Peer Support Specialist – Online
Course Overview
Have you overcome addiction or a mental disorder personally or been very close to someone who has? When you understand first-hand how important it is to have a good support system, it’s natural to want to help others facing the same problems. The Peer Support Specialist course will provide you with the education and training you need to appropriately help others and use your experiences for positive outcomes.
Whether you’ve experienced recovery from addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring substance and mental disorders becoming a Peer Support Specialist may be a great option for you. You will gain an understanding of the roles of Peer Specialists and Peer Supporters relative to advocacy, addressing stigma and discrimination, interpersonal communication, an overview of mental health and substance use disorders, cultural competence, ethical responsibilities and legal issues, including HIPAA. You’ll learn to empower and help others through videos portraying stories of peers in recovery from mental illness and/or addiction throughout the coursework and become a role model for others and show them that it is possible to achieve recovery.
This course includes content and standards that are promoted by N.A.P.S. (formerly INAOPS), the National Association of Peer Supporters, and may be accepted by State Certification Boards that provide credentials for Recovery Peer Specialists or Peer Supporters. You should check with your State Certification Boards for more information, as we cannot guarantee that our program will fulfill your state’s requirements. To our knowledge, the Texas Certification Board, the California Certification Board, State Board of Georgia, Minnesota Certification Board, the Colorado Peer Certification Committee, North Carolina’s Certified Peer Support Specialist Program, Rhode Island Certification Board, Tennessee State Board, New York State Board, Washington State Board, and Wisconsin Department of Health Services do not recognize this course.
What you will learn
- The central knowledge base and behaviors of effective Peer Support promoted by iNAOPS
- The attributes, roles, duties and guidelines for a Peer Specialist
- Recognize aspects of recovery unique to the individual, as well as developing their own recovery definition
- The creating and exploring of community resources, courtroom etiquette, help peers identify and understand communication barriers, and the reasoning behind documenting practices
- How transformational language helps a peer specialist in the transformation in services for people with mental health problems
- Various communication techniques commonly used in a peer support setting
- The history of mental illness with attention to how and why the recovery model has emerged
- Tools that will help you develop appropriate and effective ways of approaching peers and/or veterans with a substance disorder and/or co-occurring disorder
- Cultural differences you are likely to encounter as a peer specialist
- The critical nature of how ethics and boundaries play an integral role in the daily job of a peer specialist
- The basics necessary to assist with peer reintegration into the community
- A comprehensive concept of wellness that goes beyond being free of disease or sickness
How you will benefit
- Prepare for a career as a Recovery Peer Specialist or Recovery Peer Support
- Give back to the community by using your personal experience to positively affect the lives of others
- Receive training that will help you properly educate other adults and improve their odds of beating addiction
- Open the door to new career opportunities in an in-demand field
Course Requirements
Hardware and Software Requirements
- This course can be taken on either a PC, Chromebook, or Mac.
- PC: Windows 8 or later
- Mac: macOS 10.6 or later
- Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
Other:
- Email capabilities and access to a personal email account
- Hotmail accounts cannot be used with this course.
Instructional Material Requirements:
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.
Prerequisites:
Basic computer skills are required.
Instructor
Schedule:
- 40 Course Hours
- Code GES177
- 3 Months
- Open enrollment
- Self paced
Cost
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FAQs
Yes. This 40-hour course includes content and standards promoted by the International Association of Peer Supporters (INAOPS), which is aligned with and reflects industry best practices and state and national competencies. It was created in partnership with Steve Harrington, founder of the National Association of Peer Supporters (N.A.P.S.) organization.
Certification for peers is done at the state level by state certification boards, with every state having different requirements for recovery peer specialists or peer supporters. For this reason, we encourage you to contact the appropriate agency in your state that oversees and provides credentials to individuals that want to work as a peer within that state for more certification information, as we cannot guarantee that our program will fulfill your state’s requirements. To our knowledge, the Texas Certification Board, the California Certification Board, State Board of Georgia, Minnesota Certification Board, the Colorado Peer Certification Committee, North Carolina’s Certified Peer Support Specialist Program, Rhode Island Certification Boards, Tennessee State Board, and Washington State Board do not recognize this course.
This course is open enrollment, so you can register and start the course as soon as you are ready. Access to your course can take 24-48 business hours.
This course is self-paced and open enrollment, so you can start when you want and finish at your own pace. When you register, you’ll receive three (3) months to complete the course.
The time allotted for course completion has been calculated based on the number of course hours. However, if you are unable to complete the course, contact the student advising team to see what options you may have available to work out a suitable completion date. Please note that an extension fee may be charged.
Our courses are designed to accommodate various learning preferences. Depending on the course structure, you may get different forms of support. Self-paced courses are designed to be user-friendly and independent, minimizing the need for external support. in courses with instructors, our direct platform support feature includes opportunities for questions, discussions, and remediation, with email and phone support available for select courses. Our student advising team is available to guide on program requirements and administrative requests, but they do not provide assistance with course content. Our goal is to provide you with the necessary support for success, whether it’s through self-paced exploration, direct communication, or guidance from our advising team.
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion.