1. Arkansas Family Support Partner Overview

2. Family Support Partners or Peer Parent Partners are:
Parents/Guardians who are raising or who have raised children with emotional, physical, or behavioral health care needs, trauma, substance use and other challenges. They are familiar with the feelings of isolation parents experience and the difficulties they face. FSP’s also know what resources are available to help parents and how to navigate the physical and behavioral health, juvenile justice, child welfare, school and developmental disabilities systems. In addition to their personal experience as parents, they have received professional training in preparation to help other parents/primary caregivers.

3. Family/Peer Parent Support Partner’s Journey.
Patricia Miles,
April 2017
Family/Peer Parent Support Partner’s Journey.
Becoming Defined by the Situation
Recognize that you’re part of a system
Growing Realization that you have to activate for your family
Understanding the meaning behind your experience
Commit to help others through your personal experience
Trainer Notes:
Applied to Your Story
Recognize your own experiences on this journey
Deep work to apply your story in service to others
Build connections through self-review
Applied to the Story of the Parent You are Supporting
Point is to find relatable connection rather than move people along
Helps to establish your ability to provide authentic, individualized and purposeful support
Creates a sense of understanding rather than assessment
Moves back and forth across the stages based on family circumstances
If you think you have arrived you probably haven’t left
Movement across time is likely to be experienced differently from one parent to the next
Recognition of the universal stops on the journey while balancing the individual realities of each parent’s path
Creates a sense of understanding and connection rather than assessment and resolution
Establishes a foundation for your next decision when delivered effective peer support
Patricia Miles
Toni Donnelly & Patricia Miles

4. How does the Family Support Partner/Peer Parent Support Partner assist the team?
1. Works collaboratively with the Care Coordinator
2. The FSP/PPSP introduces themselves as a peer who is the parent of a child with emotional or behavioral challenges and explain the role of the Parent Partner.
3. Encourage and/or assist the family in sharing their own story including their culture, beliefs and situation
4. Consider the family’s story to identify family strengths, possible team members, and what parts of the Parent Partner’s story would be helpful for the family to hear.
5. Effectively share your own story in a way which builds connection, confidence, and hope for the family relevant to the family’s culture, beliefs and situation.

5. Continued….
6. Participate collaboratively in identifying potential team members and what might motivate them to participate in the team process.
7. Explore the parent’s situation regarding the need for rest, relief, and safety and work collaboratively with the facilitator to develop and support stabilization.
8. Work collaboratively with the family and facilitator to determine potential team members, both formal and informal, and decide who will invite them.
9. Decide with facilitator who will contact potential team members to hear their perspectives on family strengths and needs.

6. Minimum Arkansas requirements:
Age 18 or older;
High school diploma or GED;
Valid Arkansas driver’s license/identification card;
Two years or more lived experience being the primary caregiver of a child who has been involved with the behavioral health system;
Completion of the FSP training program approved by the Arkansas Department of Human Services; and
Documentation of training from a Behavioral Health Agency that states the applicant is qualified as a Qualified Behavioral Health Provider (QBHP). This is maintained and verified by the Arkansas Medicaid Behavioral Health Agency.

7. Additional requirements:
Must be supervised by a Mental Health Professional as defined by the QBHP requirements in the Behavioral Health Agency certification; and
Completion of 8 hours of training annually related to their FSP functions; and  
Any individual who does not comply with the above requirements will not be allowed to be reimbursed for Family Support Partners as specified by Arkansas Medicaid. On a monthly basis, the Behavioral Health Agency is required to provide a list to DHS of approved FSPs that are providing services for clients of the Agency. The Family Support Partner who provides services must be noted within the Medical record of the client.
The term for FSP status approval is continuous for two (2) years from the date of approval.
Applicants must submit a completed Family Support Partner Form 710 application for approval to DHS.