by Beth Ayers, Family Support Lead
December 30, 2024
Family Peer Support is a trained parent or caregiver with lived experience raising a child with special healthcare needs and/or behavioral health challenges providing support to another parent or caregiver who is currently raising a child with similar healthcare needs. Family Peer Supporters provide emotional support, resources, and connection to community, helping the parent or caregiver feel less isolated, less stressed, and more hopeful. A Family Peer Supporter, because of their lived experience, can connect to another parent or caregiver in a way that few others can. The Family Peer Supporter knows what it feels like to raise a child with special healthcare needs and/or behavioral health challenges. The Family Peer Supporter knows the challenges that parents and caregivers face. They can relate to the often-overwhelming feelings of shame, blame, fear, and loss parents and caregivers experience. The Family Peer Supporter has navigated the confusing health system and has juggled multiple therapies, school meetings, doctor appointments, and other family commitments along with the needs of themselves, their child, and their family. Lived experience is the foundation of Family Peer Support. Lived experience is what makes Family Peer Support a unique service.
The benefits of Family Peer Support reach all involved, not only the parent or caregiver but also the child/youth, the provider, and the system as a whole. The child/youth receives uninterrupted care, support in recovery, and healthier family relationships. The provider receives an engaged family, lower costs, and better patient outcomes. The system receives the input and advocacy efforts of people with lived experience, a growing healthcare workforce, and less use of acute care.
In order for Family Peer Support to be a recognized profession with standardized training, scope of practice, and code of ethics, state certification is required. Beginning in 2022, the Montana Family Peer Support Task Force, comprised of stakeholders from across Montana, met for one year and developed the professional standards for Family Peer Support including Scope of Practice, Code of Ethics, Core Competencies and Training Standards, and Certification Requirements. These standards will be recommended to the Montana Board of Behavioral Health in developing the profession of Certified Family Peer Support. As of 2020, 28 states have Family Peer Support certification including Colorado, North Dakota, Idaho, Utah, Oregon, and Washington. Montana needs to be on the list. According to the National Federation of Families’ article “Family Peer Support Stories,” state certification supports the long-term health and efficacy of Family Peer Support services as well as assures proper trauma-informed training standards are met. Family Peer Support state certification will ensure services are delivered consistently across Montana and will hold Family Peer Supporters to a higher standard of care in alignment with a mandatory code of ethics. State certification will provide Family Peer Supporters with standardized, robust training that is currently lacking in Montana. State certification will protect the Family Peer Supporter and the families they are working with, ensuring that they have the proper tools and skills to be successful in supporting families. Certification will also lead to more sustainable funding source for Family Peer Supporters, safeguarding the longevity of job positions. The professionalization of Family Peer Support through state certification is the first step in supporting parents and caregivers everywhere children and families are served in Montana.
In September 2023, the Children, Family, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee included Family Peer Support in their approved work plan. A Family Peer Support panel presented in front of this Interim Committee in January 2024 on the importance and value of state certified Family Peer Support. From that meeting, a draft bill for Family Peer Support certification was created. The Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee finalized a bill creating Family Peer Support certification under the Montana Board of Behavioral Health, with Representative SJ Howell as sponsor, to be introduced as a Committee Bill in the 2025 Legislative Session. The bill was assigned HB76. HB76’s short title is “Generally revise laws related to the board of behavioral health.
“A Guide to the Montana Legislature” explains the process of how a bill becomes law and goes over testifying at a hearing.
“Once a bill has been assigned a number [HB76], it’s presented to the chamber [in this case the House] during what is called first reading. The presiding officer assigns the bill to a [House] committee. If a committee recommends passage of a bill, the bill is placed on second reading. At this time, the entire chamber, called into a Committee of the Whole, debates the bill during a floor session. Legislators may offer amendments. If the House [HB76 will be voted on first in the House] or Senate votes to pass the bill during second reading, the bill (with any amendments) is placed on third reading. The vote on third reading is the most important vote. It decides whether the bill passes the House [for BH76] or Senate. Legislators may not amend or debate a bill on third reading. Once a bill passes through one chamber [the House], it’s transmitted to the other chamber [the Senate]. It goes through the same process there. If the second chamber [the Senate] amends the bill, it’s sent back to the first chamber [the House] for approval of the amendments. Each bill must pass both chambers in the same form before it’s sent to the Governor for his or her signature. If the two chambers cannot agree on amendments, they may appoint a conference committee to try to find a compromise.
“One of the most important opportunities to become involved in the debate over a bill is when it’s the subject of a hearing before a legislative committee. You can communicate personally with legislators at any time about any bill, but the committee hearing is the occasion when members of the public are specifically invited to publicly approve, oppose, or suggest changes to a bill. Don’t let stage fright stop you from taking advantage of this important right! Legislators were elected to represent the people of Montana. They are eager to hear your thoughts and perspective. You may testify on any bill that concerns you. Committee hearings allow you to speak your mind before the committee takes any action and before the bill is brought to the attention of the House and Senate for debate and a final vote. You may testify in person [or by Zoom] or submit written testimony.”
Because most legislators will not have lived experience raising a child with special healthcare needs and/or behavioral health challenges, it will be important for all advocates to present public comment regarding this certification bill. Families’ voices need to be heard as well as providers who see the benefit of Family Peer Support. There are three ways to submit public comment: 1. You can attend the committee hearing in person in Helena; 2. You can register to give public comment over zoom (IMPORTANT- you must register by 5:00pm the evening before the meeting); and 3. You can submit public comment in writing to the committee. As parents and caregivers, our stories are important and impactful, whether we had a Family Peer Supporter that supported us and was a lifeline for us, or we navigated our child’s care alone and how different having a Family Peer Supporter would have made that experience. Those of us who have provided Family Peer Support, it is important to share our stories of working with families and the positive changes it has made for them. Our stories are what legislators need to hear. As parents and caregivers, we deserve voice and choice, and this is our chance to make our voices heard and positively change the healthcare system in Montana.
As I write this, I get emotional thinking about how hard my family’s experience was. How alone and judged we felt. Looking back, I could have given my child better care had I known what I know now. As a parent making decisions for my child, I did not know what our rights were or what services were even available. I was fortunate to be able to be a strong advocate for my child but that's not the case for all families. As I have worked as a Family Peer Supporter, I have heard heartbreaking stories from families, and I have also been honored to hear how much having another parent’s support who has walked their journey has been for. During Montana’s Peer Network's Family Peer Support demonstration project, parents and caregivers were surveyed after every interaction they had with a Family Peer Supporter. 94% of the parents and caregivers surveyed felt that the quality of their family's life had improved since having access to a Family Peer Supporter. 83% felt their child’s care had improved since speaking to a Family Peer Supporter. And 87% felt more comfortable and confident managing their child's health challenges and care since speaking to a Family Peer Supporter.
As HB76 moves through Montana Legislature, Montana’s Peer Network will keep you updated on committee information and hearing times, voting outcomes, and opportunities to give public comment. I am thankful for the hard work and support of so many throughout this process and am hopeful Family Peer Support will gain certification in this Legislative Session!