Designed for individuals in substance use recovery who want to transform their lived experience into professional expertise. Here, people who have faced their own challenges learn peer support skills that honor multiple pathways to recovery, foster hope, and empower others.
Complete your 40-hour RSPS supplemental training in just 5 days
Learn from certified facilitators with lived experience in recovery
Master peer support skills: recovery storytelling, harm reduction, advocacy & documentation
Practice real-world skills through interactive exercises and role-play scenarios
Get step-by-step guidance through the full Texas certification process
100% Virtual
Peers Certified
Investment
$800
Features
Path to becoming a Recovery Support Peer Specialist (RSPS)
Certificate included
Scholarships available
Details
Weekends – 5 Days x 8 Hours
40 Hours
8 am to 4 pm CT
Recovery Support Peer Specialist is a person who has lived experience of recovery with substance use challenges who is trained to support people with substance use challenges. Recovery Support Peer Specialists recognize that there are multiple pathways of recovery, and support the people they serve to discover what pathway works best for them. They do not act as a sponsor or a guide, and they do not push people to embrace abstinence or the recovery pathway they chose.
Recovery and wellness support, which includes providing information on and support with planning for recovery;
Mentoring, which includes serving as a role model and providing assistance in finding needed community resources and services; and
Advocacy, which includes providing support in stressful or urgent situations, and helping to ensure that the recipient’s rights are respected.
This is a complete 40-hour certification training that gives you the skills, ethics, and confidence to provide professional recovery support to individuals facing substance use challenges. You’ll learn how to share your story purposefully, support others through their unique recovery pathway, and navigate the Texas certification process with clarity.
From ethics to advocacy, you’ll graduate with the knowledge and skills employers are actively seeking.
Understanding the history of substance use treatment and the peer support movement and how it shapes the work you’ll do today.
Applying peer support principles and ethics to real-world situations using the peer voice and choice framework.
Sharing your lived experience purposefully through ethical, boundaried storysharing that supports without oversharing.
Navigating power dynamics and supporting autonomy using language that honors self-determination.
Building essential skills: active listening, holding space, group facilitation, crisis support, and advocacy.
Individuals in mental health recovery ready to turn their lived experience into professional expertise.
Volunteers at recovery centers or peer-run organizations looking to formalize their skills.
People seeking stable, meaningful work that accommodates their recovery journey.
Job seekers who want their mental health history to be an asset, not a barrier.
Anyone called to help others navigate challenges they’ve personally overcome.
If you’re ready to transform your lived experience into a certification that opens doors, this is the training Texas employers recognize and trust.
Our facilitators at Peer Academy are certified Recovery Support Peer Specialists who bring both professional credentials and personal lived experience to the training. They’ve navigated the recovery system themselves and now guide others through the certification process with insight, empathy, and practical expertise. You’ll learn from people who truly understand the journey, because they’ve walked it.
Be at least 18 years of age;
Have lived experience with mental health
Have a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED)
Be willing to appropriately share your own recovery story with recipients
Be able to demonstrate current self-directed recovery
Pass criminal history and registry checks
Texas Resident or someone who spends atleast 51% of their time working in Texas in-person or remotely.
Criminal justice settings (jails, prisons, specialty courts, probation and parole, etc.)
Community outreach programs (where peer supporters go into the communities where people live)
Hospitals and Inpatient Treatment Centers (psychiatric hospitals, general medicine hospitals, substance use treatment centers, and Veterans Administration hospitals)
Outpatient clinics (Federally Qualified Health Clinics, mental health clinics, substance use treatment clinics)
Peer-run organizations (Consumer-Operated Service Providers, Recovery Community Organizations, and other groups that are run by peer supporters and/or people in recovery)
Residential settings (domestic violence shelters, residential settings for people in substance use recovery, shelters or residential settings for people experiencing homelessness, etc.)
Virtual settings (app-based services, teleconferencing, chat-based support, etc.)
And many more!
The certification process for Recovery Support Peer Specialist in Texas involves completing formal training and a supervised internship. During this internship, individuals receive supervision and support from a Peer Specialist Supervisor.
Full certification can be achieved in as little as 6 months, but may take up to a year to complete the work experience hours and application process, which varies according to each person’s pace.
Completing the online orientation is the first step to becoming a certified Peer Specialist in Texas. This orientation will provide you with an overview of the career field, help you gauge your readiness, and ensure you meet the eligibility requirements for obtaining your certification. You can do the orientation for free here:
Texas Peer Specialist Orientation and Self- attestation
Once you read through the self-assessment questions and orientation resources, you will need to sign and download the completion pdf. Which you will need to upload this during your training registration.
The Core training is a 3-day 24 hour, online training that will give you a comprehensive overview of what peer support is, and what peer specialists do, and familiarize you with the role and functions of a Peer Specialist.
Our 40-hour, 5-day RSPS Supplemental training is available 100% online and helps you learn and practice the essential skills for a Mental Health Peer Specialist. To move forward with your state application, you must also pass a knowledge assessment at the end of the course
After completion of Core and RSPS training, you can start your application with the Texas Certification Board (TCB) for your 6-month initial peer certification.
TCB uses a digital application called Certemy that you will be uploading information into for the duration of your internship and supervision period.
After being approved by the Texas Certification Board, you will need to complete 250 internship hours under the supervision of a certified Peer Specialist Supervisor (PSS), either in-person or online.
These internship hours can be done on the job or in a volunteer position, as long as they are signed off by a Peer Specialist Supervisor and logged in your Certemy application. Certemy will walk you through how to give PSS access to your application to log your work experience hours.
After completing the necessary internship hours, you will need to complete and submit your Certemy application for the second phase full certification. Include your Peer Specialist Supervisor’s information, all hours logged, and a Letter of Recommendation from your PSS.
After completing your 250 hours, ask your PSS for a Letter of Recommendation. Upload this to your Certemy account and submit it for approval.
Wait for certification; you will be notified by the TCB when your application has been reviewed and approved and will be sent your official Peer Specialist Certification. Note that your certification must be renewed every 2 years.
Learn more about each of these steps with this step-by-step guide. We break down every step of the RSPS certification process with helpful links and FAQs from the peers we have helped.
This is a complete 40-hour certification training that gives you the skills, ethics, and confidence to provide professional mental health peer support. You’ll learn how to share your story purposefully, support others through crisis, and navigate the Texas certification process with clarity.
Day 1
Covers recalling key concepts from the Texas Peer Specialist Core Training, identifying the purpose and goals of the RSPS Training, and applying group guidelines throughout participation.
Covers recalling key concepts from the Texas Peer Specialist Core Training, identifying the purpose and goals of the RSPS Training, and applying group guidelines throughout participation.
Focuses on articulating a nuanced, individualized definition of recovery, explaining how different lived experiences shape understanding of recovery, and describing non-traditional recovery frameworks.
Covers recalling significant milestones in the history of substance use treatment and peer support, and describing how peer support grew as a movement from genuine connections and in response to society’s mistreatment.
Focuses on describing Texas peer support principles as they relate to substance use peer support, analyzing how principles govern Recovery Support Peer Specialists, and implementing principles when supporting others.
Day 2
Explores the four types of power (power over, power with, power to, and power within), how power dynamics affect peer support relationships, and the peer specialist’s unique role in cultivating power within individuals.
Explores the four types of power (power over, power with, power to, and power within), how power dynamics affect peer support relationships, and the peer specialist’s unique role in cultivating power within individuals.
Covers ethical frameworks and decision-making processes for Recovery Support Peer Specialists in their professional practice.
Focuses on understanding and supporting multiple pathways to recovery, honoring individual choices in the recovery journey.
Day 3
Explores establishing and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries in recovery support peer relationships.
Explores establishing and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries in recovery support peer relationships.
Covers skills and approaches for supporting individuals through the stages of change in their recovery journey.
Focuses on communication skills specific to peer support relationships, including active listening and supportive dialogue.
Covers maintaining personal wellness and self-care practices for Recovery Support Peer Specialists.
Day 4
Explores the impact of language on stigma, person-first language, and effective communication strategies in recovery support.
Explores the impact of language on stigma, person-first language, and effective communication strategies in recovery support.
Focuses on the purposeful and effective sharing of personal recovery stories to support others in their journey.
Covers understanding and building recovery capital, the resources and supports that aid in initiating and sustaining recovery.
Focuses on collaborative recovery planning skills and supporting individuals in developing their personal recovery plans.
Day 5
Covers documentation practices, record-keeping requirements, and proper documentation for Recovery Support Peer Specialists.
Explores building recovery-supportive communities and connecting individuals with community resources.
Offers hands-on practice integrating all peer support skills learned throughout the training.
Wraps up the training with closing presentations and activities, preparing participants for the certification process.
The cost of Core Training is $300.
The cost of RSPS Supplemental Training is $800
Yes! Peer Academy offers scholarships covering up to 100% of training costs. Many students complete their training completely free. Money should never be a barrier to pursuing this career path.
The time to obtain full RSPS certification typically ranges from 6 months to a year, depending on how quickly you complete the training and the 250 hours of supervised work experience.
Yes, the RSPS training is offered in a virtual format, allowing you to participate from anywhere in Texas with a reliable internet connection.
No. The minimum educational requirement is a high school diploma or GED.
Recovery Support Peer Specialist are not clinicians. While therapists diagnose and treat mental health conditions, peer specialists use their personal lived experience to offer hope, support self-determination, and help people navigate their own recovery journey. Peer support is relationship-focused, not treatment-focused.
You must complete the free online orientation and self-attestation and Core training before enrolling in RSPS training.
If you have completed these requirements: Start by completing our RSPS application form.
If you have not:
Check the Peer Academy training calendar for upcoming Core and RSPS training dates.
Transform your lived experience into a meaningful career. Join 100+ peers who’ve made the journey.
