814 CRSS (Certified Recovery Support Specialist) Success Program
Funds Illinois organizations to train and support recovery support specialists, increasing the behavioral health workforce through certification, internships, and wrap-around services.
Funder: Illinois Department of Human Services
Due Dates (Anticipated): April 2027: Full application packet | April 2027: Budget submission in CSA Tracking System | April 2027: FY Internal Control Questionnaire (ICQ) submission
Funding Amounts: Estimated total program funding: $10,718,318; Individual awards typically $451,468–$1,178,000 for a 12-month term; ~11 awards expected.
Summary: Supports Illinois organizations to train, certify, and provide wrap-around support for recovery support specialists to address behavioral health workforce shortages.
Key Information: Forecasted opportunity—dates and details may shift; eligibility is limited to current or notified awardees.
Description
This program aims to expand and professionalize Illinois’ behavioral health workforce by funding organizations to prepare individuals with lived experience in mental health, substance use, or co-occurring conditions for certification as Certified Recovery Support Specialists (CRSS) or Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CPRS). Funded activities include comprehensive training (minimum 110 classroom hours), supervised internships (at least 300 hours), advisory board establishment, curriculum development, and robust wrap-around supports such as stipends, coaching, technology, transportation, legal/credentialing fee support, and a needs-based scholarship fund. The program emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion, ongoing evaluation, and collaboration with state technical assistance initiatives.
