Certified Peer Specialist-Mental Health
reactivation policy and instructions
Maintaining the Certified Peer Specialist- Mental Health (CPS-MH) certification is crucial for professionals working within the behavioral health system, as it signifies a commitment to upholding industry standards, staying current with advancements, and continuously refining skills. Each CPS-MH is responsible for being aware of and maintaining the requirements for keeping their certification active. Because CPS-MH is a Medicaid-billable service, adherence to the continuing education standards and policies is critical not just for the success of the individual, but also for the profession as a whole.
1) All Certified Peer Specialist from Cohort 1-91 are required to have a minimum of 12 continuing education units (CEUs) per calendar year. All qualifying CEUs for 2024 must be earned between January 1st and December 31st 2024.
2) CPS-MH who have not submitted 12 CEUs a year after passing their credentialing exam have been placed on an inactive status.
3) CPS-MH can only stay inactive for 2 years before they are required to re-take the Certified Peer Specialist- Mental Health training.
4) Individuals who have been inactive must pay $105 activation fee and submit a reactivation application
a. $50 fee is due upon submission of your reactivation application.
b. $55 fee is due after application has been approved and should be submitted with you CEUs.
Instructions for reactivating your CPS-MH Status
Once an individual’s application has been approved, they have 1 year (365 days) from their approval date to meet the following requirements to become current with their certification. Please note, individuals are still responsible for submitting 12 CEUs for the current renewal year. Example, CEUs were not submitted for the year 2023 and an individual is inactive, 12 CEUs must be submitted to make up for the 2023 calendar year AND 12 CEUs must be submitted for the 2024 calendar year.
I) Individuals who have been inactive for a year, must submit 12 CEUs and complete two professional development coaching sessions through GMHCN
a. Six of those CEUs must come from GMHCN sponsored training, workshop or conference
b. One CEU must be related to Ethics (this can be part of the 6 from GMHCN)
c. The remaining six (6) CEUs can come from GMHCN approved training vendors
d. If submitting CEUs from training vendors not on the approved list, CEUs must be reviewed and approved by the Chief Training and Development Officer and the Continuing Education Coordinator. All CEUs needing approval must be submitted using the CEU Approval Form
2) Individuals who have been inactive for a two years, must submit 24 CEUs and complete four professional development coaching sessions through GMHCN
a. 12 of those CEUs must come from GMHCN sponsored training, workshop or conference
b. One CEU must be related to Ethics (this can be part of the 12 from GMHCN)
c. The remaining 12 CEUs can come from GMHCN approved training vendors
d. If submitting CEUs from training vendors not on the approved list, CEUs must be reviewed and approved by the Chief Training and Development Officer and the Continuing Education Coordinator. All CEUs needing approval must be submitted using the CEU Approval Form
3) Individuals who have been inactive for longer than two years MUST re-apply to become a certified peer specialist and pay all cost associated with the training.
a. All individuals must complete the PS-101 webinar in order to receive the CPS-MH application link
b. Once the link has been received, $50 deposit MUST be submitted with your CPS-MH recertification training application to secure your training spot
c. Once accepted into the training, a $575 training fee MUST be submitted at least 14 days before the scheduled training. Since the CPS-MH certification has lapsed and DBHDD previously covered the cost of the training, individuals are now responsible for covering the cost of the training and training materials. Individuals with lapsed credentials are not eligible for DBHDD sponsorship.
Disclaimer: Please note that the policies and instructions outlined herein are subject to change at any time without prior notice. It is your responsibility to stay informed of any updates or revisions. Continued adherence to the most current version of these policies is required.