Missouri Peer Specialist

In order to take Peer Specialty training, you must already hold a CPS, CRPR, FSP or YPS credential

The Communities Project and
D-Degree Coaching & Training
Announce an Exciting Opportunity for Missouri Peers!

(This opportunity is being brought to you in collaboration with the Missouri Department of Mental Health, the Missouri Credentialing Board and our community partners)

Working with The Communities Project and D-Degree Coaching & Training, we are excited to invite you to apply to a leadership cohort for 20 peers across Missouri. In the Transformational Leadership Cohort, experienced and emerging peer leaders will participate as a group in five workshops and five executive one-on-one coaching sessions
We expect the application process to be highly selective as we will select 20 peers to participate in this cohort. Please submit your application today! The application can be found here.
Attending all five sessions will be a graduation requirement in order to receive 15 CEUs for your participation in the cohort. The five sessions are: 
Friday, July 21st – 10:00am to 1:00pm CT: Vision, Identify & Values
Leaders develop a clear sense of vision that aligns from top-to-bottom: Vision, identity, values, skills, actions, environment. This alignment helps leaders become more resourceful – trusting their own capacities and values.
Friday, August 18th – 10:00am to 1:00pm CT: Creating a Leadership Practice
Leadership effectiveness is a function of who leaders are being in every leadership situation. Leaders look honestly at their own contributions to the results they are producing without shame or judgment, leading to increased effectiveness.
Friday, September 22nd – 10:00am to 1:00pm CT: Storytelling & Leadership
The stories people tell about themselves, their experiences, and others create patterns of beliefs and habits. These stories either support forward movement or create a sense of limiting beliefs. This training helps people to develop powerful stories of self.
Friday, October 20th – 10:00am to 1:00pm CT: Developing Collective Leadership
The most successful change efforts are those characterized by a thriving and empowered team. This training takes the foundation from prior workshops and then applies them to team building.
Friday, November 17th – 10am to 1pm CT: Goal Setting, Planning & Achieving Change
This final session brings all the elements together, helping leaders to galvanize their teams into action. The workshop includes effective goal setting and planning tools, which are made more effective by teams that are prepared to evaluate outcomes and develop an evolving strategy.

If you are interested in applying to be part of this cohort and seizing this opportunity, please click here.

Welcome

The Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) initiative is a significant part of the behavioral health transformation efforts taking place in Missouri. This Website is “home” to registration for training events, information on training content, the online exam and other information regarding Peer Specialists in Missouri. 

2023 LIVE CPS Trainings

  • June 12-16 – Burrell Behavioral Health,  2885 W. Battlefield, Springfield, MO 65807
  • July 10-14, 2023 – Community Counseling Center South Campus, Large Conference Room,  1913 Rusmar, Cape Girardeau, MO  63703
  • October 2-6, 2023 – St. Louis, MO, Location: PreventEd 9355 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132

2023 VIRTUAL CPS Trainings

  • June 26 – 30, 2023
  • July 10 – 14, 2023
  • July 24 – 28, 2023
  • August 7 – 11, 2023
  • August 21 – 25, 2023
  • September 11 – 15, 2023
  • September 25 – 29, 2023
  • October 16  – 20, 2023
  • October 23 – 27, 2023
  • November 13 – 17, 2023
  • November 27 – Dec. 1, 2023
  • December 4 – 8, 2023
  • December 18 – 22, 2023

Mental Health First Aid Training

Mental Health First Aid training is highly encouraged for all Certified Peer Specialists, and is required to apply for the international peer credential (Certified Reciprocal Peer Recovery—CRPR).  Mental Health First Aid training also counts towards the renewal of any MCB credential, including Certified Peer Specialist. 

Click here to find out how you can take Mental Health First Aid training: 

CPS ECHO

The CPS Echo is a great opportunity to learn from a panel of seven subject matter experts and get feedback from other peer specialists.  They happen on the first and third Wednesday of every month from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and each one attended is worth one contact hour.  It is FREE, and these contact hours can be used towards renewing your CPS credential.   Each ECHO will consist of the panel providing some information to the peer specialists (around 20 minutes), and then the rest of the time is spent reviewing case studies which have been submitted ahead of time by peer specialists.   To sign up for the CPS ECHO’s, please click on this link: Show-Me ECHO: Move Knowledge, Not Patients (showmeecho.org)

Support systems are so important for mental health recovery.
Having the support of a peer with personal experience and understanding can make all the difference in the world.

Credit to the Missouri Mental Health Foundation with the help of the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

Training Expectations

Helpful Tools

Information regarding the purpose and content of the training and expectations for the role of the peer specialist.

Helpful Resources

Helpful Documents

The Pillars of Peer Support Services are recognized as valuable tools to support recovery. Each Summit generated a report  available for viewing on this website.

Info for Providers

Various articles assisting Recovery Providers are available in this section of the website. Items include first person accounts and various handouts.

Links & Resources

Links to other Peer Specialist resources. Convenient access to information regarding national, state and organization based activities related to peer support.