# Recovery coach onboarding planning checklist

Smores Health. Reviewed October 9, 2026.

Guide: https://smoreshealth.com/peer-support-software/recovery-coach-onboarding-checklist

This editable worksheet is an organizational planning resource. It does not award a credential, authorize a service, or establish national onboarding requirements. Replace examples with your approved program process. Use fictional information for practice; keep actual workforce and participant records in your authorized systems.

## 1. Identify the program and owners

- Program and service setting:
- State or states covered:
- Role being onboarded:
- Onboarding owner:
- Responsible supervisor:
- Backup support contact:
- Planned start date:
- Approved worksheet version and reviewer:
- Next review date:

## 2. Prepare before the first day

For each item, record the owner, evidence, unresolved question, and next action.

| Preparation item | Owner | Evidence or current status | Next action and review date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Approved role description and service model | | | |
| Role-specific qualification review | | | |
| Current procedures and forms | | | |
| Supervisor and backup arrangements | | | |
| Orientation schedule and protected practice time | | | |
| Accounts, equipment, and appropriate access | | | |
| First assignment and coverage process | | | |
| Team introduction and role explanation | | | |
| Field-work or partner-site arrangements, if applicable | | | |

An unresolved organizational item should have an organizational owner. A missing account is not evidence that a coach lacks a skill.

## 3. Explain the role

- What support does this program offer?
- How can a participant shape or decline an offered next step?
- Which tasks belong to this coach's approved role?
- Which requests need another role?
- Who resolves uncertainty about a request?
- Where are the current safety and escalation procedures?
- How does the coach contact immediate backup?
- How are repeated role-confusion problems raised with leadership?

Practice a short introduction in the coach's own words. Discuss clarity and fit with the approved program description.

## 4. Practice using fictional scenarios

| Exercise | What to observe | Evidence, feedback, and next action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First conversation | Explains the role and asks what the person would find useful | |
| Participant declines an option | Preserves the person's choice and clarifies any agreed next step | |
| Sample note | Distinguishes actual support, participant response, and future actions | |
| Reviewer asks for clarification | Finds and follows the approved correction process | |
| Contact attempt receives no response | Records the attempt without claiming a conversation happened | |
| Usual coach is unavailable | Identifies the correct coverage owner | |
| Request is outside the role | Locates the appropriate support or referral process | |

Fictional rehearsal: Jordan wants to prepare for attending a community activity. Jordan and the coach practice an introduction. Jordan chooses to check the schedule independently and does not request another appointment. Ask the coach to record what happened and explain whether any staff action remains.

## 5. Agree on supervision and support

- Purpose of planned supervision:
- Frequency and qualifications required by applicable program sources:
- Planned meeting arrangements:
- Questions or learning goals the coach wants to bring:
- How urgent questions are handled:
- How note review differs from other supervision:
- Record purpose, access, and owner:
- Development action, responsible person, and review point:

Do not use this worksheet to infer a universal supervision frequency, ratio, or recordkeeping rule.

## 6. Adapt the phases

The dates below are planning prompts, not mandatory deadlines or proof of readiness.

| Phase | Focus for this coach and role | Evidence to discuss | Next support action |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Before starting | | | |
| First week | | | |
| Around 30 days | | | |
| Around 60 days | | | |
| Around 90 days | | | |

Adjust timing for experience, part-time work, actual practice opportunities, and applicable requirements. Do not authorize work solely because a date passed.

## 7. Review readiness together

Use specific observations, such as demonstrated in this scenario, needs further practice, or awaiting an organizational decision. This is not an automatic employment or credential decision.

| Area | Coach's perspective | Observed evidence | Next action, owner, and review point |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Role explanation | | | |
| Participant conversation | | | |
| Documentation | | | |
| Handoffs and follow-up | | | |
| Tools and working conditions | | | |

- Work currently assigned under the program's process:
- Support needed for that work:
- Questions requiring a responsible leader's decision:
- Date and owner of the next review:

## 8. Verify applicable sources

| Role, service, or requirement question | Current official source and section | Applicability and effective date | Evidence reviewed by whom and when | Open question and assignment impact |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | | |

Keep credential verification, training completion, supervision arrangements, and organization authorization distinguishable. Begin with the relevant state guide, then verify the official sources: https://smoreshealth.com/state-guides

## 9. Improve the process

- What was difficult to find or understand?
- Which repeated task could the organization simplify?
- Were workload and practice time realistic?
- What development goal does the coach want to pursue?
- What should change before the next person is onboarded?
- Change owner, approved revision, and next review:

## Sources and related resources

- SAMHSA, Core Competencies for Peer Workers: https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/recovery/peer-support-workers/core-competencies
- University of Washington Harborview Behavioral Health Institute, Integrating Peer Support in Crisis Care Settings Toolkit: https://bhinstitute.uw.edu/training-workforce-policy/workforce-development/integrating-peer-support-in-crisis-care-settings-toolkit/
- The UW resource is specific to crisis settings. The checklist above is Smores Health's suggested planning framework, not a reproduction of that toolkit or a national standard.
- Intake planning guide: https://smoreshealth.com/peer-support-software/recovery-coaching-intake-workflow
- Recovery coaching software guide: https://smoreshealth.com/peer-support-software/recovery-coaching-software

To explore assignments, schedules, documentation, and supervisor review in Smores Health, use “See it in action” in the software guide. Bring a blank workflow and fictional example.