S02 - Attachment P VA Peer Specialist Approved Certification Processes October 1-2019.pdf

Peer Support Certification Guide

A person must be certified by a VA approved peer support certification not-for-profit organization or a state approved certification organization. This should be used as a general guide to assist in determining if a certification meets VA requirements and is not inclusive.

If you were certified before March 8, 2013, then these organizations were approved by VA:

• Georgia Model, Appalachian Consulting Group

• Depression and Bi‐Polar Support Alliance (DBSA): Veterans who completed the Peer Specialist

(non-veteran specific) core training course on or before March 8, 2013 and who successfully completed the post-course DBSA Peer Specialist examination are deemed to meet current VA requirements for individuals employed as peer support specialists. After March 8, 2013, only

DBSA’s Veteran specific certification training courses will be recognized unless the candidate has a state certification.

• NAZCARE

• Institute for Recovery & Community Integration Mental Health Association of Southeastern

Pennsylvania

• Recovery Innovations (also known as RI Consulting and RI International)

• The Transformation Center

If a candidate is certified by one of the above entities on or before 3/8/2013, this is considered acceptable by the VA.

Completing one of these certification courses after March 8, 2013 alone, without becoming state certified will not meet VA-approved certification qualifications for a peer specialist position.

If a peer specialist was not certified by one of the above entities before March 8, 2013, only two other

VA approved entities exist if certified after that:

• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA): From March 8, 2013 – September 30, 2014 certification was provided through DBSA Veteran Peer Specialist training. Since that contract ended, DBSA has provided this same Veteran training to non-VA employed Veterans who want to become eligible to be hired as peer specialists.

o As of September 17, 2019, DBSA has also been approved to provide their new Veteran

Peer Specialist Certification Training. A letter stating approval by VA will be issued with the certificate of training.

• From August 5, 2013 – present, certification provided through Recovery Innovations or Recovery

International (RI) titled, Veterans’ Peer Specialist Certification course is also still approved for non-VA employed Veterans who want to become eligible to be hired as peer specialists.

State approved certification programs can be determined by calling your state department of mental health or accessing their website and asking for peer support certification training. Oftentimes there is a consumers' affairs office that will know this information. At the time of this writing, not every state had an approved certification process. It is important to remember that just meeting a state’s certification training requirement without also having the state peer specialist certification is insufficient to be approved for VA. The law says:

must be certified by -

(a) a not-for-profit entity engaged in peer specialist training as having met such criteria as the Secretary shall establish for a peer specialist position; or

(b) a State as having satisfied relevant State requirements for a peer specialist position.

Also, if a peer specialist is certified by a state entity, if that state requires periodic recertification, the peer specialist must comply with that requirement and have documentation that they are current with their certification. Not maintaining certification could result in a change of duty assignment to non-patient care or loss of position. There is no such requirement to recertify for staff certified by the VA approved vendors, DBSA and RI. However, they must acquire 12 continuing education hours annually to stay current with their VA competencies.

Below is a helpful guide for determining if a state has an approved certification processor who may be contacted to find out:

http://sites.utexas.edu/mental-health-institute/files/2017/01/Peer-Specialist-Training-and-Certification-

Programs-A-National-Overview-2016-Update-1.5.17.pdf

State Approved Trainings:

Alabama

Council on Substance Abuse (COSA)

State Contact:

Alabama Department of Mental Health

Division of Mental Health and Substance

Abuse Services

(334) 353-7351

Alaska No recognized training or certification program

Arizona The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) Office of Individual and Family

Affairs (OIFA) accredits prospective training/credentialing programs; Information

Contact AHCCCS Office of Individual and Family Affairs.

Current Listing (as of 3/2019): See Attachment A

*Credentials do not require renewal.

Arkansas No recognized training or certification program.

California No recognized training or certification program.

Colorado No recognized training or certification program.

Connecticut Recovery University of Advocacy Unlimited Inc.

D.C. Department of Behavioral Health (https://dbh.dc.gov/service/peer-specialist-certification-program)

Delaware Delaware Certification Board

Florida Florida Certification Board

Georgia Georgia Certified Peer Specialist Project

Hawaii Hawaii Department of Health Adult Mental Health Division http://sites.utexas.edu/mental-health-institute/files/2017/01/Peer-Specialist-Training-and-Certification-Programs-A-National-Overview-2016-Update-1.5.17.pdf http://sites.utexas.edu/mental-health-institute/files/2017/01/Peer-Specialist-Training-and-Certification-Programs-A-National-Overview-2016-Update-1.5.17.pdf https://dbh.dc.gov/service/peer-specialist-certification-program https://dbh.dc.gov/service/peer-specialist-certification-program

Idaho Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Division of Behavioral Health is the certifying body for Idaho’s peer support specialist program. Jannus, Inc. conducts Idaho’s peer support specialist trainings.

Illinois Illinois Certification Board

Iowa Iowa Board of Certification

Kansas The training program is run by the Wichita State University Center for Behavioral Health

Initiatives at the Community Engagement Institute, a statewide training and technical assistance center. It is funded and monitored by the Kansas Department of Aging and

Disability Services.

Kentucky Kentucky Division of Behavioral Health no longer accepts applications but approves other programs that provide training. A list of approved training providers can be found here:

http://www.dbhdid.ky.gov/dbh/documents/pss/approved-adult.pdf

Louisiana Credentialing Agency RI International/ RI Consulting in Partnership with LA Office of

Behavioral Health – Mental Health Services

Maine Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHS), Maine Department of

Health and Human Services

Maryland Maryland Addiction and Behavioral-Health Professionals Certification Board (MABPCB)

Massachusetts The Transformation Center

Minnesota Minnesota Department of Human Services in partnership with RI International and RI

Consulting

Mississippi Mississippi Department of Mental Health Services

Missouri Missouri Department of Mental Health

Montana Montana Peer Network (MPN)

Nebraska DHHS Division of Behavioral Health Office of Consumer Affairs

Nevada Program in development

New

Hampshire

New Hampshire contracts with independent, peer-run non-profit agencies to provide

Intentional Peer Support, WRAP, Warm Line and other services, all of which required approved training. However, there is no state-based certification for peer specialists. A description of the New Hampshire peer support system can be found here:

http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dcbcs/bbh/peer.htm.

New Jersey The Certification Board of New Jersey, Inc.

New Mexico No recognized training or certification program.

New York New York Peer Specialist Certification Board

North Carolina The North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance

Abuse Services. Certificates carry The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina.

North Dakota North Dakota’s Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse of the Department of

Human Service.

Ohio Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS)

Oklahoma Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS)

Oregon OHA through the Office of Equity and Inclusion with the collaboration of the Health Systems

Division.

http://www.dbhdid.ky.gov/dbh/documents/pss/approved-adult.pdf http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dcbcs/bbh/peer.htm

Pennsylvania The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) licenses and maintains oversight of the peer provider agencies. The OMHSAS approved training vendors screen candidates to assure that they meet the eligibility requirements to sit for the training and provides a certificate of completion at the successful conclusion of the training;

approved training vendors are the Institute for Recovery and Community Integration and RI

International.

Rhode Island Rhode Island Certification Board (RICB)

South Carolina Self Help Association Regarding Emotions (SC SHARE)

South Dakota No recognized training or certification program.

Tennessee Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’ Office of Consumer

Affairs and Peer Recovery Services

Texas Via Hope, Texas Mental Health Resource

Utah State of Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH)

Vermont No recognized training or certification program.

Virginia The Virginia Certification Board

Washington The Office of Consumer Partnerships within the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery of the Behavioral Health and Service Integration Administration

West Virginia For Peer Support Specialist Training: Bridge Valley Community and Technical College.

Wisconsin The Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services oversees the certification of

Certified Peer Specialists which allows individuals to work within programs to provide peer support.

Wyoming Wyoming Department of Health Services; Behavioral Health Division

This list is not inclusive. It is not up-dated in real time, and things may have changed since it was published in 2017. If you have a certification that does not meet any of these requirements, please reach out to a Lead HR Specialist for confirmation and if it is deemed appropriate, it may be sent to the

VA National Director, Peer Support Services, daniel.obrienmazza@va.gov for review.

mailto:daniel.obrienmazza@va.gov

Arizona Peer Support Employment Training Program Operators

Recovery Empowerment Network (REN) http://renaz.org Erin Soto esoto@renaz.org 602.248.0368

RI International Consulting (RI) http://www.recoveryopportunity.com Aaron Foster, Recovery Services Administrator Aaron.Foster@riinternational.com 602.636.4467

Helping Ourselves Pursue Enrichment, Inc.

(HOPE, Inc.)

http://www.hopetucson.org Daniel Haley, CEO DanielHaley@hopetucson.org 520.903.6519

Northern Arizona Consumers Advancing Recovery by Empowerment (NAZCARE) http://www.nazcare.org Desiree Ross, Training Coordinator dross@nazcare.org 928.460.4411

University of Arizona, Workforce Development Program http://www.fcm.arizona.edu/workforce-development-program

Lifewell Behavioral Wellness (LBW) http://www.lifewell.us Jose Rojas, Program Manager jrojas@lifewell.us 602.808.2813

MARC Community Resources (MARCCR) (Shares program with CHEEERS) http://marccr.com Audrey Sanders

In Home Support Program Manager Audrey.sanders@marccr.com

480.969.3800 ext. 165

Center for Health, Empowerment, Education, Employment Recovery Services (CHEEERS) (Shares program with

MARCCR)

http://www.cheeers.org Tara Sang Tara.Sang@cheeers.org

602.246.7607 ext. 138

Community Bridges, Inc. (CBI) http://communitybridgesaz.org

Attachment A

Liz Dacosta, Associate Director of Peer Support edacosta@cbridges.com 480.495.0526

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) http://www.ncadd-phx.org Beverly Wohlert, Vocational Program Manager Beverlyw@ncadd-phx.org 602.264.6214

Arizona Recovery Coalition (ARC) http://www.recoverinaz.com/ Alan Kovin, Founder Alan@arizonacreativeworks.com 602.477.9562

PSA Behavioral Health Agency (PSA) http://www.azpsa.org/en/ Charlotte Webb, Chief Recovery Officer Charlotte.webb@azpsa.org 602.350.8458

Stand Together and Recover Centers

(STAR)

http://www.thestarcenters.org/ Obadiah Madsen, Training and Development Specialist ObadiahM@thestarcenters.org 602.231.0071

Hope Lives/Vive La Esperanza http://www.vivehopelives.org Chris Gonzalez, CEO cgonzalez@vivehopelives.org 1.855.747.6522

La Frontera, EMPACT (Phoenix) (uses iNAPS) http://www.lafronteraaz.org/ Erin Paige, Training Specialist Erin.Paige@lafrontera-empact.org 480.784.1514, ext. 1072

La Frontera Center (Tucson) Jeff Grobe, Supervisor of Employment Services Jeff.grobe@lafrontera.org 520.258.5047

National Alliance on Mental Illness, Southern Arizona (NAMISA) http://www.namisa.org

Mentally Ill Kids in Distress (MIKID) http://www.mikid.org/ David Cummings DavidC@mikid.org

Terros http://www.terros.org/ Trish Bleth, Peer Development Specialist Trish.Bleth@terros.org 602.302.7751

The Guidance Center (TGC) https://tgcaz.org/ Richard Patton, Peer Support Training Coordinator RPatton@tgcaz.org 928.714.6401

Resilience, Inc.

www.resilience4u.us Chris Martin, Director of Learning and Facilitation Chris@resilience4u.us 530.913.2339

Southwest Behavioral & Health Services Cindy Lou Webb, NAZ Coordinator of Learning and Development cindyw@sbhservices.org 602.285.4229

Transitional Living Center Recovery (uses Resilience, Inc.)

Anthony J. Alberta, PhD ajalberta@crbhs.com 602.369.0075

4 Directions, LLC.

(uses NAZCARE) PO Box 10908 Scottsdale, AZ 85271 Russ Smith, training contact 480.444.8563

Attachment A

Cenpatico Integrated Care (C-IC) http://www.cenpaticointegratedcareaz.com Jose Castillo, Peer Support Advisor Jose.Castillo@cenptatico.com 520.247.7510

Health Choice Integrated Care http://www.healthchoiceintegratedcare.com/ Veronica Welch, OIFA Administrator Veronica.Welch@steward.org 928.214.2168

The Crossroads http://thecrossroadsinc.org/ Jess Young, HR Coordinator Jessica.Young@thecrossroadsinc.org 602.263.5242

CODAC

Marta McKenna, Training & Development Administrator mmckenna@codac.org 520.202.1818

Arizona Contact: Chaz Longwell chaz.longwell@azahcccs.gov mailto:chaz.longwell@azahcccs.gov