A path forward: CLIMB courses help recovering individuals enter workforce

Published on Apr 1, 2026

In an effort to increase career opportunities for those in recovery/re-entry, Maysville Community and Technical College Workforce Solutions is offering a series of classes to help get individuals on the path to a fulfilling career in peer support.

Participants in these courses can contribute to Kentucky’s growing mental and behavioral healthcare workforce, built on three concepts: recovery/re-entry, directed working relationships, and Career Ladders in Mental and Behavioral (CLIMB) Health campuses. 

These three concepts are built toward lived experience pathways, in-demand behavioral health occupations, connecting organizations in recovery/re-entry, sustaining directed job placement, expanding behavioral healthcare workforce training, and establishing academic pathway programs. 

“The CLIMB Grant increases the opportunities for individuals in recovery/reentry in our service region. This excites me as it allows our recovery/reentry community members to become employable and to start to take care of themselves and their families again,” said Millicent Harding-Thomas, Director of Community Education at MCTC.

Designed for those who want to work in the commonwealth, students have the option to complete which course(s) they choose, often starting with the Adult Peer Support Specialist (APSS) course and then moving to the Community Support Associate (CSA) course. 

If the student’s goal is to work at a treatment facility, they would need to start with the APSS course and then transition into the Registered Alcohol and Drug Peer Support Specialist (RADPSS) Bridge course. 

Vouchers to cover the cost of registration fees are available through the CLIMB grant. To be eligible for a voucher, participants must have a lived experience, defined as an “attest to being in recovery for a minimum of 12 consecutive months from a substance-related disorder.”

For more information and to register, go to APSS, CSA, & Bridge Course Registration or call (606) 301-6118.