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PRSS/F-PRSS Certification

The Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS) fulfills a unique role in the support of and recovery from mental health issues and substance use disorders. A PRSS is a person in recovery from a mental health diagnosis and/or substance use disorder, who has been trained to work with others on their individual road to recovery.

A Certified Family Peer Recovery Support Specialist (F-PRSS) is an individual who has lived experience as a caregiver of a child, youth or young adult who has mental health or behavioral health challenges and is certified by ODMHSAS to offer family peer support services. Family Peers use their lived experience to ensure engagement and active participation of the family throughout the treatment process and assist family members in developing knowledge and skills to promote their family member's recovery.

This training incorporates the PRSS’s recovery experience as a means of inspiring hope in those they serve, as well as providing a positive role model to others. A PRSS works in collaboration with the people we serve as well as clinical staff in the best interests of the individual's recovery process. There are many positive roles that a PRSS or an F-PRSS can fulfill in an organization based on their individual skills, experience, education, and goals.

Thank you for your interest in the Peer Recovery Support Specialist Certification (PRSS) Training program!

The Peer Recovery Support Specialist Certification Training Program will give the participants a full introduction to the following competencies:

  • An understanding of the skills to provide recovery support to their peers.
  • An understanding of the recovery process and how to use their own recovery story to help others.
  • An understanding of and the ability to establish healing relationships.
  • An understanding of the importance of and the ability to take care of oneself.

 

Family Peers (F-PRSS) will be introduced to the following competencies:

  • F-PRSS within Recovery/Systems of Care
  • F-PRSS Roles and Responsibilities
  • Effective Story Telling: Yours and Supporting Families
  • Skills helpful for working within family systems
  • Self-Care- Importance, Resources, Practice
  • Stages and Cycle of Support to enhance self-efficacy
  • Respite

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Steps to Certification

Review the Peer Recovery Support Specialist Administration Rules:
Please review the Chapter 53. Standards and Criteria for Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialists which can be found on the Administrative Rules page.  These will provide you with the qualifications, prerequisites needed and timelines for application and certification. Please review them closely as there have been critical changes.  

A complete application must be submitted at least fourteen (14) days prior to attending Peer Recovery Support Specialist training.  No one will be allowed to attend the training unless the Department has approved a person's eligibility prior to attending the training.

Application Process:

Application Approval:

Applications will be reviewed in detail. Applicants who send in incomplete applications or applications that require corrections will be notified via e-mail of the missing documentation or needed corrections.


Renewing Your Certification

You PRSS Certification must be renewed every year. To maintain your Certification each year all Certified PRSS's are expected to have twelve (12) hours of continuing education units (CEU), three (3) of these hours must be in Ethics.  

To maintain your status as a Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist you must complete the online Renewal process.  

You may be randomly selected to provide documentation of attendance.  It is the responsibility of each individual to track all of your Continuing Education Units (CEU).

You will enter your CEU's into Access Control beginning August 1st of the calendar year of Certification expiration.

The cut-off date for turning in your continuing education credits each year is December 31st at 5:00 p.m.

For questions related to training dates, enrollment, or status of the applications, please email PRSSTeam@odmhsas.org

 

Replacement Certificates

Applicants may send a request by email to Crystal Myers or PRSSTeam@odmhsas.org requesting a replacement Certificate.  Crystal or the PRSS Team will email an electronic copy of your certificate that you can print out.

Certification Renewal Process

Renewals are to be submitted no later than December 30th of your renewal year.

Renewals that are NOT submitted and approved before December 30th of your renewal year will be considered late and there will be an additional $25 late fee when submitting renewals any time after December of your renewal year to June 30th of the next year. If a late renewal is not submitted before July 1st, your certification will be TERMINATED on July 1st after your renewal year.

You must start the process all over from the beginning and cannot re-apply until after the 60-day waiting period.  You must notify Crystal Myers to reset your account before re-applying at crystal.myers@odmhsas.org.

 

Steps to Recertification

All applicants must sign into Access Control. Several icons will appear. 

If you already have a User ID & Password, DO NOT create a new one.  Use the same one you created originally.  If you don't remember your User ID and/or Password, call the help desk at 405-248-9200 or email Crystal Myers and they can assist you in accessing your original account.

  • Click on the Registration Icon   
  • Select Peer Recovery Support Specialist
  • Click on the grey button that says "Advance to Registration"
  • If the information is correct, do nothing but review the information and continue through each tab.
  • If the information is incorrect, make the required correction before continuing through each tab.
  • If the information is incomplete, please complete all the information even if you have already done an application.

PRSS Certification requires all information blanks to be filled completely in during this process. 

Make sure all your information in your account is up to date. If you do not see the CEU tab, please contact the help desk at 405 248-9200 or email Crystal Myers to have them reset your status to recertification-eligible and create an online renewal invoice for your $15 fee to renew your certification.

  • The last tab at the top right of your screen will say CEU INFORMATION 
  • Date of session
  • Name of Session (whatever the course was called)
  • CEU hours obtained (you cannot enter more than 8 hours per day)
  • Classification (Ethics, Strength-Based or General)
  • You will have to click on add to open another entry to add the next CEU each time until you have all 12 CEU's entered (Remember you must have 3 ethics and 9 general CEU's every year)
  • You can enter more than 12 CEU's but only up to 8 per day
  • Once you have access to the CEU INFORMATION tab, you will click on the tab and enter your CEU's
  • Sign the Form

 

ALL APPLICANTS MUST CAREFULLY READ THEIR RENEWAL SUMMARY FORM. 

IF THERE IS A NOTE THAT SAYS, "You have been randomly selected to send in documentation of all listed CEU’s, you must send copies of each CEU Training indicated in with this Renewal Application" THEN DUE TO A COMPUTER-GENERATED RANDOM SELECTION PROCESS, APPLICANT MUST SEND A COPY OF ALL CEU WORKSHOP CERTIFICATES and/or Official Transcript (if applicable).

  • In the upper right-hand corner of your screen, you will see a green bubble that says "PayBills"
  • Select submit and print off the Renewal Summary Form
  • Click on this bubble and pay your $15 renewal fee.  If you are paying after the December 31st deadline, you are required to pay an additional $25 late fee.
  • Print the receipt.
  • No refunds or credits will be given for any fees

 

Please email the Renewal Summary form, receipt of online payment and PRSS Verification of Employment Form as an attachment to Crystal Myers. We will review your CEU's that you entered and once you have met renewal requirements, we will email your new certificate for another year.  There will be a random few that will have to fax copies of their CEU's with their renewal form.  The renewal form will tell you if you are randomly selected to do so.

We will review your CEU's that you entered and once you have met renewal requirements, we will email your new certificate for another year.  There will be a random few that will have to fax copies of their CEU's with their renewal form.  The renewal form will tell you if you are randomly selected to do so.

Frequently Asked Questions

Training

Registration is Required. Enrollment is limited. On site registration is not accepted. All enrollment prerequisites must be met prior to enrollment. https://odmhsas.docebosaas.com/learn/signin

Contact Information

 

PRSS Team Member Title Email Phone
Reggie Martin PRSS Training Specialist Reginald.Martin@odmhsas.org  
Michelle Allen PRSS Training Specialist michelle.allen@odmhsas.org  
Kimberly Miller PRSS Training Specialist kimberly.miller@odmhsas.org  
Amber Valdez PRSS Training Specialist
Amber.Valdez@odmhsas.org 405-365-0350
Crystal Myers Administrative Officer Crystal.Myers@odmhsas.org 405-248-9143
Jae Jackson McConnell Program Manager JAJackson@odmhsas.org 405-227-1164