Lived Expertise Workforce

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The IDHS Division of Mental Health has identified some resources that may be useful if you answer yes to either of these questions:

  • Does your organization have difficulty finding qualified applicants for positions that require lived expertise, such as those that require either the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) or Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) credential?
  • Are you an individual with lived expertise in recovery from mental health and/or substance use challenges who is seeking employment designed to utilize your lived expertise to support others in their recovery?

The following resources also may be useful:

  • The Illinois Certification Board (ICB) maintains a Job Board that includes a variety of recovery-related positions, many of which require or prefer lived experience. On this same page, they also allow Illinois organizations to register and post their related open positions, at no cost.
  • If you're looking for lived experience positions both inside and outside of Illinois, you might consider checking out the recently updated Job Board on the National Association of Peer Supporters (NAPS) website. For more information on the improvements made, see this article.

COMING SOON

The Lived Experience Employment Website is being created through a partnership with NAMI Illinois Alliance of Peer Professionals (NIAPP). The site is currently in development to create a simple, user friendly and empowering experience value lived experience. The site is anticipated to be live in the summer of 2024.