WISE U Participant Application

Welcome to WISE U!

APPLICATIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!

For more information about this upcoming opportunity, please contact the WISE program
by email at wise@calvoices.org or by phone at 916.376.7736.

Thank you for your interest in WISE U!

The minimum qualifications for enrollment in WISE U are listed below. If you do not meet all of these requirements, you are still welcome to apply, but will not be accepted into the program until all qualifications are met. Please contact WISE U directly with any questions, concerns, or requests for support in meeting these qualifications.

1. Participants must be 18 years of age or older before the first day of class.
2. Participants must have a high school diploma or its equivalent (e.g. GED).
3. Participants must have personal lived experienced of recovery from mental health challenges as an adult consumer, family member, parent/caregiver, or transition age youth (TAY).
4. Participants must complete ALL 80 hours of the training.
5. Participants must know WHY they want to do peer support work within California's public mental health system.

*This question is required.

ABOUT THE WISE U PROGRAM

WISE U is a program of Cal Voices, the oldest peer-run consumer advocacy agency in Northern California. We know what it takes to create lasting employment success for peers and we not only talk the talk, we have been walking the walk since 1946, when our agency was founded. For decades, Cal Voices has successfully hired, trained, supported, and advanced the careers of consumers, family members, parents/caregivers, and transition age youth (collectively referred to as “peers”) working and volunteering in California's Public Mental Heath System ("PMHS").

WISE U is a full-service peer support training and placement academy, offering a wide array of career planning and educational opportunities, as well as job coaching, placement, and ongoing support. The program has several components:

1. WISE U Application
2. Career Counseling
3. Peer Training Academy
4. Job Training/Field Work
5. Placement Assistance
6. Coaching and Support

ABOUT THE WISE U PROGRAM PROCESS

WISE U is an intensive 80-hour peer training academy for individuals seeking the California Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification, and is also a recognized National Certified Peer Specialist (NCPS) Approved Training.

Because WISE U is a training program specifically designed to help support applicants to gain placement in full-time or part-time, volunteer or paid peer position, the process to apply, attend, and complete the training academy can be lengthy, but ultimately extremely rewarding.

As stated above, completion of the WISE U application is the initial step to applying for the WISE U peer training academy.

After applying, WISE will respond to the applicant within 10 business days with a pre-eligibility determination status based on the information provided in the application.

Applicants who are determined eligible to move forward in the application process will receive information to register to participate in a mandatory WISE U Information Webinar.

After completion of the mandatory Information Webinar, applicants will then be eligible to schedule a readiness interview with the WISE team. The readiness interview helps us determine if an applicant is "ready" to take the intensive 80-hour peer training academy and their career goals align with gaining peer employment and/or advancement in their current peer role. If an applicant is determined “ready” after their readiness interview, upon request, the applicant must complete a live scan or background check before WISE finalizes their enrollment into the training academy. If an applicant is determined “not ready”, WISE will notify the applicant and discuss next steps.

Once WISE receives the applicant’s live scan results and/or live scan documentation (assuming there are no concerns with the background records), the applicant will receive notification to register and attend a mandatory Course Orientation prior to the first day of training.

You can also find all of this information on our website at www.calvoices.org/wiseu.

PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT MORE THAN ONE APPLICATION

This application takes approximately 30 - 45 minutes to complete. We recommend that you complete this application using a laptop or desktop computer if possible, but you can also use a tablet, mobile phone, or any other device with Internet access. Although not required, if you have a current resume, please make sure you can upload it from the device you are using to complete this application.

You can save your application at any time and come back to complete it later by clicking on the gray bar at the top of the page that says "Save and continue later." You must use the exact same device (phone, tablet, computer) when returning to your application, or the application will not "remember" you and none of your previous entries will be saved. *This question is required.

You will receive a confirmation email once you have fully completed this application. Check your spam folder or junk mail, as these confirmation emails sometimes end up there.

If you have any trouble completing your application, or if you have checked your junk/spam email and still cannot locate the confirmation email, please contact us by email at wise@calvoices.org or by phone at 916.376.7736. *This question is required.

Have questions? Need help?
Email us at wise@calvoices.org or call us at 916.376.7736.

REMEMBER: YOU CAN SAVE YOUR APPLICATION AND CONTINUE IT LATER BY CLICKING ON THE GRAY BAR AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE!