Peer Support Specialist Certification EXAM
STUDY GUIDE 2025/2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES || 100% GUARANTEED PASS
<RECENT VERSION>
1. Recovery - ANSWER ✓ Remembering who you are and using your
strengths to become all that you were meant to be.
2. The journey for a peer support specialist - ANSWER ✓ knowing how to
take all your experiences,regardless of the pain and use them to transform
your life into "living hope" for others who want to recover
3. The "key" to the recovery pathway - ANSWER ✓ love
4. pathways to recovery - ANSWER ✓ Hope, Choice, Empowerment,Recovery
Environment, and Spirituality
5. Peer Support is based on - ANSWER ✓ Mutuality
6. Peer Support Specialist need to BE - ANSWER ✓ Self Aware, Open
Minded, Respectful, Patient, Empathetic,Self-Empowered, Mindful etc..
7. Peer Support Specialist need to KNOW - ANSWER ✓ Build self Esteem,
Honoring Culture and creating a recovery environment, Fundamentals of
emotional intelligence, How to discover meaning and purpose in work and
life. How to communicate effectively, conflict resolution skills, trauma and
resilience, substance abuse and co-occuring issues.
8. Peer Support Specialist do not - ANSWER ✓ try to control the interactions
we have with others or make assumptions about what feels comfortable and
safe for them.
,9. Peer Support specialist do - ANSWER ✓ Negotiate limits and comfort levels
with those we assist in a way that is mutually respectful
10.We encourage people to - ANSWER ✓ stretch and move out of their
comfort zone
11.We speak - ANSWER ✓ the language of recovery
12.Use "I" statements. - ANSWER ✓ Talk about how you experience what's
happening,rather than what the person is doing
13.Open ended question - ANSWER ✓ If you could wave a magic wand to fix
the situation, what would it look like?
14.Closed- Ended question - ANSWER ✓ Do you feel ok about participating in
this program?
15.Sometimes, if we want to encourage someone to feel comfortable talking
with us, we can use brief __________statements - ANSWER ✓ reflective
16.What are the 10 guiding principles of recovery? - ANSWER ✓ 1.Person
driven
2many pathways
3holistic
4peer support,
5relational
6culture
7address trauma,
8strengths/responsibility,
9 respect,
10Hope.
17.Many correct answer on the exam start with what we do in our role such as:
- ANSWER ✓ Help
Assist
Encourage
18.PSS never advice on less.... - ANSWER ✓ it is to speak with the doctor
,19.PSS only educate on? - ANSWER ✓ American with disability laws
20.What is the working definition of Recovery from mental disorders, and/or
substance use disorders? - ANSWER ✓ A process of changed through which
in individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self directed life and
strive to reach their full potential.
21.What are the stages of recovery? - ANSWER ✓ Withdrawal
early abstinence "honeymoon"
protracted abstinence "the wall "
adjustment, 120-180 days and resolution
22.Through the Recovery Support Strategic Initiative, SAMHSA's has
delineated what FOUR major dimensions that support a life in recovery? -
ANSWER ✓ 1.Health
2. Home
3.Purpose
4. Community
23.What is ambivalence? - ANSWER ✓ The state of having mixed feelings or
contradictory ideas about something.
The uncertainty and hesitation about fully committing to sobriety .
24.What does ADA stand for and what year was it passed? - ANSWER ✓
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
25.What is motivational interviewing? - ANSWER ✓ a client-centered,
directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring
and resolving ambivalence
26.What is cognitive behavioral therapy CBT? - ANSWER ✓ Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce
symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and
anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective
means of treatment for substance abuse and co-occurring mental health
disorders.
, 27.What is the addictive process? - ANSWER ✓ Introductory Phase
Maintenance phase
Disenchantment phase
Disaster phase
28.What is dialectic behavioral therapy DBT? - ANSWER ✓ Dialectical
behavior therapy is an evidence-based psychotherapy that began with efforts
to treat personality disorders and interpersonal conflicts. Evidence suggests
that DBT can be useful in treating mood disorders and suicidal ideation, as
well as for changing behavioral patterns such as self-harm and substance
use.
29.What are recovery management skills? - ANSWER ✓ Personal life skills
after treatment:After treatment, individuals must learn to develop personal
life skills, such as communication, empathy, and interpersonal skills. These
skills are important for repairing past relationships, maintaining past
relationships, and developing new relationships.
30.What is a person centered service? - ANSWER ✓ Peer support services are
always directed by the person participating in services
31.A consumer is strongly faith, based and looking for relative support groups
how could the peer support specialist use this information to enhance their
recovery? - ANSWER ✓ Explore local faith based support groups that
closely resemble the consumers values and beliefs
32.A consumer, who recently moved into a new room and board expressed
concerns of relapse due to the roommates, engaging in maladaptive coping
mechanisms the consumer fears that the urges may be too strong to resist
and risk their recovery. How can the peer support specialist support the
consumer? - ANSWER ✓ Assist consumers in brainstorming problem,
solving solutions that could help them maintain their recovery
33.What is the core value from the NAP's guidelines that focused on
empowering a consumer skills, gifts and talents they can use to better their
own life? - ANSWER ✓ Be strength-based
34.Sentence to remember the addictive process - ANSWER ✓ Introduce
STUDY GUIDE 2025/2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES || 100% GUARANTEED PASS
<RECENT VERSION>
1. Recovery - ANSWER ✓ Remembering who you are and using your
strengths to become all that you were meant to be.
2. The journey for a peer support specialist - ANSWER ✓ knowing how to
take all your experiences,regardless of the pain and use them to transform
your life into "living hope" for others who want to recover
3. The "key" to the recovery pathway - ANSWER ✓ love
4. pathways to recovery - ANSWER ✓ Hope, Choice, Empowerment,Recovery
Environment, and Spirituality
5. Peer Support is based on - ANSWER ✓ Mutuality
6. Peer Support Specialist need to BE - ANSWER ✓ Self Aware, Open
Minded, Respectful, Patient, Empathetic,Self-Empowered, Mindful etc..
7. Peer Support Specialist need to KNOW - ANSWER ✓ Build self Esteem,
Honoring Culture and creating a recovery environment, Fundamentals of
emotional intelligence, How to discover meaning and purpose in work and
life. How to communicate effectively, conflict resolution skills, trauma and
resilience, substance abuse and co-occuring issues.
8. Peer Support Specialist do not - ANSWER ✓ try to control the interactions
we have with others or make assumptions about what feels comfortable and
safe for them.
,9. Peer Support specialist do - ANSWER ✓ Negotiate limits and comfort levels
with those we assist in a way that is mutually respectful
10.We encourage people to - ANSWER ✓ stretch and move out of their
comfort zone
11.We speak - ANSWER ✓ the language of recovery
12.Use "I" statements. - ANSWER ✓ Talk about how you experience what's
happening,rather than what the person is doing
13.Open ended question - ANSWER ✓ If you could wave a magic wand to fix
the situation, what would it look like?
14.Closed- Ended question - ANSWER ✓ Do you feel ok about participating in
this program?
15.Sometimes, if we want to encourage someone to feel comfortable talking
with us, we can use brief __________statements - ANSWER ✓ reflective
16.What are the 10 guiding principles of recovery? - ANSWER ✓ 1.Person
driven
2many pathways
3holistic
4peer support,
5relational
6culture
7address trauma,
8strengths/responsibility,
9 respect,
10Hope.
17.Many correct answer on the exam start with what we do in our role such as:
- ANSWER ✓ Help
Assist
Encourage
18.PSS never advice on less.... - ANSWER ✓ it is to speak with the doctor
,19.PSS only educate on? - ANSWER ✓ American with disability laws
20.What is the working definition of Recovery from mental disorders, and/or
substance use disorders? - ANSWER ✓ A process of changed through which
in individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self directed life and
strive to reach their full potential.
21.What are the stages of recovery? - ANSWER ✓ Withdrawal
early abstinence "honeymoon"
protracted abstinence "the wall "
adjustment, 120-180 days and resolution
22.Through the Recovery Support Strategic Initiative, SAMHSA's has
delineated what FOUR major dimensions that support a life in recovery? -
ANSWER ✓ 1.Health
2. Home
3.Purpose
4. Community
23.What is ambivalence? - ANSWER ✓ The state of having mixed feelings or
contradictory ideas about something.
The uncertainty and hesitation about fully committing to sobriety .
24.What does ADA stand for and what year was it passed? - ANSWER ✓
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
25.What is motivational interviewing? - ANSWER ✓ a client-centered,
directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring
and resolving ambivalence
26.What is cognitive behavioral therapy CBT? - ANSWER ✓ Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce
symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and
anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective
means of treatment for substance abuse and co-occurring mental health
disorders.
, 27.What is the addictive process? - ANSWER ✓ Introductory Phase
Maintenance phase
Disenchantment phase
Disaster phase
28.What is dialectic behavioral therapy DBT? - ANSWER ✓ Dialectical
behavior therapy is an evidence-based psychotherapy that began with efforts
to treat personality disorders and interpersonal conflicts. Evidence suggests
that DBT can be useful in treating mood disorders and suicidal ideation, as
well as for changing behavioral patterns such as self-harm and substance
use.
29.What are recovery management skills? - ANSWER ✓ Personal life skills
after treatment:After treatment, individuals must learn to develop personal
life skills, such as communication, empathy, and interpersonal skills. These
skills are important for repairing past relationships, maintaining past
relationships, and developing new relationships.
30.What is a person centered service? - ANSWER ✓ Peer support services are
always directed by the person participating in services
31.A consumer is strongly faith, based and looking for relative support groups
how could the peer support specialist use this information to enhance their
recovery? - ANSWER ✓ Explore local faith based support groups that
closely resemble the consumers values and beliefs
32.A consumer, who recently moved into a new room and board expressed
concerns of relapse due to the roommates, engaging in maladaptive coping
mechanisms the consumer fears that the urges may be too strong to resist
and risk their recovery. How can the peer support specialist support the
consumer? - ANSWER ✓ Assist consumers in brainstorming problem,
solving solutions that could help them maintain their recovery
33.What is the core value from the NAP's guidelines that focused on
empowering a consumer skills, gifts and talents they can use to better their
own life? - ANSWER ✓ Be strength-based
34.Sentence to remember the addictive process - ANSWER ✓ Introduce
