BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon Community College is now authorized to offer certified peer support specialist training in the state of Oregon.
One of the first such programs in the region, the training is made possible by a partnership with the Deschutes County Division of Behavioral Health, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Cascade Peer and Self-Help Center and PacificSource Health Plans.
A peer support specialist is an individual with lived experience of substance use and/or mental health challenges who is trained to provide support services to others.
Through mutual understanding, respect and empowerment, peer support workers help individuals engage and stay in the recovery process, reducing the likelihood of relapse. Peer support services can effectively extend the reach of treatment beyond the clinical setting into the everyday environment of those seeking a successful and sustainable recovery process.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers in substance abuse treatment and mental health are expected to grow by 23% between 2020 and 2030.
“This new training represents over a year of planning that began in July of last year,” explains Dr. Sarah Baron, assistant professor of public health at COCC. “It is the first peer support specialist class to be held in Deschutes, Jefferson or Crook counties and is a collaborative effort that will include team teaching with community partners and peer support specialists working in the field. We will continually update training to meet the needs of the region, and graduates will help contribute to a healthier Central Oregon.”
“This training was developed in an effort to increase our communities’ access to Peer Support Specialists,” adds Shannon Brister-Raugust, Program Manager at the Deschutes County Division of Behavioral Health. “Our curriculum is unique in that it includes local certified peer support specialists, recovery mentors and family support specialists who work actively within our community, enriching the learning environment through hands-on, applicable experience.”
COCC’s four-week module prepares graduates for certification to work as advocates in mental health and addiction treatment settings. The curriculum teaches strategies in well-being, self-efficacy, empowerment, and recovery, as well as topics in crisis intervention and trauma-informed care.
Classes begin at COCC the week of September 19 and will be held in a mix of online and in-person formats. There are no academic prerequisites and enrollees do not need a high school diploma or GED to enroll.
Training scholarships are available courtesy of matching grants from the Central Oregon Health Council and American Rescue Plan funds allocated by Deschutes County. The scholarship application is open now until September 5. For more information on training and scholarships, visit cocc.edu/programs/public-health.
