Youth Peer Support Specialist Certification

Youth Peer Support Specialists (YPSS) are young people over the age 18 who work one-on-one with transition-aged youth who share similar lived-experiences in youth-serving systems such as but not limited to Behavioral Health, Foster Care, and Juvenile Justice.
YPSS are professionally trained to share their experience overcoming challenges related to mental health, trauma, or substance use, to guide and support young people receiving services where the YPSS is employed.
YPSS promote hope and resiliency by listening to the self-determined needs of the young person they work with and by identifying the strengths, resources, and next steps to achieve their goals.

Who is YPSS Certification for?

The following is a list of requirements to be eligible to apply for YPSS certification:

Have valid NM ID.
At least 18 years of age or older.
Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Have personal experience, prior to the age of 18, navigating systems involvement in child welfare, juvenile justice, or children’s behavioral health OR have personal experience recovering from substance use or trauma that occurred prior to the age of 18.
Have personal strategies used to maintain health and wellness and have been doing so for the past 2 years or more.
Have a willingness and ability to share those strategies with others.

Complete Youth Peer Support Specialist Certification Application Form

After submitting application, applicants will be contacted for a brief phone interview to verify eligibility.

Thank you for your patience while update our system. If you have hours to submit please check back by 8/31/26.

NMSU COI Staff will contact approved applicants about YPSS Certification Training registration.

Complete Youth Peer Support Specialist (YPSS) Exposure Worksite Identification Form

Thank you for your patience while update our system. If you have hours to submit please check back by 8/31/26.

Complete 40 hours of Worksite Exposure and Request Supervisor Verification

Thank you for your patience while update our system. If you have hours to submit please check back by 8/31/26.

Take Exam for Certification

To schedule your exam, please contact Cathi Valdez at info@nmcbbhp.org to discuss any questions you may have regarding exam options.

Create Certemy Account to Track Certification Progress

Candidate uploads documents onto personal Certemy account.