Peer Certification
For details on training, certification, examination, applying and more, visit capeercertification.org.
In behavioral health, Peers are individuals who have lived experience with mental health conditions or substance use disorders, or family members of those individuals.
California passed a law in 2020 (Senate Bill 803) that makes it possible for certified peer support specialists to be eligible for Medi-Cal reimbursement through county mental health plans and substance use disorder plans (behavioral health plans).
This important step in the delivery of behavioral health care values the experience that peers can provide and expands counties’ capacity to provide care.
CalMHSA’s Role as Certifying Entity
County behavioral health plans selected CalMHSA to implement a single, standardized Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist certification program. This was done in recognition of the need for a uniform process across the state — one that does not require peers to obtain multiple certifications in multiple counties, supports quality and application of standards, creates efficiency for counties, and adds credibility to the peer profession in California. Key program activities include:
- Managing the certification program, approving training entities, certifying individuals, conducting investigations and collecting data
- Expanding program offerings for both Peers and their supervisors
- Monitoring program activities, evaluation and quality assurance
For more information visit www.capeercertification.org. Questions or comments? Call (279) 234-0699 or email: [email protected]
Program Details
Lead Staff:
Lucero Robles, LCSW
Senior Director of Quality Assurance
Email: [email protected]
Participating Counties:
Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Yuba, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo
- Check Out the New Peer Certification Job Board: A platform where job postings help county behavioral health departments and community agencies connect with Peer Support Specialists
- More Than 5,000 individuals certified as Peer Support Specialists as of March 2025
- Certification Exam Now Offered in 10 Languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese — this development ensures we reach a wider audience and foster an even more diverse community of certified professionals in the behavioral health workforce.
- RAND Publishes Study of Early Implementation of Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Program: To inform continual improvement of the program and help design future comprehensive evaluations, CalMHSA asked RAND to conduct an evaluation of the early implementation of the program. Researchers found several positive outcomes for Peer specialists and offered recommendations for further development.
- The Best Practice Guide for Employing Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists includes valuable insights for optimizing the integration of a peer workforce.
- Summary of the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists program and CalMHSA’s involvement as the certifying entity
- More information about roles and responsibilities within the program
- Applicant fee schedule
Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist
Parent, Caregiver, Family Member Peer Competencies (specialization)
Justice-Involved (specialization)
Persons Unhoused (specialization)
Please note: Specialized training to support individuals who are unhoused, justice-involved, or in need of crisis services, and for parent/caregiver/family member peers is not required for certification as a Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist.
Medi-Cal Peer Certification Stakeholder Advisory Council
Recognizing the need for input from peers and other stakeholders to implement a Peer Support Specialist certification program, CalMHSA established a Stakeholder Advisory Council that makes recommendations on behalf of a variety of stakeholder groups. The development and selection of the Advisory Council members was conducted in collaboration with the California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations on behalf of DHCS. Advisory Council members were selected through an application process, and the membership reflects the Medi-Cal populations served by the county specialty plans. Wherever possible, Advisory Council members represent underrepresented or difficult-to-engage communities. CalMHSA values continuous quality improvement; the Advisory Council will serve as an avenue for ongoing feedback during the implementation phase and beyond.
Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meetings
Council Member Information
This powerful dashboard of the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification program illustrates how peers are making a difference in and for their communities:
How We Did ... Free Peer Training & Certification Initiative
In early 2025, CalMHSA took on an ambitious project with the Department of Health Care Services to significantly expand the number of Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists through online and in-person trainings around the state.
View Infographic (PDF)