Logan County will be in the national spotlight this weekend as Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College’s groundbreaking Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS) Micro-Credential Program is featured at a national conference in Denver, Colorado.
Aaron Blankenship, Peer Recovery Support Specialist Trainer at Southern and Assistant Director of the West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Network, will present the college’s program at the Joint Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE), Association of Recovery Schools (ARS), and Association of Alternative Peer Groups (AAPG) 2026 Annual Conference. Blankenship is scheduled to present on Monday before recovery professionals and educators from across the country.
Southern’s PRSS Micro-Credential Program is the first of its kind in West Virginia and is designed to prepare individuals for meaningful careers in the recovery field. The six-day program provides hands-on training, expert instruction, and a direct pathway to certification as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist.
The program equips participants with the knowledge and skills needed to support individuals on their recovery journey while strengthening West Virginia’s recovery workforce. It also creates opportunities for individuals with lived experience to transform that experience into purposeful careers dedicated to helping others.
“This national presentation is an exciting opportunity to showcase the innovative work happening at Southern and in Logan County,” Blankenship said. “Sharing our model with recovery leaders from across the nation has the potential to inspire other institutions to adopt similar programs while advancing recovery support services nationwide.”
The Joint ARHE, ARS, and AAPG Annual Conference is one of the nation’s premier gatherings for professionals involved in collegiate recovery programs, recovery high schools, and alternative peer groups. The conference brings together educators, practitioners, and recovery advocates to share best practices and innovative approaches to supporting individuals in recovery.
Southern’s selection to present at the conference highlights the college’s leadership in developing workforce solutions that address critical community needs while creating educational and career opportunities for West Virginians.
For more information about Southern’s Peer Recovery Support Specialist Micro-Credential Program, visit southernwv.edu, call (304) 896-7308, or email Aaron Blankenship at .