California Mental Health Services Authority

Exam Comfort Aid List

The below items are comfort aids and do not require a CalMHSA pre-approval or an accommodation request. They will be allowed in the testing room upon visual inspection by the Test Center or Online Proctored staff. Visual inspection will be done by examining the item without directly touching it (or the candidate) and without asking the candidate to remove the item, unless otherwise stated below.

Specialization Scholarships-DRAFT

This document lists the 17 core competencies set by DHCS that Peer Support Specialists must be training in, including concepts like hope, recovery and wellness, the role of advocacy, the role of consumers and family members, psychiatric rehabilitation skills and service delivery,
and addiction recovery principles, including defined practices, cultural and structural competence trainings. trauma-informed care, group facilitation skills, self-awareness and self-care, co-occurring disorders of mental health and substance use, conflict resolution, professional boundaries and ethics, preparation for employment opportunities, including study and test-taking skills, application and résumé preparation, interviewing, and other potential requirements for employment, safety and crisis planning, navigation of and referral to other services, documentation skills and standards, confidentiality, digital literacy.

Specialization Scholarships

This document lists the 17 core competencies set by DHCS that Peer Support Specialists must be training in, including concepts like hope, recovery and wellness, the role of advocacy, the role of consumers and family members, psychiatric rehabilitation skills and service delivery,
and addiction recovery principles, including defined practices, cultural and structural competence trainings. trauma-informed care, group facilitation skills, self-awareness and self-care, co-occurring disorders of mental health and substance use, conflict resolution, professional boundaries and ethics, preparation for employment opportunities, including study and test-taking skills, application and résumé preparation, interviewing, and other potential requirements for employment, safety and crisis planning, navigation of and referral to other services, documentation skills and standards, confidentiality, digital literacy.

In-Person Exam: What to Expect

Download PDF Security and Admission Procedures Important: Your confirmation email will inform you how early to arrive at your appointment, make sure you arrive on time.  Do not forget your identification. If you do not bring your identification, you cannot take the exam and will forfeit your exam fee. Admission Process 1. When you arrive, […]

How To – Upload Training Certificate

Download PDF The training completed for the initial Peer Support Certification must be an 80-hour course covering the 17 core competencies provided by a CalMHSA-approved training provider and completed after July 1, 2022. Below are the instructions on how to upload your training certificate to be approved to take the certification exam. Documents required:  PDF, JPEG or PNG […]

Grandparenting Guidelines

This document describes grandparenting requirements such as employment date and hours, letters of recommendation, peer training, continued education hours, and exam.

Exam In-Person Locations

Map of California broken up into regions.

Peer Certification In Person exam locations in Northern California, Central and Southern California and Los Angeles Counties

Exam Accommodation Policy

The exam accommodation policy explains our policy and procedure to requests accommodations during the certification examination.

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