About Us
The National Family Support Technical Assistance Center (NFSTAC) is committed to providing training and technical assistance using a lifespan approach that focuses on mental health and/or substance use challenges. Our approach is anchored by the underlying principles that families play a vital role in supporting their loved ones and are the experts regarding making a plan to support their family.
Our Goals
The overall goal of this 5-year National Family Support Technical Assistance Center is
to provide innovative, flexible, and responsive training and technical assistance.
Our 4 specific goals, which you can learn more about below, are:
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To Inform the Workforce
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To Increase Access to Resources
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To Provide Family Engagement and Support Training
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To Increase Knowledge
1. Inform the Workforce
To inform the workforce directly serving families and their loved ones who are navigating both the mental health and substance use systems about the importance of including family support in planning and implementation.
Additional workforce members include Family Peer Specialists and their Supervisors, Clinicians, Crisis Care Workers, Educators, Family-Run Organizations, Peer Support and Recovery Support Organizations and those working within the faith community.
2. Increase Access to Resources
To provide families and support professionals increased access to comprehensive, best practice resources that address the epidemiology, genetics, causes, and recovery services for mental and substance use challenges.
The art and science of family engagement and support will be addressed by providing evidence-based community defined practices that are innovative, flexible, and responsive.
3. Provide Family Engagement
and Support Training
To provide best practice training for families, the workforce, and the community at large regarding family engagement and family support.
4. Increase Knowledge
To provide training that increases knowledge about supporting families and their children through the lifespan, as well as evidence-informed and promising practices, such as family peer support, for families and the community at large, including policy-makers.