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DBSA Peer Specialist Training

Because we believe that the support of peers is essential to wellness and recovery, DBSA is a national leader in training people living with mental illnesses to use their experiences to work with others as Peer Specialists. Our Peer Specialist training courses feature a nationally-developed curriculum that orients participants to a recovery philosophy and prepares them to use peer-delivered services to enhance wellness and treatment strategies.

The 4.5 days, 28-module DBSA core peer specialist training curriculum provides participants with a thorough grounding in goal-centered rehabilitation and recovery concepts, builds skills in creating helpful peer relationships throughout the recovery process, and focuses on ethical practice. Following training, participants are eligible to complete a written peer specialist examination on principles of peer support and recovery and receive a training certificate.

DBSA also offers peers specialist training and testing focused on:

bullet Whole health and wellness
bullet Veterans
bullet Faith-based
bullet Late life

Peer specialist training is delivered in affiliation with Appalachian Consulting Group, Inc., innovators of the Georgia Certified Peer Specialist Project that pioneered Medicaid-billable peer support services.

Past DBSA Peer Specialist training partners

Our past training partners include:

bullet Access Behavioral Health Consumer Action Council
bullet Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation
bullet Center for Health Studies/Group Health Cooperative, in collaboration with a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
bullet Chicago Area Project Partners in Recovery African American faith-based initiative
bullet DBSA Texas
bullet Illinois Department of Human Services/Divisions of Mental Health and Rehabilitation Services

Department of Veterans Affairs:

bullet John J. Pershing VA Medical Center
bullet Northern Indiana Healthcare System
bullet VISN 12
bullet VISN 17 (South, Central and North Texas facilities), Center for Health Care Services, Heart of Texas MHMR, and MHMR of Tarrant County
bullet VISN 22 Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), in collaboration with a grant from the VA Health Services Research and Development Service

To sign up to receive our quarterly Peer Partnership e-newsletter, click here.

To learn about online DBSA Continuing Education courses for peer specialists, click here.


Upcoming DBSA Peer Specialist training opportunities for individuals

Here are currently scheduled training courses:

bullet Soldiers of Love
February 18-22, 2008
New Orleans, Louisiana
For more information: Soldiers of Love, c/o Bond Public Relations (jennifer@bondpublicrelations.com or 504/ 897-0462)
bullet Wisconsin Bureau of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
April 21-25, 2008
Location: to be announced
For more information: Beth Lavender (bethl@accesstoind.org or 608/242-8484, x236)