Thank you for your interest in helping others along their recovery journey.
To become a certified PRS, you must:
- Have direct lived experience as a person with mental illness and/or substance use disorder
- Be in recovery
- Have a high school diploma/GED
- Be willing to share your story appropriately to help others
- Not currently be on probation/parole
- Not have any disqualifying offenses on your record
If you do not live with mental illness and/or substance use disorder, but you support a loved one who does, you may be eligible to become a Family Peer Supporter. You are not eligible to become an Adult Peer Supporter.
If you are 18-30 years old and you are interested in working with young people in recovery, you may be eligible to become a Youth Peer Supporter. You may choose Youth Peer Support certification in addition to or instead of becoming an Adult Peer Supporter.
If you were certified in Ohio as a Peer Recovery Supporter since 2016, you do not need to repeat the 40-hour training to reinstate your certification. Go to PRS Certification and Renewal Support or the OhioMHAS website for information on reinstating your certification.
To become a certified Adult Peer Recovery Supporter, register for 40-hour PRS Certification Training hosted by MHAOhio to get started:
Step 1. Complete the Ohio Peer Recovery Supporter Training Application. You will receive a confirmation email with important information on next steps. Be sure to check your spam/junk folder.
Step 2. Ask two people who know you well and are familiar with your recovery journey to complete a PRS Reference Form. The reference forms are sent to the two people you choose once you submit your application.
Step 3. Complete the following 11 online courses (16 hours total) on the E-based Academy and submit your certificates online (link provided once you complete your application) or to peertraining@mhaohio.org.
- Introduction to Certified Peer Recovery Support for Certified Peer Recovery Supporters
- History of Substance Use, Mental Health, and Advocacy for Certified Peer Recovery Supporters
- The Recovery Environment for Certified Peer Recovery Supporters
- Cultural Competency for Certified Peer Recovery Supporters
- Ethics and Boundaries for Certified Peer Recovery Supporters
- The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing for Certified Peer Recovery Supporters
- Trauma Informed Care for Certified Peer Recovery Supporters
- Understanding Human Trafficking for Certified Peer Recovery Supporters
- Health and Wellness for Certified Peer Recovery Supporters
- Supervision for Certified Peer Recovery Supporters
- Realities of Peer Recovery Support for Certified Peer Recovery Supporters
(If you experience technical difficulties with the E-based Academy, please email OhioMHAS at MHAhelpdesk@mha.ohio.gov.)
Step 4. Once you complete the steps above, we will contact you to register you for 40-hour PRS Certification Training hosted by MHAOhio if you live in Central Ohio. (Candidates outside Central Ohio will be referred to the OhioMHAS 40-hour training calendar for other trainings around the state.)
We prioritize Franklin County residents. If you are outside of Franklin County, other organizations around Ohio also offer this training.
To get a head start on the Ohio PRS certification process, you may choose to obtain your background check before you complete the 40-hour Training:
Step 5. Once you complete the 40-hour training, you may apply with OhioMHAS for your certification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Peer Recovery Supporter Services
Contact
PRS Support Line
(614) 259-8183
peertraining@mhaohio.org
Jon Bommarito – Certified PRS
(614) 245-5026
jbommarito@mhaohio.org
If you are currently on probation, you may attend the 40-hour OhioMHAS Peer Recovery Supporter Certification Training. However, you must wait until you have completed probation to apply for certification.
If you have a disqualifying offense in your background, you may attend the OhioMHAS 40-hour Certification Training, but you may not become a certified Peer Recovery Supporter.
If you are interested in obtaining a Certificate of Qualification for Employment (CQE) or having your record sealed/expunged, you may find help through The Legal Aid Society of Columbus.
You may attend the OhioMHAS 40-hour certification training even if you don’t plan to become a certified PRS.
If you have already completed another type of peer training, check the OhioMHAS website to see if that training will qualify you for certification. If the training you took is not listed, email ohiopeercertification@mha.ohio.gov to see if the training you took will meet the qualifications for certification. Provide as much information about the training as you can, including full name, organization that designed and/or provided the training, certificate of completion (if you have one), syllabus or list of topics/modules.
If you are currently or were certified in another state, you may not need to complete the OhioMHAS 40-hour Certification Training. If you took a qualifying training to be certified or you have at least 3 or more years of formal, verifiable experience providing behavioral health peer services, AND you have a direct lived experience of a mental health and/or substance use issues, then you do not need to take the OhioMHAS 40-hour training. See the OhioMHAS website for the required steps for certification. (Please note: all certified PRS in Ohio must have a high school diploma or GED.)
