Family Peer Support
The Family Peer Support Program offers an array of formal and informal activities and supports to families caring for/raising a child who is experiencing any of the following in their home, school, placement and/or community:
- Behavioral, emotional or social challenges
- Medical or developmental issues
- Substance use/abuse
Working together with the family and child, our goal is to foster a structured, strength-based relationship between the Family Peer Advocate (FPA) and the parent or caregiving while cultivating a community of peer support.
Read our Family Peer Information sheet here.
Our objective is to support and strengthen the family as a unit and assist in navigating community resources and positive parental involvement to provide the tools necessary to raise the child to live successfully in their community.
Family Peer Support can help with
- Children struggling in school
- Navigating OPWDD services
- Obtaining behavioral health services
- Obtaining case management services (DSS or referral assistance)
- Parent mentoring
How does it work?
Individualized services are provided by a credentialed Family Peer Advocate (FPA) who has “lived-experience’ as the parent (biological, foster, adoptive or primary caregiver) of a child with a social, behavioral/mental health or developmental disability and has background in navigating multiple child serving systems.
Each goal-oriented plan is tailored to the specific needs of the parents and families. Our peer advocates are committed to learning each family’s individual needs, working within their boundaries, and listening without judgment to their ideas and decisions.
The need for Family Peer Support must be determined by a licensed practitioner and included within a treatment plan.