This article is for MHOTRS programs and other mental health care provider organizations that are preparing to hire peer staff. To bill for peer support services, your staff will need (at a minimum) a provisional peer credential designated by the New York State Office of Mental Health. There are different credentials available, depending on whether your program provides adult mental health services or child serving systems of care. 

Adult Mental Health System (OMH)

The following descriptions are followed by a 2022  webinar hosted by the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH) featuring the organizations that provide the training and credentialing process for these three types of peer support credentials designated by OMH system. A later paragraph briefly describes a separate set of peer credentials that are designated by the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS).

New York Certified Peer Specialist (NYCPS)
This certification is available to qualified adults through the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board (NYPSCB). Initial (provisional) certification (NYCPS-P) requires completion of 13 core online courses through the online Academy of Peer Services (APS), attestation of relevant lived experience, letters of reference, and other conditions to be qualified to provide support services as defined on the application on the NYPSCB website. This certification is funded through the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH).

Child Serving Systems of Care 

Youth Peer Advocate (YPA) Credential
Families Together in NYS and the Community Technical Assistance Center (CTAC) through NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research administer this program for Youth Peer Advocates (18 – 30 years of age). When a working youth peer advocate passes the age of eligibility (30 years) they are automatically granted status through the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board (NYPSCB) as an adult NYCPS. This credential is funded through the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH).

Family Peer Advocate (FPA) Credential
Families Together in NYS administers this program for parents and caregivers of children receiving services in the mental health or child serving system of care. This credential is funded through the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH).

Learn More: OMH Peer Credentialing 101

OMH hosted a webinar intended for employers or prospective employers in an OMH-run program or in an Office of Mental Health-funded, -licensed, and -designated program to learn about the training and certification/credentialing process and requirements. The webinar include presentations from: 

New York Certified Peer Specialist

• Academy of Peer Services
• New York Peer Specialist Certification Board

Youth Peer Advocate Credential

• Families Together of New York State
• Community Technical Assistance Center

Family Peer Advocate Credentials

• Families Together of New York State
• Community Technical Assistance Center

Please note: This article and linked webinar does not address the credentialing process and requirements for the Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) in substance use recovery settings. For more information on this separate certification, you can follow up with the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS).

View the Webinar: https://peertac.org/resources/peer-credentialing-training-101-for-omh-providers-2022

Beyond the Basics – Academy of Peer Services (APS) Specialty Training Programs

Once they have received (at a minimum) provisional certification, Adult Certified Peer Specialists (NYCPS) have the opportunity to add a specialization designation. 

• Peer Support for Health and Wellness promotion
• Peer Support for Older Adults
• Peer Support for Individuals in Crisis
• Supervision of Peer Specialists
• Peer Support for Justice-Involved Individuals

The Specialization Tracks were created with the goal of providing added opportunities for career path development, increasing access to peer services for these specialty populations, increasing agency capacity to provide peer services to new populations, and assisting in the retention of peer staff through quality peer-informed supervision. Certified Peer Specialists can earn NYPSCB designation in any of the tracks by completing all the courses and applying online. All Specialization Track modules are available as online, on-demand courses through the APS website, and you can read more about them in the Specialization Track Catalog.

Outside of Mental Health Recovery (other peer certifications)

Substance Use Recovery

The Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) requires a different peer certification from those offered by the NYPSCB and New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH). This separate certification program is managed by the  New York Certification Board at InUnity, a program of the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of New York State (ASAP). 

Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA)
The ASAP CRPA certification is managed by the  New York Certification Board at InUnity. This ASAP certification is required for OASAS programs and similar to the mental health credentials there are also credentials for CRPA-Family and CRPA-Youth. 

Important Note: If you work in an Article 31 or similar Office of Mental Health (OMH) licensed program and want to hire (or already have) peer staff with a CRPA that you want to have provide mental health designated peer support,  that individual will have up to one year to complete (at a minimum) a provisional NYCPS, YPA, or FPA. 

HIV Peer Support

NYS Certified Peer Worker in Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
The Peer Worker Certification Program is administered by the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) and the AIDS Institute, which has, for many years, recognized the important role that peer workers can play in improving health outcomes and many health and social service programs have a long history of successfully engaging clients in a wide range of activities.