Peer Support
Turn Your Experience Into Health
Transform your personal recovery experience into a rewarding career helping others. If you or a family member has lived experience with substance use or mental health challenges, you're qualified for this growing profession. Learn essential skills like active listening, critical thinking, and social advocacy while gaining hands-on experience through community practicum placements. Upon completion, you're eligible to apply for Nebraska's Certified Peer Support Specialist (C.P.S.S.) certification. Your lived experience combined with professional training opens doors to meaningful work in treatment agencies, recovery organizations, hospitals, and support programs throughout Nebraska.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
Learn the 13 Domains of Peer Support
You will learn the complete framework of professional peer support by studying all 13 domains of the peer support level of care. You’ll understand the essential knowledge, skills, and ethics required to provide effective peer support services.
Develop Relationship-Building and Recovery Support Skills
You’ll build strong skills in creating meaningful connections and providing effective recovery support to individuals on their healing journey. You will learn how to use your lived experience professionally, establish trust and rapport, practice empathetic communication, and support others through challenges.
Recovery Support
You will gain expertise in supporting individuals recovering from mental health challenges and substance use disorders. You’ll learn evidence-based recovery principles, how to share your experience in helpful ways, techniques for encouraging hope and resilience, and methods to help others navigate their personal recovery journey.
Peer Support
Certificate
Locations: Lincoln / Hybrid
The Human Services – Peer Support specialization transforms your lived experiences with mental health or substance use challenges into a powerful career helping others. You’ll learn how to leverage your personal experiences to connect with and support others facing similar struggles.
ESTIMATED TUITION
$2,263
CREDIT HOURS
16
PROGRAM LENGTH
2 Terms
SCHEDULE
Full-Time / Part-Time
STARTING TERM
Fall
WHY SCC?
Flexible for Working Students
Our Peer Support program is designed to make it easier to balance your education with work, family, and other responsibilities while reaching for your career goals. We offer classes in-person and online, and you choose between full- or part-time.
Personal Experience is Your Greatest Strength
Our program is designed for those who have personal lived experience with mental health or substance use recovery, or who have a family member who has successfully recovered. Your personal journey becomes your greatest strength in this career, allowing you to offer authentic hope and understanding to others facing similar challenges.
Gain Real-World Experience
We emphasize practical, hands-on learning to develop the communication techniques through role-playing exercises, work through real-world scenarios using case studies, and participate in engaged learning activities.
Become a Certified Peer Support Specialist
Our program teaches all 13 domains of Peer Support level of care required for certification. Upon completion, you’ll be eligible to apply for Nebraska’s Certified Peer Support Specialist certification, opening doors to a rewarding career.
CAREER OUTCOMES
Peer Navigator
Peer Navigators guide individuals through complex healthcare and social service systems using their personal experience and professional training. They help clients schedule appointments, understand treatment options, complete necessary paperwork, and advocate for client needs within the healthcare system.
Recovery Support Specialist
Recovery Support Specialists help individuals maintain long-term recovery by providing ongoing encouragement and connecting them with community resources. They conduct wellness checks, assist with goal setting and life skills development, coordinate with treatment providers, and support clients through challenging transitions.
Certified Peer Support Specialist – Mental Health
Clinical Addiction Counselors provide advanced therapeutic services to individuals with severe substance use disorders. They perform comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments, develop evidence-based treatment interventions, provide crisis intervention services, and collaborate with medical professionals on medication-assisted treatment.
Human Services Program Accreditation
Certificate Getting Started
Application to the SCC Peer Support program involves two steps. First, students must achieve specific math and reading test scores or complete specific English and math college courses to be eligible to be admitted to the program. Second, once students achieve the required test scores or complete required courses, they can apply to the program.
State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement Institution:
Southeast Community College is a State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement Institution (NC-SARA) institution. As such, SCC is unable to offer online or distance courses to students in the following areas at this time: American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.