Colorado Providers Association

INITIAL CERTIFICATION

The Colorado Peer and Family Specialist Certification Committee (Committee) is a subcommittee of the Colorado Providers Association (COPA) that approves certification for trained CPFS by reviewing training, continuing education, supervision, and work experience; facilitating examinations; and promoting reciprocity with other jurisdictions.

A total of 60 hours are required for initial certification. At least 30 of the total 60 hours required must be earned in live, interactive, non-self-paced training (either online or in person). The courses on our site are not considered live as they are self-paced.

Of the 60 hours, 46 hours of training must be within the following domains:

• 10 hours of Advocacy
• 10 hours of Mentoring and Education
• 10 hours of Recovery and Wellness Support
• 16 hours of Ethics

The 46 hours in the four core domains of training must be earned from a trainer or training organization pre-approved by COPA.

• CPFS Approved Training List with Training Hours Domain Breakdown: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OkGKtTQhWvi3ZLuT6Fz62yJIDkUOF2wXx8m1naz5YyM/edit?gid=0#gid=0

• CPFS Approved Training Calendar: https://coprovidersassociation.org/training-and-event-calendar/

• Training list of approved organizations that might offer training scholarships: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vHP4tUz7rYJEE87BGGxN01BofedEjzUu/view?

Of the 60 hours, 14 hours of Additional Training are required and must include a combination of the following peer-focused topics:

• Trauma Informed Care
• Cultural Sensitivity
• Whole Health
• Substance Misuse
• Mental Health and Family Support

The CPFS Committee, who meets once per month to review completed applications and is responsible for determining whether or not a training will be approved, is more flexible on the Additional Training domain. If you are using a training that is not on a Pre-Approved Training list, please ensure that it is non-clinical (e.g. assessment/treatment/diagnosis), is peer-focused, and aligns with the IC&RC domains for this credential.

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CERTIFICATION RENEWAL

CPFS certification is valid for 2 years. Renewal dates are based upon the initial certification date. You can add continuing education training to the online application system at
any time during the two-year recertification cycle.

• 30 hours of continuing education trainings/workshops within the last two years
• 6 hours of the 30 hours must be in the ethics domain
• Hours should correspond to the IC&RC Domains
• Submission of duplicate courses taken within the two-year renewal cycle are not
  permitted (e.g., Boundaries 2017 and Boundaries 2018).