What is OHMAS Family Peer Specialist?

Certified Family Peer Specialist Responsibilities:
• Providing empathetic listening and emotional support.
• Assisting families in navigating systems. (School, court, probation, programs)
• Supplying information about child-serving system, children’s behavioral health and development, and community resources.
• Rendering advocacy support.
• Encouraging self-care activities.
• Facilitating familial engagement with service providers.
• Modeling collaboration between families and professionals.
• Engaging in safety and care planning; exploring and eliminating barriers to care plan follow-through.
• Offering skill-building for parents that enhances resiliency, communication, advocacy, and other areas affecting the ability to maintain a child with complex needs in the home, school, and community.
• Sharing personal stories.
• Promoting harm reduction, by addressing family concerns.
• Individualized support to help parents understand their children’s needs, and access natural support.
• Parent teaching and education to increase knowledge and skills.
• Community linkage for concrete support such as childcare needs, or transportation.
• Community linkage and assistance with referrals, information, and resources.
• Identify support groups available in the community, and social activities and events to bring families together, raise awareness, or offer educational opportunities.
Become a family peer supporter today!!

https://mha.ohio.gov/community-partners/peer-supporters/become-a-family-peer-supporter