Peer Specialist Certification

The Broward Regional Health Planning Council Training Institute, another one of our innovations to improving community services, is close to opening up to the community. The idea of the Training Institute originated to offer educational career enhancing support for people with behavioral health challenges in the community that otherwise, would not be able to enter the workforce and reach their potential.

Last year, BRHPC actively coordinated with the Florida Certification Board for the development of the following new Florida health care professions:

Certified “Adult Mental Health Recovery Peer Specialist” – A person in recovery with the direct mental health experience as an adult

Certified “Family Recovery Peer Specialist” –A parent of a child with mental health Issues

Certified “Recovery Support Specialist” – A person in recovery with substance abuse challenges as an adult

What is a “Peer Specialist?” What do they do?

A Peer Specialist is:

A person who, through his / her direct life experience as a behavioral health (mental health and / or substance abuse) consumer and through further training and skill development, serves as a role model, guide, and /or facilitative support to another behavioral health consumer pursuing his / her own goals and dreams for recovery. This definition was finalized at the Peer Specialist meeting in Broward held on February 20, 2004.

We are proud to be a Florida Certification Board licensed CEU Education Provider for the past year and a half and have been offering workshops to the community. The Training Institute’s first goal is to roll out complete and comprehensive training packages to support people in their pursuit of these three new professions.

The great news for our community is that Broward Regional Health Planning Council Training Institute recently made Florida history with the roll-out of a comprehensive Adult Mental Health Recovery Peer Specialist forty-hour training. The rollout began on September 5, 2008 with a class filled with people desiring information on how to effectively promote wellness, recovery and resiliency for those who have mental health challenges here in South East Florida.

The Training Institute is for the first time in United States History rolling out a complete comprehensive seventy-five hour Substance Abuse Recovery Peer Specialist Training. This Training supports the Florida Certification Board’s new Recovery Support Specialist Certification knowledge requirements. BRHPC is especially excited about its first training session which began in February 2009.