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The New York Certification Association

Recovery Peer Advocate Role Delineation Study Report

April 21, 2014

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Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3

The Role Delineation Study Process ............................................................................................................. 3

Core Competency Identification ............................................................................................................... 4

Performance Domains and Job Tasks ................................................................................................... 4

Validation Study ........................................................................................................................................ 5

Survey Development ............................................................................................................................. 5

Survey Sample Methodology and Analysis ........................................................................................... 6

Demographic Characteristics of Survey Respondents .......................................................................... 6

Survey Adequacy ................................................................................................................................. 16

Reliability Measure ............................................................................................................................. 16

Derivation of Test Specifications ................................................................................................................ 16

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 18

Attachment 1: CRPA RDS Workshop Agenda ..................................................................................... 19

Attachment 2: Certified Recovery Support Specialist Core Competencies ....................................... 20

Attachment 3: CRPA Core Competencies (2013) ............................................................................... 22

Attachment 4: CRPA Validation Study Survey Instrument ................................................................. 24

Attachment 5: Omitted Performance Domains ................................................................................. 30

Attachment 6: Omitted Job Tasks ...................................................................................................... 31

Attachment 7: Mean Ratings and Proportions of Items for 66 Tasks ................................................ 32

Attachment 8: Detailed Test Blueprint .............................................................................................. 33

Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) Role Delineation Study (RDS) Report

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Introduction

A valid, reliable and legally-defensible professional credentialing program is based on a sound method to analyze and identify a profession’s core competencies. The New York Certification Association (NYCA) conducts a Role Delineation Study (RDS) to establish a clear definition of “what” people are expected to perform and link the resulting competencies to an examination instrument, allowing for pass or fail decisions to correlate to competent practice. This step is so critical that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and the American Educational Research Association/American Psychological Association/National Council on Measurement in Education (AERA/APA/NCME) all promote standards for this foundational step, which state:

• The certification program must establish and document policies and procedures for retaining all information and data required to provide evidence of validity and reliability of the assessment instruments. (NCCA, 17)

• The certification body shall define the methods and mechanisms to be used to evaluate the competence of candidates, and shall establish appropriate policies and procedures for the initial development and continued maintenance of these methods and mechanisms (ANSI ISO 17024, 4.3.1)

• When the validation rests in part on the appropriateness of test content, the procedures followed in specifying and generating test content should be described and justified in reference to the construct the test is intended to measure or the domain it is intended to represent. If the definition of the content sampled incorporates criteria such as importance, frequency or criticality, these criteria should also be clearly explained and justified. (AERA/APA/NCME, 1.6)

This report documents the methodology used by the New York Certification Association to establish the core competencies and examination blueprint for the job classification of Recovery Peer Advocate.

The Role Delineation Study Process

The Recovery Peer Advocate Role Delineation Study (RDS) was conducted between October 2013 and April 2014, during which time the following key activities were conducted:

1. Identify the core competencies of the profession (e.g., “what” is done on the job).

2. Validate the core competencies through a structured survey process.

3. Establish the examination blueprint.

4. Document the RDS process to support the link between the core competencies and examination instruments.

The NYCA’s RDS structure was established by Dr. Akihito Kamata, PhD, and was implemented by the NYCA’s Director of Certification, Amy Farrington.


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Core Competency Identification

The Recovery Peer Advocate RDS workshop was held October 18 – 19, 2013 in New York, New York with 16 subject matter experts representing statewide Recovery Peer Advocate stakeholders from government, public and private treatment agencies and other recovery-related agencies. Workshop participants are listed below. Participant demographics are confidential and maintained in the NYCA offices. Please see Attachment 1 for the meeting agenda.

Victoria Blom, Brooklyn, NY Laurie Lieberman, Briarwood, NY

Adrienne Brown, Brooklyn, NY Mariya Pougatcheva, New York, NY

Lucious Conway, New York, NY Catherine Saresky, Rochester, NY

Dona Dmitrovic, Middletown, PA Sarah Schmitt, Richmond Hill, NY

Jessica Feliciano, Elizabeth, NJ Roy Tellis, Brooklyn, NY

Debra Gore, Brooklyn, NY Joseph Turner, New York, NY

Adele Herrera, Bronx, NY Saarah Waleed, Rochester, NY

Luis LaBoy, Bronx, NY Patricia A. Wooldridge, Brooklyn, NY

Performance Domains and Job Tasks

The subject matter expert (SME) panel received training on how to identify core competencies, which are the major responsibilities and duties that define the Recovery Peer Advocate’s role.

The first task of the SME panel was to identify the entry-level characteristics of the target audience, which are:

A Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) helps to ensure client directed care by assisting the individual to build the specific skills and relationships he or she needs in order to achieve and maintain recovery. The Certified Recovery Peer Advocate achieves this goal by mentoring, monitoring, and motivating the individual to develop habits and skills necessary for recovery. All tasks are conducted from the perspective of client choice. As such, the Certified Recovery Peer Advocate must be able to differentially apply the skill set to meet the individual needs of the client from where he or she is in recovery.

Further, the Certified Recovery Peer Advocate is defined in the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Regulations as an individual who is “supervised by a credentialed or licensed clinical staff member to provide outreach and peer support services based on clinical need as identified in the patient’s treatment/recovery plan which occur on the premises of a certified program.” However; OASAS does not limit or prohibit Certified Peer Advocates from providing other types or forms of peer services in other settings.


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A Certified Recovery Peer Advocate does not have to be in recovery in order to earn certification; however:

• An employer has the discretion to require that an employee holds certification and is in recovery, but the two issues are independent of one another.

• Peer status confers empathy through lived experience. Each Certified Recovery Peer Advocate self-defines his or her “peer-ness” and should perform services within the context of shared, lived experience.

• Recovery is defined by the individual, yet there are certain generally accepted standards of recovery. Should a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate find him or herself in the position of personal risk to recovery, the certified is expected to voluntarily remove him or herself from active service as a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate until such time as recovery is restored and maintained to the level that the individual is capable of serving in the capacity of a Recovery Peer Advocate.

After agreeing on the target audience characteristics, the SMEs used the existing Certified Recovery Support Specialist Core Competencies established by the Florida Certification Board (Attachment 2) as a starting point. At the end of the workshop, the SMEs identified 4 performance domains and 26 job tasks (Attachment 3) required of a competent Recovery Peer Advocate.

Validation Study

The purpose of a validation study is to allow current Recovery Peer Advocates to review and provide feedback on the core competencies identified by the subject matter expert panel. While the SMEs who identified the core competencies are considered experts in the field, they represent only a small group of practitioners and their expert status may result in a perception of the role of the Recovery Peer Advocate that is different than that held by other practitioners. As such, the validation study provides content validity to the final set of core competencies. This process is conducted via an on-line survey that enables respondents to evaluate and provide feedback on the 4 performance domains and 26 job tasks.

Survey Development

The on-line Recovery Peer Advocate Validation Study Survey Instrument (Attachment 4) was developed by NYCA psychometricians and included the following sections:

1. Introduction and Survey Directions

2. Respondent Demographic Data

3. Domains and Task Statement Ratings for Importance and Frequency

4. Time Percentages for each Domain

5. Respondent Feedback/Missing Domains or Tasks


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Survey Sample Methodology and Analysis

The NYCA estimated the current incumbent population of individuals practicing in job roles that would qualify them for the Recovery Peer Advocate at approximately 1,000 persons statewide. The NYCA published participation request letters which were distributed through the email contact lists of the subject matter expert panel and to each treatment provider and approved education provider listed on the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services website. The on-line survey was made available to respondents from November 26, 2013 until March 31, 2014. Respondents without ready access to the internet were offered a hard copy of the survey. At the end of the survey period, the NYCA collected the data and analyzed the respondents’ demographics, task ratings, and survey adequacy. A total of 101 people responded to the survey and no respondents had incomplete information. As such, 101 valid responses were analyzed for a response rate of approximately 10%.

Demographic Characteristics of Survey Respondents

The demographic characteristics of the 101 valid responses are summarized below.

Gender: Of those responding to the survey, slightly over half were women (58.4%) and the rest (41.6%) were male.

Options N Valid % Female 59 58.4% Male 42 41.6%


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Age: All age levels were represented in the survey data. Over half of the respondents (55.3%) are over 50 years old, followed by those between 41 and 50 years (27.7%).

Options N Valid % Under 30 years old 5 5.0% 31 – 40 years 14 13.9% 41 – 50 years 28 27.7% Over 50 years old 54 53.5%


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Professional Licenses or Certifications (multiple responses allowed)

Only 3.0% of the survey respondents do not hold any level of certification or licensure. As many respondents are multi-credentialed, the total exceeds 101 responses. 66.3% of the respondents hold a Recovery Coach academy Certificate and 30.7% hold the Recovery Coach Academy Training of Trainers certificate. Many respondents also hold New York recognized credentials related to addiction counseling as illustrated below.


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Options N Valid % None 3 3.0% CASAC 22 21.8% CASAC-T 31 30.7% CASAC-G 7 6.9% Prevention Professional 11 10.9% Prevention Specialist 3 3.0% Recovery Coach Academy Certificate

67 66.3%

Recovery Coach Academy Training of Trainers Certificate

31 30.7%

CARC 17 16.8% Other 3 3.0%


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Years of Recovery Support Related Experience

The years of experience in recovery support related work was either very to somewhat limited, with almost half of respondents at 3 years or less of experience (28.7% at less than 1 year; 23.8% at 1 to 3 years) or rather extensive (30.7% at 10 years of experience). The remaining 17 people ranged between 4 and 9 years of experience, as illustrated below.

Options N Valid % None 0 0.0% Less than 1 year 29 28.7% 1 – 3 years 24 23.8% 4 – 6 years 8 7.9% 7 – 9 years 9 8.9% More than 10 years 31 30.7%


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Current Job Setting (multiple responses allowed)

The majority of respondents work in out-patient, day treatment settings (49.5%). There was solid representation from Therapeutic Communities (9.9%), in-patient, residential settings (9.9%) and government at 5.0%. There were a significant number of respondents (40.6%) who indicate they work in “other” settings, not included on the survey instrument. The distribution of respondents to current job setting is illustrated below. Multiple responses were allowed, exceeding the N of 101 valid respondents.

Options N Valid % Government/State Agency 5 5.0% In-patient, residential treatment

10 9.9%

Out-patient, day treatment 50 49.5% Clubhouse 6 5.9% Therapeutic Community 10 9.9% Other 41 40.6%


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Current Job Function (multiple responses allowed)

The majority of respondents identify as a Recovery Coach (36.6%) followed by Administrators (34.7%) and Counselors (29.7%). Although all job functions listed on the survey were represented, 20 respondents (19.8%) identify with a job function not provided on the survey instrument. Multiple responses were allowed, exceeding the N of 101 valid respondents.

Options N Valid % Recovery Coach 37 36.6% Peer Advocate/Recovery Support Specialist

22 21.8%

Counselor Aide/Technician 9 8.9% Counselor 30 29.7% Supervisor 9 8.9% Manager 17 16.8% Administration/Leadership 35 34.7% Other 20 19.8%


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Work Status

The majority of respondents work in a full-time paid (51.5%) or part-time paid (16.8%) position. The remaining 36 respondents work on a volunteer basis. Six respondents provided multiple responses, working in both paid and volunteer capacities. The distribution of respondent’s work status is illustrated below.

Options N Valid % Full-time, salaried employee 52 51.5% Part-time, paid employee 17 16.8% Full-time volunteer 16 15.8% Part-time volunteer 20 19.8% Other 2 2.0%


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Highest Education Level

A high-school diploma is held by 37.6% of the survey respondents. 14.9% hold an AA/AS degree, 17.8% hold a BS/BA degree, 20.8% hold a Masters degree and 8.9% hold a degree higher than a Masters.

Options N Valid % High School Diploma 38 37.6% AA/AS Degree 15 14.9% BA/BS Degree 18 17.8% Masters Degree 21 20.8% Higher than Masters Degree 9 8.9%


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Ethnicity/Race

Respondents were asked to answer an optional question identifying their ethnicity/race. Only 5 respondents declined to answer this question. All ethnicities/races were represented except for Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander. Representation was almost evenly split between Black/African American (36.1%) and Caucasian/White (39.2%). The distribution of respondent’s race/ethnicity is illustrated below.

Options N Valid % American Indian/Native American

1 1.0%

Asian 1 1.0% Black/African American 35 36.1% Hispanic or Latino 16 16.5% Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander

0 0.0%

Caucasian/White 38 39.2% Other 7 7.2% Missing 5


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Survey Adequacy

At the end of the survey, respondents were asked questions regarding how well performance domains and job tasks of a competent Recovery Peer Advocate were covered. Overall, the response to the survey demonstrated a support for the validity of the list of performance domains and job tasks. When answering the question of the adequacy of the performance domains, 95.2% of respondents chose “adequate”, “well” or “very well”. When asked if any performance domains were omitted, 85.5% of respondents answered “no”. Comments regarding performance domains that were not covered are provided in Attachment 5.

For the question regarding how well the job tasks were covered by the survey, 96.4% of respondents chose “adequate”, “well” or “very well”. When asked if any job tasks were omitted, 83.1% of respondents answered “no”. Comments regarding job tasks that were not covered are provided in Attachment 6.

Reliability Measure

As the mean task ratings for “importance” and “frequency” are directly used to determine the number of exam items across the job tasks, it is critical that the data be reliable. One of the most commonly used methods to determine the reliability of a measurement instrument is the Cronbach Coefficient Alpha. This statistic measures the internal consistency of responses made within a survey. When reliability estimates are greater than .70, it can be assumed that the respondents answered the survey in a consistent manner with thoughtful consideration to each rating provided and that the questions relating to these tasks were appropriately interpreted by respondents.

For this survey, the reliability estimates for both “importance” and “frequency” were high (see below) and support the use of the survey respondents’ ratings to determine the examination blueprint.

Variable Reliability Estimate Importance .964 Frequency .970

Derivation of Test Specifications

When developing the examination blueprint, first consideration was given to the mean percentage assigned to each domain. The mean value was used to identify any task statements that should be eliminated from the test blueprint, and determine the percentage of the examination that should be allocated for each domain. First, the mean rating was calculated for “importance” and “frequency” for each job task. Tasks with a mean rating of 2.5 or less are flagged as “not important” or “not frequently performed” and returned to the subject matter expert panel for discussion. In this survey, none of the job tasks have a mean rating of 2.5 or less. Then, the mean of the two ratings were computed (mean combined rating). Finally, the weight (exam proportion) was computed by dividing the mean combined


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rating by the total rating score. The total rating score is the sum of the mean combined rating for the 26 tasks which was 109.77 in this case. The mean ratings and proportions of items across the domains and for each task are provided in Attachment 7.

The differences in exam proportions between tasks were 1.16%; the lowest was 3.15% (Task 2.4) and the highest was 4.31% (Task 4.3). The difference is equivalent to 1 or 2 items for a 75-item, 100-item, and 125-item tests, which was determined by the following procedure.

First, the number of items for each domain was determined based on the sum of the exam proportions for items within each domain, which are:

Domain Exam Proportion Recovery Support 34.08% Resource Linkage and Follow-up 21.65% Life Skills and Wellness Development 15.20% Legal, Ethical and Professional Responsibility 29.07%

Then the number of items per domain was determined for each of the four potential test item number cases (75-item, 100-item, 125-item and 150 item tests), which are:

Domain 75 Items 100 Items 125 Items Recovery Support 26 34 43 Resource Linkage and Follow-up 16 22 27 Life Skills and Wellness Development 11 15 19 Legal, Ethical and Professional Responsibility 22 29 36

Finally, the number of items per job task was determined. For example, in a 125 item test, the number of questions per job task will be either 4, 5 or 6. The determination of which tasks are assigned 4 or 6 items instead of 5 items is made separately for each domain by using the following computation first:

(5 x # of tasks in the domain) – (# of items allocated to the domain)

If the result in a positive number, it indicates the number of tasks for which 4 items would be assigned. If the result is a negative number, it indicated the number of tasks for which 6 items would be assigned. For example, there are 9 tasks in domain 1, which requires a total of 43 items for a 125-item exam. The items per task are computed as (5 x 9) – 43 = 2. Therefore, 2 tasks should be assigned 4 items rather than 5 in this domain. Among the 9 tasks in domain 1, tasks 1.1 and 1.2 have the 2 lowest exam proportions. Therefore, 4 items were assigned for these 2 tasks, which 5 items were assigned for the remaining tasks in this domain. On the other hand, there are 7 tasks in Domain 4, while 36 items should be assigned to the domain. Therefore, the quantity is computed as (5 × 7) – 36 = –1. Therefore, 1 task should be chosen to assign 6 items, rather than 5 items, in this domain. Among the 7 tasks in Domain 4, tasks 4.3 have the highest exam proportions. Therefore, 3 items were assigned for these 2 tasks, while 4 items were assigned for the remaining task in this domain. The same procedure was applied for the other 3 domains.

NYCA’s psychometrician developed examination blueprints for each of the potential test item number cases (75-item, 100-item and 125-item tests) which are presented in Attachment 8.


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Conclusion

The Recovery Peer Advocate Role Delineation Study was conducted in keeping with national standards established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and the American Educational Research Association/American Psychological Association/National Council on Measurement in Education (AERA/APA/NCME). Upon the publication of the Recovery Peer Advocate Role Delineation Study Report, the core competencies and examination blueprint are final and should not be changed until an updated Role Delineation Study is completed. In particular, the performance domains, job tasks and examination proportions cannot be modified.

The lifespan of a RDS and test blueprint is approximately 5 years, after which time the an RDS update should be conducted to update performance domains, job tasks and assess changes to “importance” and “frequency” ratings. The job tasks performed by a Recovery Peer Advocate are well established, however, if significant changes occur, such as a shift in the professional body of knowledge due to advances in evidence based practice, there may be a need to update the Recovery Peer Advocate Role Delineation Study and examination blueprints prior to 2019.


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Attachment 1: CRPA RDS Workshop Agenda

October 18, 2013 9 am to 4 pm 9:00 – 9:30 Welcome, Introductions, and Agenda Review 9:30 – 10:30 Presentation ~ FCB Certification Process Overview 10:30 – 10:45 Break 10:45 – 11:45 RDS Process Training and Review of Existing Competencies/Standards 11:45 –1:00 Lunch 1:00 – 1:30 Define/Verify Target Audience Characteristics 1:30 – 2:00 Validate/Identify Performance Domains 2:00 – 3:30 Review/Update/Write Job Tasks and KSAs 3:30 – 4:00 Status Update and Prepare for Day 2 October 19, 2013 9 am to 1:00 pm 9:00 – 9:15 Welcome, Progress Review, and Agenda Review 9:15 – 10:30 Finalize Job Tasks and KSAs 10:30 – 10:45 Break 10:45 – 12:00 Develop validation study protocol. 11:00 – 12:30 Review/Update/Write Proposed Grandfathering Program

Standards/Requirements 12:30 – 1:00 Summary, Next Steps, Adjourn


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Attachment 2: Certified Recovery Support Specialist Core Competencies

Performance Domains:

1. Legal and Professional Responsibility

2. Practical Living Skills and Social Development

3. Re-Engagement, Crisis Intervention, and Safety

4. Recovery Management

5. Resource Linkage and Follow-up

Performance Domains and Job Tasks:

1. Legal and Professional Responsibility

1.1 Assure that Client’s Rights are maintained.

1.2 Demonstrate healthy behaviors expected of a person in recovery.

1.3 Document all interactions with participants according to agency policy and procedure.

1.4 Maintain participant confidentiality according to state and federal laws.

1.5 Participate in on-going education and training to maintain competency and certification.

1.6 Perform all job tasks according to professional, legal, and ethical standards.

1.7 Request assistance from supervisors as necessary and appropriate.

2. Practical Living Skills and Social Development

2.1 Assist participants to establish and maintain personal care habits, including but not limited to personal hygiene, nutrition, time management and money management skills.

2.2 Assist participants to establish and maintain social responsibility habits, such as paying taxes, gaining and maintaining legal employment, voting, paying bills on time, and acting as a “good neighbor”.

2.3 Assist participants to establish/reestablish and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships with persons such as family members, significant others, friends, and/or family members of choice.

2.4 Encourage and assist participants to volunteer in the community.

2.5 Introduce or expose participants to new healthy social activities, people, and places.

3. Re-Engagement, Crisis Intervention, and Safety

3.1 Implement strategies and techniques to maintain recovery and/or personal safety.

3.2 Perform participant follow-up activities according to agency policy and procedure.

3.3 Re-engage the participant in their treatment/recovery plan.

3.4 Recognize crisis situations and respond appropriately.

3.5 Recognize risks to participant’s recovery and/or personal safety and respond appropriately.


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4. Recovery Management

4.1 Apply strategies designed to enhance participants’ motivation to change.

4.2 Assist and motivate participants to navigate the array of services available to achieve and maintain recovery.

4.3 Daily, reinforce reasons why recovery is a viable and achievable path.

4.4 Engage and assist participants to move through the stages of recovery and develop recovery capital.

4.5 Observe participant behaviors to determine risk to maintaining recovery.

4.6 Perform appropriate program activities, such as intake and orientation.

4.7 Recognize the signs and symptoms of a lapse/relapse and respond appropriately.

5. Resource Linkage and Follow-up

5.1 Access appropriate community resources and recovery support services.

5.2 Arrange transportation for participants to community resources and recovery support services.

5.3 Document resource linkage and follow-up activities according to agency policy and procedure.

5.4 Teach participants the necessary processes to access available community resources and recovery support services.

5.5 Verify participant attendance and/or compliance with treatment/recovery plan referrals.

5.6 Verify that consent and release of information forms are current and complete, and make sure the participant understands the release prior to making contact with community resources and recovery support services.


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Attachment 3: CRPA Core Competencies (2013)

Domain 1: Recovery Support

1.1 Perform appropriate program activities, such as outreach, intake and orientation.

1.2 Serve as a member of the participant’s multidisciplinary team.

1.3 Assist participants to develop a recovery plan.

1.4 Help participants implement strategies and techniques.

1.5 Write timely, clear, detailed, organized and accurate notes while documenting all investigative activity.

1.6 Regularly reinforce reasons why recovery is a viable.

1.7 Assist participants to identify and minimize risky behaviors that may affect recovery.

1.8 Respond appropriately to the signs and symptoms of a lapse/relapse.

1.9 Re-engage the participant in their recovery plan and/or treatment services as needed.

Domain 2: Resource Linkage and Follow-up

2.1 Assist and motivate participants to access and successfully navigate the array of community resources and recovery support services available to achieve and maintain recovery.

2.2 Assure that participants understand the purpose and limitation of consent and release of information forms prior to making contact with community resources and recovery support services.

2.3 Assist participants to verify that consent and release of information forms are current and complete.

2.4 Assist participants to arrange for transportation to community resources and recovery support services.

2.5 Conduct follow-up activities in accord with agency policy and procedure.

2.6 Document resource linkage and follow-up activities in accord with agency policy and procedure.

Domain 3: Life Skills and Wellness Development

3.1 Assist participants to identify strengths and needs related to necessary and wanted life and/or wellness skills.

3.2 Assist participants to develop, implement and maintain strategies to build wanted life and/or wellness skills.

3.3 Assist participants to establish/reestablish and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships with persons such as family members, significant others, friends, and/or family members of choice.

3.4 Encourage participants to be involved in the community.


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Domain 4: Legal, Ethical and Professional Responsibility

4.1 Ensure participants know and understand their rights.

4.2 Uphold Client Rights at all times.

4.3 Maintain participant confidentiality in accord with state and federal laws.

4.4 Document service provision in accord with agency policy and procedure.

4.5 Perform all job tasks in accord with applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations.

4.6 Perform all job tasks in accord with published codes of ethics and professional conduct.

4.7 Seek supervision as necessary and appropriate to competently perform job duties.


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Attachment 4: CRPA Validation Study Survey Instrument

Note: The Validation Survey was conducted on-line. This document duplicates the survey content and format. For access to the on-line version of the survey, please contact the NYCA offices.

Instructions: The New York Certification Association (NYCA) is conducting a Role Delineation Study (RDS) for the job classification of Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA). The purpose of an RDS is to identify the core performance domains of practice and the specific job tasks which are performed by CRPAs.

The NYCA follows national standards when conducting an RDS to ensure that resulting certification standards and examination instruments reflect the knowledge and skills necessary to perform competently on the job. Part of this process involves asking current practitioners to validate the core performance domains and job tasks of a CRPA.

You have been asked to respond to this survey because of your background and experience related to these job tasks. It should take approximately 45 - 60 minutes to complete the survey. Please select the "next" button for an overview of the survey structure and directions for completing the survey.

This survey is divided into 4 sections:

- In Section A, you are asked to submit demographic information that will ensure the data collected represents professionals working in various settings with differing backgrounds.

- In Section B, you are asked to evaluate task statements in four domains. These task statements have been identified as required for competent performance as a CRPA. You will rate each task statement as to its importance and frequency.

- In Section C, you are asked to provide a number that represents the percentage of time a CRPA spends performing tasks in each of the four domains. The four numbers should total 100.

- In Section D, you are asked to let us know if there was any important information you believe was not included in this survey.

SURVEY DIRECTIONS:

1. You may exit and re-enter this survey at any time as long as you use the same computer. If you cannot complete the survey in one sitting, you may want to print a hard copy of the survey, complete the survey, and enter your ratings at one time.

2. Please carefully review the instructions at the beginning of each section. The rating scale information is repeated for each domain in Section B.

3. The survey data will not be submitted until you complete the entire survey and select the "Done" button.

4. Surveys must be completed no later than March 31, 2014. Please select the "next" button to begin the survey. Thank you for your participation!

Demographic Questions: A demographic questionnaire was included in the survey for sample validation of the respondent’s qualifications and background. The demographic questions are:


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1. What is your gender? Male Female

2. What is your age? Under 30 years old 31 – 40 years 41 – 50 years Over 50 years old

3. What professional licenses or certifications do you hold? None CASAC CASAC-T CASAC-G Prevention Professional Prevention Specialist Recovery Coach Academy Certificate Recovery Coach Academy Training of Trainers Certificate CARC Other

4. How long have you worked in the field of peer advocacy/recovery support? Less than 1 year 1 – 3 years 4 – 6 years 7 – 9 years Over 10 years

5. Which of the following best describes your current practice setting? (select all that apply) Government/State Agency In-patient, residential treatment Out-patient, day treatment Clubhouse Therapeutic Community Other

6. Which of the following best describes your current job function? (select all that apply) Recovery Coach Peer Advocate/Recovery Support Specialist Counselor Aide/Technician Counselor Supervisor Manager Administration/Leadership Other

7. Do you work in a paid or unpaid capacity? Full-time, salaried employee Part-time, paid employee


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Full-time volunteer Part-time volunteer Other

8. What is your highest level of education completed? High School Diploma AA/AS Degree BA/BS Degree Masters Degree Higher than Masters Degree

9. Optional: Which of the following best describes your ethnicity/race? American Indian/Alaskan Native Asian Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander Black/African American Hispanic or Latino White/Caucasian Other

Importance and Frequency Rating Scales

Within each domain, there are a set of tasks that are performed by a Recovery Peer Advocate. The purpose of this section is to differentiate between the importance and frequency of the tasks relative to each other within each domain. The ratings you provide will be used to determine the percentage of questions that each task will have on the examination. Tasks that are more important and are more frequently performed will have more questions on the exam. Each domain area and its associated tasks will appear on the following pages. Please rate each task statement according to the rating scale below.

Ratings for Importance - For each task statement, ask yourself, "How important is this task, compared to all other tasks in this domain, to the job of the Recovery Peer Advocate?" Rate each statement according to this scale:

1: Not Important 2: Somewhat Important

3: Important 4: Very Important 5: Extremely Important

Ratings for Frequency - For each task statement, ask yourself, "How much time does a Recovery Peer Advocate spend performing this task as compared to other tasks in this domain?" Rate each statement according to this scale:

1: Not Much Time 2: A Little Bit of Time 3: An Average Amount of Time

4: A Fairly Large Amount of Time 5: A Very Large Amount of Time


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Keep in mind that every task is not "Extremely Important." It is critical that you rate each task's importance as compared to all other tasks in the domain. Simply stated, some tasks are MORE important than others. This is an anonymous survey, so please tell us what you really think.

Importance Frequency Domain 1: Recovery Support 1. Perform appropriate program activities, such

as outreach, intake and orientation. 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

2. Serve as a member of the participant’s multidisciplinary team.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

3. Assist participants to develop a recovery plan.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

4. Help participants implement strategies and techniques.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

5. Write timely, clear, detailed, organized and accurate notes while documenting all investigative activity.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

6. Regularly reinforce reasons why recovery is a viable.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

7. Assist participants to identify and minimize risky behaviors that may affect recovery.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

8. Respond appropriately to the signs and symptoms of a lapse/relapse.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

9. Re-engage the participant in their recovery plan and/or treatment services as needed.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

Domain 2: Resource Linkage and Follow-up 10. Assist and motivate participants to access

and successfully navigate the array of community resources and recovery support services available to achieve and maintain recovery.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

11. Assure that participants understand the purpose and limitation of consent and release of information forms prior to making contact with community resources and recovery support services.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

12. Assist participants to verify that consent and release of information forms are current and complete.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

13. Assist participants to arrange for transportation to community resources and recovery support services.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

14. Conduct follow-up activities in accord with agency policy and procedure.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

15. Document resource linkage and follow-up activities in accord with agency policy and procedure.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5


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Importance Frequency Domain 3: Life Skills and Wellness Development 16. Assist participants to identify strengths and

needs related to necessary and wanted life and/or wellness skills.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

17. Assist participants to develop, implement and maintain strategies to build wanted life and/or wellness skills.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

18. Assist participants to establish/reestablish and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships with persons such as family members, significant others, friends, and/or family members of choice.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

19. Encourage participants to be involved in the community.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

Domain 4: Legal, Ethical and Professional Responsibility 20. Ensure participants know and understand

their rights. 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

21. Uphold Client Rights at all times. 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 22. Maintain participant confidentiality in accord

with state and federal laws. 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

23. Document service provision in accord with agency policy and procedure.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

24. Perform all job tasks in accord with applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

25. Perform all job tasks in accord with published codes of ethics and professional conduct.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

26. Seek supervision as necessary and appropriate to competently perform job duties.

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5


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Time Percentages for Each Domain

The purpose of this section is to differentiate the percentage of time a Recovery Peer Advocate spends performing these duties relative to the other domains (the last section compared frequency relative to other “task statements” per domain).

Directions: Assign the percentage of time you spend OR the percentage of time you believe a Recovery Peer Advocate would spend performing duties in each of these domains. The total percentage must equal 100%.

Domain % of time out of 100 % Recovery Support Resource Linkage and Follow-Up Life Skills and Wellness Development Legal, Ethical and Professional Responsibility

Respondent Feedback

This section is designed to allow you to provide us with feedback regarding the domains and job tasks that were included in the survey.

1. How well did this survey cover the performance domains expected of a CRPA? Very Poorly Poorly Adequately Well Very Well

2. Are there any performance domains you believe were omitted? Yes No If “yes”, please explain:

3. How well did this survey cover the job tasks expected of a CRPA? Very Poorly Poorly Adequately Well Very Well

4. Are there any job tasks you believe were omitted? Yes No If “yes”, please explain:

5. Do you have any additional comments?

This completes the survey, thank you for your participation.


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Attachment 5: Omitted Performance Domains (unedited free text response)

• Consider individual support vs. group support

• Some case management responsibilities

• The survey should have been less generic in terms of the role as peer. The percentages could not even be truthfully documented due to the way the questions were formatted.

• After care, discharge planning

• The ability to document well, in an evidence-based environment.

• After care

• Understanding the disease well enough to assist the coaches in learning that they are not a bad person trying to get good but instead a sick person working to get well - and to understand that in chemical dependency there are many paths to recovery but only one destination - abstinence based recovery

• Recovery coach wellness

• Education, in matters relating to specific issues peers have. HIV harm Reduction medication


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Attachment 6: Omitted Job Tasks (unedited free text response)

• Encouraging medical/dental/overall health examinations.

• Completeness

• Peer specialist should use engagement strategies that are evidenced based e.g. motivational interviewing, harm reduction, person centered planning etc. etc.

• Facilitating groups, offering support on the detox unit, organizing sober social events.

• Some case management responsibilities

• Facilitation, Motivational interviewing

• Assisting the coaches in learning that they are not a bad person trying to get good but instead a sick person working to get well.

• Self care

• Participate in MDT meetings.

• Communication

• I'm not sure there was enough or any coverage on the coaches real experience and background. Perhaps some questioning on whether or not the candidate has real life coaching experience and if so, in what capacity? I realize the question asks where one works, but exactly what they do is unclear.


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Attachment 7: Mean Ratings and Proportions of Items for 66 Tasks

Test Length Mean

Importance Rating

Mean Frequency

Rating

Mean Combined

Rating

Exam Proportio

n

75-item 100-item 125-item All Domains 75 100 125

Domain 1: Recovery Support 34.08% 26 34 43

Task 1.1 3.97 3.50 3.73 3.40% 2 3 4 1.2 4.21 3.63 3.92 3.57% 3 3 4 1.3 4.53 3.96 4.24 3.87% 3 4 5 1.4 4.58 4.15 4.36 3.98% 3 4 5 1.5 4.34 3.95 4.15 3.78% 3 4 5 1.6 4.47 4.07 4.27 3.89% 3 4 5 1.7 4.42 4.00 4.21 3.83% 3 4 5 1.7 4.48 4.16 4.32 3.93% 3 4 5 1.9 4.40 4.02 4.21 3.83% 3 4 5

Domain 2: Resource Linkage and Follow-up 21.65% 16 22 27

2.1 4.44 3.98 4.21 3.83% 3 4 5 2.2 4.34 3.79 4.06 3.70% 3 4 5 2.3 4.24 3.64 3.94 3.59% 2 3 4 2.4 3.75 3.17 3.46 3.15% 2 3 4 2.5 4.20 3.73 3.97 3.61% 3 4 4 2.6 4.33 3.93 4.13 3.76% 3 4 5

Domain 3: Life Skills and Wellness Development 15.20% 11 15 19

3.1 4.57 4.02 4.30 3.92% 3 4 5 3.2 4.49 4.02 4.26 3.88% 3 4 5 3.3 4.30 3.80 4.05 3.69% 2 3 4 3.4 4.20 3.95 4.07 3.71% 3 4 5

Domain 4: Legal, Ethical and Professional Responsibility 29.07% 22 29 36

4.1 4.62 4.00 4.31 3.92% 3 4 5 4.2 4.69 4.36 4.52 4.12% 3 4 5 4.3 4.86 4.59 4.73 4.31% 4 5 6 4.4 4.62 4.30 4.46 4.06% 3 4 5 4.5 4.78 4.53 4.66 4.24% 3 4 5 4.6 4.81 4.60 4.71 4.29% 3 4 5 4.7 4.78 4.28 4.53 4.13% 3 4 5


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Attachment 8: Detailed Test Blueprint

Items per Domain/Task Domain / Tasks 75-item test 100-item test 125-item test

Domain 1: Recovery Support 26 34 43

Task 1.1 (T1) Perform appropriate program activities, such as

outreach, intake and orientation. 2 3 4

1.2 (T2) Serve as a member of the participant’s

multidisciplinary team. 3 3 4

1.3 (T3) Assist participants to develop a recovery plan. 3 4 5

1.4 (T4) Help participants implement strategies and

techniques. 3 4 5

1.5 (T5) Write timely, clear, detailed, organized and accurate

notes while documenting all investigative activity. 3 4 5

1.6 (T6) Regularly reinforce reasons why recovery is a viable. 3 4 5

1.7 (T7) Assist participants to identify and minimize risky

behaviors that may affect recovery. 3 4 5

1.8 (T8) Respond appropriately to the signs and symptoms

of a lapse/relapse. 3 4 5

1.9 (T9) Re-engage the participant in their recovery plan

and/or treatment services as needed. 3 4 5

Domain 2: Resource Linkage and Follow-up 16 22 27

Task 2.1 (T10) Assist and motivate participants to access and

successfully navigate the array of community resources and recovery support services available to achieve and maintain recovery.

3 4 5

2.2 (T11) Assure that participants understand the purpose

and limitation of consent and release of information forms prior to making contact with community resources and recovery support services.

3 4 5

2.3 (T12) Assist participants to verify that consent and

release of information forms are current and complete. 2 3 4

2.4 (T13) Assist participants to arrange for transportation to

community resources and recovery support services. 2 3 4


34

Items per Domain/Task Domain / Tasks 75-item test 100-item test 125-item test

2.5 (T14) Conduct follow-up activities in accord with agency policy and procedure.

3 4 4

2.6 (T15) Document resource linkage and follow-up activities

in accord with agency policy and procedure. 3 4 5

Domain 3: Life Skills and Wellness Development 11 15 19

Task 3.1 (T16) Assist participants to identify strengths and needs

related to necessary and wanted life and/or wellness skills.

3 4 5

3.2 (T17) Assist participants to develop, implement and

maintain strategies to build wanted life and/or wellness skills.

3 4 5

3.3 (T18) Assist participants to establish/reestablish and

maintain healthy interpersonal relationships with persons such as family members, significant others, friends, and/or family members of choice.

2 3 4

3.4 (T19) Encourage participants to be involved in the

community. 3 4 5

Domain 4: Legal, Ethical and Professional Responsibility 22 29 36

Task 4.1 (T20) Ensure participants know and understand their

rights. 3 4 5

4.2 (T21) Uphold Client Rights at all times. 3 4 5

4.3 (T22) Maintain participant confidentiality in accord with

state and federal laws. 4 5 6

4.4 (T23) Document service provision in accord with agency

policy and procedure. 3 4 5

4.5 (T24) Perform all job tasks in accord with applicable

federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations. 3 4 5

4.6 (T25) Perform all job tasks in accord with published

codes of ethics and professional conduct. 3 4 5

4.7 (T26) Seek supervision as necessary and appropriate to

competently perform job duties. 3 4 5


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PUBLICATION INFORMATION: Published by: The New York Certification Association Publication Date: January 28, 2013 Copyright © 2014 The New York Certification Association

The New York Certification Association 1562 First Avenue #205-2875 New York, NY 10028-4044 Phone (855)-675-5634 web: www.nycertification.org

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