Resources
The following resources were created by the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center (NFSTAC).
Be sure to check out additional resources on our Resource Database.
Data Collection Tools for Family-Run Organizations
Suggested Data Collection Tools for Family-Run Organizations was developed by the SAMHSA-funded National Family Support Technical Assistance Center (NFSTAC). This toolkit contains helpful links to various data collection tools that may support the work of the family-run organizations, and the family led workforce.
NFSTAC Family Peer Workforce Toolkit
This toolkit is intended to directly enhance family support services for mental health and substance use recovery. Resources are aligned into the following categories: Core Competencies for Certified Family Peer Specialists (CFPS), Employment (Hiring, Supervising, and Sustaining), Crisis Planning, the NFSTAC Free Online Family Peer Specialist Through the Lifespan Curriculum, a Training Module on Partnering with Families in Behavioral Health - The Family Approach, and a Training Module: Harm Reduction Through the Family Lense.
NFSTAC Family Peer Specialist Through the Lifespan Online Curriculum
NFSTAC is excited to announce the first fully online course designed to introduce the five Core Competencies family peer specialists master to effectively support families in 5 lessons: 1) Resiliency, Recovery, and Wellness, 2) Effecting Change, 3) Creating a Person-Centered Plan for the Families, 4) Systems Knowledge and Navigation, and 5) Professional Responsibilities. Earn a certification of completion for training hours that count towards national certification. This free course is publicly available for all individuals, organizations, and states to use to prepare family peers!
Combined Core Competencies Infographic
In this year’s Office Hour series, we prepared the Family Peer Workforce for Systems Transformation and Authentic Family Partnership. Learn more below about each of the 5 Core Competencies for Certified Family Peer Specialists.
NFSTAC Family and Caregiver Toolkit
This is an easy to access family / caregiver focused toolkit that will provide parents and caregivers with resources for children of any age and other family members across the lifespan. These resources are intended to provide parents and caregivers with knowledge that supports learning about mental health, substance use services, and best practices. This toolkit was created with family voice because we believe families are the experts of their families, they understand the environment and the dynamics in which their children and family members live, children will always be a parent’s child regardless of their age. SAMHSA is committed to improving prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for mental and substance use diagnoses.
Family Partnership Checklist for the Behavioral Health Workforce
A tool for members of the behavioral health workforce to reflect on the beliefs, skills, and strategies they possess for effectively partnering with families about their loved one’s mental health and/or substance use support.
Tips for Families, Parents, & Caregivers to Address Bullying Behaviors
This tip sheet provides vetted resources and links for family, school, and community leaders to address school culture and climate. What can families, parents, caregivers, individual educators, family peer specialists, and mental health providers do to address the young person engaging in bullying behavior while school and family leaders address school culture—and climate, and support the child being bullied?
Short informational topics are discussed in a “Ted Talk” style that are approximately 10 minutes or less. Topics include “My Loved One Is Self-Medicating: What Should I Do?”, “What Can I Do to Manage Loss?", “Harm Reduction: Reducing the Risk of Substance Use”, and “Are They Drinking? Recognizing the Signs of Teen Alcohol Use.”
Family Engagement: Families and Schools Working Together Toolkit
This toolkit offers resources and a roadmap from the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center, the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, and the National Center for School Mental Health to move schools from the tokenism that often comes with family involvement to authentic family engagement. Learn how incorporating Family Peer Specialists on school-based mental health teams can move schools towards family-driven partnerships and support for youth experiencing mental health and/or substance use challenges.
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Harm Reduction Through the Family Lens - Online Course
Harm Reduction Through the Family Lens is an online self-paced training course that offers an introduction to harm reduction, including tips for how families can incorporate these principles with loved ones. This course features educational content, learning exercises, and personal narratives. It takes about 1-1.5 hours to complete, including a brief pre-test and post-test.
Partnering with Families in Behavioral Health: The FAMILY Approach - Online Curriculum Module
This self-paced online curriculum module teaches the behavioral health workforce family-driven language, skills, strategies, and knowledge of resources that will enhance their ability to partner effectively with families in behavioral health settings.
Family, Youth, and Adult Peer Support Differentiated
While lived experience is a common thread in peer support roles, there are differences among the lived experiences of family peers, youth peers, and adult peers. Additionally, each peer workforce supports a different audience. Use this infographic to explain the differences among these peer workforces.
A Week of Well-Being for the Holiday Season Toolkit
Practical Tips, Strategies, and Resources to Support Bliss and Peace for You and Your Family during the Holiday Season. Learn how to:
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Create a blissful holiday season
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Connect with yourself and others
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Plan for a peaceful season
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Pause for inner peace
We provide up-to-date information related to the provision of evidence-informed and community-defined practices for mental health and substance use support with an emphasis on supporting the caregivers of individuals receiving care. Our virtual resource library will host comprehensive resources for families, system administrators, policymakers, clinical providers, and family-run leadership to ensure organizations understand that best practices include partnering with families as they support their children throughout the lifespan. The library includes training modules, toolkits, self-paced online courses, and other materials and information that can help meet the goals of families.
Leaders Corner
This program guide was designed to enhance leadership skills through a tailor-made mentorship—supported by our 2022-2023 Office Hour series of videos from subject matter experts in organizational well-being and sustainability. In this guide, you'll find tools to guide you and a mentor/mentee along a journey of co-learning that includes:
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Links to 8 videos to introduce the series' topics and share strategies to improve skills.
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An action plan for each topic to assist you in developing your goals and breaking them into actionable steps.
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A discussion guide for each topic to spark conversation in your mentorship.
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Additional resources aligned with each video.
Family Peer Specialist Certification: Optimizing Organizational Flow to Prepare FPS to Apply Part 1 and Part 2
This two-part training video series introduces leaders of family-run organizations and others that employee family peers to organizational best practices to support Certified Family Peer Specialist candidates as they obtain certification.
Optimizing Organizational Flow to Prepare Family Peers to Apply for Certification
This tip sheet offers best practices to organizations to support family peers who are seeking national certification; many of these practices are applicable to state family peer certification, too.
Tips for Supervisors Supporting Family Peers in Writing Lived Experience Narratives
Learn how leaders of family-led organizations and supervisors can support family peers in writing their lived experience narratives. Many certification programs require that candidates submit a written lived experience narrative to demonstrate the essential family peer support skill of telling one's story.
Interview Questions to Understand a Candidate’s Family Lived Experience
These sample interview questions support Family-Run Organizations (FROs) as they hire family peers to know that their potential new employee has the lived experience necessary to effectively support families of loved ones with mental health and/or substance use challenges.
