Family Peer Supports

PRS Family Peer Support Partners

Family Peer Support Partners (FPSPs) are trained parents and caregivers who use their personal experience to offer support for parents and caregivers of youth diagnosed with mental health or substance use. FPSPs understand first-hand the challenges families may experience because they have navigated mental health and substance use systems with their own child. They have been trained to support families like yours.

Hear from a family who receives services from PRS’ FPSP program.

How They Help

Family Peer Support Partners can help you and your family:

  • Identify and use your strengths
  • Encourage and support family to achieve desired outcomes
  • Advocate for child’s needs in a proactive manner
  • Connect with effective family supports, services, and treatment options
  • Provide Support
  • Empower families
  • Understand your resources and recommendations
Role of the Family Peer Support Partner
  • Develop a connection and relationship with the parent/family
  • Ensure parent/family voice and choice throughout treatment
  • Be versatile, fluid, responsive and timely to the needs of the family; responsively adjust level of contact and specific activities in each individual situation
  • Provide direct support to parents/caretakers, family members and natural supports to carry out action steps toward goals
  • Connect families to other families and support groups, as well as to other resources when other service providers are not available.
Find Hope

If you or someone you know is interested in receiving services, please complete an FPSP Referral Form.

PRS Family Peer Support Services are available to Families residing in Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, including but not limited to parents, stepparents, extended family and fictive kin, with an identified childbirth through age 21 diagnosed with mental health or substance use.

FPSPs understand first-hand the challenges families may experience because they have navigated mental health and substance use systems with their own children. They have been trained to support families like yours.

Click here for our Release of Information Form.

Is There a Cost?

Thanks to a partnership with PRS, Inc. and Healthy Minds Fairfax, there is no fee to families who reside in Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church for these services.

For Providers

Family Peer Support Partners (FPSPs) refer to trained parent/caregivers with a child/youth with behavioral health challenges. These are individuals with lived experience, of information, resources, training, and emotional support to families with the goal of helping them navigate services systems and to engage with appropriate services and providers. The FPSPs may meet with the family in their home or in the community, including face-to-face contact, attendance at meetings, and regular phone contacts. Due to COVID-19, services are currently conducted via video telehealth or phone contact.

Family Peer Support Partners Brochure (English)

Family Peer Support Partners Brochure (Spanish)

For more information, please contact:

Brittney White
Director of Peer Services
571-585-8808
bwhite@prsinc.org

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