To be elligible to obtain a Certified MHPS, an individual must meet the following criteria: 

• Meet the age requirement of 18 years or older
• Have personal experience with a mental health condition*
• Possess a high school diploma or equivalent
• Willing to share one's recovery story in an appropriate manner
• Able to show ongoing self-directed recovery journey
• Pass any required criminal history and registry background checks.
• Living in Texas

*Mental health condition--A condition (excluding a single diagnosis of an intellectual or developmental disability or a substance use disorder) that substantially impairs:

• an individual's thought, perception of reality, emotional process, or judgment
• an individual's behavior; or
• an individual's ability to participate in daily routines

Mental Health Peer Specialists provide services that are recovery-oriented, person-centered, relationship-focused, and trauma-informed. 

These services may include:

• Recovery and wellness support - includes providing information on and support with planning for recovery
• Mentoring - includes serving as a role model and providing assistance in finding needed community resources and services
• Advocacy - includes providing support in stressful or urgent situations and helping to ensure that the recipient's rights are respected

In Texas a certified Mental Health Peer Specialist (MHPS) is a person who uses lived experience in recovery from a mental health condition*, in addition to skills learned in formal training, to deliver strengths-based, person-centered services to promote a recipient's recovery and resiliency.

*Mental health condition--A condition (excluding a single diagnosis of an intellectual or developmental disability or a substance use disorder) that substantially impairs:

• an individual's thought, perception of reality, emotional process, or judgment
• an individual's behavior; or
• an individual's ability to participate in daily routines