Questions people ask us
These are the real questions we get most often about our training. If yours is not here, email us and we will answer it.
Before you sign up
Is the training all online?
Mostly, yes.
The six single courses are fully online and self-paced. You start when you want and stop when you want.
The two certification programs are a mix. Peer Recovery Specialist has 30 hours live on Zoom, then the rest self-paced. Community Health Worker has 15 live Zoom sessions plus a 40-hour practicum you do in person at a workplace.
Nothing requires you to travel to a classroom.
What does it cost?
Single courses run $39 to $129 each, depending on how many hours they are. See all six with prices.
Peer Recovery Specialist is $499 for the full 52 hours. If you live in Allegany or Garrett County, a grant may cover the whole thing.
Community Health Worker is $1,400 for 140 hours. Payment plans are available — ask us.
If your employer is paying, we take purchase orders and can invoice your organization. Group rates apply when you send several people, including for the single courses.
When is the next class?
We do not have dates set for the next Peer Recovery Specialist or Community Health Worker class right now.
Add your name to our list and we will email you as soon as we pick them. You will hear before it goes on the website.
The six single courses have no dates at all — you can start those today.
I'm new to all of this. Where do I start?
Start by working out which of the two credentials fits you.
Peer Recovery Specialist is for people who have been through mental health or drug and alcohol recovery themselves and want to help others. If you have been in recovery two years or more, you qualify.
Community Health Worker is for people who want to connect their neighbors to care — doctors, benefits, rides, food. No lived experience required. You need to be 18 with a high school diploma or GED.
Not sure which? Email us and describe your situation. We will tell you honestly which one fits, or if neither does.
Do I need lived experience of addiction to take the CPRS class?
For Peer Recovery Specialist, yes. Maryland requires you to have been in recovery from mental health or substance use for at least two years, and to be willing to say so. That lived experience is the whole point of the role — it is what makes a peer specialist different from a counsellor.
If you do not have that background but want to work in community health, Community Health Worker is the program for you. No lived experience needed.
If someone handed you a flyer for CPRS and you are not sure why, that is worth a conversation. Ask us.
Can I take the training if I live outside Maryland?
Anyone can take our classes, from anywhere. We do not turn people away based on where they live.
The thing to know is what the hours are good for. Our courses are approved by Maryland boards, so the credit counts toward Maryland credentials. If you are certifying in another state, check with your own board before you pay — they may not accept it.
You are still welcome to take the training for the knowledge. Plenty of people do. Just go in knowing the hours may not transfer.
Two other things worth knowing:
- Peer Recovery Specialist certification requires you to live in Maryland, or do at least half your work here.
- Free tuition is limited to Allegany and Garrett County residents.
Not sure where you stand? Tell us where you are and we will be straight with you.
If you already hold a credential
I need my four harm reduction hours. Which course is that?
Compassion Over Judgement: Peer Support & the Harm Reduction Model. Four hours, $79, fully online and self-paced.
It covers all four harm reduction hours MABPCB requires — for initial certification and for renewal. This is the most common question we get, usually from people who have everything else done and need this one last piece before they can test.
Go to the course · See all six courses
And if you live in Allegany or Garrett County, ask us before you pay — grant funding may cover it.
I'm renewing and short a few hours. Which course fills my gap?
Tell us which hours you still need and we will point you at the right course. That is faster than guessing.
Roughly, our six courses cover:
- Ethics — ACEs & Trauma-Informed Care, 6 hours
- Harm reduction — Compassion Over Judgement, 4 hours
- Advocacy and mentoring — Addiction & Recovery 101, 4 hours
- Mentoring — Strategic Sharing, 4 hours
- Recovery and wellness — Psychological Safety, 2 hours
- Ethics and mentoring — Unconscious Bias, 1 hour of each
Can I take just one course instead of the whole program?
Yes. Six of our courses can be bought one at a time. That is often exactly what people need — a few hours to finish a certificate or a renewal.
Two courses inside the Peer Recovery Specialist program cannot be bought separately: the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy® and Mental Health First Aid. Those come only with the full 52-hour program.
Do these courses count toward my CHW certificate?
Not toward getting your CHW certificate in the first place. That requires the full 140-hour class approved by the Maryland Department of Health.
Our six single courses are built around the Peer Recovery Specialist competencies, which are a different set.
If you are a certified CHW looking at renewal hours, ask us — we will check whether a specific course counts for your situation rather than guess.
Taking the training
How long do I have to finish a course?
One year from the day you sign up. Work at your own pace — start and stop as often as you need. Most people finish a single course in an afternoon or two.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. When you finish a course, your certificate is generated with your hours and the date on it. You can download it any time from your account. Keep it for your renewal paperwork.
What if I have to miss a live session?
Tell us before the class starts if you already know about a conflict. We would rather work around one appointment than have you skip a whole cohort.
The live sessions in each program have attendance requirements set by the certifying board, so there is a limit to how much can be missed. Ask us about your specific dates and we will tell you straight whether it works.
The six single courses have no live sessions, so this does not apply to them.
Can my employer pay for this?
Yes. We take purchase orders and can invoice your organization directly, so you do not have to pay out of pocket and claim it back.
Group rates apply when you send several staff — including for the single online courses, not just the full programs. See group and employer training.