NORTH CAROLINA’S PEER SUPPORTCERTIFICATION PROGRAM

UPDATES JANUARY 21, 2015

VISION FOR PEER SUPPORT IN NORTH CAROLINA

To develop a qualified Peer Support Specialist workforce that has the support, access, credibility, competency, respect and the valued role within the mental health and substance use disorder service delivery system to positively impact the lives of individuals experiencing mental health and addiction challenges.  This is accomplished through the NC Certified Peer Support Specialist Program.

GROWTH OF PEER SUPPORT IN NC

Since the beginning of the NC CPSS program in 2007,

there are 1579 Certified Peer Support Specialists in NC

As of January 2015

equally representing lived recovery experiences

with Substance Use Disorders and/or Mental Illness

NC CPSS DEMOGRAPHICS

Handout

TRENDS IN THE NC CPSS FIELD

Increasing numbers of people with lived recovery experience becoming certified peers in NC

Increasing number of employment options available to certified peers

A conveyed need for a more sophisticated approach to peer support—with certified peers increasingly required to be more comfortable working with dual diagnosis, substance use disorder specific issues, trauma reactions, and issues specific to military families

An identified need for more consistency in training and trainers (i.e. fidelity)

In March 2012, the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services requested the assistance of several NCCPSS and BHRP staff to update the NCCPSS Training Curriculum requirements and to conduct a quality review of the entire process, making recommendations for improvement. A workgroup was formed and has been consistently meeting since that time.

Members of the NCCPSS Training Advisory Group include the following NCCPSS: Richie Tannerhill (Smoky Mountain Center), Gin Monroe (Trainer), Rosemary Weaver (Disability Partners), Tommy Crawford (Eastpointe), Jimmy Cioe (Governor’s Institute), Ken Blackman (Coastal Care), Wes Rider (NCDMH/DD/SAS), LaToya Harris-Freeman (Butner Federal Correctional Institute), and former member Cherene Allen-Caraco (Promise Resource Network); as well as staff from DMH/DD/SAS—Flo Stein, Emery Cowan, Joan Kaye; the Governor’s Institute—Jessica Herrmann; and the Behavioral Healthcare Resource Program—Ron Mangum and Tara Bohley

WHAT’S NEXTWe are pleased to be able to share the final products of that work group.

The new standards for the NC Peer Support Specialist Certification Training are finalized, adding new areas of focus around ethics and boundaries, substance use disorders, trauma-informed practices, military families and cultural competence and awareness. This brings the total to nine domains.

In addition, course developers are now being asked to more thoroughly develop a training of their trainers and to register their trainers with the state.

Lastly, we will now require all trainers to be Certified as Peer Support Specialists in NC.

WHAT’S NEXT Beginning January 31, 2015, course developers may submit their

revised or new curricula, along with their Training of Trainer materials for review.

The curriculum review subcommittee will review and approve and/or give feedback within 60 days of submission

All trainings offered as of April 1, 2015 will need to incorporate these additional areas of focus and to be approved (or re-approved if it is a currently offered curriculum) by the curriculum review committee.

Beginning in mid-2015 and continuing through 2016, approved trainers will participate in quality monitoring reviews provided by peer trainers

COMING SOON

We are making renovations to the NCCPSS website to make it more user friendly and peer-driven

We have adopted a new logo which will be prominently displayed on all official NCCPSS documents

We are developing a certification exam and will be recruiting peers for pilot testing in 2015

http://pss.unc.edu/