Office of Mental Health Research & Training


Consumers as Providers (CAP)

About CAP

The Consumers as Providers Training Program teaches consumers of mental health services the skills and knowledge on the provision of mental health services in order to work in the mental health or human service field as a consumer provider such as a Certified Peer Specialist. CAP is a Kansas Certified Peer Specialist Training Program that consists of 18 weeks  classroom instruction and Educational Support Group followed by 104 hours (7 weeks) of internship activities. The CAP Training partners with mental health agencies across the state of Kansas, Kansas universities and community colleges and social service and mental health agencies. Students do not receive college credit for the course and are not guaranteed a job upon completion of the course, however; research conducted with the program demonstrates that over half of the students who complete the course find employment and a third of graduates continue their education following the class. The purpose of CAP is threefold in nature:

Employment Opportunities: Increase the skills and knowledge of people with a psychiatric disability in order to facilitate meaningful employment.

Education: Encourage individual with a psychiatric disability to pursue post-secondary education.

Recovery:  Build a base of knowledge about mental health services in order to enhance consumer's personal journey of recovery

CAP Replication

Successful replication of the Consumers as Providers Training Program has occurred in Arizona, Iowa and Wisconsin. In response to these successful replications, the KU CAP team is dedicated to replication efforts in the state of Kansas. Such replication includes an involvement and partnership with Mental Health Centers, post secondary educational sites and Consumer Run Organizations. It is the goal of CAP Replication for Community Mental Health Centers in Kansas to adopt the role of coordinating and implementing the CAP Training intra-agency with technical assistance and consultation from the KU CAP Team.  CAP is currently being replicated at Four County Mental Health Center and Valeo Behavioral Healthcare.

An extensive Replication Sub-Contract has been developed that establishes guidelines and expectation for all parties involved in the CAP Replication Pilot Project. Such guidelines include:

  • Preference for hiring consumers as CAP Trainers

  • A commitment to the normalization aspect of the CAP Training

  • Classes being taught on a post-secondary setting

  • Addressing participants as "students" versus "consumers"

  • Preserving internship placements at community human service agencies and mental health centers

With the onset of the CAP Replication Project, the KU CAP Team has developed a CAP Trainers Manual and a CAP Educational Support Group Facilitator's Manual. Both manuals will be a tool for the CAP Trainer and CAP Educational Support Group Facilitator to use in order to successfully teach the class and facilitate the ESG. The CAP Trainer's Manual includes goals, agendas, needed supplies and valuable teaching tips for each class session. The ESG Facilitator's manual guides the ESG Facilitator with helpful hints and exercises when facilitating the ESG.

CAP Classes

CAP classes meet once a week for 18 weeks on a post secondary college setting. Students learn through lectures, role playing, guest speakers and group exercises. Reading assignments are taken from the book The Strengths Model: Case Management with People Suffering from Severe and Persistent Mental Illness by Charles A Rapp. All learning materials are provided to students free of charge.

CAP Internship

After completion of classroom instruction, students participate in 104 hours of internship activities for 7 weeks. Students choose from an array of internship opportunities offered by partnering human service agencies. Each student is assigned a mentor who provides field instruction and guidance throughout the internship. Students also participate in group supervision with their classmates to help provide support throughout the internship.

Application Process

Interested applicants can submit an application to the program. Students are required to be residents of Kansas, have a high school diploma or GED, an SPMI diagnosis, and have the basic academic skills to succeed in the class. Upon receiving applications a member of the CAP staff will contact applicants to set up an interview. 

Contact Information

For information about applications, the replication process or any other CAP related question, please contact Beth Oswald, CAP Coordinator at boswald@ku.edu or toll free at 1-877-458-6804 or 1-785-864-3815.