Graduate Essays - Chuck Snoad: At ECC, I recognize the values that brought me to the mental health field

I have lived experience with mental illness, specifically depression and anxiety. In the spring of 2022, I heard about the Recovery Support Specialist program at Elgin Community College while attending a National Alliance on Mental Illness support group. Open to sharing my recovery story to help others heal—the core component of working as a recovery support specialist—I applied online and was accepted within a week.

Consisting of five required courses, the RSS program at ECC offers both in-person and online classes. After learning about the history of the recovery support field, practicing clinical techniques with my fellow students, and studying professional responsibilities, I completed two internships totaling 300 supervised hours in a community mental health setting.

My instructors—Drew Beck, Gina Lawrence, and Bob Price—are amazing human beings with a wealth of knowledge and years of valuable experience as mental health professionals. Throughout the program, they emphasized the importance of practicing self-care. They helped me find the confidence to craft and articulate my role as a mental health professional.

At ECC, beyond reading textbooks and taking exams, I recognized the values that brought me to the mental health field: being present for others, fostering hope, and reducing suffering.

For over two decades, I’ve been blessed to work as a client with compassionate mental health professionals. Although I’m not a therapist, I am a recovery support specialist. My brief time at ECC has prepared me for a career in helping people with mental illnesses challenge stigma and lead fulfilling lives.

Chuck Snoad ‘24

Basic Vocational Certificate – Recovery Support Specialist

Wheeling, Ill.

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