Parent peer support, also commonly called family 

peer support or family support services, offers 

hope, guidance, advocacy, and camaraderie for 

parents and caregivers of children and youth 

receiving services from mental health, substance 

use, and related service systems. Parent support 

providers deliver peer support through face-toface support groups, phone calls, or individual 

meetings. They bring expertise based on their 

own experience parenting children or youth 

with social, emotional, behavioral, or substance 

use challenges, as well as specialized training, to 

support other parents and caregivers. Working 

within a peer support framework that recognizes 

the power of mutuality and experiential 

understanding, parent support providers deliver 

education, information, and peer support 

(Obrochta et al., 2011). 

Parents trying to identify and access appropriate 

services for their child may find child-serving 

systems (e.g., mental health, education, juvenile 

justice, child welfare, substance use treatment) 

complicated and overwhelming. Parent peer 

support can help these parents navigate systems 

more effectively, learn from the experiences of 

other families, feel less alone, and gain hope, 

ideas, and information. This support can help 

parents meet their children’s needs more 

efficiently, and with greater confidence and hope. 

(Kutash et al., 2011, Hoagwood et al., 2009). 

What is Peer Support for Parents and Other Caregivers?

WHAT DO PARENT SUPPORT PROVIDERS DO?

PARENT SUPPORT PROVIDERS OFFER:

emotional connection of people who have 

“been there”; 

informational and educational support on 

systems and strategies; 

support for parents as they develop positive 

approaches and methods for addressing 

their family’s day-to-day needs, including 

their own needs for self-care;

concrete support, such as help arranging 

child care or transportation; and

living proof of resilience and recovery. 

Parent support providers are also known as 

parent support professionals, navigators, mentors, 

family partners, parent partners, and parent support 

specialists. Parent support providers offer a wide 

range of assistance and support, depending on 

the settings in which they work and the needs of 

the families they serve.

COMMON SERVICES INCLUDE:

information and referral;

individualized supports to help parents 

understand their children’s needs and 

access natural supports;

support groups;

parent training and education to increase 

knowledge and skills; 

system navigation to assist a family in 

finding or accessing resources;

intensive family support during periods of 

crisis;

specialized supports for families 

experiencing challenges with systems such 

as child welfare, juvenile courts, or schools; 

and

social activities and events to bring 

families together, raise awareness, or offer 

educational opportunities.

“My family was involved in 

a variety of services in our 

community. Once we began 

to work with a parent support 

professional, we felt that we 

had a person in our corner 

who worked just for us. It 

made a huge difference.” 

— David

Family, Parent and 

Caregiver Peer 

Support in 

Behavioral Health
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PARENT SUPPORT SERVICES?

Increased sense of self-efficacy:

Family support services increase 

family members’ confidence in their 

abilities to care for their child.

(Hoagwood et al., 2010; Obrochta et al., 2011)

REFERENCES

(Source: Obrochta et al., 2011)

Decreased family isolation: Parent 

support providers assist family 

members with identifying and 

accessing community supports 

that help them feel less alone. 

(Obrochta et al., 2011)

Decreased internalized blame: By providing 

education and connections with others, 

parent support services help family members 

reframe their experiences and debunk 

damaging myths about behavioral health 

conditions and emotional distress.

(Obrochta et al., 2011)

Increased empowerment to take action: 

Receiving education about service systems, 

navigation skills, advocacy skills, and rights 

helps empower families to become active 

participants in their child’s services.

(Kutash, Duchnowski, Green, & Ferron, 2011)

Eversen, C., & Tierney M. (2012). Results of evaluation of JJA data. Memo to keys for 

networking for the No Place Like Home project. Washington, DC: American Institutes 

for Research.

Hoagwood, K.E., Cavaleri, M.A., Olin, S.S., Burns, B.J., Slaton, E., Gruttadaro, D., Hughes, 

R. Family Support in Children’s Mental Health: A Review and Synthesis. Clinical Child 

and Family Psychology Review (2010) 13:1-45.

Koroloff, N. M., Friesen, B. J., Reilly, L., & Rinkin, J. (1996). The role of family members in 

systems of care. In B. A. Stroul (Ed.), Children’s mental health: Creating systems of care 

in a changing society. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. 

Kutash, K., Duchnowski, A.J., Green, A.L., & Ferron, John M. Supporting Parents Who 

Have Youth with Emotional Disturbances Through a Parent-to-Parent Support 

Program: A Proof of Concept Study Using Random Assignment. Administrative Policy 

in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research (2011) 38:412-427.

Leggatt, M., & Woodhead, G. (2015). Family peer support work in early intervention 

youth mental health service. Early Intervention in Psychiatry. doi: 10.1111/eip.12257

Obrochta, C., Anthony, B., Armstrong, M., Kalil, J., Hust, J., & Kernan, J. (2011). Issue 

brief: Family-to-family peer support: Models and evaluation. Atlanta, GA: ICF Macro, 

Outcomes Roundtable for Children and Families. Retrieved from https://www.

ffcmh.org/sites/default/files/Issue Brief - Family to Family Peer Support Outcomes 

Roundtable 2011.pdf

Purdy, F. (2010). The core competencies of parent support providers. Rockville, MD: 

National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health. Retrieved from https://

www.ffcmh.org/sites/default/files/%234%20-%20Competencies%20of%20PSP.pdf

Robbins, V., Johnson, J., Barnett, H., Hobstetter, W., Kutash, K., Duchnowski, A. J., & 

Annis, S. (2008). Parent to parent: A synthesis of the emerging literature. Tampa, FL: 

University of South Florida, The Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, 

Department of Child & Family Studies. Retrieved from http://cfs.cbcs.usf.edu/_docs/

publications/parent_to_parent.pdf

Early research 

suggests that parent 

peer support offers 

parents and other 

caregivers:

“I don’t know what I would 

have done without our 

parent support provider. 

She understood what I was 

going through, and she didn’t 

judge me. She was available 

whenever I needed her, not 

just during business hours. 

She helped my family get 

back on our feet.” 

—Stacey

 

Increased sense of collaboration:

Receiving skills training and 

support from parent support 

providers helps family members 

collaborate effectively with 

treatment professionals. 

(Hogwood, et al., 2010)