Customer Services
How Do I Become a Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS)?
Certified Peer Support Specialists are an integral part of the LifeWays Community Mental Health System. Peers are individuals who have a unique background and skill level from their experience in utilizing services and supports to achieve their personal goals of community membership, independence and productivity. Peers have a special ability to gain trust and respect of other beneficiaries based on shared experience and perspectives with disabilities, and with planning and negotiating human services systems. Peer services provide the support and mentoring needed for individuals on their recovery journey in the areas of community inclusion, participation, independence, recovery, resiliency and/or productivity.
Individuals providing peer services must be able to demonstrate their experience in relationship to the types of guidance, support and mentoring activities they will provide and should be generally recognized and accepted to be peers. Individuals functioning as a certified peer must meet MDCH specialized training and certification requirements, which may include:
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Have a serious mental illness;
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Have received public mental health services currently or in the past;
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Provide at least 10 hours per week in the mental health field; and
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Meet the MDCH application approval process for specialized training and certification requirements.
