Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) A peer
specialist must:
(1) be at least 18 years of
age;
(2) have lived
experience;
(3) have a high school
diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED);
(4) be willing to appropriately share his own
recovery story with recipients;
(5)
be able to demonstrate current self-directed recovery; and
(6) pass criminal history and registry checks
as described in § 354.3201 of this subchapter (relating to Criminal
History and Registry Checks).
(b) A person certified in Texas on the date
this rule is initially effective may apply to a certification entity to be
grandfathered into certification under this subchapter.
(1) A request under this subsection must meet
the requirements of § 354.3203(a) of this subchapter (relating to
Procedures for Peer Specialist Certification), except as outlined in paragraphs
(2) and (3) of this subsection.
(2)
A person with a certification in good standing with the Texas Certification
Board of Addiction Professionals, on the date this rule is initially effective,
may apply to a certification entity to be grandfathered into peer specialist
certification under this subchapter, with the designation of Recovery Support
Peer Specialist. A person requesting to be grandfathered under this paragraph
is exempt from the initial certification and supervised work experience
requirements in § 354.3205 of this subchapter (relating to Initial Peer
Specialist Certification).
(3) A
person with a certification in good standing with Via Hope, on the date this
rule is initially effective, may apply to a certification entity to be
grandfathered into peer specialist certification under this subchapter, with
the designation of Mental Health Peer Specialist. A person requesting to be
grandfathered in under this paragraph must submit documentation of at least 250
hours of supervised work experience. If the person does not have, or cannot
document, at least 250 hours of supervised work experience, the certification
entity may offer that person an initial certification under § 354.3205 of
this subchapter.
(c) A
certification entity must ensure that each applicant for certification meets
the requirements in subsection (a) or (b) of this section.
(d) A peer specialist must complete required
training and be certified under this subchapter before providing services under
this subchapter. A peer specialist must remain certified in good standing under
this subchapter to provide services under this subchapter. The required
training does not apply to a person grandfathered into certification under
subsection (b) of this section.
