PRS’ New Family Peer Support Partners Help Fairfax Families with Youth with Behavioral Health Challenges to Advocate for and Navigate Services
Oakton, VA (February 2, 2021)— PRS, a behavioral health nonprofit, has launched Family Peer Support Partner Services (FPSPs), which employs trained parents and caregivers to use their personal experience to offer support for other Fairfax County parents and caregivers of youth diagnosed with mental health or substance use disorders. The free program is being offered in partnership with Fairfax County’s Health Minds Fairfax.
“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. 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,” explained Joseph Getch, CEO, PRS.
Family Peer Support Partners can help families: identify and use their 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; and understand resources and recommendations. To receive support, families or agencies should visit https://prsinc.org/family-peer-supports and fill out a referral form.
Thanks to a partnership with PRS and Healthy Minds Fairfax, there is no fee to families who reside in Fairfax County for these services. The FPSPs 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 currently conducted via video telehealth or phone contact.
In addition to this new program, PRS has also added a Peer Family Health Coach to its Be Well program. Nearly 40 percent of those with mental illness served by Fairfax County do not have a primary care physician. Through the BeWell program, PRS helps people living with mental illness receive coordinated health care. Through this program, a nurse care manager serves in a coordinating role to help clients navigate both the primary and mental health care systems to get the care they need. The Peer Family Health Coach will:
- Provide services to families of identified youth via one-to-one and/or psychoeducational groups
- Provide wellness training and support to families in the Be Well Program
- Facilitate skill teaching groups
- Provide information on wellness
- Enhance the ability of families served to improve their health and wellness.
About PRS
PRS is a leading local nonprofit helping those living with serious mental health issues and anyone who faces life crises achieve independence and self-sufficiency. PRS provides people they serve with skill training and support to help them recover and rebuild their lives through programs such as: Recovery Academy Day Programs and Community Readiness Support Program, Community Support Services, Employment Services, Peer Support Services, Community Housing, Coordinated Specialty Care and CrisisLink—a 24/7 phone, text and chat hotline. www.prsinc.org. For 24/7 support from CrisisLink, call 1-800-273-TALK. For 24/7 chat support, visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/.
About Healthy Minds Fairfax
Healthy Minds Fairfax’s goal is to improve access to mental health and substance abuse services for children, youth and families, and improve the quality of those services, through coordinating a continuum of services across multiple County agencies, the school system and a network of private providers.
Healthy Minds Fairfax | Healthy Minds Fairfax (fairfaxcounty.gov)
Contact: Shawn Flaherty, 703-554-3609
