Your Two Week Online Training 

Peer Support/Family Peer Support Professionals Training   October 2026


In a groundbreaking collaboration, Advocates for Recovery Colorado and Exploration Mastery are proud to announce the launch of an innovative 60-hour training program designed to transform the landscape of substance use and mental health peer supports. This comprehensive training initiative is uniquely tailored to integrate living experiences of individuals with substance use issues and/or mental health challenges or the lived experience as a family member supporting someone experiencing substance use/mental health disorders. Upon completion of the training, participants will meet the required training hours for the Colorado Peer & Family Specialist (CPFS) certification, equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge to excel in the peer support workforce.


Dates: October 5 - 16 2026 (Monday to Friday)
Time: 10am to 6pm Central Time

Cost: $750.00 USD

Trainer

Robyn Priest

Co-founder
Exploration Mastery

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Robyn's Post Graduate Diploma involved majoring in Social Research Methods, Public Policy and Health care. Robyn has extensive experience working in business, government and non-profit organizations. Known as the Peer Support 'Guru', Robyn has been developing and training mental health and peer services for over 20 years and in ten different countries.

As part of an international team of consultants, Robyn has completed the Mental Health Commission of Canada's "Making a Case for Peer Support - a report that recommended developing national guidelines for Peer Support programs. Robyn is  acknowledged as one of the premier experts on peer support internationally.

In 2016 Robyn won the International Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS) Lifetime International Achievement Award. Known as the horse whisperer for mental health advocates, Robyn is a highly sought-after public speaker.

Robyn's signature strengths are authentically connecting with people, making fun and simplifying the message. Robyn's passion is helping people go from surviving to thriving. hologist.
Robyn has been working in the fields of positive psychology, coaching and mentoring for the past ten years. 

Trainer

Sean Gartrell

Advocates for Recovery
Colorado

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Sean's journey with Advocates for Recovery Colorado began in 2021 when he joined as a Peer Recovery Coach, eventually advancing to his current position as Director of Training. His path to recovery started in 2011 when he stopped using drugs, a few years later he confronted his problematic relationship with alcohol. Seeking treatment and engaging with various mutual support groups, Sean made significant strides and by 2015 he had resolved to follow a pathway of abstinence. Sean is active in local recovery communities and actively works to support others and address the stigma and inequities that affect the community.  Prior to joining AFRC, Sean supported others through his work in various positions at substance use treatment centers.  In his previous career Sean his honed his skills as a trainer on a national level.

Today, Sean proudly embraces his identity as someone in active and sustained recovery. Holding the Colorado Peer & Family Specialist (CPFS) certification, he contributes his expertise as a member of the Colorado Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council, demonstrating his commitment to advocating for enhanced mental health and substance use disorder resources and support within his community.

Trainer

Charlotte 
Armstrong

Co-founder

Exploration Mastery

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Charlotte Armstrong, the co-creator of Exploration Mastery,  brings a unique and compassionate perspective to the world of mental health support. With a background in solution-focused coaching and personal experience nurturing her resilient daughters, Charlotte is devoted to enhancing family well-being and family peer support. She passionately underscores the interconnectedness of family mental health—when one member faces challenges, the entire family feels the impact.

As a solution-focused coach, Charlotte works with parents of children struggling with mental health and addiction challenges. She supports, advocates and provides strategies for success and recovery. Charlotte talks about the parallel process in which one family member struggles, affecting everyone in the family. Her work in mental health is appreciated as she received the Heroes of Mental Health award by CMHA and hundreds of thanking families around the world.

Her education, coupled with her track record of helping families find the resources they need, has given her the street cred required to make a difference. Charlotte believes wholeheartedly in Peer Support and its role in Mental Wellness. 

Course Lessons