Certification Standards

Prevail Health created Prevail Academy as a voluntary, nongovernmental process of course completion and supervision intended to evaluate, enhance, and publicly recognize quality in the rigor, training, and supervision of Prevail graduates from the courses taken and work completed in order to be recognized as a Certified Peer Support Specialist by the Prevail Academy.

The Prevail Academy has a Memorandum of Agreement with the Center for Global Initiatives in which the Center provides review, collaboration and oversight of the Academy curricula and training and functions as a third party Certification body. The Center’ s Director has specialized training as a Site Reviewer for the American Psychological Association’s Accreditation Board and as a Baldridge National Quality Award Examiner. The Center is incorporated in Illinois and registered under both the Charitable Trust and the Solicitation for Charity Acts CO# 01052948, and is recognized by the US Department of the Treasury as a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency, FEIN 208879339. The Center has been reviewed and endorsed by Great Nonprofits since 2013 and holds a Platinum Level rating from GuideStar.

Certification provides independent verification of a certain level of expertise in a particular area. Basically, it means a Prevail Academy Certified Peer Support Specialist has completed the steps required to receive a particular designation. The Prevail Academy certification program has a defined set of components and training offered to demonstrate that via successful completion, that they have achieved a measured level of knowledge within a designated timeline.

A Prevail Academy Certified Peer Support Specialist is able to demonstrate the acquisition of the core competencies expected by Prevail (knowledge, skills, job tasks, and performance domains) in the service of working with Users.

Peer Support Specialist Certification is an official recognition provided by the Prevail Academy to indicate that the graduate has met our specified qualifications that include lived experience and training from our standardized curriculum on mental health issues. This curriculum has been developed and approved by Prevail Academy and includes a mandatory number of hours of training in various topics pertaining to mental health care, use of the Prevail platform, and ethics. The curriculum includes topics such as protocols for flagging chats, documentation, managing proper boundaries, communication skills, working with specific situations, and principles of practices (i.e., engagement, strength-based planning).

The “Certified Peer Support Specialist” is a specialty designation that is conferred when additional hours of training specific to special populations has been completed and the candidate has demonstrated thorough knowledge, skills, ability, training, and supervision within that subgroup.

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Defining and standardizing the classification of Peer Support Specialist through certification works to prevent engagement outside of one’s expertise. As with other professions, certification defines the level of care and services.

However, certification does not imply endorsement of clinical competency or any type of independent healthcare practice. It is not the same as professional licensing or within the scope of professional practice that includes activities that are defined in state law or statute. True to the spirit of peer support, the Prevail Academy certification credential does not mean a Peer Support Specialist is a clinician. The Prevail Certified Peer Support Specialist credential emphasizes the principles, guidelines, and core values of peer support. It is not designed to replace peer trainings or certifications available outside of Prevail Academy.

Certification is intended to benefit the Users of Prevail’s services, as well as serve as a platform to improve the quality of instruction, teaching, learning, and professional practice in peer support services. Through the standards of the Academy, Prevail encourages the dual attainment of a standard level of professional competency as a Peer Support Specialist and ongoing development via our educational content, supervision, and training programs with an emphasis on continuous innovation and improvement.

The Prevail Academy Certification involves judging the degree to which a student has achieved the educational aims and the standards described in this document by demonstrating adequate mastery of the topic-specific knowledge and professional competencies. Thus, this document is intended to define and describe our perspectives and values as to the goals of training, the development of methods for achieving those goals, and establishing high standards in a context of flexibility and commitment to excellence.

Quality

The primary goal of the Certification process is to ensure quality of the training and ability of a Prevail Certified Peer Support Specialist to have the requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values required for competent and safe practice.

Transparency

As part of its commitment to accountability, the Prevail Academy is transparent and open regarding our policies, standards, and procedures by which it operates. It is open to and values external input regarding content and performance from the public, enrolled students, graduates, faculty and practitioners.

Inclusiveness

In addition to the principles and values that regulate the functions of the Prevail Academy, we have adopted a broad definition of cultural and individual differences and diversity that includes, but is not limited to, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.

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Standards of Prevail Academy Certification

1.0 Professional Standards

Completion of all training hours and supervision requirements set forth in the curriculum undertaken. 1.1 By applying for Certification, the applicant agrees to adhere to Prevail Academy’s Professional Code of Ethics.

2.0 Educational Standards

The Peer Support Specialist must meet the following education criteria: 2.1 Baseline: 10 hours User Program – 8-10 hours 2.2 Coach Training: 14 hours Level 1 – Approximately 3 hours Level 2 – Approximately 8 hours Level 3 – Approximately 3 hours 2.3 Required Continued Education: 9 hours Program Related Badges: Approximately 3 hours Topic Related Badges: Approximately 6 hours

Total: 33 hours

2.4 Additional -on

Continued Education: 12 hours Other Topics: Approximately 8 hours Caregiver Program: Approximately 2 hours Moderator Training: Approximately 2 hours

Total: 12 hours

3.0 Supervision Standards

The Peer Support Specialist must meet the following education criteria 3.1 Moving from Level 1 (L1) to Level 2 (L2 ) requires 150 chats Average Chat duration at this Level is 22 minutes With 150 chats x 22 minutes = 3,300 minutes or 55 hours 3.2 Moving from Level 2 (L2) to Level 3 (L3) requires a minimum of 500 chats completed Average Chat duration at this Level is 38 minutes With 350 chats x 38 minutes = 13,300 or 222 hours

Total = 277 hours

TRAINING & SUPERVISION TOTAL: 322 hours

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