Family Peer Support

Course overview

Youth who are struggling with mental health conditions face an array of obstacles, as do their families. Oftentimes, families in this situation have extensive needs that can go unmet due to the complex network of protocols and procedures that must be navigated to access resources. It has been found that supports such as family peer support can greatly increase the likelihood that families and children with mental health conditions will successfully enter and then graduate from therapeutic and wrap-around services (Jivanjee, 2020). Family peer support is one way to help children with complex needs live at home and fully participate in family and community life. This course will provide information about what family peer support is, as well as describe the role and duties of family peer support partners. It will describe how beneficial family peer support partners can be to treatment teams and behavioral health agencies. It will also provide information to behavioral health leaders who are interested in incorporating family peer support into their programs. You will also learn some best practices for creating a robust family peer support program and recruiting ideal family peer support partners.