MODULE 3: Hiring and Supporting Family/Parent Partners
overview:
- Hiring and supporting Family/Parent Partners is one of the most important strategies recommended by BBI to advance and strengthen partnerships between residential program staff and families.
Joe Ford, Senior Vice President of Hathaway-Sycamores shares important learning from hiring Family/Parent Partners.
- There are important implementation strategies for providers to consider when employing and supporting Family/Parent Partners. Organizational readiness, preparation of staff to partner and collaborate with the parents hired, thoughtfulness about hiring parents with lived experience and how best to support them, training and supervision, and connection with experienced Family/Parent Partners and/or a Family Support Organization are just a few. When implemented well, the addition of peer parent support partners to a program team can lead to profound and important changes in the ability of staff and families to work in true partnership with one another, leading to improved satisfaction and improved outcomes.
- Family/Parent Partners working for providers have a dual role. Not only do they support parents by providing peer-to-peer support, but their role is also reported by many providers to be critical in shifting the paradigm from professional-driven to family-driven practices. The very presence of Family/Parent Partners working within a program can change the agency culture by sending a clear message to staff that families are valued. Family/Parent Partners can utilize their own stories to create learning opportunities for staff by providing a real-world perspective and by challenging assumptions, bias, and stigma.
Hiring and Supporting Family/Parent Partners Resources
Collins, J. & Peters, S. (2020). Developing fiscal and financing strategies for residential interventions. In B. Caldwell, R. Lieberman, J. LeBel, & G.M. Blau (Eds.), Transforming Residential Interventions: Practical Strategies and Future Directions (pp. 254–275). Routledge.
Engage Us: A Guide Written by Families for Residential Providers. (2012, April). Building Bridges Initiative. http://www.buildingbridges4youth.org/sites/default/files/BBI%20-%20Engage%20Us%20-%20Family%20Engagement%20Guide.pdf
Family Tip Sheet (Expanded Version): Tip Sheet for Families Considering a Residential Program: Information for Families and Caregivers. [Also available in Spanish.] (Not dated). Building Bridges Initiative.
https://www.buildingbridges4youth.org/sites/default/files/pdf/BB-Family-Tip-Sheet-expanded.
pdf
Kuppinger, A., Hust, J.A., Hunt, P., Mosby, P., Hammack, S., & Caldwell, B. (2020). Putting families first: Strategies to transform and advance family engagement and partnership. In B. Caldwell, R. Lieberman, J. LeBel, & G.M. Blau (Eds.), Transforming Residential Interventions: Practical Strategies and Future Directions (pp. 8–30). Routledge.
A Tip Sheet for Families Considering a Residential Program [Brief Version, also available in Spanish.] (Not dated). Building Bridges Initiative. https://www.buildingbridges4youth.org/sites/default/files/pdf/BB-Family-Tip-Sheet-brief.pdf
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
National Family Organizations/National Organizations Promoting Family Support, as cited by Kuppinger et al., 2020:
- Family Run Executive Director Leadership Association (FREDLA) www.fredla.org
- National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health (NFFCMH) www.ffcmh.org
- Mental Health America http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/about-us
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI
- National Family Support Network https://www.nationalfamilysupportnetwork.org/
Documents to Support Use of Family Peer Partners, as cited by Kuppinger et al., 2020:
- FREDLA has several documents on their website. www.fredla.org
- Best Personnel Practices in Parent Support Provider Programs https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/49bf42_9982b967a517484dbfe715c8b44f4ce2.pdf.
- Parent Partner Program Manual Sample Policies and Procedures https://library.childwelfare.gov/cwig/ws/library/docs/gateway/Blob/107662.pdf?w=+NATIVE%28%27recno%3D107662%27%29&upp=0&rpp=10&r=1&m=1
Key Concepts & Definitions
Family/Parent Partners may also be referred to as family partners, parent partners or advocates, parent peer support specialists, peer advocates, or family navigators. Their role is also encompassed by the term credible messengers⎯which can refer to a parent or a youth peer who has lived experience within the system.
A Family/Parent Partner is someone who has navigated the system as a parent of a child with emotional or behavioral challenges. Because of their lived experience, Family/Parent Partners have a unique ability to engage as peers of families receiving services, supporting them with empathy and understanding. Family/Parent Partners may also participate in program and system development through membership on planning and policy-making bodies at various levels. Some also have specific expertise in residential interventions, substance abuse, or the child-welfare and/or juvenile-justice systems.
Family/Parent Partners provide intentional peer support to parents through strategic self-disclosure related to their own family experience. They provide non-adversarial advocacy. They suspend bias and blame in all interactions with parents and professionals. They encourage parents to practice self-care while building on their own unique strengths. Family/Parent Partners convey hope, build connections, provide resources and linkages, offer opportunities for culturally responsive education and skill building, and encourage parents to utilize their voice to be part of problem solving.
A Child and Family Team is a collaborative team of residential and community providers, family members, the youth, Family/Parent Partners, Youth Partners/Peer Mentors, and natural supports (e.g., people the family chooses to involve on the team, such as a family friend, coach, teacher, religious leader, etc.). This team meets regularly to define goals, discuss progress, and refine the service and support plan to best meet the needs of the child and family. Different child and family systems use different terms for this group; for instance, child welfare providers might use the term family team conferencing.