$4M to help students working to be behavioral health workers

CHICAGO (WAND) - A total of $4 million has been announced to help a program preparing students to become behavioral health workers.

The Illinois Department of Human Services is giving the grant funds to support the Certified Recovery Support Specialist program. It prepares students for entry-level behavioral health worker jobs, and jobs specifically in the mental health and substance use recovery areas, per a press release.

The program is administered through the IDHS Division of Mental Health and was set up by the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Gov. JB Pritzker signed that act into law in 2019, and it is funded by tax revenue from adult-use cannabis.

The release said IDPH gave the CRSS Success Program grants to 11 post-secondary educational institutions in Illinois. Students in the program get full funding to help with tuition, textbook costs, application fees, childcare and transportation.

“The Recovery Support Specialist program is a triple-win. It provides quality training and education for individuals in recovery. Individuals who complete the training will provide quality services for people with mental health and substance use challenges. And the behavioral health workforce will benefit from the addition of these skilled workers,” said Grace B. Hou, secretary with the Illinois Department of Human Services. “We are excited to launch this new program that is funded by the passage of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Certified Recovery Support Specialists will be trained to effectively utilize their lived recovery experience in ways that help others gain hope and achieve specific life and recovery goals.”

The program offers a college education for up to 600 people who have lived experience of mental health and/or substance use recovery to get involved with the behavioral health workforce.

Students who want to take part can apply at the following schools: