GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) – Freedom Institute is introducing a new online course to become a Certified Community Care Specialist.

“This reflects a larger shift in the mental health field and not just Colorado but the country,” said Micah Espinoza, president and CEO of the Freedom Institute. “It’s a movement to recognize the value of lived experience within our society.”

The program will create a statewide framework to allow all individuals to obtain a Colorado Peer and Family Support Specialist certificate.

“The way we do it is we’ll have a module and then we’ll have a practice discussion group,” Espinoza said.

The Institute partners with the University of Colorado to provide college credit for students. But even those who are not students can still register for the course, with a discount.

“I have the ability to take that out of the pricing so it’s more accessible to people trying to get that certification,” Espinoza said.

The certificate they can earn after completing the course will be recognized in 17 other states. Skills participants will learn involve self-care, motivational interviewing, trauma care and more.

Espinoza talks about the importance of making this program accessible to everyone.

“There are people who have done the hard work of overcoming addiction or overcoming the stigma associated with it. They’ve turned their lives around and they’re really like superheroes in our midst. The thing is, these superheroes don’t have legitimate teams to play on,” he said. “We’re showing people that you can change your life, that you can be imperfect because I’m certainly imperfect, but somehow there’s something redeemable in our broken stories that help not only to lift individuals out of poverty and dependency, but as we do it, and we will lift the whole society.”

The institute plans to start its first class in December 2024.

All information about the course and its syllabus is available here.

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