The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has identified the critical knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by anyone who provides peer support services to people with or in recovery from a mental health or substance use condition. 

Core Competencies are the clusters of the knowledge,skills, and attitudes a person needs to have in order to successfully perform a role or job or as the ability to integrate the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes.  Core Competencies have the potential to guide delivery and promote best practices in peer support.

The categories of Core Competencies for Peer Workers in Behavioral Health Services are as follows:

• Category I: Engages peers in collaborative and caring relationships
• Category II: Provides support
• Category III: Shares lived experiences of recovery
• Category IV: Personalizes peer support
• Category V: Supports recovery planning
• Category VI: Links to resources, services, and supports
• Category VII: Provides information about skills related to health, wellness, and recovery 
• Category VIII: Helps peers to manage crises
• Category IX: Values communication 
• Category X: Supports collaboration and teamwork
• Category XI: Promotes leadership and advocacy
• Category XII: Promotes growth and development

For a detailed description of each competency, click the button to be directed to SAMHSA's document.

This five-module course:

• Introduces the roles and responsibilities of peer support specialists.
• Explores self-awareness, which is becoming aware of our own thoughts and feelings.
• Discusses using questions to see a person's world through their eyes.
• Teaches active listening, attending to others, and giving feedback with empathy and understanding, with a focus on improving communication.
• Explores the concept of resilience, or the ability to adjust to difficult life experiences, and strategies for peer counselors to foster resilience in their clients. 

This five-module course:

• Introduces the Peer2Peer Counseling Model, which focuses on how a person’s thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes affect their feelings and behaviors 
• Introduces how to support others in identifying and changing unhealthy thinking patterns.
• Explores positive and negative emotions, understanding how emotions relate to behaviors, expressing emotions, identifying intense emotions, and identifying triggers.
• Considers impulsive behaviors, unhealthy coping strategies, identifying distorted thinking, and monitoring emotional reactions. 

This five-module course:

• Takes a deeper dive into the Peer2Peer Counseling Model, to develop more advanced skills for supporting peers.
• Focuses on developing a resilient mindset, overcoming challenging experiences, creating healing, breaking negative thought patterns, and writing new stories.
• Develops our ability to enhance positive emotions, self-regulate, and transform negative emotions.  
• Explores sadness/depression, identifying and challenging distorted thoughts, recognizing. consequences, and developing alternative coping skills.
• Examines strategies for learning from mistakes and setbacks, and how to develop self-confidence, self-efficacy, and self-control, which contribute to resilience.
• Trains peer supporters in the fundamentals of Motivational Interviewing to facilitate behavior change.

Curricululm developed by an expert:

Our training and development curriculum was developed by an expert educator and instructional designer, Dr. Robin LaBarbera, who blends her educational psychology and social work backgrounds to create engaging learning experiences that help you build an impactful team of Peer Counselors.  

Someone with lived experience:

Dr. LaBarbera's childhood experiences include exposure to extreme domestic violence, divorce, frequent moves, involvement with child protective services, and foster care.  She understands the effects of trauma exposure and what it takes to achieve well-being despite difficult circumstances.

• What are the technology requirements? The only requirement is that you have access to a computer or mobile device.  
• When can I start the course? Our courses are open enrollment, which means you can register and start as soon as you are ready.
• How long does it take to complete? The course is self-paced, so you can start when you want and finish at your own pace.
• Does this course prepare me for certification? This 40-hour training course includes content and standards acccepted by many state certification boards that provide credentials for Peer Support Specialists or Peer Supporters.  Students should check with their state certification board for more information on certification requirements for your state.
• What happens when I complete the course? Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion, which you can take to certification boards or employers to prove your completion of course requirements.
• Am I guaranteed a job? This course will provide you with the skills you need to an obtain entry-level position in most cases.  Students should always research the market in their area before registering.
• Where can I get more information? If you have questions that are not answered on our website, representatives are available via email.  Send your questions using our contact form and we will respond promptly.