Recovery Leadership Academy (RLA)

Recovery Leadership Academy
sponsored by the
Office of Recovery Services
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
Virginia Commonwealth University

WHAT IS THE RECOVERY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY?

The Recovery Leadership Academy (RLA) is an eight-session training opportunity to empower Peer Recovery Specialists and Family Support Partners to become effective agents of change by providing organizational leadership skills and experiences. Twenty-five applicants are accepted to the program each year. The 5th annual RLA opens in a virtual setting on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

WHO ARE THE PARTICIPANTS?

Applicants who are accepted to the Academy are called Emerging Leaders (ELs). The ELs are Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CPRS) and Family Support Partners (FSP). They are supervisors, program managers, owner/directors, administrators, and coordinators in recovery organizations. As a result of their participation, we expect that they will move into leadership roles in their organizations, raise the level of credibility and respect of peers among their colleagues, and continue to lead the successful evolution of recovery and wellness-oriented systems transformation. We expect that graduates of the program serve as Mentors in future RLAs.

WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR IN OUR APPLICANTS?

We seek applicants who have experience in the recovery field; exhibit professionalism, maturity, and innovative thinking; value listening and learning; provide evidence of a self-starter mentality; can commit to this challenging program.

WHAT IS THE FORMAT OF THE PROGRAM?

The training program spans nine months. The first month focuses on the pre-training assessments followed by eight months of training by professionals in the field of recovery and wellness-oriented systems transformation. Each training session takes place on the second Tuesday of the month between January and August. Throughout the program, participants practice selected leadership skills in their workplace, and work with a small team to create a Capstone Project. Emerging Leaders are matched with a Mentor in April. All mentors are graduates of the RLA.

WHAT ARE THE PRE-TRAINING ASSESSMENTS?

Emerging Leaders participate in two pre-training assessments in January: the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and the Emotional Intelligence Inventory. ELs receive one-on-one feedback on the assessments and the first training session includes general discussion of the assessments, self-awareness, and unconscious bias. They also receive a copy of the book Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Bradberry & Greaves.

WHAT ARE THE TRAINING SESSION TOPICS?

Training sessions cover the following areas of leadership development: self-awareness, unconscious bias, giving feedback, visioning, leadership styles, team building, political savvy, forging coalitions, presentation skills, an introduction to grant writing and evaluation, systems change, and how to create a capstone project and proposal.

HISTORY OF THE RLA

2020                     The RLA Planning Committee created the RLA curriculum on Zoom

2021      RLA I      Virtual training & closing session on Zoom (Jan – Oct)

2022      RLA II     Virtual training & closing session at the Roslyn Retreat Center in RVA (Feb – Nov)

2023      RLA III   Virtual training & closing session at the Roslyn Retreat Center in RVA (Feb – Nov)

2024      RLA IV   Virtual training & closing session at the Roslyn Retreat Center in RVA (Feb – Sept)

2025      RLA V     Virtual training & closing session at the Roslyn Retreat Center in RVA (Jan – Aug)

OVERALL             Applicants                          Accepted                            Graduates          

2021                               28                                       24                                         23

2022                               38                                       23                                         17

2023                               34                                       24                                         23

2024                               50                                       25                                         20

                                        150                                    96                                         83

HOW DO I APPLY TO THE RLA?

1. Review this two-page document: RLA 2025 Application

2. Forward this document to your supervisor

3. Click on the link, in the attached document, to submit your application by Tuesday, November 12

4. Remind your supervisor to click on the link in the attached document to submit their recommendation by Monday, November 11.

QUESTIONS

Join us for the RLA Information Session on Tuesday, October 22 at 12pm.

PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION

…with all those who exhibit leadership potential and have time to commit to this outstanding program.

With the many challenges facing the peer workforce, it is important to continue to  develop leaders for the future. The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services and Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Rehabilitation Counseling offer this unique professional development opportunity to individuals in the peer recovery field. 

Developed in collaboration with the Office of Recovery Services and Leadership Steering Committee of stakeholders, the Recovery Leadership Academy (RLA) uses a combination of educational experiences, mentoring, and a team-building capstone project to prepare the peer recovery workforce for positions of leadership. 

RLA Graduates 2021 – 2024

CLASS OF 2021

CLASS OF 2022

CLASS OF 2023

CLASS OF 2024