Certified Peer Specialist for Addictive Disease (CPS-AD)
In July 1999, Georgia was the first state to request and receive Medicaid reimbursement for Peer Support as a statewide mental health Rehabilitation Option service. The Georgia Medicaid and Mental Health authorities partnered together to submit a design and plan for Medicaid reimbursement for Peer Support and launched a recovery movement which has grown exponentially. Since that time, Peer Support as a formalized behavioral health intervention has expanded to almost every state and territory in the U.S. and to many other countries.
At the heart of Peer Support is lived experience. Certified Peer Specialists (CPSs) in Georgia provide interventions which promote socialization, recovery, wellness, self-advocacy, development of natural supports, and maintenance of community living skills. Activities are provided between and among individuals who have common issues and needs, are individual motivated, initiated and/or managed, and assist individuals in living as independently as possible.
In 2019, Georgia celebrated 20 years of Peer Support leadership and practice. In that celebratory year, the state celebrated that there were approximately 3000 CPS trained and certified, well over $20M in Peer Support services provided annually, and specialty CPS certifications for Substance Use, Youth, Parent, Whole Health, and Forensic lived experience.
What is a Certified Peer Specialist?
A Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) is an individual who is trained and certified to provide ongoing support to individuals and their families receiving mental health and/or substance use recovery supports and services. CPSs work from the perspective of their lived experience to help build environments conducive to recovery. They promote hope, personal responsibility, empowerment, education, and self-determination in the communities where they serve. CPSs are trained to assist others in skill-building, problem-solving, setting up and maintaining self-help mutual support groups, and building self-directed recovery tools. A critical role of the CPS is willingness to self-identify their lived experience, using it as a tool for helping others in developing recovery goals and specific steps to reach those goals.
Types of Certified Peer Specialist
- Certified Peer Specialist - Mental Health (CPS-MH): An individual certified by DBHDD who has lived experience with a mental health condition and is practicing recovery as related to that condition.
- For more information on application and training please visit: Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network https://www.gmhcn.org/certified-peer-specialist
- Certified Peer Specialist - Addictive Disease (CPS-AD): An individual certified by DBHDD who has lived experience with addiction and is practicing recovery as related to that condition.
- For more information on application and training please visit: Georgia Council on Substance Abuse https://gasubstanceabuse.org/
And there are other types of CPS's certifications. Please go to https://dbhdd.georgia.gov/recovery-transformation/cps
Negotiation on the pricing for the service can be discuss by calling the 404-618-3883 number.