Children behavioral health equity-statewide family network project - parent support network of rhode island (PSN) will serve as the statewide family network for children, youth and young adults with…

Children behavioral health equity-statewide family network project - parent support network of rhode island (PSN) will serve as the statewide family network for children, youth and young adults with mental health and CO-occurring disorders and their families in RI. PSN will strengthen our diverse family and youth leadership and staff capacity to promote policy and practice change to reduce disparities and promote health equity by strengthening our family and youth peer support leadership and workforce. This children's behavioral health equity -statewide family network project will focus on the following goals and activities. Goal 1: strengthen PSN staff capacity to coordinate the delivery of peer-to-peer caregiver and youth support, family/parent, youth, and young adult educational workshops and produce electronic and printed educational materials, with a focus to engage underserved communities, in spanish, and other languages to over 1000 families and youth statewide annually and 3000 over 3 years. PSN will utilize our family support partners who are certified community health workers to delivery individualized services; hold ongoing family and youth support groups; workshops; and provide electronic spanish and english newsletters and monthly updates. We will continue to advocate for needed respite care. Goal 2: enhance diverse family and youth voice and empowerment, and annually, have 50 statewide family, youth leaders and family peer staff participate in behavioral health policy development across the state impacting children, youth and transition age young adults with behavioral health and their families. Provide leadership treatment to families and youth to participate on state policy and advisory boards; recruitment and mentor these leaders to participate on the boards; advocate for increased family peer support provider capacity; and participate in national and state meeting and conferences. Goal 3: increase the skills, knowledge, and credentials annually, of 75 statewide family and youth staff and interns representing the parent/family peer support workforce to deliver effective, evidence based, and trauma informed practices, leadership, building upon our family/caregiver driven wraparound approach with underserved populations. Provide ongoing training for peer support workforce; promote self-care with wellness sessions to decrease burn out and vicarious trauma; partner with mobile crisis and advocate for ongoing peer support beyond crisis intervention; education on supportive employment and non-traditional pathways to employment; and partner with other family, youth, adult organizations, and veterans.