PEER ACADEMY

MHPS Specialty Training

The MHPS Specialty Training is a comprehensive HHSC-approved program. Students that complete the course and successfully complete the knowledge assessment will obtain their 6-month initial certification.

Overview

The MHPS (Mental Health Peer Specialist) Specialty Training is a specialized program designed to provide individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to become proficient in supporting individuals with mental health challenges on their recovery journey. This training is intended for individuals who have a lived experience of mental health challenges and wish to utilize their personal experiences to make a positive impact in the lives of others.

What You’ll Learn

  • Comprehensive overview of peer specialist work, including understanding its historical context and foundations.
  • Values and ethics that guide peer specialists in their work, highlighting the importance of language and the impact it has in the context of peer specialist practice.
  • Five stages of the recovery process and their relevance to peer specialist practice, as well as the role of personal stories and experiences in supporting others.
  • Essential skills such as active listening, holding space for others, group facilitation, and promoting self-help, while also exploring the federal and state mental health systems and their impact on peer specialists.
  • Significance of the environment in mental health, problem-solving approaches, managing fear, considering the whole person in peer specialist practice, maintaining ethical boundaries, and being an effective change agent while navigating power dynamics and conflicts with integrity.

Modules

Monday

Module 1: Orientation

 Provides an overview and summary of the main ideas covered in the training.

Module 2: The Shoulders Upon Which We Stand

Covers the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to understanding the historical context and foundations of peer specialist work.

Module 3: Peer Specialist Values and Ethics

Focuses on the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to exploring the values and ethics that guide peer specialists in their work.

Module 4: The Power of Language

Addresses the goals, objectives, and main ideas associated with understanding the impact and importance of language in the context of peer specialist work.

Module 5: Five Stages Within the Recovery Process

Covers the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to understanding the five stages of the recovery process and their relevance to peer specialist practice.

Module 6 Part I: What Are My Stories?

Focuses on the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to exploring personal stories and experiences as a peer specialist and their role in supporting others.

Features

Path to becoming a Mental Health Peer Specialist (MHPS)

Virtual (Zoom)

Details

40 Hours ( 5 Days x 8 Hours)

9 am to 5 pm

Prerequisites

Completed Orientation & CORE Training

Lived Experience in Mental Health

Laptop, Desktop or Tablet with Webcam

Registration End Date

5 Working Dates Before the Start Date

Investment

$650

Tuesday

Module 6 Part II: Stories in Practice

Focuses on the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to utilizing personal recovery stories in peer specialist practice and includes a self-assessment of one’s recovery story.

Module 7: Opening the Door to New Perspectives

Covers the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to exploring common types of trauma, gaining new perspectives, understanding the role of a peer specialist, and emphasizing the importance of self-care.

Module 8: Listening and the Art of Holding Space

Addresses the goals, objectives, and main ideas associated with the art of active listening, the concept of holding space, and how to effectively hold space for others.

Module 9: Group Facilitation and Recovery Dialogues

Focuses on the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to group facilitation skills, running effective groups, understanding different types and structures of groups, and exploring the qualities of a good facilitator. Additionally, it covers the concept of recovery dialogues.

Module 10: Federal and State Mental Health Systems

 Covers the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to understanding the federal and state mental health systems, local service delivery, the financial aspects of Medicaid, and how these factors impact peer specialists in their work.

Thursday

Module 14: Fueling the Power of Dissatisfaction

Explores the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to creating space for exploring dissatisfaction and its potential for personal growth and change.

Module 15: PICBBA Problem Solving

Covers the goals, objectives, and main ideas of using the PICBBA (Problem Identification, Confidence Building, Brainstorming, and Action Planning) approach, including its definition, application, purpose, and appropriate timing.

Module 16: Fear: Friend or Foe

Addresses the goals, objectives, and main ideas concerning fear, including its definitions, the Catch It, Check It, Change It approach, the culture of patienthood, the influence of language on human experience and recovery, and the concept of reframing fear.

Module 17: Meeting the Whole Person

 Focuses on the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to social identity definitions, acknowledging and understanding differences, and recognizing the importance of considering the whole person in peer specialist practice.

Wednesday

Module 11: Environment Matters

Focuses on the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to the significance of the environment in mental health, using personal stories to highlight the impact of environments, the process of learning and unlearning, identifying negative environments, understanding the difference between negative and positive environments, and introducing the concept of the ladder of inference.

Module 12: Snippets

Covers the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to the use of snippets in peer specialist work, providing an exercise on creating snippets.

Module 13: Promoting Self-Help

Addresses the goals, objectives, and main ideas associated with promoting self-help, including the definition of self-help, examples of self-help, the role of peer specialists in self-help, self-care for peer specialists, modeling and supporting self-help, and advocating for self-help.

Friday

Module 18: Ethics and Boundaries 101

Covers the goals, objectives, and main ideas related to understanding the overview, laws, regulations, and ethics associated with maintaining boundaries in peer specialist practice, along with guidance on navigating complex relationships.

Module 19: Change Agent

 Explores the goals, objectives, and main ideas of being a “change agent,” including defining the term, exploring the emotions that may arise with change, identifying qualities of effective change agents, discussing different ways change can occur, and emphasizing the importance of maintaining the peer perspective.

Module 20: Power, Conflict, and Integrity

Addresses the goals, objectives, and main ideas surrounding power dynamics, conflicts, and integrity in peer specialist practice, including an overview of these concepts, explanations of power, conflict, and integrity, real-life examples, the three steps of PCI (Power, Conflict, and Integrity), affirming examples, utilizing lived experiences, employing ‘we’ statements and third alternatives, and providing tips for positive communication during conflicts through the PCI framework.

Scholarships

Peer Academy Scholarships

At Peer Academy, we firmly believe that money should not be a barrier to education. Therefore, we offer scholarships to students in need. Our goal is to find people interested in using their personal lived experience with mental health challenges and turning them into the best possible Peer Specialists.

  • CORE and MHPS Supplemental Training Scholarships

  • Access to our Peer Career Mentors

Why Choose Peer Academy? 

Online Training

Peer Academy’s training sessions are conducted entirely online, making them accessible from anywhere with a computer and reliable internet connection.

Certified Trainers

Our trainers at Peer Academy are certified and experienced peer specialists, dedicated to ensuring your success in the training program.

Exclusive Financial Aids

As a student enrolled in Peer Academy, you’ll have access to exclusive financial aid, stipends, and internship opportunities.

★★★★★

“Peer Academy’s trainings transformed my ability to provide effective peer support. Highly recommended!”

Igor Landry
★★★★★

“Peer Academy trainings gave me the tools to be an effective peer support specialist. I feel more confident and competent in my role as a peer supporter.”

Kason Espinosa
★★★★★

“Highly recommend Peer Academy for peer support training! The instructors are knowledgeable and engaging.”

Angela Charlton

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