Peer Support Specialist Placement Program

For HCAI Scholarships Only

Painted Brain is thrilled to offer a Placement Program, made possible through funding from the Department of Health Care Access. As a grant-funded scholarship recipient in PB’s Peer Specialist Certification Training Program, this program provides a unique opportunity for you to enhance your skills further and gain valuable experience in the field.

PB takes pride in being an approved CalMHSA Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification training vendor.

Our recent graduates, after completing “80 hours of evidence-based training in practices including trauma-informed care, peer disclosure, group facilitation, wellness and recovery planning, safety and crisis planning, cultural responsiveness, advocacy, digital literacy, and law and ethics, are now well-prepared to pass the state exam and achieve full certification.

 Now, peers are prepared to pass the state exam to achieve full certification and put their skills to work as employees or volunteers in the public mental health realm.

Painted brain community center gray grain

Painted Brain is one of only nine California state-wide training vendors that have received funding by the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) for  the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Training program and is one of only five providers of the 40-hour specialization training in Peer Services for Justice-Involved.

  • This program has served 459 individuals to date through the provision of outreach, recruitment, free scholarship-based training, exam preparation, support, career counseling, and job placement services. 

In May 2024, Painted Brain’s PAVE application was approved, allowing us to begin billing behavioral health services through Medi-Cal This will have a large net positive effect on our financial sustainability, as we will no longer be solely funded by grants and fee-for-service contracts for our direct services and programming. 

Advantages of Peer Support Specialists

Peer Support Specialists who have completed this training can fulfill important organizational roles:

  • Offering hope to individuals with shared lived experience and modeling wellness and recovery
  • Providing individuals with strengths-based support, coaching, and advocacy
  • Linking to resources in the community
  • Collaborating with behavioral health care team members of different disciplines
  • Leading a variety of wellness and support groups
  • Documenting services provided in health records
  • PB will assist HCAI scholarship recipients in obtaining and retaining their placement for at least six months
  • Potentially generating Medi-Cal revenue (after passing the certification exam)
 

Do you qualify for Free 80-hour Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Training?

Through grants with the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI), Painted Brain is able to offer free 80-hour Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Training, reimbursement for registration and exam fees associated with certification, and job readiness and placement supports. 

Click here for Training

Though we are unable to guarantee a paying position to every graduate, our grant-funded Job Readiness Program provides the following supports:

  • Exam preparation study sessions
  • Resume writing training
  • One-on-one resume writing and interview skills supports
  • Individualized position searches meeting your unique employment needs
  • Opportunities to gain valuable experience as a PB volunteer

 

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