Drawn by Mental Health Humor Cartoonist Chato Stewart: CBHC’s Consumer Peer Ambassador
The Florida Certification Board (FCB) has a certification for peers/clients/consumers-people living with Mental Health Disorders called Certified Recovery Peer Specialist-Adult (CRPS). This type of certification requires 40 training hours and other requirements need to be meet.
I did the training in 2009 and just missed the “train the trainer class” by one week. That would be something I would love to do some day. At that time, the concept of a peer Specialist in Florida was very new. In fact, I think only about 6 states had programs set up. As of September 201 2, 36 states had established programs that train and certify individual peers. Why it’s not about just giving us a job. No. It’s because the Peer to Peer Model works; BUT is it for you?
What Is A Certified Recovery Peer Specialist
The Definition of a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist – Adult (CRPS-A) from the Florida Certification Board (FCB) is the following:
A Certified Recovery Peer Specialist – Adult provides peer mentoring and support to individuals who are consumers of mental health service systems and achieves resiliency and recovery as defined by the individual consumer.
The CRPS-A must be a true peer; this means that the peer specialist is also a consumer of public or private mental health services. The role of the Recovery Peer Specialist – Adult includes but is not limited to: Advocating for the needs of the consumer
By definition a (CRPS-A) is an advocate for his fellow peer/consumer needs, goals for recovery. A CRPS-A could be there to be more independent, in the CODE OF ETHICS it really summarizes what our goal is to the tee: “the primary responsibility of Certified Peer Specialists is to help individuals achieve their own needs, wants, and goals. Certified Peer Specialists will be guided by the principle of self-determination for all.”
While this is NOT a Charlotte Behavioral Health Care training, we still would like to pass on the information and hope some in the community reach out for this program. The certification standards minimum requirements of 40 training hours and 1000 volunteer hours is not much when you start adding up formal work and/or volunteer experience related to mental health issues.
We are pleased to share information with you about: the upcoming training for Peer Specialists in TAMPA as part of the initial step toward receiving certification as a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist-Adult.
The training will be held in Tampa, January 6-10, 2014.
This training is an initiative of Central Florida Behavioral Network.
Central Florida Behavioral Network is an approved education provider for the Florida Certification Board.
HOT POINTS
Certified Recovery Peer Specialists (CRPS) work in a variety of settings both within and outside of the mental health system. The presence of one CRPS in the lives of Florida’s consumers is a powerful statement of belief in the reality of recovery and the power of peer support to aid in recovery.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has endorsed peer support services which will allow Florida to access a steady funding mechanism for peer support services.
This training meets the 40 training hours and content area requirements of the CPRS certification application.
Other requirements for certification are found at the Florida Certification Board website www.flcertificationboard.org
(Click on “Certifications” in the left sidebar; click on “Certified Recovery Peer Specialist” at the top; scroll down to “CRPS Application Portfolio” and click).
Presenters: Presenters from Birdsong Consulting will conduct the training. Both presenters are Certified Recovery Peer Specialists.
Audience: This training is for adult consumers of mental health services who have an interest in peer support.
Training class size is limited to 15 persons.
Date,Time & Location: Monday, January 6 through Friday, January 10. Each training day begins promptly at 8:30am and ends at 5:00pm. Training is at DCF, 9393 North Florida Ave., Tampa, FL, 33612.Cost: The training and all training materials are free of charge. Meals and transportation costs are the responsibility of the participant.
Deadline: The deadline for all application materials is midnight on December 25, 2013, however, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.
Application Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/tampapeer .
This is the first step toward being admitted as a participant to the training. There is a 15 minute phone interview that will be held and then a decision will be made concerning registering you to attend the course. Applications received after this date will be handled on a first come first serve basis as space permits.
Contact: flpeertrainer@gmail.com
PRINT: INFO SHEET PDF
Is Certified Recovery Peer Specialist – Adult (CRPS-A) something you want to do? Well, I guess the first step would be to take the survey above. 🙂
Chato Stewart Consumer Peer Ambassador