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Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification

Training

Training Provider Application Process

The California Mental Health Services Authority is the certifying entity for Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists in California. The below information provides prospective training providers with information on becoming a CalMHSA-approved Provider for the following:

  • Areas of Specialization (Closed)
 
Applicants must complete one application per interested training. For example, if an applicant is interested in applying for two training areas, they must submit two separate applications and pay fees for each application.

Prospective training providers are highly encouraged to read the application in its entirety before applying to become training providers. Prospective providers are expected to include all required information and be ready to submit training curriculum at the time of application. 

CalMHSA requires a fully executed contract between the training provider and CalMHSA before the commencement of training. Prospective training providers may not begin training or advertisement for training courses until the applicant receives written approval for training content from CalMHSA and has an executed contract with CalMHSA. No exceptions will be granted.

Copyright Note: CalMHSA cannot accept any training material or supplemental training material that is subject to copyright. If your agency wishes to use training material developed by a different organization, you will need to upload a copy of the permission from the said organization in writing along with your application documents. 

To apply, please use the register/login button located on the top right of the website to register and create an account. Please note, only completed applications may be submitted.

General Application Information

An applicant may be: 

1) an individual person (one instructor) or 

2) an agency in which one or more instructors are represented

All providers must comply with the standards set forth herein.

Application fee:
A non-refundable training provider application fee of $300 must accompany this application. Fee will be paid at the time of application submission on the website. The non-refundable application fee is an administrative fee for review of your application.

Application Processing Time:

CalMHSA will process complete applications within 90 days from receipt of a complete application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make necessary revisions in a timely manner. Unrevised applications are considered incomplete and will be denied. An incomplete application will be held by CalMHSA for ninety (90) calendar days from the date submitted on the CalMHSA application portal. Applications that remain incomplete beyond ninety (90) calendar days after date of submission will be voided, fees will be forfeited, and will require submission of a new application, documentation, and new fees. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide all missing documentation before the application can be processed.

Approval Period:
CalMHSA-approved training providers are approved for 2 years from the initial approval date.

Quality Assurance:
Site Visit. A CalMHSA representative may conduct periodic visits to an approved training provider site. CalMHSA will provide reasonable notice to the training provider in advance of the visit. CalMHSA may audit the training provider’s training records, including training content, participant records, marketing material, and other related materials to monitor compliance with the guidelines and contractual agreements.

Data Collection: Training Providers must collect and maintain the following data for participants:
1. Specified by executed contract with CalMHSA, including, but not limited to the following:

a. Contact information including: legal name, telephone number, and email address.
b. Dates of training registration/enrollment.
c. Language(s) in which the training was delivered.
d. Format or modality of training (i.e., in-person, asynchronous, online, etc.).
e. Course completion statistics, including non-completions.
f. All reasonable accommodation(s) requested and/or provided, if applicable.

Please note: Data collection is subject to change based on updated guidelines by the Department of Healthcare Services.

Directions for Submitting Application

Completed applications must be submitted electronically. Hard copy or handwritten submissions will not be accepted. Only completed applications will be reviewed. CalMHSA’s application processing time is 90 days from date of submission. Requests for revisions remain the applicant’s responsibility to submit requested information in a timely manner. Any application that remains incomplete 90 days after the date of the initial submission may be voided, and fees will be forfeited, resulting in the submission of a new application and payment of fees.
Applicants must complete one application per interested training. For example, if an applicant is interested in applying for two training areas, then the applicant must submit two separate applications and payment of fees for each application.

To apply, please use the register/login button located on the top right of the website to register and create an account.

Applicants are required to provide the following information at the time of submission:

1. Submit the Training Provider Application with the $300 non-refundable applicant fee via the CalMHSA certification website.

2. Submissions must include all the following components:

a. Applicant information

b. CA Business License Number/non-profit number/exception ID

c. Name and contact information of the dedicated training coordinator

d. Proposed training fee/cost for course

e. Proposed yearly training schedule with published dates and times

f. Language(s) in which the training will be delivered

g. Total training hours of the course (see requirements below)

h. Training modality (descriptions in Glossary of Terms):

    • In-Person
    • Hybrid
    • Asynchronous (self-paced)
    • Online

i. A 150-word biography of your agency to be added to the CalMHSA certification website, upon approval. This information will be used on the CalMHSA certification website.

    • Include your agency logo as a transparent .jpg or .png

j. Instructor(s) information/qualifications (include CV, resume, biography, etc.)

k. Policies and Procedures:

    • A documented enrollment/registration process and procedures.
    • A documented course completion information, including make-up of assignments and quizzes, etc.
    • A documented process for issuance of certificate of attendance or completion.
      • A digital sample of certificate of attendance or completion (must meet requirements set below).
    • A documented process for evaluation of training course and trainer(s)
        • A digital sample of the evaluation form (must meet requirements set below).
    • A documented course refund/cancellation process. The policy must have a mechanism for refunds.
    • A documented leave of absence request process.
    • A documented reasonable accommodations (ADA) policy.
    • A documented anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy.
    • A documented complaints process to address complaints against the program, trainer, and/or institution and resolution procedures including process timelines.
    • A documented record retention policy. (Training providers are required to maintain participant records for a minimum of three (3) years unless a longer period of records retention is stipulated under contract with CalMHSA. by a higher authority.)

l. Training curriculum and marketing content pre-approved by CalMHSA before beginning training or marketing for training courses.

m. A fully executed contract between the provider and CalMHSA prior to the start of the first training.

n. Remitted all appropriate application fees and obtained final approval from CalMHSA prior to the start of training and/or marketing of training courses.

Applications:

  1. CalMHSA will review applications.
  2. CalMHSA will send an email confirming receipt of the application.
  3. CalMHSA may ask for a revision if additional information is necessary to complete the review.
  4. CalMHSA will provide each applicant who successfully meets the application requirements with a Dropbox link to submit the training content of the agency’s training material.

Training Provider Instructions for Submitting Training Content:

  1. Applicants may submit a complete single, combined PDF file, of the training course using the Dropbox link provided.
  2. All training content submitted must be accompanied by the “CalMHSA Curriculum Crosswalk” document.

CalMHSA will notify applicants of the status of the content approval via email.

Approved training providers are required to fully execute a contract between before the start of training.

  1. Providers may not begin training until the provider receives written approval for training content from CalMHSA and has an executed Training provider contract. No exceptions will be granted.
  2. Providers may not begin advertising the training course until the provider receives written approval for the training content from CalMHSA and has an executed Training Provider contract. No exceptions will be granted.

Application Document Requirement Guidelines

The following section provides detailed requirements for documents being requested to be submitted with the application. To avoid delays in processing, please refer to the following information on document requirements. Please note, each document has its requirements and must be present at the time of submitting the application.

Copyright Note: CalMHSA cannot accept any training material or supplemental training material that is subject to copyright. If your agency wishes to use training material developed by a different organization, you will need to upload a copy of the permission from the said organization in writing along with your application documents. 

 

The information below provides specific information for each of the training areas. Applicants may submit a complete single, combined PDF file, of the training course using the Dropbox link provided. All training content submitted must be accompanied by the “CalMHSA Curriculum Crosswalk” document. The crosswalk document serves as a guide and reference between the training content and the CalMHSA training requirements. For example, the crosswalk would reference what training material (i.e., module, chapter, vignette, etc.) is used to meet the core competency training area.

  1. Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Training (80 hours).

CalMHSA Peer Certification Continuing Education (CE) Submission Guidelines

The purpose of continuing education hours is to ensure that all training content is relevant, up-to-date, and aligned with industry standards. Continuing education hours are highly valuable to Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists’ (CMPSS) professional growth by enhancing their knowledge, skills, and understanding of mental health and substance use conditions and ensuring ongoing proficiency in best practices and interventions for quality of care.

Curriculum Requirements

As part of the CE application process, training providers are required to complete the standard training provider application form and submit the items below for one course.

  1. Course Syllabus
    • Detailed Course Outline: Provide a comprehensive outline for each section of the training course.
    • Educational Goals: Clearly articulate the overarching educational goals for your course.
    • Measurable Learning Objectives: Specify the measurable learning objectives, ensuring clarity and precision. For example, "At the conclusion of this course, participants will demonstrate the ability to identify five core principles of peer support.”
  2. Complete Course Curriculum 
    • Submit only one complete CE course for approval that exemplifies the quality and effectiveness of your training.
    • Curriculum must be in PDF format and must include all material covered including knowledge checks.
    • The training course must be a minimum of 1 hour.
      • One hour of direct educational training instruction is equal to one hour of continuing education (CE), excluding any breaks.

 

Approval of CE Training Course:

Once approved, subsequent CE courses developed by your agency may be offered for CE hours, as long as they meet the standards for CMPSS in training courses. These eligible CE courses should promote professional development, aiming to enhance the quality of care provided within the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist’s scope of practice.

Disclaimer: CalMHSA, the certifying entity for Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists, reserves the right to review and approve applications based on established criteria for becoming an approved provider. Approved agencies will be issued a unique continuing education provider identification number. Rights to use the CE provider identification are exclusively reserved for CalMHSA-approved CE training providers and may be used in accordance with the agreed upon standards.   

The following must be included in the certificate of attendance issued to participants.

  1. Participant’s full legal name
  2. Name of approved training provider or agency
  3. Date of the course completion.
  4. Number of training hours
  5. Signature of the course instructor, provider, or provider designee
  6. Course title
    • Must follow these naming conventions for trainings:
      • Core Competency Training (80hr)
        • Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Training
      • Areas of Specialization
        • Parent, Caregiver, and Family Member Peer
        • Peer Services in Crisis Care
        • Peer Services for Unhoused 
        • Peer Services for Justice Involved 
  1. Learning objectives
  2. Course appropriateness to participants’ education and experience level
  3. Relevance to practice
  4. Effectiveness of the course
  5. Suitability and/or usefulness of instructional materials
  6. Currency and accuracy of the information
  7. Instructor’s knowledge of the subject matter and clarity of delivery
  8. Instructor’s responsiveness to participants
  9. Technology support was adequate - i.e., questions or problems were addressed effectively and in a timely manner (asynchronous or hybrid modalities)
  10. Technology was user-friendly (asynchronous or hybrid modalities)
  11. Location, facilities, and administration of the program.
  12. Additional feedback

Provider information will be available on the certification website. To ensure accuracy of information, please provide a 150-word write-up about your agency that includes the following:

  1. Mission and values: A concise explanation of the provider’s purpose and overall intention.
  2. Training modality: In-person, hybrid, online, or asynchronous.
  3. Training length: The required number of training hours (varies on training).
  4. Training hours: The day(s) and duration of class per week.
  5. Registration capacity: The maximum number of peers per class.
  6. Course start date: The date(s) training session begins.
  7. Training registration (link): The link for peers to register for training.
  8. Program’s contact information: Person of contact for additional information (name, title, phone number, email address).

A provider shall ensure information publicizing a CalMHSA-approved training course is accurate and may include the following: 

  1. Training name: (exact title required)
  2. Name of approved training provider or agency
  3. Agency logo
  4. Number of training hours for course
  5. Duration of training
  6. Course description and learning objectives
  7. Training date(s)
  8. Training modality (in-person, online, and/or hybrid)
  9. The instructor’s name and credentials, including relevant expertise in program content
  10. Fee for the course, inclusive of any additional fees.
  11. CalMHSA logo (must use logo provided by CalMHSA)
  1. “California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA)” is the certifying entity for the certification of Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists in California. As the certifying entity, CalMHSA also approves training providers to ensure training curriculum is met.
  1. “Continuing Education (CE)” refers to the education a Certificate receives to further develop their professional knowledge around best practices, updated laws, and/or specialized training.
  1. “Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification” is an individual who is 18 years of age or older, who has self-identified as having lived experience with the process of recovery from mental illness, substance use disorder, or both, either as a consumer of these services or as a parent or family member of the consumer, and who has been granted certification under a county Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist certification program.
  1. “Training Provider” may be an individual person or agency(s). An individual is a person who independently offers training as a sole instructor and must be applying for themselves, not on behalf of a group (2 or more instructors) or organization. 
  1. “In-person” are courses taught onsite at scheduled course times so that students can interact with their instructor and classmates in person.
  1. “Online” are courses that include designated times for interactive experience, virtual break-out rooms, written assignments, and “virtual-live” or pre-recorded presentations by students.
  1. “Hybrid” are courses that combine onsite in-person activities with online work or instructions. These courses split time between in-person and virtual environments. Peers attend in-person courses at designated times plus engage in virtual learning activities, which may be either synchronous or asynchronous. 
  1. “Asynchronous” are courses that are self-paced allowing an individual to learn on their own schedule, within a certain time period. Peers can use provided asynchronous learning elements like online audio and video and discussion forums at the time and place of their choosing.

Training Provider Fees

The fee schedule is subject to change. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable. For a list of all fees visit our Fee Schedule.

Become A Training Provider

Training Provider Application Fees
$ 300 per application
  • CMPSS Core Training
  • Continuing Education
Training Provider Process
Applicants must complete one application per interested training. For example, if an applicant is interested in applying for two training areas, they must submit two separate applications and pay fees for each application.

For questions or to file a complaint, please contact us. | Phone:  (279) 234-0699 | Email: [email protected]

© 2024 California Mental Health Services Authority | 1610 Arden Way Ste. 175, Sacramento, CA 95815

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