SIUE Hosts its Fifth Recovery Support Professional Training Program Graduation
June 30, 2026, 1:38 PM
On June 28, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville hosted a ceremony for the seventh cohort of Recovery Support Professional Training Program, honoring 21 graduates for completing the program requirements and becoming eligible to sit for the Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) exam and the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS), both credentials are certified by the Illinois Certification Board (ICB).
Five graduates addressed the audience during the ceremony, sharing personal reflections on transformation and purpose. Among them was Marlo Hutchinson, who delivered the final student address. Ms. Hutchinson (pictured top left) passed the CPRS exam in June and secured employment with the St. Louis City Courthouse helping other navigate addiction recovery as a peer recovery coach.
“This ceremony has a different meaning for each person. For some graduates, this is the first time they have ever walked across a stage to be honored in this way. For many of our graduates, past and present, it is proof that the courage and dedication they have poured into their recovery and into themselves has paid off. This ceremony reminds me that this program is far more than a professional training program, it is about restoring a sense of possibility and purpose,” said Jayme Swanke, PhD, LCSW, CADC, the program’s director.
Of the current graduating cohort, six students have already passed the CPRS certification exam and are prepared to enter the recovery support field.
Photos by Howard Ash
