Psychosis training requirements, answered

PSP is a certification curriculum for recognizing, assessing, and responding to psychosis crisis: six pathways, 40 modules, 126.5 curriculum hours, non-clinical foundation through master tier, plus a Workplace Violence Prevention concentration. Built from Dr. Cole Dyar's doctoral work (DMFT, National University, 2025; ProQuest 32122696); live at the PSP training platform.

Anyone in the room when psychosis escalates — from non-clinical staff to system crisis leaders. Level I serves BHTs, peer specialists, SUD counselors, case managers, residential staff; Level II, licensed clinicians; Level III, ED psychiatric staff, mobile crisis, CIT officers, jail diversion, EMT/paramedics; WPV, hospitals, HR, EAPs, compliance officers.

Not for Level I — PSP Provider is built for non-clinical staff and has no prerequisites. Level II is written for licensed clinicians; Level III accepts a Level II certification or two-plus years of direct crisis intervention experience with supervisor approval.

Level I runs 12–14 hours; Level II, 16–20; Level III, 24–32; Train-the-Trainer, 28, including a 12-hour teaching practicum; Master SPP, 28.5, including 10 hours of case conferences and oral defense preparation; WPV, 16. These are curriculum hours — the full curriculum totals 126.5.

Level I (PSP Provider) $399; Level II (Clinical Practitioner) $649; Level III (Crisis Specialist) $1,249; Train-the-Trainer $6,500 plus a $1,000-per-year license; Master SPP $8,000; WPV $1,499. Each price covers the full module sequence and certification assessment; renewal fees are separate and lower.

Level I, Level II, Train-the-Trainer, and WPV certifications are valid for two years; Level III and Master SPP, three. Renewal: $99 (Level I), $399 (Level II), $499 (Level III), $1,000 per year (Train-the-Trainer), $1,500 (Master SPP), $399 (WPV).

Level I: none. Level II: Level I or equivalent approved training. Level III: Level II, or two-plus years' crisis experience with supervisor approval. Train-the-Trainer: Level III plus two years' documented PSP practice. Master SPP: Train-the-Trainer plus five years' advanced psychosis practice. WPV: Level II recommended; Level I minimum.

For most individuals: Level I — $399, no prerequisites, 12–14 hours, covering psychosis fundamentals, the Rapid Risk Screen, SOLER communication, the 6-step de-escalation sequence, the Five Pillars crisis response model, and family engagement. Licensed clinicians with equivalent approved training can enter at Level II; compliance-driven facilities start with WPV.

Every tier ends in a timed exam. Level I: 25 questions, 80%, 3 attempts, 45 min; Level II: 40q, 85%, 3, 60 min; Level III: 50q, 85%, 3, 75 min; Train-the-Trainer: 60q, 90%, 2, 90 min; Master: 75q, 90%, 2, 120 min; WPV: 40q, 80%, 3, 60 min.

No — each tier adds demonstrated skill. Level I: two scenario reflections, live SOLER demo, Code of Ethics acknowledgment; Level II: three case formulations, live CBTp demo; Level III: four crisis scenario evaluations, live simulation; Train-the-Trainer: recorded and live teaching evaluation; Master: ten-case portfolio, oral defense before a panel.

Training is exposure; certification is verification. A PSP certification means a scored exam passed at 80–90%, skills demonstrated live before an evaluator, and a credential with an expiration date and renewal requirement — evidence of maintained competency, not attendance.

The levels build individual competency; WPV is a 16-hour organizational track. Covered: NIOSH Type I–IV taxonomy with the psychosis variable, the SB 553 / TJC / OSHA framework, facility risk assessment, non-clinical de-escalation, law-enforcement interface, post-incident response, prevention-plan development — $1,499, Level II recommended, two-year certification.

No training course satisfies SB 553, Joint Commission, or OSHA requirements alone — vendors claiming otherwise are overselling. The WPV concentration delivers the content elements named in each, and pairs with your site-specific plan; your facility owes a written plan, hazard assessment, incident log, and live person for questions.

Not yet — accreditation applications are in preparation, and no board approvals exist today; PSP claims none. Tier hours are curriculum hours, not CE hours; when board approvals are granted, they will be announced with the specific board named.

The curriculum cites roughly 305 sources, 46% published in 2021 or later, with citations embedded where each claim is made and full metadata including DOIs. Recency is audited: as of August 2026, zero of 34 content modules fail the ASWB five-year recency standard.

Six subject-matter-expert reviewers with more than 75 combined years of clinical experience, on top of doctoral provenance — Dr. Cole Dyar's dissertation research (DMFT, National University, 2025; ProQuest 32122696). The August 2026 recency audit found zero of 34 content modules out of compliance with the ASWB five-year standard.

Yes — the Train-the-Trainer pathway ($6,500 plus a $1,000-per-year license) certifies a senior clinician to deliver PSP Levels I–III in-house, under brand-compliance and quality standards including minimum annual training events and reporting. Facilities can also enroll staff directly at any tier through open signup.

General de-escalation training treats agitation as one problem; PSP is built for the psychosis presentation. Validation without confirming delusional content, command hallucination risk, SOLER adaptations for persecutory features, reality-contact tracking, five-domain Rapid Risk Screen, plus C-SSRS (psychosis-adapted), Brøset Violence Checklist, and STAMP — complementing, not duplicating, CPI or CIT.