Expanding Our Reach With Peers: Statewide Ad Campaign, Ethics Training, Documentation Guide
In partnership with the Department of Health Care Services, CalMHSA has launched new initiatives to promote and support the work of Peer Support Specialists. Projects include a statewide digital advertising campaign to raise awareness about the impact and role of Peers in behavioral health, a best practices guide on documentation, and on-demand training on ethics and boundaries.
Statewide Ad Campaign
A digital ad campaign ran statewide throughout September with the aim of inspiring more people to pursue certification. By uplifting the voices of real Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists in videos, it spotlighted their emotionally resonant stories to show how lived experience isn’t just valuable — it’s transformative. The website developed as part of the campaign (www.peerhero.org) remains available as an excellent resource for counties. The campaign reached nearly 10 million Californians, with more than eight million video views.
Documentation Best Practices
This guide supports CMPSS in understanding and fulfilling their legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities for documenting services in county behavioral health delivery systems, both mental health and substance use disorder services.
Ethics & Boundaries for Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists
This on-demand course, hosted on CalMHSA’s learning management system, supports the training and practice of peer support specialists with information on ethics and boundaries in peer support. It is geared toward peers providing support in county behavioral health plans and meets continuing education requirements for certification renewals.
PEERiodical Newsletter
In July, peer support specialists in counties across the state began receiving a newsletter focused on their needs, professional growth, certification updates, and more. The PEERiodical will be sent quarterly to nearly 8,000 CMPSS.
Questions about any of our programs and initiatives in peer support can be directed to [email protected].
October 16, 2025