Family Peer Support Services Offered For Fairfax Families

OAKTON, VA — PRS, an Oakton-based behavioral health nonprofit, announced the launch of its Family Peer Support Partner Services to help families of youth diagnosed with mental health or substance use disorders.

The program features trained parents and caregivers who can use their personal experience to offer guidance to parents or caregivers whose child faces behavioral health challenges. Family Peer Support Partners meet with the family in their home or in the community, attend family resource meetings and maintain regular phone contact with families as needed throughout the provision of services. Due to COVID-19, services are being done through video telehealth or phone contact.

"Having a child with mental health issues can be incredibly difficult. That’s why we are providing families with trained peers who also have the shared experience," said Joseph Getch, CEO, of PRS. "Our Family Peer Support Partners understand first-hand the challenges families may experience because they have navigated mental health and substance use systems with their own child."

The program's goals are to provide support and empower families; help families identify and use their strengths; encourage and support families to achieve desired outcomes; advocate for the child's needs proactively; connect with effective family supports, services and treatment options, and help families understand resources and recommendations.

The services are free for families living in Fairfax County thanks to a partnership with PRS and Healthy Minds Fairfax.

To receive support, families or agencies can visit prsinc.org/family-peer-supports and fill out a referral form.

In addition to offering the new program, PRS has added Peer Family Health Coach to its Be Well program. The Be Well program PRS helps people living with mental illness receive coordinated health care. The Peer Family Health Coach will provide services to families of identified youth through one-on-one or psychoeducational groups, provide wellness training and support to families in the Be Well Program, facilitate skill teaching groups, provide information on wellness, and help families improve their health and wellness.

PRS also runs the 24-7 crisis hotline CrisisLink and other programs. For 24/7 support from CrisisLink, call 1-800-273-TALK or chat at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.