Recovery is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life and strive to reach their full potential.
What is a Recovery Coach?
A personal guide and mentor for people seeking or in recovery. The Recovery Coach helps to remove barriers and obstacles, and links the recovering person to the recovery community.
In May 2013, Idaho began training Recovery Coaches and Recovery Coach trainers. Planning for additional trainings is ongoing. View the Recovery Coaching calendar and Training Materials on this page for additional training information.
What is required to become a Recovery Coach?
- 30 hours of training offered by IDHW.
- A willingness to help and serve.
- It is encouraged that Recovery Coaches are people in recovery from alcohol or substance abuse.
Roles of a Recovery Coach
- Mentor
- Ally
- Role Model
- Motivator
- Problem Solver
- Resource Broker
- Advocate
- Community Organizer
Who can be coached?
Adults and transitional aged youth with a chronic substance use disorder and/or substance use problem.
Expected Outcomes
- Success and quick turn‐around in re‐engaging the individual in treatment and/or recovery support following any episodes of drug or alcohol use or lapses in recovery.
- Decrease in substance use or cessation of returning to use.
- Decreased criminal justice involvement.
- Increased optimism that recovery is possible.
- Increased participation in community activities, natural supports, families.
Want more information?
E-mail RecoveryCoaching@dhw.idaho.gov or call (208) 332-7238.
The following article was published in the April 2014 edition of the Behavioral Health newsleter. To view the entire newsletter,
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Supporting Recovery in Idaho
By Rosie Andueza
Operations Unit Program Manager
A lot of exciting work has been happening in the recovery realm. On March 24-27, a Recovery Community Organization (RCO) Workshop was held in Boise and attended by about 50 individuals from across the state. The workshop was facilitated by Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) and was intended to help Idaho develop an RCO.
The goal of the RCO is to serve as the umbrella organization under which local activities, such as community recovery centers and other supportive services, can operate.
We recently held a meeting in Caldwell to begin the discussion of a community-driven recovery center and a group of stakeholders is ready to move forward, so establishing an RCO that can help in this process is a high priority.
By the end of the three-day workshop, Idaho did in fact end up with the foundation for an RCO, named "Recovery Idaho." So far, we have an initial group of eight board members selected from the workgroup, with two more from the community who will hopefully be recruited soon and the potential to add others. The workgroup also drafted a vision statement and the outline of a mission statement, and made decisions related to the Recovery Idaho’s by-laws. Next steps are for the board to finalize the work done during the workshop and apply for 501(c)(3) status so Recovery Idaho can operate as a non-profit entity.
Recovery Idaho will encompass recovery from both substance use and mental health disorders. We will continue to keep you posted on the progress of Recovery Idaho.
In addition to the RCO Workshop, CCAR also facilitated another training of trainers for recovery coaching during March, bringing Idaho’s total number of recovery coach trainers to 25. Additionally, 21 Recovery Coach trainers have now been trained in Ethical Considerations for Recovery Coaches. This new ethics training is an enhancement to the existing recovery coach training.