Renewing Your Certification

Certification Renewal Procedure
Each Tennessee Certified Peer Recovery Specialist is responsible for maintaining his or her certification and must submit his or her Renewal Application and all other required documentation at least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the end of the recertification date. Each Tennessee Certified Peer Recovery Specialist must sign a statement certifying that no violations to the Code of Ethics have occurred in the past year.

To renew certification status every two years, each Certified Peer Recovery Specialist must:

  • Complete and submit a Renewal Application.
  • Provide documentation of successful completion of continuing education hours as approved by TDMHSAS.
  • Sign a statement certifying that no violations to the Code of Ethics have occurred in the past two years.
  • Have the current supervisor sign a statement certifying that the CPRS has not violated the Code of Ethics in the past two years.
  • Provide at minimum 50 hours of peer recovery services with a minimum of 2 hours of supervision from an approved supervisor. See the Supervision Requirement Section in the Handbook for more information on supervision.
  • Submit any other documents required by the TDMHSAS Office of Consumer Affairs and Peer Recovery Services.

Please complete and submit either the online or printable form.

Online Form: Renewal Application

Download the Printable Form: Renewal Application - The printable form will need to be printed then filled in by hand.

Continuing Education Guidelines
Continuing education is an ethical obligation for all Certified Peer Recovery Specialists, as stated in the CPRS Code of Ethics:

Certified Peer Recovery Specialists will keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to recovery and will share this knowledge with other Certified Peer Recovery Specialists.

Continuing education is required for a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist to renew their certification and must be earned within the annual certification period.

Continuing Education Standards
Certified Peer Recovery Specialists must complete twenty (20) hours of continuing education trainings, seminars, workshops, or college courses per two-year certification period. All continuing education must be approved by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS). To gain prior approval, contact the Peer Recovery Coordinator at CPRS.TDMHSAS@tn.gov.

  • A minimum of two (2) hours of continuing education per two-year certification period must be in ethics
  • Continuing education focused on clinical treatment will not be accepted. It is a violation of the Code of Ethics for CPRS’s to provide clinical treatment.

Continuing education must be within, but not limited to, recovery in the fields of mental illness, substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders.

Supervision
Each Tennessee Certified Peer Recovery Specialist must provide at minimum 50 hours of peer recovery services every two-year certification period.  The current supervisor must sign a statement certifying that the CPRS has not violated the Code of Ethics in the past year.  

Online Renewal Application: Supervisor Form

For more information on the renewal process, refer to the Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Handbook. You can also contact the Peer Recovery Coordinator at 800-560-5767 or email CPRS.TDMHSAS@tn.gov.