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.
Family Engagement 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 substance use support.
Tips for Families, Parents, & Caregivers to Address Bullying Behaviors
This tip sheet provides vetted resources and links for school, family, 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 long. 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 partnership and support for youth experiencing mental health and/or substance use challenges.
The NFSTAC Glossary of Terms is a person-centered, family-driven glossary of terms that explains key words and phrases used in behavioral health that reflects language created and preferred by family members.
The Combined Reframing Language Guide
Reframing Language was created by the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center and the National Federation of Families. It was designed to inspire new thinking and change the way we talk about mental health and individuals who experience mental health and/or substance use challenges. that better supports the mental health of children and youth and their families.
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.
This program guide was designed to enhance your 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.
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.
NFSTAC Family Peer Specialist Curriculum - COMING SOON!
This curriculum offers a comprehensive training opportunity for Family Peer Specialists and the family peer workforce to gain skills and tools to support the families navigating child- and family-serving systems in their communities with their children of any age.
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 practice includes partnering with families as they support their children through 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.
Family, Youth, and Adult Peer Support Differentiated
While lived experience is a common thread in peer support roles, there is a difference between the lived experience of family peers, youth peers, and adult peers. Each peer workforce supports a different audience, too. Use this infographic to explain the difference between these peer workforces.
Tips for Supervisors Supporting Family Peers in Writing Lived Experience Narratives
Learn how leaders of family-run 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.