Are you an individual with a working knowledge of the peer recovery support scope of practice?
SAFE Project invites you to attend one of our virtual participant trainings.
Offered 2-3 times per year, this three-day training brings together currently Certified Peer Recovery Specialists and supervisors from across the nation and equips them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to support individuals with substance use disorders in navigating the cross-section of the behavioral health and criminal justice settings.
Please note: This is not a Training of Trainers (ToT). The training provides each participant with 24 hours to apply towards Continuing Education credits, if allowable by their state. Requirements vary by state, so please inquire in advance if these credits meet your requirements and will be approved.
Register today for our upcoming session being held April 13-16, 2026.
April 13 – 16, 2026
Upcoming National Virtual Training
What is I-FPRS?
SAFE Project’s Integrated-Forensic Peer Recovery Specialist Training Program equips peer- based organizations and certified Peer Specialists with the tools and competencies to support individuals who are justice-involved and/or transitioning from incarceration back into the community. Designed by practitioners with deep experience in behavioral health, reentry, and peer-led recovery, the training emphasizes connection across systems, the power of recovery capital, and the integrity of blending lived experience with ethical practice.
There are two components to SAFE Project’s I-FPRS approach, and states and organizations can tailor these options to suit their needs:
Participant Training: A four-day training for Certified Peers Recovery Specialists with each day focusing on a different domain (recovery and wellness, advocacy, mentoring and education and ethical responsibility). These are supplemental to credentials as a Peer Recovery Specialist, and can be offered through a state system as an endorsement or re-certification training.
Training of Trainers (ToT): A two-day training to certify individuals to deliver the I-FPRS Participant Training to the Peer Recovery Specialist workforce across their state.
“I felt like I found a sense of solidarity and community with like minded peers and the facilitators, and I can take what I learned to make changes in my community mental health clinic in how we use language, ethics, and interact with clients in the justice system.”
Who is This Training For?
I-FPRS is primarily for:
- Peers working within the criminal legal system
- Organizations with a peer workforce serving returning citizens
- State-wide entities employing peer specialists for work within the criminal legal system
The Participant Training component of the I-FPRS Program best serves:
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Certified or Aspiring Peer Recovery Specialists
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Reentry Staff
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Justice System Partners & Co-Collaborators
Participant Training: Program Highlights
The I-FPRS Participant Training program is a 28-hour curriculum aligned with national peer competencies and the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM), designed for both new and experienced Certified Peer Recovery Specialists working in behavioral health, reentry, or co-responder settings.
National Participant Training: Participant Training is held virtually three times a year, and brings together Certified Peer Recovery Specialists from across the nation and equips them with the knowledge and skills to support individuals with substance use disorders in navigating the cross section of the behavioral health and criminal justice settings.
State-Specific Participant Training: The IFPRS Participant Training can also be adapted to include a profile of a state’s prison population, criminal justice system, and the unique disparities affecting state populations. This addition to the National Participant foundational training equips Certified Peer Recovery Specialists within the state with information that is essential to building trust and advocating for the individuals they serve.
Participant Training: Program Highlights and Objectives Include:
- Trauma-informed and evidenced-based content
- Interactive case studies, group exercises, and applied skill building
- Practical tools to help peers navigate legal, clinical, and community systems
- Strengthened understanding of systemic factors contributing to incarceration, inequity, and recovery barriers
- Improved reentry and recovery outcomes for justice-involved individuals
- Stronger collaboration across correctional, treatment, and community systems
Training of Trainers: Program Highlights
The I-FPRS Participant Training program is a 28-hour curriculum aligned with national peer competencies and the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM), designed for both new and experienced Certified Peer Recovery Specialists working in behavioral health, reentry, or co-responder settings.
Highlights and objectives of two-day TOT program include:
- Practical skills and best practices for facilitation and learning
- Interactive facilitation scenarios to apply skills learned
- A comprehensive review of Participant Training key themes and learning objectives
Certification & Reciprocity
The training provides 28 CEUs for Peer Recovery Specialists in the following domains: 16 hours in General, 6 hours in Cultural Humility, 6 hours in Ethics, if allowable by their state. Requirements vary by state, so please inquire in advance if these credits meet your requirements and will be approved.
SAFE Project is an approved education provider in the following states, where successful I-FPRS participants are eligible for CEUs or certification credit:
SAFE Project will provide documentation and actively support this process for the states not listed above.
In other states, I-FPRS can be used as professional development, and many certification boards accept external training through a petition process. Participants may:
- Contact their state’s credentialing board.
- Submit the training agenda, learning objectives, and SAFE Project’s credentials.
- Request CEU consideration individually or through their employer.