Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist
Certification Exam Questions & Answers
100% Correct!!
HOPE - ANSWERSInspire hope in those engaging in services by living a life of
Recovery and/or Resiliency
PERSON-DRIVEN - ANSWERS1. Support individuals receiving services and their
support network within the context of the individual's worldview, to achieve their goals
based upon their needs and wants
2. Focus on self-determination, as defined by the person engaging in services, and
support the person's participation in their own recovery
3. Inform others about options, provide information about choices, and then respect
peers' decisions
4. Encourage people to look at the options, take risks, learn from mistakes, and grow
toward healthy interdependence with others
5. Uphold the principle of non-coercion as essential to recovery and encourage those
engaging in services to make their own decisions, even when the person engaging in
services is under mandated treatment
6. Assist those they support to access additional resources
7. Disclose lived experiences of recovery in a way that maintains the focus on and is
beneficial to the person engaging in services
8. Support the recovery process for the peer, allowing the person to direct their own
process
9. Shall not force any values or beliefs onto the person engaging in services
10. Recognize there are many pathways to recovery that can be very different than their
own journey
FAMILY DRIVEN AND CHILD-CENTERED - ANSWERS1. Promote the family
member's ethical decision-making and personal responsibility consistent with that family
member's culture, values, and beliefs
2. Respect and value the beliefs, opinions, and preferences of children, youth, family
members, parents, and caregivers in service planning
3. Promote the family members' voices and the articulation of their values in planning
and evaluating behavioral health related challenges or concerns
4. Support other family members as peers with a common background and history
5. Disclose personal lived experiences of building resiliency in a way that focuses on
and is beneficial to the child, youth, family member, parent, or caregiver engaging in
services
6. Build supports on the strengths of the child, youth, family, or caregiver
7. Build partnerships with others who are involved in the care of our children, youth, or
adult family members
, 8. Communicate clearly and honestly with children, youth, family members, and
caregivers
HOLISTIC WELLNESS - ANSWERS1. Promote the family member's ethical decision-
making and personal responsibility consistent with that family member's culture, values,
and beliefs
2. Practice in a holistic manner that considers and addresses the whole health of those
engaging in services
3. Recognize the impact of co-occurring challenges (substance use, developmental and
physical challenges) in the recovery resiliency journey and provide supports sensitive to
those needs
4. Recognize the impact of trauma on the recovery/resiliency journey and provide the
support specific to those challenges
5. Honor the right of persons engaging in services to choose alternative treatments and
practices, including culturally specific traditional methos, healing arts, including
acupuncture and meditation, spiritual practices or secular beliefs, and harm reduction
practices
AUTHENTICITY - ANSWERS1. Practice honest and direct communication in a
culturally relevant manner, saying what is on their mind in a respectful way. Difficult
circumstances are addressed with those who are directly involved. Direct
communication moves beyond the fear of conflict or hurting other people to the ability to
work together to resolve challenges with caring and compassion
2. Share own lived experience to provide hope and inspiration for recovery
3. Practice healthy disclosure about their own experience focused on providing hope
and direction toward recovery and/or resiliency
4. Work within their scope of practice as defined by this Code of Ethics and their
employing agency
5. Remain aware of their skills and limitations, and do not provide services or represent
themselves as an expert in areas for which they do not have the sufficient knowledge or
expertise
6. Know that maintaining the authenticity and integrity of their role is critical to the
effectiveness of peer support services
7. Seek supervision, peer support services, and/or other contact with peer colleagues or
other supports to stay within their scope of practice
CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS - ANSWERS1. Acknowledge the importance of
language and culture, intersecting identities, knowledge and acceptance of dynamics of
cultural differences, expansion of cultural knowledge, curiosity, and adaptation of
services to meet culturally unique needs
2. Strive to provide culturally responsive and relevant services to those they support
3. Respect cultural identities and preferences of those engaging in services and their
families and respect the right of others to hold opinions, beliefs, and values different
from their own
4. Shall not discriminate against others on the basis of gender, religion, national origin,
marital status, political belief, or mental or physical differences
Certification Exam Questions & Answers
100% Correct!!
HOPE - ANSWERSInspire hope in those engaging in services by living a life of
Recovery and/or Resiliency
PERSON-DRIVEN - ANSWERS1. Support individuals receiving services and their
support network within the context of the individual's worldview, to achieve their goals
based upon their needs and wants
2. Focus on self-determination, as defined by the person engaging in services, and
support the person's participation in their own recovery
3. Inform others about options, provide information about choices, and then respect
peers' decisions
4. Encourage people to look at the options, take risks, learn from mistakes, and grow
toward healthy interdependence with others
5. Uphold the principle of non-coercion as essential to recovery and encourage those
engaging in services to make their own decisions, even when the person engaging in
services is under mandated treatment
6. Assist those they support to access additional resources
7. Disclose lived experiences of recovery in a way that maintains the focus on and is
beneficial to the person engaging in services
8. Support the recovery process for the peer, allowing the person to direct their own
process
9. Shall not force any values or beliefs onto the person engaging in services
10. Recognize there are many pathways to recovery that can be very different than their
own journey
FAMILY DRIVEN AND CHILD-CENTERED - ANSWERS1. Promote the family
member's ethical decision-making and personal responsibility consistent with that family
member's culture, values, and beliefs
2. Respect and value the beliefs, opinions, and preferences of children, youth, family
members, parents, and caregivers in service planning
3. Promote the family members' voices and the articulation of their values in planning
and evaluating behavioral health related challenges or concerns
4. Support other family members as peers with a common background and history
5. Disclose personal lived experiences of building resiliency in a way that focuses on
and is beneficial to the child, youth, family member, parent, or caregiver engaging in
services
6. Build supports on the strengths of the child, youth, family, or caregiver
7. Build partnerships with others who are involved in the care of our children, youth, or
adult family members
, 8. Communicate clearly and honestly with children, youth, family members, and
caregivers
HOLISTIC WELLNESS - ANSWERS1. Promote the family member's ethical decision-
making and personal responsibility consistent with that family member's culture, values,
and beliefs
2. Practice in a holistic manner that considers and addresses the whole health of those
engaging in services
3. Recognize the impact of co-occurring challenges (substance use, developmental and
physical challenges) in the recovery resiliency journey and provide supports sensitive to
those needs
4. Recognize the impact of trauma on the recovery/resiliency journey and provide the
support specific to those challenges
5. Honor the right of persons engaging in services to choose alternative treatments and
practices, including culturally specific traditional methos, healing arts, including
acupuncture and meditation, spiritual practices or secular beliefs, and harm reduction
practices
AUTHENTICITY - ANSWERS1. Practice honest and direct communication in a
culturally relevant manner, saying what is on their mind in a respectful way. Difficult
circumstances are addressed with those who are directly involved. Direct
communication moves beyond the fear of conflict or hurting other people to the ability to
work together to resolve challenges with caring and compassion
2. Share own lived experience to provide hope and inspiration for recovery
3. Practice healthy disclosure about their own experience focused on providing hope
and direction toward recovery and/or resiliency
4. Work within their scope of practice as defined by this Code of Ethics and their
employing agency
5. Remain aware of their skills and limitations, and do not provide services or represent
themselves as an expert in areas for which they do not have the sufficient knowledge or
expertise
6. Know that maintaining the authenticity and integrity of their role is critical to the
effectiveness of peer support services
7. Seek supervision, peer support services, and/or other contact with peer colleagues or
other supports to stay within their scope of practice
CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS - ANSWERS1. Acknowledge the importance of
language and culture, intersecting identities, knowledge and acceptance of dynamics of
cultural differences, expansion of cultural knowledge, curiosity, and adaptation of
services to meet culturally unique needs
2. Strive to provide culturally responsive and relevant services to those they support
3. Respect cultural identities and preferences of those engaging in services and their
families and respect the right of others to hold opinions, beliefs, and values different
from their own
4. Shall not discriminate against others on the basis of gender, religion, national origin,
marital status, political belief, or mental or physical differences
