Certified Peer Specialists support people in a self-determined pathway to recovery, wellness, and/or meaningful living. Recovery does not mean only sobriety in Certified Peer Specialist practice. Recovery may also show up as harm reduction pathways, moderation, or just acknowledging the non-linear quality of recovery. It would undermine and contradict this message of supporting many pathways to recovery while also holding CPS to only one pathway or form of recovery. So, no, there is no sobriety requirement for certification or goodness of fit for the role of a peer specialist. However, it should be known that some individual workplaces may have such a requirement in their internal policies.

Likewise, there are no requirements for certification or goodness of fit for the role of a peer specialist regarding length since last psychiatric hospital stay or any requirements about use or non-use of psychiatric medication for the same reasons.