Mississippi’s Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) Training is an intensive, 34-hour course followed by a written exam. CPSSs are individuals who self-identify as a family member or an individual who received or is currently receiving mental health services. Upon completion of the training, successfully passing the CPSS examinations, and obtaining employment by a DMH certified provider, participants become Certified Peer Support Specialists. The training and certification process prepares CPSSs to promote hope, personal responsibility, empowerment, education, and self-determination in the communities in which they serve. The first CPSSs with a designation of a Parent/Caregiver completed their training at DMH in March 2017. The Parent/Caregiver designation is an expansion of the CPSS Program. This designation of peers focuses on those who will be working with children with behavioral health issues. The training is a customized, two-day block within the current CPSS training program. In FY19, a total of 20 Parent/Caregiver designations were received. In June 2019, DMH completed the first training for people with a designation of Youth and Young Adult CPSS. A Youth/ Young Adult Peer Support Specialist is a person between the ages of 18-26 with lived experience with a behavioral health or substance use diagnosis. Thirteen young people participated in the training, which was developed in conjunction with NAMI Mississippi. The Youth and Young Adult training is a 2.5-day block in the CPSS training that consists of several youth-specific modules. A designation of CPSS – Recovery designation was developed throughout 2020 as a designation for adults with lived experience of substance use disorder. The first training took place in September 2020 with 24 participants. Mississippi held five CPSS Trainings in FY20. During the year, six young people participated in the CPSS Young Adult training, which was developed in conjunction with NAMI Mississippi. Also in FY20, a total of 33 Parent/Caregiver designations were received. DMH also continues to use CPSS Ambassadors to support CPSSs and educate interested stakeholders about peer support. FY20 was the first year to utilize CPSS Ambassadors to support CPSSs upon hire and provide individualized support for up to six months. At the end of FY20, there were 271 CPSSs (actively employed) in Mississippi. At the end of FY21, there were 287 CPSSs employed within the state mental health system. At the end of FY22, there were 240 CPSSs employed in the state mental health system, in addition to 11 employed Peer Support Specialists and nine volunteer Peer Support Specialists at providers who are not certified by DMH.