Behavioral Health Support Certification
The Behavioral Health Support Certification 27-week Training offered through Christ Temple Bible College equips students with foundational knowledge and practical skills to serve individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. Graduates are prepared to provide behavioral health support in church, community, and clinical settings, bridging spiritual care and behavioral health service delivery.
This course is taught by Dr. Vickie Mack, Christ Temple Bible College alumni, Founder and Executive Director of Sterling Solutions - a behavioral health advocacy and training nonprofit. With ten years of experience in behavioral health peer support training and service as a former county behavioral health commissioner, Dr. Mack brings academic and field expertise to the classroom.
This two-part course begins with part 1 which lays the foundation by providing the background, history, definitions, causes and treatment of mental health conditions. Part two provides practical training to provide supportive behavioral health services withing faith-based communities. it also includes steps to state certification and peer-run organization credentialing.
Welcome to Christ Temple Bible College Private School
Pt 1: RESTORING THE SOUL 7 ONLINE COMPANION COURSE
This foundational course explores the critical connection between the mind, spiritual formation and behavioral health. Students will investigate the rising mental health and substance abuse disorder crisis in the United States and its impact on youth and communities of color. The lessons include:
The problem of mental illness in the united states
Lesson one explains how mental illness has become a widespread and urgent public health challenge in the United States, affecting millions across every age group. It highlights rising prevalence, strained treatment systems, and the social, cultural, and spiritual implications that make this a critical issue for communities and churches alike.
types of mental illness
This lesson gives a clear overview of the major categories of mental illness, explaining how conditions are grouped based on shared symptoms, causes, and patterns of impairment. It provides a structured foundation for recognizing the wide range of disorders addressed in modern behavioral health.
mental illness diagnosis and treatment
This lesson explores how mental health conditions are identified and classified. It traces the development of diagnostic systems like the DSM and the evolution of treatment approaches over time. It gives learners a clear foundation for understanding how diagnoses are made and how evidence‑based treatments are selected and applied.
The church and mental health treatment
This course offers a clear, research‑grounded introduction to mental illness and traces how both secular systems and the Church—historically and today—have responded to behavioral health needs. It equips learners with a foundational understanding of mental‑health challenges and the Church’s role in compassionate, informed soul care.
Causes of mental illness
This lesson helps learners understand that mental illness rarely has a single cause; instead, it emerges from a complex interaction of biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors. It equips the Church to approach mental‑health struggles with nuance, compassion, and informed discernment.
treatment, reform and the struggle for dignity
This lesson traces how advocates, reformers, and people with lived experience have fought to transform mental health care from systems of confinement and stigma into ones centered on dignity, rights, and recovery. It shows how policy change, public awareness, and peer‑led movements continue to push the United States toward more humane, community‑based treatment.
medication: the double edged sword
This lesson examines the history of psychotropic medication development, and helps learners understand both the benefits and risks so they can assist those they will support to make informed, holistic decisions about treatment.
the way forward: recommendations for the church
This lesson outlines practical, compassionate steps the Church can take to better support individuals and families facing mental‑health challenges, emphasizing education, collaboration, and a posture of dignity and hope. It offers a clear path for congregations to become safer, more informed, and more effective in their ministry to those who are suffering.
Welcome to Christ Temple Bible College Private School
pt 2: Christian peer support specialist training
WHAT IS A PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST?
This course provides a clear, practical overview of the role and function of a Peer Support Specialist, focusing on how they use lived experience, ethical practice, and supportive engagement to promote recovery, empowerment, and connection within behavioral‑health settings.
ETHICS AND BOUNDARIES IN PEER SUPPORT
This lesson explains the ethical standards and boundaries that guide Christian Peer Support Specialists, emphasizing integrity, humility, and Christ‑centered care that protects both the helper and the person being served.
SHARING YOUR TESTIMONY (RECOVERY STORY)
This lesson teaches Christian Peer Support Specialists how to share their recovery story in a way that is purposeful, safe, and Christ‑centered—using testimony to model hope, resilience, and God’s redemptive work without overshadowing the other person’s needs or boundaries.
TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE
This lesson introduces the core principles of trauma‑informed care and shows Christian Peer Support Specialists how to create interactions rooted in safety, trust, empowerment, and compassion, ensuring they support others without causing harm or re‑triggering past wounds.
PERSON-CENTERED CARE
T0his lesson shows how Christian Peer Support Specialists keep the person’s values, choices, and God‑given dignity at the center of every interaction, offering support that honors autonomy, nurtures hope, and reflects Christlike compassion rather than directing or controlling the recovery journey.
RESOURCE REFERRAL
This lesson teaches Christian Peer Support Specialists how to guide individuals in identifying needs, exploring appropriate community and faith‑based resources, and navigating access steps with clarity and dignity—ensuring referrals are collaborative, empowering, and rooted in compassionate Christian care.
FACILITATING SUPPORT GROUPS
This lesson equips Christian Peer Support Specialists with the skills to facilitate support groups that are safe, structured, and recovery‑focused, guiding participants with empathy, clear boundaries, and Christ‑centered encouragement while fostering shared connection and mutual support.
SAFETY AND CRISIS PLANNING
This lesson equips Christian Peer Support Specialists to recognize early warning signs, collaborate on practical safety steps, and respond to rising distress with calm, trauma‑informed support—helping individuals stay grounded, connected, and protected while honoring ethical boundaries and the shared hope found in Christ.
ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING FAMILY AND CAREGIVERS
This lesson teaches Christian Peer Support Specialists how to engage families and caregivers with respect, collaboration, and Christ‑centered compassion—supporting healthy communication, honoring the individual’s voice, and strengthening the shared network of care without overstepping ethical or relational boundaries.
WORKING WITH A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM
This lesson equips Christian Peer Support Specialists to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team by understanding each member’s role, communicating clearly, honoring professional boundaries, and contributing lived‑experience insight in a way that strengthens collaboration, supports shared goals, and respects Christ‑centered autority and chain-of-command in the overall care process.
CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND HUMILITY
This lesson helps Christian Peer Support Specialists understand how cultural competence and humility work together to create safe, respectful, and Christ‑centered relationships. Students will learn to recognize their own biases and approach differences with curiosity, openness, and a commitment to shared dignity.