Overview
The Department of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services recently announced a pause on new Course Submission. Please see the statement above and reach out to nccpssprogram@unc.edu if you have any questions.
The North Carolina Certified Peer Support Specialist (NCCPSS) Program outlines the processes for submitting, reviewing, and approving a curriculum for training in North Carolina. Individuals or organizations interested in owning a course for peer support specialist training in NC must follow this process to submit their course for review and approval by the Program before training in NC. The NCCPSS Program has nine (9) domains that make up the content of an Approved Course. Each domain has different core concepts that tie into the primary domain. Below are the domains that constituent the content of an Approved Course for peer support training in NC:
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The Training allows potential CPSS to understand their role and the roles of other professionals in the behavioral health service delivery system. The content of the Approved Course provides the basic knowledge and skills to equip peers to offer hope and support to others on their recovery journey. The domains and their corresponding core concepts may be accessed under the Course Submission Documents tab.
Approved Course Hours
The NCCPSS Program Approved Courses are at least fifty (50) training hours (a minimum of 40 hours of face-to-face instruction and 10 hours of pre-work or homework). The training prepares individuals to offer peer support services for others in recovery from mental health and substance use challenges. During the training, potential CPSS build their knowledge and practice skills using content covered under the nine (9) domains, addressed by the core concepts, and practice skills. The training hours are accomplished in one of the following ways:
- Fifty (50 hours) of face-to-face instruction
- Forty (40) hours of face-to-face instruction and ten (10) hours of pre-work
- Forty (40) hours of face-to-face instruction and ten (10) hours of homework
Certified Trainers of an Approved Course must conduct the training to meet the NCCPSS Program requirements. Course Owners must ensure that participants complete the fifty (50) hours of required training before receiving their certificates. Information about missing training hours and how to make up for these hours are included in the NCCPSS Training Policies and Procedures.
Course Submission Timeline
The NCCPSS Program will accept new courses within a specified time. Courses submitted before or after these dates cannot be reviewed but may be submitted in the next submission period. The Approval Process tab outlines the Course Approval process, and the Course Submission Documents tab provides the list of documents to be presented for review. A course submission packet will be considered incomplete if all required documents and the submission fee are not received during submission.
Please visit the Course Submission Documents tab for electronic copies of the submission documents.
Approval Process
The Course Approval process starts with a Course Developer submitting their course to the Program during the course submission timeframe and ends with an approval or denial for training. The complete description of each step is presented below.
Information Session
- The NCCPSS Program will host an information session for potential course owners to review the requirements for submitting a course. Information about the date and time will be posted on the website.
Course Packet Submission
Electronic Copies (only) of the following documents will be uploaded to the NCCPSS Program. Please see the Upload Course Files tab for instructions.
- Instructor manual,
- Participant Manual,
- Training of Trainers Manual,
- Course Submission and Evaluation Guidelines (CSEG)Tool,
- Training materials (PowerPoint slides, Handouts, DVDs, Videos, Audio),
- Course Training Agenda (must add up to 50 hours)
- Course Submission Fee $1,200.00 (Online payment or money order payable to BHS).
Course Review
Desk Review
- BHS (Program) staff will review the packet (electronic and hard copies) to ensure materials were submitted in the format requested and the package is complete. Program staff will review six core concepts for correct content citation and teaching methods.
- The Program staff will mail the course to the Review Team (DMH/DD/SUS staff and BHS Contractor (CPSS) if the course passes desk review. The decision to review or return a course is made based on the desk review.
Team Review
- The Review Team will complete independent and group reviews (within 60-90 business days) to ensure the content and teaching method addresses each core concept.
- The Review Team will send a report to Course Developer and request necessary corrections. The Review Team will offer technical assistance to Course Developer.
Course Modification (Corrections)
- The Course Developer may receive technical assistance if interested.
- The Course Developer sends modifications or corrections based on the review report within 30 business days of receipt of the report to the Program.
- The Program staff will send corrections to the review team.
- The Review Team will repeat actions under team review.
Course Approval
The Course Developer will be notified by email if the course meets the standards established by the Program or DMH/DD/SUS.
If the course is approved:
- The Course Developer will send a bounded copy of the Instructor Manual and Participant Manual to the Program
- The Program staff will mail an approval certificate and additional information to the Course Developer
If the course is not approved
- The Program staff will send a letter to the Course Developer with a denial notice.
- The Course Developer may resubmit the course during the following period for submission as a new entry.
Appeal Process
The Course Developer may file an appeal regarding issues with the outlined process and outcomes with the following:
Dr. Sarah Reives-Houston
Director - Behavioral Health Springboard
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - School of Social Work
325 Pittsboro Street, CB 3550 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550
Email: sreives@unc.edu
Course Submission Packet
The Course Developer must upload electronic copies of all materials to the NCCPSS Program. Please use Upload Course Files tab to begin. Below is the list of documents that constitutes the Course submission package that must be sent to the NCCPSS Program.
- Course Submission and Evaluation Guidelines (CSEG) Tool
- Course Instructor Manual
- Course Participant Manual
- Course Daily Agenda (must add up to 50 hours)
- Training of Trainer (TOT) Manual
- Other Training Materials (PowerPoint Slides, Handouts, Pre-work, Homework, etc.)
- Course Submission Fee ($1,200)
Course Submission and Evaluation Guidelines (CSEG) Tool: The course owner will complete and submit the Course Submission and Evaluation Guidelines (CSEG) tool. The CSEG tool includes instructions on accurately completing it (see Appendix A). Course owners will ensure they provide citations for content on the core concepts and instructions on teaching that content. All citations must be from the instructor manual.
Course Instructor Manual: The Course Developer must submit an Instructor manual for review. The course instructor manual should address all the core concepts identified under each of the NCCPSS Program curriculum's nine domains. The information must include citation references to content on each core concept and necessary teaching methods for teaching the concepts to training participants. Thus, the Course Developer will provide information that addresses each core concept and outline how an instructor will impart these core concepts to the training participants in ONE instructor manual. The Course Developer will ensure that all requirements in the CSEG tool are addressed in the Instructor submission fee payment must submit THREE identical copies of the ONE Instructor Manual, each in a three-ring binder.
Course Participant Manual: The Course Developer must submit a Participant Manual, a resource to be given to participants in the training. The review team will review the manual to ensure that it is consistent with the information in the instructor manual. The instructor and participant manual content must be compatible with the research and literature on peer support and address the core concepts outlined under each domain.
Course Daily Agenda: The Course Developer must submit the training agenda, adding up to 50 hours. The plan allows the reviewers to understand the course presentation sequence better. The daily course agenda must reflect the course breakdown between face-to-face and pre-work or homework. Please note that this document may be embedded in the instructor manual.
Training of Trainer (TOT) Manual: The Course Developer must submit a TOT manual for review. The Course Developer must complete the Training of Trainer (TOT) guide as part of the required documentation. The Course Developer will use the NCCPSS Program guide for adult learning to develop a TOT manual. The review team will thoroughly assess the TOT manual. When approved, the Course Developer will use this manual to train CPSS to become Certified Trainers for the AC (see Appendix B).
Additional Materials: The NCCPSS Program requires a Course Developer to submit additional training materials, such as a PowerPoint slide deck, videos, handouts, homework, and pre-work, as part of their submission packet. These supplemental materials must be relevant to teaching the course. The Course Developer must also send electronic copies of these documents to the Program.
Course Submission Fees: The course owner will pay a course submission fee of $1,200 to the Program once documents have been uploaded. The compensation covers the time to review the course and other technical assistance provided to the course owner during the recertification period. The Program will use the payment received to reimburse BHS (CPSS) contractors to complete the reviews. The NCCPSS Program will cover additional costs (e.g., postage).
The electronic copies must be in the following formats: MS Word, PowerPoint, PDF, or compatible file types. Please do not submit documents through Google Documents.
Course Submission Documents
| Documents | Updated |
|---|---|
| NCCPSS Program Course Submission and Evaluation Guidelines (CSEG) Tool - PDF | 5/2023 |
| NCCPSS Program Course Submission and Evaluation Guidelines (CSEG) Tool - Word format | 5/2023 |
| NCCPSS Training of Trainers (TOT) Guide - PDF | 5/2023 |
| NCCPSS Training of Trainers (TOT) Guide - Word format | 5/2023 |
| NCCPSS Program Course Domains and Core Concepts - PDF | 1/2023 |
Upload Course Documents
The NCCPSS Program will not receive any NEW course submissions this year.