Peer Recovery Support Specialist Steps to Certification

Review the Peer Recovery Support Specialist Administration Rules:

Please review the Chapter 53. Standards and Criteria for Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialists..  These will provide you with the qualifications, prerequisites needed and timelines for application and certification. Please review them closely as there have been critical changes.  

The minimum qualifications to be certified as an PRSS are:

• Have demonstrated recovery from a mental illness, substance abuse disorder or both.
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be willing to self disclose about their own recovery
• Be employed by or volunteer with the state, a behavioral service provider or an advocacy agency contracting with the state to provide behavioral health services.
• Possess good moral character.
• Not be engaged in any practice or conduct which would be grounds for denying, revoking or suspending a certification.
• Agree to respect and observe the PRSS Code of Ethics which must be signed and mailed with their Application Inventory Form to ODMHSAS before being assigned to a training.
• Pass an examination based on standards promulgated by ODMHSAS after completing the training.

National Provider Identification Number:

• It is extremely important that before you begin the On-Line Peer Recovery Support Specialist Application process, you will need to get your National Provider Identification (NPI Number) because that number will be your identification number in the PRSS System.  
• If you already have an NPI number, please use that number.

Complete the Peer Recovery Support Specialist On-Line Application:

• Access to the new online system (click here) must create a user id and password first before you can access the new on-line application process.
• New Peer Recovery Support Specialist On-Line Application & Associated Forms – Please make sure your information is complete and correct, but just incase you need to make corrections, revisions or updates, use this same link and make the changes yourself.
• Once you have completed your on-line application, you only have six (6) months to complete the application process before your application expires.

Mail in the following documents:

• Application Inventory Form– This has a list of all the needed attachments and should also be signed by the applicant.
• Print off, sign, and attach the Code of Ethics to your application Inventory page.  You cannot be registered for training until we receive your signed Code of Ethics.
• Print off the Verification of Employment or Volunteer Status Form, have your supervisor complete their portion of this form, you complete your portion of this form.  You cannot become a certified PRSS unless you are employed by or volunteering with a contracted agency.
• Application Fee of $25.00** Check or money order only, made payable to ODMHSAS.
  **ODMHSAS employees are exempt from the initial fee of $25.00.
• Official College transcript.  If you don't have any college credits, an official High School transcript or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) – Only official transcripts will be accepted. High School and GED Transcripts must show graduation date.
• Mail all of the above to: ODMHSAS, Attention: PRSS. The mailing address is P.O. Box 53277, Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3277.

Peer Recovery Support Specialist Application Approval Process:

Applications will be reviewed in detail. Applicants who send in incomplete applications or applications needing corrections will be notified by e-mail of the needed corrections. These applications will be held for five business days to give the applicants time to make the corrections. If the corrections are not made within this window of time, the applications will be mailed to the applicants' attention at their noted place of employment.

Application Approvals:

After the PRSS Application has been approved, the applicant will receive an e-mail with a letter attached stating that they have been accepted to attend the training.  Your letter will provide the dates of the training and a map of the training facility.

Attend a five day training.

Take and Pass the PRSS Exam.

After completion of the 5 day training, all participants will be expected to take and pass the exam. The test will take place anywhere from two weeks to a month following the training. Participants must attend all the modules in order to test. The test is pass or retake. If it is determined that you must retake the exam, you will be offered tutoring and a review. The test is a combination of true/false, multiple choice and essay questions. It is reasonable to expect that there will be some application questions on the exam. 

Upon Successful Exam Completion you will receive an official Certificate showing that you are a Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist.

Certifications must be renewed annually. 

To maintain your certification each year all Certified PRSS's are expected to have twelve (12) hours of continuing education units (CEU), three (3) of these hours must be in Ethics.  To maintain your status as a Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist you should complete the on-line Renewal process.  You may be randomly selected to provide documentation of attendance.  It is the responsibility of each individual to maintain their own tracking sheets and to enter your CEU's into the database by the December 31st deadline each calendar year. The cut off date for turning in your continuing education credits each year is December 31 at 5:00 p.m.

If you have any questions,  you may e-mail or call Ronda Trumbly at 405-522-6852, Ramona Webster at 405-522-5366 or David Heath Holt at 405-522-1661.