Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist

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Program Info

Length Of Study:

Two Months
Career Level:

Entry-level/ upskilling
Online Type:

Asynchronous

Fast Facts
Enrollment

About

**Ongoing Start Dates**
Candidates with a CalMHSA approved scholarship voucher can begin training today.

A peer support professional is someone who works with individuals who are in recovery to foster connectedness and optimism. Your role is to interact with clients in an accepting, understanding, and validating way to facilitate their recovery.

A Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist is an adult (18-year-old or older) person who has self-identified as having lived experience with the recovery process from mental illness, substance use disorder, or other significant traumas. You can also be a Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist if you experienced a close family member undergo the recovery process and now want to support others through the same. Futuro Health is a CalMHSA-approved vendor of the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist training.

Peer support professionals assist clients in developing recovery objectives, practicing self-empowerment tactics, and taking meaningful actions toward establishing fulfilling, self-determined lives – and do so by sharing their own experiences and practical counsel.

This program calls for applicants who have lived experience dealing with vulnerabilities and disparities such as, but not limited, to these: being an immigrant, LGBTQ+, trauma victim, and other trauma-related conditions.

Length of Study

Two Months

Learning Outcomes

This 80-hour program will meet the following learning outcomes to become a Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist:

Support the ongoing provision of services for individuals experiencing mental health care needs, substance use disorder needs, or both, by certified peer support specialists.
Support coaching, linkage, and skill-building of individuals with mental health needs, substance use disorder needs, or both, to families and significant support persons.
Increase family support by building on the strengths of families and helping them achieve a better understanding of mental illness to help individuals achieve desired outcomes.
Support collaboration with others providing care or support to the individuals or family.
Assist parents, families, and individuals with developing coping mechanisms and problem-solving skills to help individuals achieve desired outcomes.
Promote skill building for individuals in the areas of socialization, recovery, self-sufficiency, self-advocacy, development of natural supports and maintenance of skills learned in other support services.
Encourage employment under the peer support specialist certification to reflect the culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health service experiences, and substance use disorder experiences of the individuals peer support specialists serve.
Encourage a deeper appreciation of the core competencies of peer workers, the core competencies being recovery-oriented, person-centered voluntary, relationship-focused, and trauma-informed.

Online Type

Asynchronous

Credential Awarded

Certificate/ Certification

Occupation

Peer Support Specialist, Peer Navigator, Peer Coordinator, Peer Outreach Specialist

Career Level

Entry-level/ upskilling

Student Cost

Applicants with CalMHSA vouchers will attend at no cost. Students will need to present a valid voucher code upon registration.

Fast Facts

Job Outlook

The demand for Peer Support Specialists is growing, driven by California state legislation (SB-803 Beall) and the need for Medi-Cal service support recipients.

Work Environment

Community-based organizations, community clinics, behavioral health clinics, Veteran’s hospitals, residential housing organizations, service and faith-based service organizations, and Medi-Cal service providers.

Career Opportunities

Additional education and training career pathways include Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Addiction Counselor, Social Worker, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Duties

Peer support professionals bring their knowledge of what it is like to live and thrive with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. They support people's progress towards recovery and self-determined lives by sharing vital experiential information and actual examples of recovery power. The sense of mutuality created through thoughtful sharing of experience is influential in modeling recovery and offering hope.

Day in the Life

Inspire hope that people can and do recover. Walk with people on their recovery journeys and dispel myths about what it means to have a mental health condition, substance use disorder, or other trauma. Provide self-help education and link people to tools and resources; and support people in identifying their goals, hopes, and dreams.

Enrollment

Minimum Qualifications

Are you at least 18 years old?
Are you able to provide proof of high school diploma/GED or equivalency?
Are you legally allowed to work in the United States?
Are you willing to commit 10 hours per week of study time for your coursework?
Do you have regular access to high-speed Internet?
Do you have regular access to a computer or laptop that is less than seven years old? NOTE: iPads and Chromebooks will not work.
Do you have proficiency in English fluency reading and comprehension?
Do you have personal experience recovering from mental illness, substance use disorder, or other significant traumas? This program calls for applicants who have lived experience or supported a family member with the vulnerabilities and disparities listed above.
Do you have experience supporting a family member recover from mental illness, substance use disorder, or other significant traumas?
This program calls for applicants who have lived experience or supported a family member with the vulnerabilities and disparities listed above.
Provide your CalMHSA issued scholarship voucher code/number.

Preferred Qualifications

How would others describe your level of attention to detail on written documents?
How much do you agree or disagree with this statement? I see myself as dependable/self-disciplined.
How much do you agree or disagree with this statement? I see myself as disorganized/careless.