Peer Specialists

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State	Name of Statewide Peer Specialists Organization	Peer Specialists Organization Website	Are there conferences held in the state specifically for Peer Supporters?
Alabama	Wings Across Alabama	https://wingsacrossal.org/	Annual Alabama Institute for Recovery Conference This 3-day conference offers educational and inspirational tracks, while promoting opportunities for true peer camaraderie and empowerment. There is also an Annual Substance Abuse Peer Conference, which is a state-wide educational conference for Certified Recovery Support Specialists.
Alaska	Alaska Peer Support Consortium	https://www.akpeersupport.org/
American Samoa	Back on Track	https://backontrack684.org/
Arizona			NAMI Arizona holds an annual meeting and includes programs geared towards peers and peer support specialists. http://www.namiarizona.org/page39/page56/index.html
Arkansas			From Past to Purpose' Arkansas' 1st Annual Region 6 Peer Recovery Conference was held September 2019.
California	CAMHPRO	https://camhpro.org/
Colorado
Connecticut			Peer Forum at Advocacy Unlimited and the Karuna Conference
Delaware	N/A	N/A	MHA Annual Learning Collaborative
District of Columbia	District of Columbia Peer Support Association	N/A	No.
Florida	The Peer Support Coalition of Florida, Inc. (PSCFL) is a peer-run nonprofit organization and the statewide network of peers, peer specialists, family members and friends of peers, and community partners who are dedicated to advancing peer support in Florida through peer specialist workforce development, promoting full integration of peer and recovery-oriented services, and collaborating for social and systems transformation.	https://www.peersupportfl.org/
Georgia	N/A	N/A	Yes, GMHCN Annual Summer Conference
Hawaii
Idaho	Empower Idaho	https://www.empoweridaho.org/	Yes, Peer Support Connection Conferences
Illinois	NAMI Illinois Alliance of Peer Professionals	https://www.niapp.org/
Indiana	Indiana Association of Peer Recovery Support Services	https://www.iaprss.org/
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky	KYSTARS (Kentucky System Transformation - Advocating Recovery Supports) for Mental Health	http://kystars.org/index.html	Annual KYSTARS Consumer Conference
Louisiana	Louisiana Association of Peer Support
Maine	Amistad - Peer Support and Recovery Maine Association of Peer Support and Recovery Centers	https://amistadmaine.org/our-mission/	Annual Peer Support Specialist Network of Maine Statewide Event
Maryland	Maryland Peer Advisory Council	http://www.marylandpeeradvisorycouncil.org/	Yes: BHA Conference ($55 to attend) NAMI MD Conference ($75 to attend) On Our Own Conference ($80-310) Peer Networking Conference (Free) Peer Summit (Free) Tuerk Conference ($85)
Massachusetts	The Kiva Center, also known as The Transformation Center	https://kivacenters.org/trainings/certified-peer-specialist/
Michigan	Michigan Peer Specialists United	https://mpsupeers.org/	Michigan Peer Conference
Minnesota
Mississippi	Association of Mississippi Peer Support Specialists	https://goampss.org/
Missouri
Montana	Montana’s Peer Network	https://mtpeernetwork.org/
Nebraska	The Nebraska Coalition for Peer Delivered Services, (The Wellbeing Initiative)	https://necoalitionforpeers.org/	Certified Peer Support Conference
Nevada	Nevada Peer Leadership Advisory Council (NPLAC)
New Hampshire			The Peer support agencies have an annual conference for mental health Peer specialists.
New Jersey
New Mexico			There is a Peer Summit
New York	NYC Peer Workforce Coalition	https://www.peerworkforcecoalition.org/	Yes. There are multiple conferences. The NYC Conference for Working Peer Specialists (annual since 2006) is coordinated through the Office of Mental Health. NYPSCB (New York Peer Specialist Certification Board) has an annual conference for peer specialists statewide, from 2017 on.
North Carolina			Yes. NC Peer Support Conference - Promoting Advocacy: Support, Lead, and Inspire
North Dakota			North Dakota Behavioral Health Conference - annual conference usually attended by behavioral health clinicians, peer support specialists, health care professionals, community agencies, consumers and family members. Recovery Reinvented Event (an ongoing series of innovative practices and initiatives to eliminate the shame and stigma of addiction in North Dakota) - not specific to peer support but certified peer specialist often attend.
Ohio			Yes. Ohio's Recovery Conference is held each year (though absent in 2020) and has sessions dedicated to peer support and information around mental health and addiction services.
Oklahoma	N/A	N/A
Oregon	Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon is not specifically an organization of peer specialists, however they are an 'inclusive peer-run organization dedicated to self-direction honoring the voice of lived experience' and one of the services they offer is Peer Support for Peer Support Specialists.	https://www.mhaoforegon.org/	Yes, Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon holds an annual conference called "Peerpocalypse".
Pennsylvania	http://www.papeersupportcoalition.org/	http://www.papeersupportcoalition.org/	Yes, the Pennsylvania Peer Support Coalition has run an annual state-wide conference since 2018.
Puerto Rico	Centro de Apoyo Mutuo (ASSMCA)	www.gruposvirtuales.com	Yes - Peer Specialist Summit
Rhode Island
South Carolina	SC SHARE	scpeersupport.org
South Dakota	The Association of South Dakota Peer Supporters	https://www.facebook.com/peersupportASDPS/?ref=page_internal	N/A
Tennessee	Tennessee Mental Health Consumers' Association (TMHCA) Tennessee Association of Peer Specialists (TAPS)	https://tmhca-tn.org/ https://tnpeers.org/	CPRS Conference is held every year to recognize CPRS. 2020 conference will be held virtually. https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/mental-health-services/peers/cprs-c...
Texas
Utah			Yes, Utah Peer Conference. June 2020 was held virtually. In-person conference scheduled for October 2020 https://www.utahpeerconference.org/
Vermont	Peer Workforce Development Initiative @ Pathways Vermont Funded by the Department of Mental Health (DMH)	https://www.pathwaysvermont.org/
Virginia	Virginia Peer Recovery Specialist Network (part of Mental Health America of Virginia)	https://virginiapeerspecialistnetwork.org/	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.
Washington			Peer Workforce Alliance holds a Peer Pathways Conference annually.
West Virginia	West Virginia Recovers	www.wvrecovers.org	PEER Summit offered annually by WV Recovers and Peer Recovery Support Services Conference, hosted by WV Department of Health and Human Resources
Wisconsin	Access to Independence, Inc.	https://www.accesstoind.org/	Yes, Annual Wisconsin Peer Recovery Conference https://www.uwsp.edu/conted/Pages/Wisconsin-Peer-Recovery-Conference.aspx
Wyoming	N/A	N/A	Yes, one is required for Continuing Education: the Wyoming Peer Specialist Annual Meeting.

Select	Field	Weight
	State
	Is there a state-endorsed certification process?
	Does the state differentiate between Mental Health Peer Support Specialists and Substance Use Peer Support Specialists?
	What are the educational requirements to apply for a peer specialist training program?
	What are the personal requirements to apply for a peer specialist training program?
	What are the professional requirements needed to apply for a peer specialist training program?
	What are the training requirements to become a Certified Peer Specialist?
	What is the average cost for CPS training?
	Who is responsible for paying for training? (List all)
	Other potential funding sources.
	Is there a state-wide certification test?
	What are the personal/professional requirements for certification, if they differ from attending the training?
	Is a background check required? If so, is a criminal record a disqualification for certification?
	What is the cost of the certification test?
	Does the certification test need to be taken regularly to maintain certification?
	Aside from any fees for the training or state-wide certification test, are there other certification fees/costs?
	Is there a statewide certification body?
	Please provide as much information about the certification board/body as possible.
	Where can information be found for upcoming peer support trainings?
	On average, how often are trainings held in your state?
	Training providers (vendors) and their contact information.
	What are the continuing education requirements?
	Who tracks CEUs?
	Is there a certification requirement for CPS Supervisors? If yes, provide details of requirements and relevant information.
	Additional specializations available for certified peer specialists:
	What are the different acronyms used to distinguish peer supporters and specific peer support specialties?
	Are Certified Peer Specialists services Medicaid reimbursable?
	How are peer support services paid for by the state? What specific Medicaid waivers are used, if any?
	Is digital peer support available? Medicaid reimbursable?
	Is there a statewide Peer Specialist organization?
	Name of Statewide Peer Specialists Organization
	Peer Specialists Organization Website
	Peer Specialists Organization Primary Contact
	Other relevant/helpful contacts:
	Are there conferences held in the state specifically for Peer Supporters?
	Are there recognition or award opportunities for peer support specialists or Substance Use Peer Support Specialists?
	Helpful Websites/ References
	Additional Info
	If there are recent changes to the certification process due to COVID-19, are the changes permanent, temporary or other?

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Peer Specialists