Peer Specialist for Veterans

The comprehensive 80-hour Peer Support Specialist for Veterans offered by LMU Extension combines the University’s strong academic reputation and its extensive experience providing professional instruction in the areas of mental and behavioral health to those with lived experience.

Throughout the course, there will be an emphasis on:

• Crisis Management
• Suicide Prevention
• Recovery Planning
• Targeted Case Management
• Triage

Topics to be covered include: 

• Introduction to Peer Veterans Services
• Transitioning to Civilian Life
• Trauma-Informed Care
• Cultural Competency
• Recovery, Stages of Change, and Wellness Planning
• Motivational Interviewing and Effective Listening Techniques
• Law and Ethics
• Case Management 101
• Triage
• Documentation & Linkage
• Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention
• Conflict Resolution

Courses are facilitated by Veterans and trained industry experts

Kevin Benitez, MSW, CPSS, US Army 

Kevin has devoted his career to helping Veterans in Southern California for nearly 20 years. He earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a specialization in Military Veterans and Families from the University of Southern California. His experience includes program management, clinical supervision, care coordination, academic counseling, grant management, strategic planning, and providing peer support to his sisters and brothers in arms. Kevin joined LMU Extension’s Vet2Peer program in 2020 as an experienced professional, counselor and educator with a demonstrated history of working in higher education including Long Beach City College, the University of Southern California, and Santa Monica College. Kevin is currently a full time Tenure Track Faculty at Santa Monica College where he is the Faculty Leader for the Veterans Success Center. As a Combat Veteran, he understands the challenges transitioning service members, Veterans and their families often face. Kevin served in United States Army from 2000 – 2005 with deployments to the Pentagon, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kuwait, and Iraq. Kevin spends his free time playing soccer, fantasy football, and hanging out with his wife Elizabeth and his service dog Smoky.

Alex Ortega, CPSS, US Army

Alex is a Higher Education Professional currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Social Work from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). With over 10 years of experience working in higher education and Peer Support, Alex has a strong track record of providing educational access and peer support to underrepresented populations. Throughout his career, Alex has demonstrated exceptional skills in workshop design, program management, and team supervision. As a certified peer support specialist and LMU Extension Educator for the Vet2Peer program since 2022, Alex brings a strong educational foundation and a passion for empowering individuals to achieve their goals. In his current role as an Access & Engagement Coordinator at CSUF, Alex plays a key role in developing and coordinating the Student Ambassador program, while also providing pre-admission advisement and guidance to prospective students. Alex has a proven commitment to community outreach and has successfully established partnerships and conducted outreach in collaboration with various organizations and community colleges.  Alex served in the United States Army, leading teams and managing equipment during multiple deployments to Iraq. Committed to making a positive impact in the lives of others, Alex combines his expertise in student services, peer support, and leadership to support and guide individuals in their educational and vocational journeys. 

John Gutierrez MBA, MSLM, CWDP, CMPSS, U.S. Marine Corps

John has committed his civilian career to guiding Veterans and military families across Southern California through their transition from military service. As Director of Workforce Development and Veteran Services, John leads the America’s Job Center of California (AJCC) workforce development programs for Los Angeles County and several Veteran-serving programs at JVS SoCal, including Los Angeles County’s two largest Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN) districts providing resource navigation for returning Veterans and military families. After 15 years of exemplary service in the U.S. Marine Corps, John transitioned from military service in 2015 and moved swiftly into the non-profit space, working on Veteran initiatives. His work today is informed by the struggles he and his Veteran brothers and sisters faced during transition, and sealed with a passion to pave a smoother road for those who follow. John is a certified Peer Support Specialist through LMU Extension’s Vet2Peer Program, a Master Trainer in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST) and is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership at the University of Southern California.

Adam Castillo, DBSA, MSW, LCSW, U.S. Marine Corps

Adam Castillo is a retired Master Sergeant who served in the Marine Corps from 1994 to 2014 with (2) combat tours to Iraq and (1) Afghanistan. Serving in several critical leadership billets/duties, such as a Drill Instructor, Chief Instructor, and Battalion Field Artillery Chief, led Adam to believe that he would find purposeful work in the civilian workforce. However, his esteemed resume would only land him a full-time position as an Uber Driver and one of the most challenging times of his life. These difficult times led Adam into the work he does today as a Psychiatric Social Worker II for the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health. Adam is a team member of the Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN), which focuses on meeting the needs of veterans experiencing mental health challenges, homelessness, education, disability benefits, emergency housing assistance, crisis intervention, legal issues, and more. The peer network is designed to empower veterans and family members on how to navigate the systems in place or restore hope with the systems in place by walking shoulder to shoulder in navigating the process and advocating when necessary. Adam Castillo is a licensed clinical social worker in California specializing in trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, veteran transition, learning disabilities, de-escalation, prevention, intervention, behavioral health, motivational interviewing, crisis intervention, social work, and mental health counseling. He holds a Bachelor of Sociology from California State University - Dominguez Hills, a Masters of Social Work from the University of Southern California, and a Veteran Peer Support certificate from Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).

UPCOMING CLASS

January 11 - May 3, 2025

Class meets on the LMU Campus on Saturday, 10AM-3PM

The Vet2Peer program is open to all Veterans and those closely associated with Veterans with lived experience and engaged in their own recovery. The program prepares Veterans for paid and volunteer positions in behavioral health settings and the Public Mental Health System (PMHS). LMU is an approved training provider through CalMHSA for Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification training.

Full Scholarships are available for California residents* through a fully funded program by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) with no out-of-pocket costs for tuition or materials. Scholarship includes the cost of tuition, career counseling, job placement assistance and post-program support for six (6) months.

Interested individuals can complete a Peer Specialist Scholarship Application. 

To request a hard copy of the application, email elizabeth.tobias@lmu.edu or call 310.338.5813

*Partial scholarships may be available to out-of-state residents. Contact our office for more information. 

Veteran Peer Support Specialists provide peer support services in many mental health and behavioral health settings.  Examples include:

• VA Peer Specialist *

• Inpatient mental health programs

• Outpatient mental health clinics

• Psychosocial Rehabilitation Recovery Centers

• Mental Health Intensive Case Management programs

• Substance Use Disorder Treatment programs

• Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment programs

• Vocational Rehabilitation Services

• Homelessness programs

• Primary Care Patient Care Aligned Teams and other specialty clinics

Approved by CalMHSA, the Vet2Peer Program offers peer specialist training at no cost. This training meets the training requirements for the California Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification and provides a full-service peer training program that offers career planning and employment services.  Employment and placement services are made available in coordination with JVS SoCal.

*BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR VA PEER SPECIALISTS

a. Statutory Requirements. Section 405 of Public Law 110-387, as codified in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(13), established that to be eligible to receive appointment to a Peer Specialist position, a person must: (1) be a veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition; and(2) be certified by -(a) a not-for-profit entity engaged in peer specialist training as having met such criteria as the Secretary shall establish for a peer specialist position; or(b) a State as having satisfied relevant State requirements for a peer specialist position.. Length of Experience as a Consumer of Mental Health Recovery Services. Veterans eligible under 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(13) must have spent a minimum of 1 year in personal recovery from a mental health condition.

Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix F-3 Peer Support Apprentice/Peer Specialist Qualification Standard. 

For more information about the Vet2Peer program, please contact:

Elizabeth Tobias at 310-338-5813 or elizabeth.tobias@lmu.edu