Employee Becomes First State Certified Peer Specialist at DBH

Four San Bernardino County individuals were successful in passing the first pilot round of state testing and are now certified Peer Specialists, including DBH Peer and Family Advocate (PFA) Sidney Suarez.

Prior to working as a PFA in San Bernardino County, Sidney worked a variety of jobs that required him to be attentive and understanding of others. He worked many years for the City of Fontana in the after-school program to build and foster curriculum for middle school students. After that, he began helping in Special Day Classes using Applied Behavior Analysis as a special-education paraprofessional.

"This is where my outlook shifted and my heart felt more compelled to help those in need of support with mental health," Sidney said.

He later heard about the PFA position from Daryl Gill, a fellow DBH PFA. Sidney joined the department in 2018 and currently works at the Phoenix Clinic in San Bernardino.

"In my professional experience, I’ve had the privilege to help those that are marginalized and need extra support," Sidney said. "This certification will allow me to help more individuals and expand the support that I can provide."

Please join us in congratulating Sidney!