Family Peer Support Advocacy Opportunity

by  Beth Ayers, Family Peer Support Lead

January 9, 2024

It is time to let your voice be heard! There are 2 opportunities in January to give public comment advocating for Family Peer Support.

The MT Family Peer Support Task Force & Steering Committee worked tirelessly last year to develop professional standards for Family Peer Supporters. Unlike other states, Family Peer Supporters in MT work with parents/caregivers of children with ANY special healthcare need, including behavioral health. Attached is an overview of the professional standards that will be recommended for Family Peer Supporters in MT. Now it is time to focus our efforts on certification and funding. There is an advocacy opportunity on January 18, 2024. (Details are included below.)

Children, Families, Health & Human Services (CFHHS) Interim Committee

• Overview: The CFHHS Interim Committee studies relevant issues and develops proposed legislation for the next legislative session. The 2023-2024 CFHHS Interim Committee has specified Family Peer Support as part of their work plan. This is great news and means that the committee wants to explore how Family Peer Support can be expanded in Montana!
• When: Thursday, January 18^th, 8am-6pm
• Where: Helena, Capitol Room 137
• Agenda:
  • Family Peer Support will be given 1 hour in January’s agenda. The committee will hear from a panel first, take public comment second, and third, legislators will have the opportunity to ask the panel questions. Our goal at this meeting is to present the model of Family Peer Support and the incredible value it brings to families raising children with special healthcare needs including mental health and substance use disorder. We are looking to the 2025 Legislative Session to pass a certification bill along with funding for Family Peer Support. We are hoping the interim committee will recommend a bill for this and a legislator or two will agree to sponsor the bill.
• How to submit public comment:
  • Written testimony
    • There is no deadline, but to ensure committee members receive written comments in their meeting packets, submit your comments by Thursday, January 11^th at 5pm.
  • Via Zoom
    • You must register by Wednesday, January 17^th at 5pm.
  • In-Person
    • Simply show up to Capitol Room 137 on Thursday, January 18^th! The committee will call for public comment (see agenda once posted to know when) and you will have the opportunity to speak.
• Learn more

Tips for preparing public comment:

1. Write down what you want to say.
2. Plan for 1-2 minutes in case they limit your time.
3. Make every word powerful.
4. Use personal anecdotes—stories pull at heartstrings.
5. You may bring your child when you speak in-person if it is appropriate. Helping legislators to connect faces of families to their work is important.

 Talking Points

• Family Peer Support provides peer to peer support to the family of a child with a special health care need so the family can be supported in caring for their child and navigating their unique needs.
• These services can reduce a family’s feelings of isolation and guilt and increase protective factors against chronic stress.
• Family Peer Support provides support for early intervention, diagnosis, and treatment services, reducing the risk of substance use and improving health outcomes.
• Family Peer Support provides uninterrupted care during transitions, which helps cover gaps in services and provide access to after-hours support, reducing the use of crisis services.
• These services can meet the needs of families in communities across the state, including urban, rural, frontier, and tribal lands.
• SAMHSA included Family Peer Support in their recently published National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification

• Certification establishes training and credentialing standards for Family Peer Support. This is important to provider offices hiring Family Peer Supporters.
• Training and standards increase the safety and well-being of the family and the Family Peer Supporter.
• Funding is necessary to grow the Family Peer Support workforce and to have the service reliably available in medical clinics and agencies across MT that service children with increased medical needs and their families.
• 38 other states already have state certification for Family Peer Support. As of 2019, 33 states have Medicaid funding for Family Peer Support.

Why engage in public comment? 

Public comment from parents, caregivers and advocates is a powerful tool. Having a child with extra medical needs of any kind can cause families chronic stress and feelings of isolation, guilt, and a myriad of other challenging emotions. Having someone to walk beside those families who has “been there” themselves is invaluable. The empathy, support, and connection of a Family Peer Supporter is unique and life changing. Please add your voice to our cause in advancing this critical service in Montana!

Please reach out to Beth with any questions.