Find Your Path

Build Your Career as a Certified Peer
Specialist in Texas

Your lived experience with mental health or substance use recovery isn’t just your story, it’s your professional strength. At Peer Academy, we help you transform that experience into state-recognized certification as a peer specialist, opening doors to meaningful work in healthcare, community programs, and recovery settings across Texas.

Whether you’re starting with Core Training or pursuing Mental Health Peer Specialist MHPS, Recovery Support Peer Specialist RSPS, or Peer Specialist Supervisor PSS certification, we provide the training, supervision, continuing education, and financial support to help you succeed.

Learn More
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Understanding the Role

Who is a
Peer Specialist?

A Peer Specialist is a trained professional whose greatest qualification is their own lived experience with mental health challenges or substance use recovery. They offer hope, shared understanding, and practical guidance, not as a clinician, but as someone who truly gets it.

Peer specialists work as equals alongside the people they serve, honoring that recovery looks different for everyone.

  • Recovery Support & Wellness : Providing information and support with recovery planning, wellness tools, and navigating community resources.

  • Mentoring & Role Modeling : Serving as a role model and helping people find the services, resources, and community connections they need.

  • Advocacy & Rights Support : Supporting people in stressful or urgent situations and helping ensure their rights are respected at every step.

Portraits of five Peer Academy facilitators

Who We Are?

Peer Academy provides comprehensive training and certification support for individuals pursuing peer specialist careers in Texas. We offer state-approved programs for Core Training, Mental Health Peer Specialist MHPS, Recovery Support Peer Specialist RSPS, and Peer Specialist Supervisor PSS certifications.
Our facilitators are certified peer specialists with lived experience who bring both professional credentials and personal understanding to every training. We’re committed to supporting the Texas peer workforce with quality education, accessible resources, and ongoing guidance throughout your certification journey.

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Why Peer Academy

Everything you need
all in one place

Certified peer specialists work across a wide range of settings in Texas, from hospitals and community programs to criminal justice, veterans’ services, and beyond. Your lived experience is needed everywhere.

  • 100%Online via Zoom
  • 100+Peers Certified
  • 100%Scholarship Coverage Available
  • 4State-Approved Certifications

  • 100% Live Online
    via Zoom

    All training, supervision, and CEU workshops are delivered live on Zoom, no commute, no campus, fully accessible from anywhere in Texas.

  • Facilitators with Lived Experience

    Going directly into communities where people live to provide peer support where it’s needed most.

  • Scholarships Up to 100%

    Jails, prisons, specialty courts, probation, and parole, bringing peer support to justice-involved individuals.

  • Flexible Scheduling Options

    Choose from full-day workshops, evening sessions, or self-paced modules, built to fit around work, family, and life.

  • Certificates Provided Upon Completion

    Receive official documentation for every training you complete, ready for your certification application and employer records.

  • Support Beyond Certification

    From Core Training through PSS and ongoing CEUs, we’re your long-term partner, not just a one-time training provider.

How It Works

Your Path to Certification

From your first training to your first day on the job, here’s exactly what the certification journey looks like.

Six steps to certification: 1 Orientation (first thing): complete the free Texas Peer Specialist Orientation online to confirm your eligibility and readiness before any training begins. 2 Core Training (required first): complete the required 24-hour foundational training in just 3 days, offered 100% online. 3 MHPS/RSPS Training (choose your path): complete your specialized certification training for Mental Health or Recovery Support peer work. 4 Apply & Get Certified (you’re certified): submit your application to the Texas Certification Board; most students are fully certified within 6 - 12 months. 5 Complete 250 Supervised Hours (gain experience): complete your required supervised work experience with group sessions, one-on-one, or our PACE program. 6 Submit for Certification.

Already Certified?

Keep Growing Your Career : Certified peer specialists can advance further, become a supervisor, or earn your continuing education credits to stay certified.

PSS TrainingCEU Workshops

Everything you need to Succeed.

From your first training to ongoing certification, access comprehensive support and resources designed for peer specialists at every stage of their career.

A group of peers reading and studying together around a laptop

  • Training Calendar

    Find upcoming Core, MHPS, RSPS, and PSS training sessions. View dates, locations, and register for programs that fit your schedule.

    Learn More: Training Calendar

  • Scholarships

    Access financial support for your training, supervision, and continuing education. Apply for full or partial funding based on your needs.

    Learn More: Scholarships

  • Supervision

    Complete your required 250 supervision hours with group sessions, one-on-one support, or our comprehensive PACE program.

    Learn More: Supervision

  • Continuing Education (CEUs)

    Stay certified with our workshops, Peer Cafe sessions, and PAIR Network program. Earn the CEUs you need for recertification.

    Learn More: Continuing Education (CEUs)

Explore Texas
Peer Certifications

Explore Texas Peer CertificationsMHPSMental Health Peer SpecialistExplore Texas Peer CertificationsRSPSRecovery Support Peer SpecialistExplore Texas Peer CertificationsPSSPeer Support Supervisor

Where Graduates Work

Your certification
opens real doors

Certified peer specialists work across a wide range of settings in Texas, from hospitals and community programs to criminal justice, veterans’ services, and beyond. Your lived experience is needed everywhere.

  • Hospitals & Treatment Centers

    Psychiatric hospitals, general medicine hospitals, substance use treatment centers, and VA hospitals.

  • Community Outreach Programs

    Going directly into communities where people live to provide peer support where it’s needed most.

  • Criminal Justice Settings

    Jails, prisons, specialty courts, probation, and parole, bringing peer support to justice-involved individuals.

  • Outpatient Clinics

    Federally Qualified Health Clinics, mental health clinics, and substance use treatment programs.

  • Peer-Run Organizations

    Recovery Community Organizations and Consumer-Operated Service Providers led by peers in recovery.

  • Virtual and Residential Settings

    App-based services, teleconferencing, domestic violence shelters, recovery housing, and more.

Common job titles include:
Crisis Peer Support Specialist · Military Veteran Peer Specialist · Youth Peer Support Specialist · Peer Outreach Specialist · First Responder Peer Support Specialist · Peer Wellness Specialist · and more

Financial support available

Cost should never stand in your way.

Peer Academy offers scholarships covering up to 100% of your training costs. Many of our students complete Core Training and their full certification program completely free. If you need support, we’ll help you find it.

Apply for a Scholarship

100%

of the training costs can be covered through Peer Academy scholarships

  • ✔ MHPS & RSPS Training
  • ✔ Core Training
  • ✔ Supervision Hours
  • ✔ Continuing Education

Here's why peers choose Peer Academy

  • ★★★★★

    “I went through the MHPS program at Peer Academy and I can’t say enough amazing things about it. Working in a healthcare setting with mental health and substance abuse clients, the Peer Academy provided me with multiple new resources and healthy ways of navigating communication with these clients. I have also found new relationships with others in the program as well as a safe space to express myself and ask those uncomfortable questions. Each individual trainer, group leader, supervisor was always readily available to help and answer any questions I may have had. The most rewarding part of going through the Peer Academy was I was able to learn more about myself and how I can be that vessel of hope for others that may need it. I am truly honored to have gone through this program and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to grow within the Peer Specialist program.”

    Cassidy Goodrum LambertMental Health Peer Specialist

  • ★★★★★

    “Joining Peer Academy was a transformative experience in my journey to becoming a great peer and supporter. The comprehensive training and hands-on activities provided me with the essential skills and knowledge to connect deeply with others. The supportive community at Peer Academy fostered a sense of belonging and encouraged continuous learning and personal growth. Thanks to their guidance, I am now more confident, empathetic, and effective in my role, equipped to make a meaningful impact in my peer interactions. Peer Academy truly set me on the path to success.

    Rodney BrownMental Health Peer Specialist

  • ★★★★★

    "I took this course to get more knowledge and to be able to be a better peer to my clients. I learned so much that I need to be mindful of with the people we serve. We became a village, this training gave me a different lens to look through."

    Student

  • ★★★★★

    "I always felt there was a safe space to open up and ask questions. They are amazing! They made themselves available and really wanted to see us succeed. They allowed the flow of the group and it felt like our voices were heard."

    Student

  • ★★★★★

    "The supervisors are very calming and easy to talk to. I never felt intimidated by them. They kept an open line of communication and were open and honest with feedback and experiences. They were also very accessible and responsive."

    Student

  • ★★★★★

    "I got a lot out of the online modules and discussion groups. It was a safe and engaging space to discuss sometimes difficult topics. I really enjoyed the groups and the style of facilitation."

    Student

  • ★★★★★

    "Going through the Peer Academy was the best decision I ever made! I met amazing people and I learned so much about helping others and myself!"

    Student

  • ★★★★★

    "It was useful and life changing. I am forever grateful for the things I've learned within my coursework."

    Student

Es En Español

¿Buscas clases en español?

Apoyo En Pares is the Spanish-language home of Peer Academy. All of our peer specialist training programs are available fully in Spanish — the same quality, the same support, in your language.

Visitar Apoyo En Pares
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Ready to Begin?

Ready to Begin Your Certification Journey?

Join hundreds of certified peer specialists across Texas who transformed their lived experience into meaningful, professional work. Start with the right training and the right support.

Get Started
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Find your path

Answer a few quick questions, and we’ll recommend the right certification or program for your goals, whether you’re new to peer work, already certified, or an organization looking to train your team.

  • Tell us who you are — an individual with lived experience or an organization

  • Share your background — mental health, substance use recovery, or both

  • Tell us where you are in your journey — new, in training, or already certified

  • Get a personalized recommendation with a direct link to your next step

Find Your Path