Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Training

Find out how your lived experience with mental health issues including substance use/abuse can make a positive difference for someone else facing similar challenges.

Train to become a Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Today!

Southern California Counseling Center (SCCC) has been approved and certified by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) as a Medi-Cal as a Peer Support Specialist Training provider.

Our Peer Support Specialist Certification program will equip you with essential behavioral health support skills. You will be trained on the 17 Core Competencies needed to receive the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification. The course includes training in social justice, peer values, enhancing self-advocacy skills, self-reflection, hands-on exercises, and group collaboration.

If you are ready to make the commitment, this training can open doors to a career in behavioral health counseling that can last a lifetime. Think about this training as an investment in your future and see yourself helping others through the same or similar challenges you’ve already faced.

SCCC will prepare you for the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Exam. You will receive training in the essential skills of empathy and understanding. These skills are necessary for you to guide peers through their recovery journeys.

When you complete the 80-hour training you will receive a completion certificate. The certificate will be included in your application to take the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Exam.

We are currently accepting applications for our May 2025 cohort.

Apply Now

Minimum Qualifications

Must be 18 years old or older
Hold a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification
Personally identify with the recovery journey from mental illness or substance use disorder, either through personal experience or as a parent, caregiver, or family member of someone who has used these services
Open to sharing personal experiences
Possess a deep commitment to the recovery process
Required to complete the full 80-hour training program
Understand and articulate your motivation for pursuing peer support work in California’s public mental health system

Course Details

We are currently accepting applications for our 5 week May 2025 cohort.

Course will begin May 13, 2025.

Days & Times:

Tuesday 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Thursday 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (3 hours class time, 2 hours process groups)
25 hours of asynchronous, online training
In addition, participants must attend 3 hours of experiential process groups

Training Length: 80 hours over 5 weeks

Training Fee

Training Fee: Financial assistance available upon request.

Please fill out and submit the application.

Your name*

Address*

Date of Birth*

Email*

Phone number*

How did you hear about this program?*

What lived experience do you have that you would feel comfortable sharing in peer counseling?*

Do you have any experience providing peer support?*
YesNo

Are you currently in a peer support specialist role?*
YesNo

Share something about yourself. (100 words)*
Many experiences influence who we are. Please tell us an important experience you’ve had that has shaped you, influenced you, and led you to the decision to become a Peer Support Specialist.

How are you aware of difference? (100 words)*
Please describe an experience from your past that shows how you’ve coped with feeling different or ‘othered’ socially, systematically, or relationally.

I agree to adhere to Southern California Counseling Center’s core values of respect, a welcoming environment, empowerment and learning.*
YesNo