Peer Support Coworker
A short introduction to noticing when someone is struggling and knowing how to help.
View on the HubNew · International Certification in Peer Support
Peer support certification, open to anyone.
The ICPS is one open-book, online exam on what a peer supporter needs to know. Lighthouse and the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation sponsor it, in collaboration with UMBC's Department of Emergency and Disaster Health Systems. It doesn't matter what you do for a living or where you trained.
In collaboration with
Peer support training and certification
Certified Peer Support Teammate and Leader
Online and self-paced. Teammate is the core program for people on a peer team. Leader is everything in Teammate plus six hours on picking, training and running the team. Both end with an exam and a certification, and both are a good way to get ready for the ICPS.
Fundamentals of Peer Support: Public Safety
An introduction to peer support in public safety: the role of a peer, the basics of helping, and where to go next. One scholarship is included for each Blueprint agency.
Ask us about itCertificationPeer Support Teammate
The core program for peer team members: mental health foundations, crisis and suicide intervention, listening skills and confidentiality.
See the programCertificationPeer Support Leader
Everything in Teammate, plus six hours on selecting, training and leading a peer team.
See the programCertification programs include 90 days of access and an exam. Group pricing is available for teams.
Peer support
Not everyone is built for peer support.
Peer support is one person helping another through something hard, because they've been close to it themselves. It runs on lived experience, trust and listening. It isn't therapy, and it doesn't replace clinical care.
It grew up in public safety, and you'll find it now in behavioral health, the military, hospitals and community groups. The people doing it need to know when to step in, when to step back, and when to get someone professional help.
That's what the training is for. And if you've already been trained somewhere else, the ICPS is how you show what you know.
Where to start
- New to peer support? Peer Support Coworker is a four-hour introduction.
- Joining or running a team? Teammate or Leader.
- Already trained? Go for the ICPS.
- Training a whole team in person? See in-person training.
New course
Psychological First Aid for Peer Support
Psychological first aid is the support one person gives another in the hours and days after a crisis. This course teaches the RAPID model and applies it to the calls, incidents and built-up stress that first responders carry.
Enroll in the course- IntroductionWhat psychological first aid is, where it came from, and how it fits with peer support and crisis intervention.
- Reflective listening and rapportListening in a way that builds trust and helps someone feel heard.
- Assessment and prioritizationTelling expected stress reactions from those that need more help, and deciding who needs attention first.
- Intervention and dispositionEasing acute distress, and knowing when and how to connect someone with professional care.
- Self-careLooking after yourself while you look after others.
Our partner
The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation
ICISF is a nonprofit in Ellicott City, Maryland. Its mission is to be the leader in providing education, training, consultation and support services in comprehensive crisis intervention.
ICISF teaches Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), which is how peers help peers understand what can happen after a critical incident. Its courses are for people joining a crisis response team and for the organizations that help people recover. With UMBC, ICISF also offers its own certifications in CISM, peer paracounseling and pastoral crisis intervention.
ICISF co-sponsors the ICPS with us, and its crisis intervention courses are part of our in-person training.
On icisf.org
- About ICISFWho they are and their mission.
- Education and trainingCISM courses, conferences and events.
- Assisting Individuals in CrisisIndividual crisis intervention and peer support.
- Group Crisis InterventionGroup interventions within the CISM framework.
- ICISF certificationsCCISM, CPPC and CPCI, with UMBC.
In person
Training your whole team in one place
We run one to five day in-person programs for agencies and teams, including ICISF's Assisting Individuals in Crisis and Group Crisis Intervention courses. Group pricing is available.
“This was a comprehensive training that will be extremely useful as a Clinical Advisor to Peer Support in my Department. I enjoyed the structure and flow of this course and the videos were as informative as they were important. Well done!!”
“I thought the training and information was excellent. I truly appreciate all the information that was shared and know that this will help to make me a more successful peer support teammate. Thank you for your hard work in making this program!”
“I really like that the videos were broken down into short segments. This kept the learning going quickly and not too overwhelming.”
Already certified?
Renewals and CE
Teammate and Leader certifications renew each year. Your records are on the Lighthouse Hub.
Renewals and CEStarted a course?
Pick up where you left off
Courses started on this site finish where you began them. New courses, exams and certificates are on the Lighthouse Hub.
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