NCCPSS PROGRAM TRAINING (FREE)

The NCCPSS Program's Track A involves obtaining certification by completing the NCCPSS Program's standardized State curriculum, which is 60 hours of training. The training is broken into two parts as follows:

  • The Foundations of Peer Support (Part 1), 20 hours, completed ONLINE, provides a strong foundation in the values, principles, and practices of peer support.
  • The Foundations of Peer Support (Part 2), 40 hours, which is completed in-person and focuses on real-world applications of various topics on peer support.

COMPLETE APPLICATION TO BEGIN ENROLLMENT IN THE FOUNDATIONS OF PEER SUPPORT COURSE (60 HOURS)

  • Meet eligibility requirements for certification.
    • Be 18 years or older.
    • Have lived experiences and are in recovery from a serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorder (SUD). Applicants with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders must be in recovery from BOTH to qualify for certification.
    • Must be in recovery for at least EIGHTEEN (18) months from all SMI and/or SUD before training and certification.
    • Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
  • Complete 20 prerequisite training hours of human service, mental health, substance use, and/or Peer Support related (required to apply).
    • This includes completing at least 3 hours of the required NCCPSS Program Ethics training.
    • Accepted training includes WRAP, WHAM, or any training listed on the NCCPSS online training page.
  • Apply
    • Create an account on the PSS website
    • Pay the non-refundable application fee
    • Complete the application form and select "I'm applying to enroll in the Foundations Course."
    • Upload all required documents (20 hours of additional training, including the required 3 hours of ethics training, proof of education (official college transcript for courses in mental health, substance use, human services, etc.).
    • Request two reference letters while completing the application form by adding their emails (reference letters are confidential and cannot be changed or shared with the applicant after the program receives them.
    • If approved, the applicant will receive an email notification to enroll in Foundations of Peer Support (Part 1) to complete the course ONLINE.

COMPLETE THE FOUNDATIONS OF PEER SUPPORT (60 HOURS)

The Foundations of Peer Support Course has two parts:

  • FOUNDATIONS OF PEER SUPPORT (PART 1): This is an ONLINE (on-demand) course that applicants complete at their own pace. Once your application is approved, you will receive an email with instructions for completing the course. After finishing Part 1, you will receive another email with instructions for enrolling in and completing Part 2. Applicants have 60 days to complete the Foundations of Peer Support (Part 1) Online course.
  • FOUNDATIONS OF PEER SUPPORT (PART 2): This is an in-person class that applicants can take after completing Part 1. Applicants cannot complete this training without completing Part 1. To register for the in-person course, applicants must provide their Part 1 certificate of completion. To participate in Part II, please follow these steps:
    • Review the training schedule posted on our website training page to select a training time and location that works best for you.
    • Contact the trainer to register and provide a copy of your Part 1 certificate.
  • Applicants have 90 days to complete the Foundations of Peer Support (Part 2) Online course.
  • Applicants may have up to three no-shows for training. After the third no-show, they are ineligible to enroll in a class for one year.

CERTIFICATION

The applicant is certified upon completion of Foundations of Peer Support (Part 2) and the course evaluation.

CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION (Before Recertification)

  • Exams are available on demand for $50 for each attempt.
  • Applicants can set up a time to take the certification exams.
  • The applicant has three attempts to pass the examination. If the applicant does not pass the examination, they must retake the course.
    • The second attempt can occur no sooner than 14 days after the first attempt.
    • The third attempt may occur no sooner than 30 days after the second attempt.