Wisconsin Peer Specialist Certification
Take your Peer Specialist Certification exam electronically at several sites around the state or online through UWM’s School of Continuing Education.
A Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) provides peer support to people receiving services related to mental health and/or substance use challenges. Whether a CPS works in a peer-run organization on a team entirely composed of other peer support professionals or as part of a treatment or recovery team including clinicians and other service providers, the CPS is an active participant and colleague with his/her own valuable expertise and skill set.
A Certified Peer Specialist is a person who has his/her own lived experience of mental health and/or substance use challenges and has completed formal training and certification in the peer specialist model of mental health and substance use-oriented peer support. They use their unique set of lived experiences and recovery in combination with comprehensive skills training, including continuing education, to support people living with mental health and/or substance use challenges. The specialists actively center peer support and associated principles in their work while operating under a clearly defined role and collaborate in a complementary fashion as part of an agency’s team support structure.
A Certified Parent Peer Specialist (CPPS) combines knowledge gained from parenting children and youth with social, emotional, behavioral, mental health and/or substance use challenges and training to increase their skills to support other parents or those in a parenting role. Much like a Certified Peer Specialist, CPPSs can work in a variety of settings and center values and skills of peer support in their work to support family resiliency.
COVID-19 Exam Considerations Update:
All exams will be offered online until further notice.
The School of Continuing Education office is closed for delivery. Please mail your application ensuring it is postmarked by the due date. Do not use an expedited delivery service such as FedEx or UPS.
Upcoming Peer Specialist Trainings
Assessments/Exams Schedules
150 applications maximum per exam date.
Certification Peer Specialist assessments/exams are scheduled for the following dates:
April 7, 2021: 8:30am, 11:30am or 2:30pm – offered online
(Application deadline must be postmarked by March 17, 2021)
May 19, 2021: 8:30am, 11:30am or 2:30pm – offered online
(Application deadline must be postmarked by April 28, 2021)
September 29, 2021: 8:30am, 11:30am or 2:30pm – offered online
(Application deadline must be postmarked by September 8, 2021)
Certification Parent Peer Specialist assessments/exams are scheduled for the following dates:
March 24, 2021: 8:30am, 11:30am or 2:30pm – offered online
(Application deadline must be postmarked by March 3, 2021)
September 15, 2021: 8:30am, 11:30am or 2:30pm – offered online
(Application deadline must be postmarked by August 25, 2021)
An email will be sent out one week prior to the exam date to inform applicants of the assigned exam time.
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Peer Specialist Exam Application
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Parent Peer Specialist Exam Application
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Change of Address Form for WI Certified Peer Specialists
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Retake Application for the Wisconsin Peer Specialist Certification Exam
As of January 2017 you may retake the exam only if you have taken and passed the new Wisconsin Peer Specialist Training Curriculum. After your original attempt you will have two additional opportunities to retake the exam. If you do not pass the exam the third time you must retake the entire WI Peer Specialist Training in order to apply to take another exam.
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CPS Recertification Form
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The Peer Specialist Employment Initiative Website