Welcome to the FAQ section for our the Medi-Cal Peer Support Certification Program! Here, we address common queries to provide clarity and assistance. As the program continues to evolve and improve, please be aware that details in this FAQ section may be subject to updates. We encourage you to revisit this page periodically for the latest information. Your commitment to our Certification Program is valued, and we are here to support you in navigating any changes effectively.
Application and Program Questions
The Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification document will be issued under the applicant’s full legal name. The legal name used on the application will be used to generate the certification. For this reason, the spelling of your full first and last legal name must be accurate. A middle name is not required, you may or may not include your middle name, but if it is included, it must match what’s on your identification.
Program staff may ask for revisions to an application when the spelling of a full legal name does not match an applicant’s attached personal identification document (e.g., driver’s license, identification card, or passport).
Program staff may also ask for revisions when the required personal identification document is unreadable, expired, or invalid. The government-issued identification must be legible and valid to qualify. Identification that has expired or is unreadable will not be accepted. The document must include a picture of the applicant to qualify.
All candidates are required to provide a valid, government-issued photo ID. The first and last name on the ID must match the name on the certification application.
The California Mental Health Services Authority has identified the following available
resources:
To obtain a transcript from a California public school, you will need to contact the school directly. If the school is closed, we suggest contacting the local school district or the County Office of Education for assistance.
To obtain a transcript from a California private school, contact the school or one of its
staff directly. Contact information for private schools may be obtained from the California School Directory, or from the Private School Directory data files, which are posted on the CDE Private School web page.
If the school is closed, you may contact Parchment, which is a private company that offers transcript recovery services. Please note that there is no guarantee that these contacts will have your records.
If you are unable to obtain your high school records and you’ve tried the recommendations mentioned above, you may want to consider taking a high school
equivalency test (HSET). More information about HSETs are available on the CDE High School Equivalency Tests (HSET) web page.
No, this is a state requirement for certification.
The certifying entity does not have the authority to issue exceptions to the educational requirement for certification. Certification requirements are set by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
The Following Counties are being represented by CalMHSA for the administration of their Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification program.
- Alameda
- Amador
- Butte
- Calaveras
- Colusa
- Contra Costa
- Del Norte
- El Dorado
- Fresno
- Glenn
- Humboldt
- Inyo
- Kerns
- Kings
- Lake
- Lassen
- Los Angeles
- Madera
- Marin
- Mendocino
- Merced
- Modoc
- Mono
- Monterey
- Nevada
- Orange
- Placer
- Plumas
- Riverside
- Sacramento
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Joaqui
- San Luis Obispo
- San Mateo
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Clara
- Santa Cruz
- Shasta
- Sierra
- Siskiyou
- Solano
- Sonoma
- Stanislaus
- Sutter-Yuba
- Tehama
- Trinity
- Tulare
- Tuolumne
- Ventura
- Yolo
- Mariposa
Counties NOT represented by CalMHSA:
- Alpine
- Napa
- San Benito
- Imperial
Exam & Reasonable Accommodation Requests
The certification exam will be available in 17 threshold languages for California counties as determined by the Department of Health Care Services. The Spanish exam is available as of Dec 22, 2023. Alternative language exams are anticipated in 2024.
The scholarships cover a one-time cost for the exam.
No. The scholarship covers a one-time cost for the exam. Candidates interested in retaking the exam are required to pay for an exam retake.
Information on our Reasonable Accommodation policy, instructions, and the request form can be found on our Exam Accommodation page.
Candidates may submit a reasonable accommodation request as soon as their application is approved.
Please visit the Accommodations Page for more information and to access the request form.
Please note that processing of accommodation requests may take up to 30 days.
Yes, palm vein pattern recognition is used at in-person test centers and to re-enter the testing room after breaks.
For more information, https://home.pearsonvue.com/documents/deliver-your-exam/palm-vein.aspx.
Yes, in-person exam centers can provide an ergonomic chair, but an accommodation request must be submitted to CalMHSA prior to scheduling the exam appointment. Please see the Exam Accommodations page for more information.
- SNACK – Access to snack, beverage, necessary medication, or medical devices outside the testing space when approved to leave that space.
- SNACKS – A snack is allowed in the testing room. Must be in a small, clear plastic baggie. Exam must be delivered in a separate room.
Certificate Renewal and Continuing Education Hours
Yes, to maintain certification, renewal is required every two years. Applicants must complete twenty (20) hours of continuing education, inclusive of six (6) hours of law and ethics training, before submitting a renewal application and paying the renewal fee. Please review our Biennial Certification Renewal & Continuing Education (CE) Requirements page for detailed information.
Out of state training will be accepted as long as it follows the Certification Renewal and Continuing Education Requirements and taken from approved sources such as:
- Training courses completed through accredited schools, including vocational education.
- Training courses by professional certification and licensing boards (i.e., CAADE, CADTP, CAMFT, BBS, APA).
Scholarship Questions (CalMHSA-issued)
No. Scholarships are not currently available. CalMHSA previously administered scholarships funded by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Funding for scholarships is no longer available.
Yes. Scholarships issued by CalMHSA expire 12-months from the date of approval or when the candidate’s certification application expires, whichever comes first. Please log into your application to view your application expiration date.
Here are the steps to verify your expiration date:
- Log into your application portal at https://app.capeercertification.org/dashboard.
- Navigate to “My Certification Application” on the left-hand side of the dashboard.
- Navigate to the Application Status box on your application to find the “Application Valid Thru” date. This is your application expiration date, and both your application and scholarship will expire on the same date.
No. Scholarships are not transferable.
Generally speaking, there are no extensions for the scholarships. Scholarships issued by CalMHSA were possible due to time-limited funding.
We kindly ask that you contact the training provider who issued the scholarship to you for this question.
We kindly ask that you contact your employer/agency who issued the scholarship to you for this question.
We kindly ask that you contact the employer/agency who issued the scholarship to you for this question.
The scholarships cover a one-time cost for the exam.
No. The scholarship covers a one-time cost for the exam. Candidates interested in retaking the exam are required to pay for an exam retake.
We kindly ask that you review the information provided when the scholarship was issued. CalMHSA emailed information on costs covered by the scholarship. If you are unable to locate the information, please contact us at [email protected].
For scholarships issued by other agencies, please contact that agency directly.
All candidates who received a scholarship from CalMHSA received a scholarship with information and a unique scholarship code. Additionally, you can log into your application and see the status of your application and scholarship.
Candidates must log into their application and upload a copy of their training certificate. CalMHSA will review the training certificate and email you with information on next steps within 7-14 days from the time the certificate was uploaded. Please ensure to be vigilant of your emails.