Catalog

Continuing Education and Career Development

Building a Strong Peer Career: Professional Identity, Leadership and Next Steps

Building a strong peer career requires more than experience alone. It involves developing a clear professional identity, understanding your role as a leader, and taking…
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development
Eligibility

This course is designed for anyone in the recovery workforce, and it specifically supports peer specialists in building a clear professional identity and taking the next steps in their career.

Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe how lived experience shapes leadership identity
• Identify peer career pathways and advancement options
• Develop a personalized 90-day professional growth plan

Est. Time3 hr 45 min
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Ethics and Boundaries In Peer Support

Course Overview Peer support is grounded in relationship, mutuality, trust, and lived experience. Because of that, ethics and boundaries are not side issues in peer…
Audience(s)peer specialists, peer supervisors, Peer workforce
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development, ethics, peer ethics
Eligibility

This course is designed for:

  • Recovery Support Peer Specialists
  • Mental Health Peer Specialists
  • Peer Specialist Supervisors
  • Individuals pursuing peer certification
  • Other professionals working alongside peer specialists in behavioral health and recovery settings
Objectives

Learning Objectives:

  • Summarize core competencies and skills for recovery support services.
  • Define ethics in the context of recovery support services.
  • Distinguish between personal and professional ethics
  • Incorporate skills for providing ethical peer support services.
Est. Time2 hr 45 min
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Hospital and Institutional Reentry

Leaving a hospital or institutional setting is often viewed as the end of care. In reality, it marks the beginning of one of the most…
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development
Eligibility

This course is designed for:
Recovery Support Peer Specialists (RSPS)
Mental Health Peer Specialists (MHPS)
Peer supervisors
Any and all other roles and professionals working alongside peer specialists in hospital, behavioral health, or institutional settings

Objectives

By the end of this session, you will be able to:
• Describe what reentry from hospitals/institutional settings means
• Explain the peer role in transition
• Identify how peer support differs from clinical or discharge functions
• Apply peer appropriate support strategies during reentry transitions

Est. Time2 hr 15 min
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Motivational Tools That Spark Hope

Motivational tools are a core part of peer support practice. They help peer specialists build trust, support self-determination, and create space for individuals to explore…
Audience(s)peer specialists, peer supervisors, Peer workforce
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development, motivational interviewing
Eligibility

This course is designed for:
Peer professionals
Peer supervisors and program leads
Individuals in peer support roles across behavioral health and recovery settings
Professionals working alongside peer specialists who want to strengthen communication and engagement skills

Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Describe the value of motivational tools in peer support
Identify core communication skills (OARS)
Use open-ended questions to support self-efficacy
Recognize change talk and sustain talk
Identify readiness cues for change
Apply motivational tools in peer support conversations
Recognize and support strengths in others

Est. Time2 hr 15 min
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Peer Support In Hard Seasons

Course Overview Supporting people through grief, loss, difficult life transitions, and emotional distress requires a different kind of presence. In hard seasons, peer specialists are…
Audience(s)peer specialists, peer supervisors, Peer workforce
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development, recovery
Eligibility

This course is intended for individuals interested in or currently working in peer support roles, including Recovery Support Peer Specialists (RSPS), Mental Health Peer Specialists (MHPS) supervisors, and those exploring the peer workforce.

There are no formal prerequisites for this course. Participants are encouraged to have a basic understanding of peer support principles and a willingness to reflect on lived experience in a thoughtful and appropriate way.

Participation in reflective activities is encouraged but should be approached at a level that feels safe and appropriate for each individual.

Objectives

Learning objectives are:
1. Identify peer specialist-appropriate ways to support grief and ambivalence
2. Practice reflective listening that supports emotional processing
3. Explore how to stay balanced or grounded in times of distress
4. Apply strategies to stay grounded during emotionally intense situations

Est. Time2 hr 15 min
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Recovery-Centered Reflective Practice and Self-Compassion for Peer Specialists

Peer specialist work is meaningful, relational, and often demanding. Over time, what we carry builds. Stories, emotions, and responsibilities do not just disappear at the…
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development
Objectives

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

·      Describe how seasonal shifts can influence recovery and peer work

·      Identify personal signs of compassion satisfaction & compassion fatigue

·      Practice at least one brief reflective tool

·      Explain why self-compassion strengthens peer relationships

·      Set one winter intention

Est. Time2 hr
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Reentry from Prison: Long-Term Planning & Community Reintegration

Returning to the community after incarceration is often described as "starting over." In reality, reentry is far more complex. For many people, release from prison…
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development
Eligibility

This Course Is Designed For:

  • Recovery Support Peer Specialists
  • Mental Health Peer Specialists
  • Peer Specialist Supervisors
  • Individuals pursuing peer specialist certification
  • Professionals who supervise or work alongside peer specialists
Objectives

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Describe reentry as both a structural process and a lived experience.
  • Identify common barriers people encounter during the early stages of reentry.
  • Apply dignity-centered approaches that support people returning to the community.
  • Explain how peer support principles are applied within the unique context of reentry from prison.
Est. Time2 hr 30 min
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Supervising Peer Specialists: Clarity, Ethics and Career Pathways

Supervising peer specialists is a distinct role. It is not simply a step up from peer work, and it requires a different set of skills,…
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development
Eligibility

This course is designed for:
current peer specialist supervisors
peer specialists preparing to move into supervisory roles
program managers and organizational leaders supporting peer staff

Objectives

Identify common supervisory challenges in peer specialist supervision settings
Distinguish between peer specialist work and supervisory responsibilities
Apply ethical and structured supervision practices
Describe how Peer-to-Career supports supervisors and career pathways

Est. Time2 hr
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The Art of Story Stewardship

Story sharing is a core part of peer support, but how these stories are shared matters. This course introduces the concept of story stewardship, an…
Audience(s)peer specialists, peer supervisors, Peer workforce
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development
Eligibility

This course is intended for individuals interested in or currently working in peer support roles, including Recovery Support Peer Specialists (RSPS), Mental Health Peer Specialists (MHPS) supervisors, and those exploring the peer workforce.

There are no formal prerequisites for this course. Participants are encouraged to have a basic understanding of peer support principles and a willingness to reflect on lived experience in a thoughtful and appropriate way.

Participation in reflective activities is encouraged but should be approached at a level that feels safe and appropriate for each individual.

Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
• define story stewardship and apply the Ask–Share–Ask model to ensure consent-based, purposeful sharing of lived experience
• develop and deliver a recovery narrative using a structured, purpose-driven story sharing framework
• apply the Peer Code of Ethics to story sharing scenarios by identifying boundary issues, maintaining safety, and using trauma-informed practices

Est. Time2 hr 15 min
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The Supervisor Role in Ethical Decision-Making for Peer Professionals

Welcome to The Supervisor Role in Ethical Decision-Making for Peer Professionals. Supervisors play an important role in helping peer professionals think through difficult situations, strengthen…
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development
Eligibility

Peer Supervisors, Peer Specialist Supervisors, team leads, program managers, and others who supervise or support peer professionals.

Objectives

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  1. Describe the supervisor’s role in ethical decision-making.
  2. Apply a structured ethical decision-making process.
  3. Use reflective supervision strategies to support ethical reasoning and professional growth.
Est. Time2 hr
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What Is A Peer Specialist

Peer support is a relationship-centered approach to recovery that is grounded in lived experience, mutuality, and shared humanity. This course introduces the role of the…
Audience(s)peer specialists, peer supervisors, Peer workforce
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development
Eligibility

This course is designed for:
• individuals exploring becoming a peer specialist
• people with lived experience interested in peer work
• employers or partners seeking to better understand the role
• current peer specialists wanting to strengthen role clarity

Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• describe what peer support is and how it is practiced
• explain the role of a peer specialist and the use of lived experience
• identify the core values and practice domains of peer work
• distinguish between what peer specialists do and what is outside their role
• explain why role clarity matters in peer support settings
• identify certification pathways for peer specialists in Texas

Est. Time2 hr 30 min
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Writing Supportive Notes for Peer Specialists

Supportive documentation is more than a record of services provided. It is an extension of peer support itself. Every note tells part of a person's…
Topic(s)Continuing Education and Career Development
Eligibility

This Course Is Designed For:

  • Recovery Support Peer Specialists
  • Mental Health Peer Specialists
  • Peer Specialist Supervisors
  • Individuals pursuing peer specialist certification
  • Professionals who supervise or work alongside peer specialists
Objectives

By the End of This Course, You Will Be Able To:

  • Describe key principles of person-centered, strengths-based documentation in peer support.
  • Demonstrate how to document peer support interactions in a way that reflects the relationship and honors the individual's voice.
  • Apply basic documentation expectations while maintaining ethical integrity and role clarity.
Est. Time2 hr 15 min
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Recovery Housing

Introduction to Recovery Residences in the US

This course offers an introduction and overview of recovery residences in the United State. Recovery residences are sober, safe and peer support living environments that promote recovery from substance use and co-occurring issues.
Topic(s)Recovery Housing
Eligibility

This course is open to anyone. No prerequisites are required.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Describe elements of the recovery residence marketplace
  • Identify preferred and common recovery residence language
  • Discuss relative policies given the various service components
  • Recognize key past, present, and future milestones
  • Contrast the different types or levels of support
  • Identify quality assurance mechanisms
  • Describe key governance and leadership roles
Est. Time7 hr
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The Fundamentals of Being a Recovery House Manager

A series of virtual classes for recovery housing managers. This course is a series of virtual classes for recovery housing managers and is offered periodically throughout the year.
Topic(s)Recovery Housing
Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Develop and implement policies and procedures that empower peer governance and peer leadership
  • Assess the functional and architectural elements of a property to determine whether they support or hinder a healing environment
  • Assess a program’s recovery orientation and identify actions step to improve it
  • Develop policies and procedures that create a community-oriented recovery home
  • Demonstrate the use of motivational interviewing
  • Adopt policies and procedures to support trauma-informed care and culturally responsive programming 
  • Complete a person-driven professional development and self-care plan
Est. Time12 hr
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PROSPER

PROSPER Learning Series

Peer and Recovery Organization Sustainability, Planning, Education, and Research (PROSPER) This self-paced learning series is a benefit of your PROSPER network membership.  In this course,…
Topic(s)PROSPER
Eligibility

Content is available to PROSPER Network Members

Est. Time9 hr 30 min
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Brown Bag Advocacy

January 2025- Substance Use Priorities in the 89th Legislative Session

January 2025- Substance Use Priorities in the 89th Legislative Session Date: January 15, 2025 Time: 12pm – 1pm CT Location: Virtual (zoom, registration required) Are you passionate about substance use…

August 2024- Tips and tricks for communicating with Legislators, their staff, and other policymakers.

August 2024 Brown Bag Advocacy presents: Advocacy Speaks! Tips and tricks for communicating with Legislators, their staff, and other policymakers. We had a great session this month. Thank you to…

April 2024: Policy Issue Areas for the 89th Legislative Session

Policy Issue Areas for the 89th Legislative Session Advocacy never takes a break. We are less than nine months away from the next legislative session. Now is the time to develop advocacy…

January 2024- Funding opportunity for OUD related programs

Join us and our outstanding presenters from the Opioid Abatement Council, Dr. Lori Holleran-Steiker, Dr. Doug Thornton, and Ms. Amanda Lopez, to discuss an upcoming grant utilizing the Opioid settlement…

October 2023- Peer workforce Q&A with Texas HHSC’s Peer Support and Recovery

Have questions about substance use and mental health peer certification and supervision? Want to know more about working as an independent peer specialist? We do too! We are bringing in…

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