Children’s Mental Health Family Partner Support Services

Family partner support services are for the primary caregiver of a child who is receiving mental health services. These may include introducing the family to the mental health treatment process, modeling advocacy skills, providing information, making referrals, providing skills training and helping to identify supports for the child and family. Services are not provided directly to the child.

Who Provides Family Partner Support Services?

Services are provided by a certified family partner or a family partner waiting to complete approved training. In addition to their training, they have first-hand experience as primary caregivers of children with a mental health diagnosis. CFPs have completed certified family partner training. The family partner or CFP uses their experience to help primary caregivers better learn how to help their child with a mental health diagnosis.

What Are the Benefits of Family Partner Support Services?

Primary caregivers:

  • Have a support person who can connect based on similar experiences caring for a child with mental or behavioral health challenges.
  • Have a partner to ensure family thoughts and opinions are heard and that the family is the main decision maker about services and supports.
  • Have a role model for advocacy, positive parenting, coping and self-care.
  • Can become more engaged with their child and family’s treatment team.
  • Can learn to establish trust with people or agencies.
  • Can gather emotional support and feel less isolated and more independent,
  • Can become more aware of strengths of self, family members and their child.
  • Can become more familiar with how to use and access community resources, services or supports in order to better assist their child and family.
  • Can learn more about their child’s diagnosis.
  • Can improve understanding of the rights of their child.
  • Can learn to advocate on behalf of their child.
  • Can gain parenting tools that may make parenting easier.
  • Can strengthen their relationship with their child.

Who Is Eligible for Family Partner Support Services?

Primary caregivers of children eligible to receive services at the local mental health authority or local behavioral health authority.

How Do I Get Family Partner Support Services?