Announcing the Certified Peer Specialist Career Outcomes Study
With funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, Live & Learn, Inc., in partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago Center on Mental Health Services Research and Policy and the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities, is conducting a three-year, national study of employment outcomes of individuals who have obtained a certified peer specialist (CPS) credential, regardless of whether they work in peer support. CPSs are mental health workers who have a psychiatric history and use this lived experience plus formal training to support other people with psychiatric histories.
The study aims to understand how the CPS certification process contributes to new graduates’ employment outcomes and opportunities for career advancement. We will recruit and follow a sample of working age adults who recently received a CPS in one of six U.S. states, using an observational prospective cohort study design.
The following research questions will be addressed:
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What are the employment outcomes after certification as a peer specialist?
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How are employment outcomes related to peer specialist graduates’ local labor markets?
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How does certification impact peer specialist graduates’ psychological and economic outcomes?
A Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAC) will meet twice a year and will represent diversity in terms of geography, age, gender, race/ethnicity, perspective, and expertise. The SAC will advise the team about study design, recruitment, data interpretation, and dissemination of findings during the three-year project period. We are currently looking for an individual who represents the perspective of young adult peer specialists to join the SAC. If you or someone you know is interested please email Live & Learn, Inc. Operations Coordinator Matt Klepfer at matt@livelearninc.net.
Learn more about our new project here.