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 Peer Support Specialist Training Certification provider.

In-person, online, asynchronous and hybrid trainings are available. 

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 next cohort starting March, 2026.

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

 

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.

Application

Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Training Application

Complete a focused two-step application covering your experience, demographic survey, and required acknowledgements.

Two-step form Required fields marked *
1 Application
2 Demographics

Step 1

Application details

Tell us who you are, how to reach you, and the experience you would bring into peer support work.

Enter a 5-digit California ZIP code to auto-fill city.

Current role and employment

Help us understand your current work context

Select the options that describe your present experience. If you are employed, tell us where you work and your title.

Do you have any experience providing peer support?

Are you currently in a peer support specialist role?

Are you currently employed?

Written responses

Tell us in your own words

Use the prompts below to describe the perspective and experience you would bring into the training program.

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.

Please describe an experience from your past that shows how you've coped with feeling different or "othered" socially, systematically, or relationally.

Step 2

Demographic survey and acknowledgements

Finish with the funder survey and confirm the program expectations required for submission.

Demographic Data

The next set of questions includes a demographic survey administered by the funder of this program. The purpose of this survey is to help evaluate how well the program serves individuals from diverse backgrounds. Your responses are optional and will not be used to determine your eligibility for the program.

Please identify your Race/Ethnicity:

Not everybody uses the same labels, however, indicate which BEST describes your current gender:

Not everybody uses the same labels to describe their sexual orientation, however, indicate which BEST describes your sexual orientation:

Do you identify as having a disability?

A disability is defined as an individual who: 1) has a physical or mental impairment or medical condition that limits one or more life activities, such as walking, speaking, breathing, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, learning, caring for oneself or working; 2) has a record or history of such impairment or medical condition; or 3) is regarded as having such an impairment or medical condition.

Do you have any lived experience with mental health, substance abuse as a consumer or as a family member?

Are you a military service member?

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