Peer Support Services at Shiawassee Health & Wellness (SHW) are services and supports provided by persons in recovery, who have a mental illness, and to beneficiaries of the public mental health system. The individual’s life experience provides expertise that professional training alone cannot redo. Activities provided by Peer Support Specialists are completed in partnership with the consumer and service provider. The Peer Support Specialist is available to provide the consumer with information and support at all phases of recovery, from emergency to outpatient or inpatient settings.
Parent Support Partners are similar to Peer Support Specialists except they are trained specifically to work with families. The Parent Support Partner is a parent or primary caregiver of a child with emotional, behavioral and/or mental health challenges. Parent Support Partners help empower families to access and obtain resources in the community, partner with service providers, and increase their confidence in parenting so that all family members can remain in the community. They serve as an example and mentor to other parents. They engage family members and provide peer-to-peer support, education, and training to families who are receiving services.
What is a parent support partner you ask?
I am parent of a child with emotional, behavioral and intellectual disabilities along with three other children.
What does a PSP do?
We bring both personal experiences and knowledge of raising a child with these challenges, empowering families and giving them much needed hope.
Here are a few other areas of support that you may receive from your PSP:
Share my story and listen to yours. Let you know that you are not alone, no matter how alone you may be feeling.
Empower you to set goals and support you to identify strategies to achieve those goals, even if we must start very small.
Attend meetings with you such as IEP’s or Wraparound.
Help prepare for and attend meetings for other agencies.
Be a sounding board, someone to vent to, and express concerns to.
Encouraging that we as parents are our children’s best teachers.
Be a source of HOPE! The PSP can show you that there is light at the end of the tunnel!
Outcomes of parent-to-parent support:
Families feel less isolated and more confident about their ability to care for their child.
Families are more hopeful about the future.
Families have increased ability to adapt to their situation.
Families are better able to manage their day and find answers to their questions.
Individuals who are currently enrolled in services at SHW and who meet service eligibility criteria.
Request this service from your SHW primary service provider.
