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Training and Registration

Leadership Academy

Leadership Academy (LA) is a training process involving citizenship, advocacy, leadership, and organization skills.

The Leadership Academy is a self-help program successfully adapted, enhanced and implemented by the West Virginia Mental Health Consumers' Association (WVMHCA). With funding from the Center for Mental Health Service, WVMHCA formed the Consumer Organization and Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC).

One goal of CONTAC, as a consumer-run national technical assistance center, is to provide Leadership Academy technology to eligible consumer groups throughout the United States.

The Recovery Empowerment Network has utilized this exemplary program to promote the goal of consumer involvement through active advocacy in the community.

Successful outcomes of LA training have included and increase in empowerment and networking, better understanding of the working of systems, development of individual and organizational advocacy skills, and an improvement in leadership skills of individuals and organizations involved in behavioral health.

Download Leadership Academy Application for Participation (92.7 KB, PDF)

Mail or fax the completed application to:
Ann Rider
c/o REN
P.O. Box 7732
Phoenix, AZ 85001-7732
Fax: 602-266-1958

Recovery Support Training - Course Information

This training is designed to prepare people to do recovery support work with people who receive behavioral health services. The training helps a person transform their experiences into a uniquely individual service that only they can offer.

There are only two requirements to attend the training:

  1. The student needs to have personal experience with recovery from psychiatric symptoms and/or substance abuse. Sharing is one of the foundations of recovery support.
  2. The student needs to have hope and a passion to assist others in their personal recovery journey. There are no predictors of who can recover -- support for each person can make a difference.

This class meets the requirements for recovery support work in the state of Arizona. However, completion of the training is not a guarantee of work. Many employers prefer applicants who have completed the training. Please note that a high school diploma or GED is a minimum requirement for recovery or peer support positions (this is a federal requirement).

The student will select one of the two training tracks by the first class date. Two different certificates are issued:

  1. Work Preparation. This is for people who are preparing to do recovery support work.
  2. Personal Growth. This is for people who are not interested in working -- their interest is personal recovery and wholeness.*

Requirements for completing the training are:

  • All students must be present on the first day of training.
  • A student who misses more than two class sessions (nine hours) will not receive a completion certificate.
  • Students will participate in all class assignment, including homework, role plays opportunities and the Personal Recovery Story.

Additional requirements for students in the Work Preparation track are:

  • The student must pass each quiz with a grade of 80% or better.
  • The student must complete all assignments to the satisfaction of the instructor.
  • The student must participate in at least two role plays to the satisfaction of the instructor.

* A method is being developed so that a student who completes the Personal Growth track can upgrade to receive a Work Preparation certificate. Students can expect this to involve enrolling ina supplemental training within a specified time period of completing the original Recovery Support Training.