Support Partners In Virginia
The Family Support Partner (FSP)
The Family Support Partner (FSP) is a paid position in Virginia that is designed to provide an intensive level of support for families of youth with mental health challenges. FSPs must have experience as a parent/caregiver of a youth with complex emotional or behavioral health needs. Because of their lived experience, FSPs are able to deeply engage with families, earning their respect and developing a trusting relationship. The lived experience of FSPs also makes them excellent keepers of information regarding resources in the community, a vital trait for the mission of increasing a family’s natural supports.
The Youth Support Partner (YSP)
The Youth Support Partner (YSP) is a paid position in Virginia that is designed to provide an intensive level of support for youth with mental health challenges. YSPs are young adults and must have experience as a youth with complex emotional or behavioral health needs. Because of their lived experience, YSPs are able to deeply engage with youth, earning their respect and developing a trusting relationship. The lived experience of YSPs also makes them excellent keepers of information regarding resources in the community, a vital trait for the mission of increasing a youth and family’s natural supports.
In HFW
In HFW, Support Partners are formal members of the team and are equal workforce partners. They work closely with the Intensive Care Coordinator/HFW facilitator to support positive outcomes for the family. Their primary functions are to:
- Partner with the HFW Facilitator to ensure that the HFW process is successful for youth and families
- Provide direct support to family members and their natural supports to carry out action steps within the HFW plan
- Connect families to other families that have had similar experiences
In many instances, localities that have used Support Partners with HFW in Virginia have found that the youth in these families have reduced psychiatric hospitalizations, reduced emergency room visits for mental health reasons, fewer residential treatment placements, and the families become more self-sufficient through the process. For this reason, with the award of the System of Care grant in 2016, Virginia decided to pilot the FSP service outside of HFW. In these localities, FSPs and YSPs are being used as a stand-alone service for families waiting for other services or in combination with other services such as crisis stabilization, outpatient, intensive home-based services, respite, and day treatment.
Whether they are providing support through the HFW process or with other services, the goals of the role are the same in that they work to keep families together, enhance the independence of the family, and facilitate connections in the community as well as with other families. Both Intensive Care Coordination/High Fidelity Wraparound and Support Partner Services are reimbursable for youth (and families) that are eligible for Children’s Services Act funding. Those Support Partners who are providing a stand-alone service are not required to take HFW training.
Peer Certification
In July 2017, the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) expanded the Medicaid benefit to allow for credentialing and reimbursement of Peer Support and Family Support Partner Services. This is in response to a legislative mandate to implement Peer Support Services to eligible children and adults who have mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders. As a part of this implementation, the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services was charged with developing a certification process for both adult and family/parent peer support specialists. In order to obtain Medicaid reimbursement for family support partner services, persons must complete training and the certification process.
To learn more about the different levels of peer support, training, and the certification process please click here.