71723 Online Certified Parent Peer Specialist (CPPS) Training of the Trainer (DHS & Access to Independence-supported)

We are excited to announce an upcoming online (zoom-based) Certified Parent Peer Specialist Training of the Trainer in July 2023!

This Virtual (Zoom-based) Certified Parent Peer Specialist training is supported by Department of Health Services and Access to Independence.

Training Dates: July 17th – 19th, 24th – 26th, 2023

Hours: 9AM – 4PM CT

Location: Online (Zoom-based)

Trainers/Co-Facilitators: Paula Buege, Lynn Maday-Bigboy, Marguerit Galindo, and Gaochi Vang

Training Serves: Residents in any Wisconsin County

Training Cost: Free for participants

When to Apply (and Deadlines/Closing)

A button will appear below this section with the words “Click Here to Apply” at the time applications open. Click that button to access the application form for this training.

Applications Open: Monday, May 1st, 2023 at 12PM (Noon)

Application Deadline: Wednesday, May 31st, 2023 at 12PM (Noon)

Determining Eligibility and Fit

The following are required to be eligible to apply for this CPPS training:

• Must be a Certified Parent Peer Specialist with active Wisconsin certification OR
• Must be Current CPS trainer and is in a parenting role of kids/youth with MH/SU challenges OR
• Became a CPS in the last two years, is in a parenting role of kids/youth with MH/SU challenges, and have 3+ years of experience working with families or youth
• Must reside in any Wisconsin County
• Must be willing and able to facilitate a minimum of 1 CPPS trainings per year
• Must be able to facilitate online trainings and arrange for travel for facilitation of in-person trainings

It is anticipated that 10-16 participants will be selected for this training. To be considered for selection, you must meet the basic eligibility requirements, submit an application form, and complete a virtual interview.  There is no training registration cost for participants.

Applying for this or any CPPS training of the trainer does not guarantee selection as a participant.

Applications received are reviewed by trainers in full, and a variety of criteria may determine whether an applicant is asked to interview and possibly participate in a training. These include, but are not limited to:

• Whether or not the applicant meets the basic eligibility requirements to become a Certified Parent Peer Specialist (18 or older, possesses either a high school diploma or GED, is a Wisconsin resident, has first-hand, personal lived experience navigating mental health or substance use)
• Whether or not the applicant meets secondary eligibility requirements that are training-specific (belongs to the county, tribe, region, and/or community served by the particular training)
• Whether or not the applicant is seeking employment or is already employed in a parent peer support position and/or a supervisory role to CPPS (trainings are intended to serve workforce development efforts as part of an employment initiative)
• Whether or not the applicant is a community member looking to use their personal experiences to support others towards recovery/wellness/meaningful living
• How well the applicant is able to demonstrate an understanding of recovery principles, especially in such a way that supports self-determination of people with lived experience
• Whether or not the applicant has experience offering peer support in a professional or personal setting
• Whether or not the applicant has facilitation experience in a professional or personal setting

Because this training is the pre-requisite to becoming a state-approved CPPS trainer, and a pathway to working as a professional trainer, applications demonstrating the following may not be given priority in the application review process:

• Applicants seeking this certification simply as a resume booster
• Applicants looking to obtain the trainer certification but not go on to co-facilitate CPPS trainings
• Applicants looking to use this training as the “next step in their recovery”
• Applicants who show they do not support many pathways to recovery
• Applicants only seeking certification in order to bill as a CPPS while providing non-CPPS services
• Applicants who do not display initiation in having difficult conversations that addresses harm when they arise

Considerations

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the role of a Certified Parent Peer Specialist before applying. Click here to learn more about the role and work of a Certified Parent Peer Specialist.

Filling Out and Submitting the Online Application

First, we highly recommend filling out and submitting the online training application form using a desktop computer or tablet and not a smart phone.

It is important that you answer all required questions (marked with an asterisk) on the online training application form. There are also formatting requirements in regards to dates and other fields (such as email address). If required fields are not answered in the application form or the fields are entered incorrectly, it will register as an error and your application will not be submitted to us when you press the “submit” button.

This is what happens if you try to submit an application with errors:

• Applicant presses “submit” button
• Instead of being redirected to the “application submission page,” the training application form page reloads
• This page now contains language telling the hopeful applicant that some fields were entered incorrectly (applicant may need to scroll down to see this)
• Incorrectly filled out or missing fields are highlighted in red
• Applicant should fix errors and resubmit
• Upon successfully addressing errors, the application submission page with a timestamp will appear (we recommend you print or save a print screen of this page when it appears) and a copy of the application will be sent to the applicant’s email address they provided alongside an outline of next steps

Please note: If the application form or event page reloads instead of the “application submission page,” there is something wrong with your application, and you will need to follow the instructions to address any errors.

What to Expect After Applying

Once the application deadline has passed or 50 applications are received (whichever is sooner), trainers will be sent applications to review, contact up to 25 applicants out of the total applicant pool for virtual interviews, and then select a final cohort of training participants after conducting virtual interviews. Though a maximum of 25 people will be contacted for interviews, everyone can expect to hear back about the final decision in regard to their application.

Please know that it may take some time for participant selection to be finalized, and we ask for your patience. Final selection decisions for this training may not be made until Monday, June 26th, 2023.