Peer Support Specialist

What is a Peer Support Specialist?

A peer support specialist (PSS) is a person in recovery from a behavioral health condition (mental health, substance use, or co-occurring) who provides mentoring, guidance, and support services and offers their skills to others experiencing behavioral health challenges and receiving behavioral health services. The peer support specialist’s role within the behavioral healthcare system is to provide supportive services, working in conjunction with clinical treatment providers. While peer support services greatly enhance clinical services, they are not clinical.

The individual providing peer support can perform a range of tasks to assist the person receiving services during the recovery process. Activities could include, but are not limited to, developing formal and informal supports, instilling confidence, assisting in the development of goals, and serving as an advocate, mentor, or facilitator for resolution of issues and skills necessary to enhance and improve the health of a person with emotional, behavioral, or co-occurring disorders.

Peer support specialists can and should assist the clinical process by performing duties such as:

  • Identifying goals
  • Assisting with treatment planning
  • Life skills coaching
  • Resource referral
  • Conducting recovery groups
  • Assisting with discharge planning

Peer support specialists cannot provide clinical services such as:

  • Therapy
  • Medication management
  • Psychosocial evaluations
  • Diagnostic assessment
  • Psychiatry services
  • Conduct therapy groups

How Does it Work?

Peer support specialists use knowledge, skills, and experience to help others work toward meaningful recovery from mental illness and/or substance use challenges. Additional information about peer services can be found within the “What are Peer Recovery Support Services?” resource from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 

Why it Works

Peer support services are delivered by individuals who have common life experiences with the people they are serving. People with mental and/or substance use disorders have a unique capacity to help each other based on a shared affiliation and a deep understanding of this experience. In self-help and mutual support, people offer this support, strength, and hope to their peers, which allows for personal growth, wellness promotion, and recovery.

According to SAMHSA's Consumer-Operated Services, peer support is an evidence-based practice shown by research to facilitate recovery and reduce healthcare costs. Peers also provide assistance that promotes a sense of belonging within the community. The ability to contribute to and enjoy one’s community is key to recovery and well-being. Another critical component that peers provide is the development of self-efficacy through role modeling and assisting peers with ongoing recovery through mastery of experiences and finding meaning, purpose, and social connections in their lives.

Minimum Qualifications

The Louisiana Department of Health and Office of Behavioral Health mandates that peer support specialist qualifications adhere to national standards.

These standards include:

  • Lived Experience
     Peer support specialists must have lived experience with a behavioral health diagnosis. A behavioral health diagnosis can include a diagnosis with mental health challenges, addiction challenges, or co-occurring disorders.
  • Educational Standards
    Peer support specialists must have a minimum of a high school diploma or a GED. (A copy of the highest diploma, degree, and/or transcript must be submitted with the application.)
  • Age Requirements
    Peer support specialists must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Time in Recovery
    Peer support specialists must have at least 12 months of continuous demonstrated recovery as indicated by SAMHSA’s working definition of recovery.

Training

The Office of Behavioral Health has established approved statewide trainings for peer support specialists and makes every effort to ensure a minimum of 10 trainings are provided each year. Trainings may be conducted virtually or in-person at various locations around the state. Capacity for the trainings is limited; therefore, the application process is competitive. Upon successful completion of training, peer support specialists will be deemed recognized by the state of Louisiana.

Access the training application here. Instructions for submitting the completed applications can be found on the document. If you have additional questions, please email George Mills with The Extra Mile Region IV.

Continuing Education

Peer support specialists must complete a minimum of 10 Continuing Education Units (CEU) per calendar year. Three of these CEUs must be in the area of ethics. The other seven shall be in the core competencies related to peer support. Courses that are mandatory job trainings, such as blood-borne pathogens, sexual harassment, or prohibited political activity, are not considered recovery-oriented and will not be accepted toward the minimum continuing education requirement.

CEUs must be reported to the appropriate OBH-identified staff on or before December 31 each calendar year for the peer support specialist status to remain active. Peer support specialists are not required to report CEUs until the year following their initial training. CEUs and the Ethics Attestation Statement are to be reported using the Continuing Education Reporting Form and Ethics Attestation Statement. Submit the forms to OBH.Peers.Programs@la.gov with certificates of successful completion. For trainings that were not prior approved for peer CEUs, please submit the RPSS Guidance for CEUs and Record Keeping form and the certificate of completion.

Billing

In Louisiana, peer support specialists work in a variety of capacities throughout the behavioral health service system. Beyond their work in non-Medicaid programs, peer support specialists are qualified providers for specific Medicaid rehabilitation services detailed in the Behavioral Health Services Provider Manual, subject to meeting its staffing qualifications.

These services include:

  • Community psychiatric support and treatment
  • Psychosocial rehabilitation
  • Crisis intervention
  • Assertive community treatment
  • Addiction services

Request for Information on Peer Support Services in Louisiana

The Office of Behavioral Health recognizes the importance of peer support specialists in the engagement and recovery process for behavioral health treatment. The use of trained, certified peers is a critical component of a recovery-oriented system of care and results in improvements in client engagement, treatment outcomes, and recovery. As an enhancement to traditional treatment services, peer support services allow for more effective and targeted interventions, resulting in improved care and an increased capacity of the system to serve a broader array of individuals. The LDH is seeking information through this Request for Information (RFI) from interested parties related to the training and certification of peer support specialists to offer peer support services in Louisiana.

  • Access the complete Request for Information

Surgeon General Ralph L. Abraham, M.D.

Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein

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