Academic Program Proposal

Date Proposal Activated	Institution and Proposal	Degree Awarded	Academic Program Name	Objection Deadline
	Community College of Baltimore County Proposal	Lower Division Certificate (L.D.C.)	Peer-Recovery Specialist	3/27/2025
Peer-Recovery Specialist Program Description
The Lower Division Certificate (L.D.C.) in Peer Recovery Specialist is a unique program among Maryland community colleges and is proposed as a direct response to the call to action within the Maryland Behavioral Health Administration&#39;s 2021 report on the peer recovery specialist workforce. This 16-credit certificate provides the curriculum necessary for certification by the Maryland Addiction and Behavioral Health Professionals Certification Board (MABPCB) for Certified Peer Recovery Specialists, as well as a second certification as a Family Peer Recovery Specialist. The curriculum is unique in preparing students for two workforce credentials and provides a much-needed pathway from certification as a peer recovery specialist, into an associate degree program. This certificate is stackable within the Associate of Applied Science in Human Services <br>Counseling, Human Services Generalist Area of Concentration. Supervised work experience of 500 hours is required to sit for board certification. This requirement may be met through the cooperative education course built into the certificate, or through a registered apprenticeship to be developed through CCB’s Apprenticeship Center. Prior learning opportunities will leverage students&#39; prior work experience and training to <br>provide several different entry points into the program.