Peer Empowerment Partnership

PEP is not a Peer Support Specialist certifying body, nor a training entity designated by CalMHSA for Peer Certification. PEP ensures that the peer perspective infuses and influences the expansion of the Peer Support Specialist workforce, both locally and throughout the State of California. If you need any support around the roll out of SB 803 ranging from questions, support around concerns or organizing work groups, PEP is here to support.

What is PEP+

The Peer Empowerment Partnership (PEP) is a CAMHPRO program that is funded by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and administered by Advocates for Human Potential (AHP) as part of the Behavioral Health Workforce Development.

Peer Empowerment Partnership (PEP) was created by a Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) grant to CAMHPRO as a 17-month program to assist in the implementation of SB803: Peer Support Specialist Certification Act.

Following extensive work to promote the passing of a peer support certification bill, CAMHPRO continued the work in creating PEP, a statewide effort to support the roll-out of SB803 honoring and amplifying the peer perspective, while embracing and uplifting peer support as a mental health and substance use treatment specialty profession.

PEP ensures that the peer perspective is part of the implementation of peer certification. Peers, people with lived experience with mental health, in dialogue with policy leaders shapes the expansion of the peer support specialist workforce. PEP's regional trainers provide peer perspective to the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), CalMHSA, county-level administration, and individuals regarding the process of peer certification as it develops.

Overview of SB 803

SB 803 defines the role of the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to establish statewide guidelines for counties, or an agency representing counties, to use in developing certification programs for the certification of peer support specialists.

SB 803 authorizes a county or agency representing counties to develop a peer support specialist certification program in accordance with the standards developed by the Department. The County or agency representing the county will oversee and enforce the certification requirement.

Download the SB803_fact-sheet