Differences Between QBHA and CPFS
At COPA, we support the expansion of the behavioral health workforce and seek to make industry career growth accessible to all Coloradans. One big goal is to increase accessibility to career growth opportunities.
Two popular credentials in Colorado’s behavioral health space – the Qualified Behavioral Health Assistant (QBHA) and Colorado Peer and Family Specialist (CPFS, administered through COPA) – can be confusing to navigate, as they share some similarities.
Many professionals hold both credentials, but they still provide vastly different competencies.
It is important that behavioral health workers, supervisors, and employers understand the difference in order to keep job duties in the scope of each individual’s skillset.
Definition List
- Clinical – Focus on the diagnosis and treatment of substance use and behavioral health conditions. Clinical services can include working with individuals to develop coping skills, psychological resilience, and navigating treatment safely.
- Non-clinical – Center lived experience and a reciprocal relationship, helping guide and sustain people through the recovery process with emotional support, resource navigation, and developing a sense of community.
- Credential – A qualification that proves the completion of an in-depth program of coursework, trainings, and/or exams that establish a set of skills and competencies required to adequately perform a service.
- Microcredential – “A small credential,” meaning a shorter program in a focused area of study that typically prepares participants for an entry-level role in the field.
- Lived experience – Knowledge and understanding based on someone’s perspective, personal identities, and history, beyond their professional or educational experience (ASPE). In this case, it is the experience of navigating recovery with a substance use or mental health disorder.
- Peer – A behavioral health professional who uses their own lived experience in substance use or mental health disorder recovery to aid clients through personalized, non-clinical care. Think of peers as guides through recovery – someone you can walk side-by-side with, as opposed to a doctor or therapist.
Main Features
FAQ
What is the main distinction between a QBHA and a CPFS?
- A QBHA uses a clinical perspective, whereas a CPFS uses a non-clinical “lived experience” perspective, designed to relate to the client through self-disclosure. Learn more about the differences and overlaps here.
Explain the core competencies of each credential.
- QBHA: Behavioral Health and Wellness, Intercultural Competency, Therapeutic Communication, Case Management, Crisis Intervention (Learn more)
- CPFS: Advocacy, Mentoring/Education, Recovery/Wellness Support, Ethical Responsibility, Harm Reduction (Learn more)
What type of roles can I get with a QBHA or CPFS?
- QBHAs: Roles in Behavioral/Mental Health or Social Services; Examples: Patient Access Specialist, Intake Assistant/Specialist/Technician/Associate, Crisis Intervention Specialist, etc.
- CPFS: Peer Support Specialist, Peer Recovery Coach, Peer Mentor, Recovery Support Aide, Certified Peer & Family Specialist (CPFS), Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS), Peer Navigator / Systems Linkage Specialist, Family Peer Specialist / Youth Peer Specialist, Forensic Peer Specialist / Reentry Peer Crisis Peer Specialist, Employment Peer Coach, Recovery Housing Peer Supporter
What does the credentialing process look like?
- QBHA: To attain a QBHA, you must complete four college courses that add up to 10 credit hours: Introduction to Behavioral Health Care & Wellness, MHCI: Mental Health Crisis and Intervention: Preparedness and Empathy, Case Management and Clinical Documentation, and Applied Therapeutic Communication Skills. This can look like traditional college classes, or in the form of a self-paced bootcamp online.
- CPFS: Credentialing through the IC&RC/COPA is flexible. The applicant is responsible for picking out their own trainings and completing them at their own pace (as long as it’s within the designated timeframe). The reason for this is so that individuals can align their education with their interests and type of work they’re planning to do.
After completing the credential, where can I go to advance my career?
- QBHA: After completing the QBHA, you can choose to stack your experience with other microcredentials, like the Patient Navigator or Addiction Recovery Assistant microcredentials. A common path is the Behavioral Health Assistant II (BHA II). Alternatively, you can continue college coursework all the way to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Behavioral Health or Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Behavioral Health.
- CPFS: Many peers choose to level up their leadership skills to become a Peer Supervisor. While there is no set plan or credential for this role, many organizations greatly value these individuals to aid fellow peers through the behavioral healthcare space.
What specific services does each role provide?
- QBHA: Assisting clinicians with diagnostic assessments, drug/alcohol testing, monitoring, or collection of toxicology samples
- CPFS: Engagement facilitation, education, resource navigation, advocacy, outreach work (SAMHSA text), employment assistance, prevention and early intervention activities, recovery planning, warmlines (Read more here)
Where can I get a QBHA or CPFS?
- QBHA: You can look into getting your QBHA through the Colorado Community College system. You will need to find your local college and contact them for next steps.
- CPFS: Our Quick Start Guide will give you a step-by-step instructions on how to complete your credential.
What are the ethical differences between the QBHA and CPFS?
- The main difference between these roles is the use of self-disclosure, or the act of sharing one’s own personal experience with the client. QBHAs are expected to use discretion with self-disclosing, while CPFSs leverage their lived experience to help inform the client’s recovery strategy.
- QBHA: Focuses on treating patients with equitable care with the best of one’s ability at a counselor-level. The five principles of the ACA’s Ethical Decision Making guide include autonomy, justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and fidelity.*
- CPFS: Focuses on operating peer services in a professional and legal manner. Sections include unlawful conduct, romantic/sexual misconduct, and fraud-related conduct. The Code of Ethics also emphasizes proper record keeping and cooperation with the CPFS Board in order to maintain a mutual relationship throughout one’s career.
*Note: More detailed explanations of the five principles from ACA:
The five ethical principles of a counselor, according to the American Counseling Association (APA), are autonomy, justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and fidelity.
- Autonomy means allowing clients the freedom of choice and action when applicable. The counselor is responsible for encouraging clients to make their own decisions, but also to thoroughly educate them and understand whenever the individual is not capable of making competent choices that may harm themselves or others.
- Justice is treating each individual with care equitably, not exactly equally. For example, a counselor may provide different care to a blind person by going over a form orally, when they would typically allow clients to read it themselves.
- Beneficence is each counselor’s responsibility to “do good,” AKA to do their best to help their clients in the scope of the clinical setting. This could mean early intervention actions, prevention, and more.
- Nonmaleficence, considered the most important principle by some, is the concept of not causing harm to others. It is both not intentionally causing harm and engaging in actions that have the potential to cause harm.
- Fidelity is the notion of honoring commitments and staying loyal in order for the client to trust the counselor.