Yes
No, CPRS are individuals or family members of individuals with lived experience and in recovery from the effects of substance use and/or mental health issues.
Minimum of high school diploma/GED from an accredited school
Must have personal, lived experience in their own recovery or experience as a family member.
Read and agree to Virginia Certification Board Code of Ethical Conduct
Complete the 72-hour CPRS Training curriculum developed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS)
Individuals. DBHDS has paid for nearly 1300 people in the last three years.
DBHDS is currently offering a scholarship for $150 to cover the full application fee of $175 so applicant is only responsible for $25. The discount fee is on a first come, first serve basis. This scholarship is only available until October 25th, 2020.
Some employers may provide funding.
Individual must attain 500 hours of volunteer or paid experience specific to peer recovery services. Experience
hours include all aspects of peer recovery services. Examples include, but are not limited to: facilitating
recovery support groups, individual sessions and documentation. 25 of the 500 hours must be supervised hours and specific to the domains (Advocacy, Mentoring/Education, Recovery/Wellness Support, and Ethical Responsibility)
To become a Registered Peer Recovery Specialist you must have a CPRS through VCB or another accepted certification plus completion of the DBHDS Peer Recovery Specialist Training. To become a RPRS - apply through Board of Counseling website under the Applications and Forms page + fee
While felonies and disciplinary actions from other certification/licensing entities may not prohibit certification,
documentation is required to be submitted at the time of application. Certification through the Board does not
mean a professional should not disclose this information to potential employers and does not in any way
exonerate charges.
As long as certification doesn't lapse, testing is only required once.
Yes, Virginia Certification Board
Virginia Certification Board
298 S. Progress Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17109
Phone: 804.741.2319
info@vacertboard.org
Virginia Cert Board Website: https://www.vacertboard.org/cprs
20 hours of peer support specific education, including 6 hours in
ethics. A maximum of 6 hours of WRAP training may be submitted.
There is not a certification. A DBHDS supervisor training is required for direct supervisors of RPRS whose services will be billed to Medicaid. The same training is encouraged for anyone supervising peer supporters.
CPRS: Certified Peer Recovery Specialist
RPRS: Registered Peer Recovery Specialist
Yes, services offered by *Registered Peer Recovery Specialist may be billed to Medicaid.
*Registered Peer Recovery Specialist is one step further than Certified Peer Recovery Specialist - requires individuals to be registered with the Department of Health Professions Board of Counseling (DHP-BOC) for their services to be billed to Medicaid.
Peer Support Services and Family Support Partner Services are an added service under Mental Health (MH) settings for individuals with mental health disorders and under the Addiction and Recovery Treatment Services (ARTS) settings for individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.
Yes, and reimbursed by Medicaid for the time being (through August 2020). How long funding for digital support will last during COVID-19 is not known.
Yes
Virginia Peer Recovery Specialist Network (part of Mental Health America of Virginia)
804.257.5591
info@mhav.org
Contact information for Board of Counseling / Registered Peer Recovery Specialist:
Email: coun@dhp.virginia.gov
Phone: (804) 367-4610
Fax: (804) 767-6225
Address: 9960 Maryland Drive
Suite 300 Henrico, VA 23233
Yes. VOCAL's Annual State Wide Peer Conference.
Also more specific conferences such as; Pathfinders for veterans and service members and Quest for individuals newer to recovery.
https://www.vacertboard.org/sites/default/files/applications/VCB_CPRS_Ap...
http://www.dbhds.virginia.gov/library/recovery/certification_registratio...
https://www.vacertboard.org/sites/default/files/VCB_RecertificationAppli...
https://vocalvirginia.org/recovery-education/peer-leadership-trainings/
For questions, please contact
Mary McQuown, CPRS
Peer Recovery Specialist Liaison
Office of Recovery Services
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
757-403-3007
mmcquown@wtcsb.org
Training is now available virtually through Zoom. It will be a permanent option.