SAMHSA releases model standards for peer-support certification programs

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration this week released National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification for people who help others address a substance use or mental health issue through their own lived experience. Forty-nine states have endorsed or run peer certification programs since SAMHSA released Core Competencies for Peer Workers in Behavioral Health Services in 2015. The agency does not intend for the national model standards to serve as a substitute for any state certifications, but guidance for states and others “to promote quality and encourage alignment and reciprocity across often disparate state peer support certifications.” (HHS news release, 6/6/23)