About Peer Support

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• Peer Specialist Database
• What Does a Peer Specialist Do? [Video]
• IDHS CRSS/CPRS Orientation
• Family Peer Support Services: Broadening the View A Discussion with Family Members
• Can Hearing About Someone Else’s Problems Fix Your Own?
• States’ Alignment with SAMHSA Model Standards for Peer Support Certification
• Comparative Analysis of State Requirements
• The Role of a Peer Specialist
• What is a peer? -Mental Health America
• What Does a Peer Specialist Do?
• Who is a Peer Professional?
• Defining Peer Support: Implications for Policy, Practice, and Research
• Value of Peers
• When There’s a Crisis, Call a Peer: How People With Lived Experience Make Mental Health Crisis Services More Effective
• Mental Health America: Peer Support
• Mental Health Foundation: Peer Support
• NAMI Illinois: Spreading Hope Through Peer Support
• Peer Support: Research and Reports
• Peer Support Workers for those in Recovery
• Resources from Peers for Progress

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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• What are the CRSS and CPRS certifications? 
• How does a person obtain the CRSS or CPRS certification? 
• What does it cost to obtain and maintain the CRSS and/or CPRS credentials?
• Does my lived experience make the CRSS/CPRS credential a good fit for me?

CPRS (Certified Peer Recovery Specialist)

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• CPRS Model
• What is the Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) Certification?

CRSS (Certified Recovery Support Specialist)

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• CRSS Code of Ethics
• CRSS Model
• What is the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) Certification?

CRSS-E (Employment Endorsement)

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• CRSS-E (Employment Endorsement)

CRSS-YA (Young Adult Endorsement)

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• CRSS-YA (Young Adult Endorsement)

CFPP (Certified Family Partnership Professional)

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• CFPP (Certified Family Partnership Professional)

CVSS (Certified Veteran Support Specialist)

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• What is the Certified Veteran Support Specialist (CVSS) Certification?

Application for Certification

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• Helpful Links- CRSS/CPRS Certification Process
• Illinois Certification Board (ICB) Policy Changes effective October 1, 2024
• Application To-Do List
• CPRS Application Requirements
• CPRS Application
• CPRS Checklist
• CRSS Application Requirements
• CRSS Application
• CRSS Checklist

Exam

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• CPRS Candidate Guide
• CPRS Study Guide
• CRSS Study Guide
• What if I need an accommodation to take either of the CRSS or CPRS exams?
• What if I fail the exam? Can I take the exam(s) more than once? 
• What questions are on the exam?
• Can I take both exams?
• Why are the CRSS and CPRS exams different and offered at different sites?

Training/Education

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• What training courses are required to fulfill the 100 hours of education?
• What are the Performance Domains and Core Functions?
• Trauma-Informed Approaches to Peer Support

Peer Development

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• Global Peer Support Celebration Day
• Person First Language Poster
• Cheat Sheet to Self-Disclosure in Therapy
• Guide for Sharing Lived Experience
• National Practice Guidelines for Peer Specialists & Supervisors

For Employers and Organizations

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• Understanding Medicaid Rules and the Role of Peers
• Burnout in the Peer Profession: Moving Beyond Self-Care to Better Organizational Cultures
• Are you hiring Peer Support Specialists?
• Knowing the Playbook: Ensuring the Integrity of the RSS Role
• Financing Peer Crisis Respites in the United States
• Peer Specialist Job Descriptions
• State by State Peer Specialist Job Descriptions
• Building Organizational Readiness
• Recovery Friendly Workplace Toolkit
• Defining Peer Support Worker Job Roles and Tasks
• Measuring Peer Recovery Outcomes Toolkit
• How To Create an Employer Profile
• How To Post a Job to PeerCareersIL Job Board
• Hiring & Retention of Engagement Specialists
• CRSS Provider Workbook
• Can Peer support workers bill Medicaid for services?
• FAQ on Medicaid and CHIP Coverage of Peer Support Services
• How is CRSS defined in Rule 132 and Rule 140?
• Effectively Employing Young Adult Peer Providers: A Toolkit
• Hiring, Onboarding & Supporting Certified Peer Specialists (CPSs) in Mental Health Services
• Hiring, Onboarding & Supporting Family Peer Advocates
• Peer Crisis Documents from MHTTC
• Peer Support Roles Across the Sequential Intercept Model
• Peer Support Specialist/Advocate Supervisor Job Description
• Ten Tips for Creating a Peer Specialist/Advocate Job Description
• Retaining the Peer Specialist/Advocate
• Youth Peer Advocates Hiring Toolkit
• Is a CRSS or CPRS equivalent to a MHP (Mental Health Professional) according to rule 132 and Rule 140?
• Medicaid Reimbursement for Peer Support Services: A Detailed Analysis of Rates, Processes, and Procedures

For Supervisors of Peer Specialists

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• CRSS Roles and Responsibilities
• Supervisor of Peer Workers Self-Assessment
• Tools and Resources for Supervisors of Young Adult Peer Mentors
• Supervision of Peer Support Specialists Guide

Job Seekers

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• Interview Prep Tips
• US Department of Labor: Interview Skills

Peer Workforce

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• National Overview of the United States Certified Peer Specialist Workforce
• Behavioral Health Careers by State
• Results from a National Survey of Certified Peer Specialist Job Titles and Job Descriptions
• Listening to the Peer Support Workforce
• Where do Peer Professionals work?
• Career Outcomes Study
• Expanding Peer Support and Supporting the Peer Workforce in Mental Health
• National Distribution of Certified Peer Support Specialists in the United States by State, District, and Territory
• Peer Workers in the Behavioral and Integrated Health Workforce: Opportunities and Future Directions

Peer Community

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• Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition (CRCC)
• Copeland Center
• Haven M;inds
• National Association of Peer Supporters
• National Empowerment Center
• National Peer Recovery Alliance

Support Resources

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• Crisis Text Line
• Illinois HelpLine
• Illinois WarmLine
• National Runaway Safeline
• Safe to Help
• SAMHSA National Hotline
• Suicide and Crisis Hotline
• Veterans Crisis Line

Focused Peer Support Topics

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• New study shows linkage facilitation models utilizing peer navigation reduce substance use and increase treatment engagement among women
• Doors to Wellbeing December 2025 Newsletter
• Identifying and Supporting Behavioral Health Needs in Encampments: Tips for Nonclinical Staff
• Identifying and Supporting Behavioral Health Needs in Encampments: Tips for Nonclinical Staff