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Published Date: 13 February 2025

Employment Status Following Peer Specialist Certification: Results of a 3-Year Multistate Survey

Laysha Ostrow, Ph.D. laysha@livelearninc.net, Judith A. Cook, Ph.D. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7851-0690, Morgan Pelot, B.S., Kila Robinett, B.A., Mark S. Salzer, Ph.D., and Jane K. Burke-Miller, Ph.D. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5480-9433Authors Info & Affiliations
Publication: Psychiatric Services
In Advance
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20240166
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Abstract

Objective:

A cohort of certified peer specialists (CPSs) was surveyed to investigate factors affecting postcertification employment and retention.

Methods:

Survey data were collected in 2020, 2021, and 2022 from 591 CPSs in four states (North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas). The data were analyzed via percentages, means, and multilevel regression models.

Results:

Postcertification employment remained high: 76% (N=448 of 591) in 2020, 73% (N=329 of 448) in 2021, and 77% (N=279 of 364) in 2022. However, the proportion working in peer support positions declined significantly—from 73% (N=325 of 448) in 2020 to 63% (N=175 of 279) in 2022—despite the significantly higher job satisfaction, greater access to job benefits, and longer average job tenure reported by those working in peer support versus nonpeer jobs.

Conclusions:

Although the individuals who completed certification appeared to remain employed, a significant proportion appeared to leave peer support for other work. These trends should be monitored to evaluate investments in peer certification and service capacity.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Psychiatric Services
Go to Psychiatric Services
Psychiatric Services
In Advance

History

Received: 3 April 2024
Revision received: 31 October 2024
Accepted: 7 November 2024
Published online: 13 February 2025

Keywords

  1. certification
  2. nonpsychiatric professionals and paraprofessionals
  3. unemployment

Authors

Details

Laysha Ostrow, Ph.D. laysha@livelearninc.net
Live & Learn, Morro Bay, California (Ostrow, Pelot, Robinett, Burke-Miller); Center on Depression and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago (Cook); Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia (Salzer).
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Judith A. Cook, Ph.D. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7851-0690
Live & Learn, Morro Bay, California (Ostrow, Pelot, Robinett, Burke-Miller); Center on Depression and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago (Cook); Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia (Salzer).
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Morgan Pelot, B.S.
Live & Learn, Morro Bay, California (Ostrow, Pelot, Robinett, Burke-Miller); Center on Depression and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago (Cook); Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia (Salzer).
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Kila Robinett, B.A.
Live & Learn, Morro Bay, California (Ostrow, Pelot, Robinett, Burke-Miller); Center on Depression and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago (Cook); Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia (Salzer).
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Mark S. Salzer, Ph.D.
Live & Learn, Morro Bay, California (Ostrow, Pelot, Robinett, Burke-Miller); Center on Depression and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago (Cook); Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia (Salzer).
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Jane K. Burke-Miller, Ph.D. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5480-9433
Live & Learn, Morro Bay, California (Ostrow, Pelot, Robinett, Burke-Miller); Center on Depression and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago (Cook); Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia (Salzer).
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Notes

Send correspondence to Dr. Ostrow (laysha@livelearninc.net).

Competing Interests

The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Funding Information

This study was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living (grant 90IFRE0029).

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