | 100 | $56,260 | - NA - | $95,520 | $29,630 |
| Eugene, OR | 230 | $48,630 | - NA - | $81,520 | $29,060 |
| Grants Pass, OR | 40 | $49,610 | - NA - | $79,100 | $29,450 |
| Medford, OR | 110 | $55,280 | - NA - | $97,840 | $29,310 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 2,620 | $52,660 | - NA - | $82,910 | $31,480 |
| Salem, OR | 330 | $48,770 | - NA - | $78,190 | $29,410 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the fee for the CRM certificate?
The fee is $100.
However, the good news is that the $100 fee is waived until June 30th, 2024.
What does the professional recovery coach certificate renewal process look like, and how often do I have to renew?
Great question!
The CRM renewal requires continuing education every two years (20 hours) and a renewal fee of $100.
Continuing education has to include the following:
- 2 hours of Suicide Prevention
- 6 Hours of Ethics
- Approved Oral Health Training/Oral Health Training is available in Spanish
SUD Peer Education for 20 hours of credit
- Special Populations in A&D Treatment and Recovery Support Service
- Alcohol and Drug Treatment or Peer Services Education
- Dual Diagnosis
- MAT, Harm Reduction
- Relapse Prevention
- ASAM
- ATOD Prevention
- Motivational Interviewing
- Addiction Specific Ethics
What is a good way to see if being a professional recovery coach is a career path viable for me?
One path to becoming a recovery coach is to complete an accredited certification program.
Then, once you’ve finished the program, build your network by reaching out to people in the recovery community or volunteering at a local treatment center.
This gives you a real-world experience of a recovery coach’s day-to-day work life.
What does the career outlook for professional recovery coaches look for in the future? Is this a job that a hard-working candidate grows in?
The future for recovery coaches is expected to be healthy and grow faster than many other occupations over the next decade.
Demand for these workers is expected to increase as more people seek resources and treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders.
Recovery coaches can help people navigate the healthcare system and access appropriate services.
