El Instituto is designed for Latinos and Spanish-speaking individuals of all backgrounds. These can be behavioral health professionals or regular community members. As long as there is a desire to learn, these resources are for you.

El Instituto is the educational branch of El Jardín Recovery Centers. El Jardín is a Portland-based nonprofit whose mission is to serve the Latino community through culturally specific substance use recovery support services, harm reduction interventions, and professional development programs for Latino behavioral health professionals. Our El Instituto program encompasses all of El Jardín’s professional development activities, including the Peer Wellness Specialist Training, Harm Reduction training, our conferences, and any upcoming lifeskills workshops.

El Instituto offers Peer Wellness Specialist trainings, harm reduction trainings, and 10 continuing education modules across various topics relevant to the behavioral health field. 

Our Peer Wellness Specialist Training is a state- and board-approved 80-hr training that teaches individuals how to use their lived experience in mental health, addiction, or both to help others along their recovery journeys. Completion of this training allows graduates to apply to be a state-registered Peer Wellness Specialist or Certified Recovery Mentor. Our trainings are grant-funded, making them free and low barrier to interested participants. We offer additional assistance to students with extra needs, such as computer and internet access. To request this type of assistance, please contact us at training@eljardinrecovery.org

The role of the Peer Wellness Specialist is to provide peer support, encouragement, and assistance to address physical and mental health needs. As a PWS, an individual draws from their own background and experience to support others in their self-directed recovery. This 80-hr online training qualifies participants to apply for the Peer Wellness Specialist Certification and the Certified Recovery Mentor Certification.

Continuing education is the education undertaken after initial education for either personal or professional reasons. In this case, it is the education you take after getting your professional certificate to make sure your skills and knowledge are up-to-date and continuously relevant. This way, you can make sure that you continue to provide the best care possible with updated industry information.

Every three years, all PWSs must complete at least 20 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs). At least three of the 20 hours must be from suicide risk assessment, treatment, and management appropriate to the PWS scope of work.

Any conviction you have is considered potentially disqualifying, but it does not automatically mean you will get disqualified. The Oregon Health Authority recognizes that some positions, like PWS and CRM, are made effective by the firsthand experience of certain events, like incarceration, drug use, etc. The Oregon Health Authority and BCU Orchards will use a weighted test to evaluate your application and criminal background history.

Commonly, you will get denied your certificate if you have charges related to any of the following:

• Assault/neglect
• assault/neglect of a minor
• assault/neglect of an older adult or person with disabilities. 

To learn more about the weighted test read: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/background-checks/Documents/pdq-criminal-tier-3.pdf