WSR 25-23-022
PERMANENT RULES
HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY
[Filed November 7, 2025, 1:41 p.m., effective December 8, 2025]
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: The health care authority is amending the supervision requirements in chapter 182-116 WAC and updating the titles for certified peer support specialists and certified peer support specialist trainees to align with RCW
18.420.010,
71.24.920, and chapter 246-929 WAC.
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 182-115-0100, 182-115-0300, 182-116-0100, and 182-116-0200.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 25-20-073 on September 29, 2025.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 4, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 4, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: November 7, 2025.
Wendy Barcus
Rules Coordinator
RDS-6665.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 25-08-033, filed 3/26/25, effective 7/1/25)
WAC 182-115-0100Certified peer counselor.
(1) A certified peer counselor may provide medicaid-reimbursable peer services only:
(a) Through December 31, 2026;
(b) Under the clinical supervision of a mental health professional, or substance use disorder professional, or both:
(i) Who understands rehabilitation and recovery; and
(ii) Whose expertise aligns with the needs of the populations served by the certified peer counselor;
(c) When the services are provided in a licensed community behavioral health agency, as defined in WAC 246-341-0200; and
(d) When the certified peer counselor is credentialed as an agency-affiliated counselor under chapter
18.19 RCW.
(2) On January 1, 2027, the profession of certified peer
support specialist, as defined in RCW
18.420.010, will supersede certified peer counselors. On and after that date, only certified peer
support specialists and peer
support specialist trainees may provide medicaid-reimbursable peer services.
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 25-08-033, filed 3/26/25, effective 7/1/25)
WAC 182-115-0300Peer support specialist supervisor training.
Only certified peer counselors or certified peer support specialists may qualify to take the authority's training to become recognized by the department of health as an approved supervisor.
RDS-6666.1
Chapter 182-116 WAC
CERTIFIED PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 25-08-033, filed 3/26/25, effective 7/1/25)
WAC 182-116-0100Certified peer support specialist and certified peer support specialist trainee—General.
(1) A certified peer support specialist or certified peer support specialist trainee credentialed by the department of health who provides medicaid-reimbursable peer support services must meet the requirements in WAC 182-116-0200.
(2) Certified peer support specialists or certified peer support specialist trainees who provide services to people enrolled in medicaid must practice:
(a) Under the clinical supervision of a ((
behavioral health provider as defined in RCW 71.24.025 or a certified peer specialist supervisor as defined in RCW 18.420.010))
mental health professional or a substance use disorder professional who understands rehabilitation and recovery. The clinical supervisor's expertise must be aligned with the needs of the populations served by the certified peer support specialist or certified peer support specialist trainee; and
(b) In a community behavioral health agency licensed, certified, or subject to an approved tribal attestation by the department of health.
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 25-08-033, filed 3/26/25, effective 7/1/25)
WAC 182-116-0200Certified peer support specialist and certified peer support trainee—Application, training, examination, and authority approval.
(1) People applying with the authority for peer support specialist training must:
(a) Be age 18 or older; and
(b) Attest on the authority's application that they self-identify as:
(i) A person with one or more years of recovery from behavioral health experiences/challenges; or
(ii) The parent or legal guardian of a person who has applied for, is eligible for, or has received behavioral health services.
(2) After a person meets the training requirements and passes the authority's examination, the authority issues a letter stating the person has met the ((training))educational requirements needed to apply for the credential of certified peer support specialist or certified peer support specialist trainee through the department.