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Bringing Family Lived Experience To You
Accept, Advocate, Act
February 3rd, 2025 | Volume 3, Issue 4
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Note from the Executive Director
Embracing the Whole Family
The National Federation of Families has been advocating to expand the mental health and substance use world's idea of what a family member is for a couple of years. We are delighted to share that the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration has endorsed this in their recent Fact Sheet Family Peer Support Services: Broadening the View.
We have been spreading the word that families are not just parents and guardians of children across the lifespan but also grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, spouses, adult children, and others acting as primary caregivers for their loved ones with serious mental illnesses, serious emotional disturbance, and mental health and/or substance use disorders. Thank you to our affiliates, partners, and collaborators for walking alongside us in this advocacy journey as we support the family peer workforce in aligning their services to match what the families accessing support look like.
NFF is busy planning a SAMHSA webinar series to introduce you to this new guidance and hear the stories of lived expertise of some siblings, a spouse, and some adult children who have acted as primary caregivers. Stay tuned for updates in next month's newsletter! In this edition, you can find NFSTAC's second podcast episode focused on supporting fathers and many more resources to support the entire family.
This National Parent Leadership Month, we want to celebrate all of the parent leaders accepting, advocating, and acting together. We are excited that so many more family members will be adding their voices to family-driven advocacy efforts.
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Lynda Gargan, PhD
Executive Director, National Federation of Families
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2025 NFF Conference Call for Proposals and Registration Live! | | |
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Our annual conference generates a large amount of discussion on current challenges and trends pertaining to families and the health of their loved ones from a family-driven approach. Join us in Chicago this November to network and learn alongside families, family peers, and other stakeholders working to further the acceptance of families impacted by mental health and/or substance use disorders. Early bird and group discount registration is now open. Register now to save! We are looking for 60-minute presentations and a very limited number of 2-hour advanced and intensive workshops.
Submit your proposal by March 1st!
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Affiliate and Partner News | |
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We are excited to add a new affiliate to the NFF family! Peaceful Family Oklahoma (PFO) brings help, hope, and healing to children impacted by addiction in their families. Through a range of proven programs and family support initiatives, PFO plays a crucial role in enabling children to flourish and to break the cycle of addiction.
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TN Voices and Nurture the Next, two leading statewide Tennessee nonprofit organizations, became one organization under the name TN Voices on January 1, 2025. This strategic union will enable both organizations to more effectively and efficiently improve outcomes for individuals, children, and families across Tennessee. By joining forces, TN Voices and Nurture the Next aim to create a continuum of care that addresses the multifaceted needs of children from birth to age five, integrating mental health support, maternal health, early intervention and prevention services, and community engagement and advocacy.
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Former SAMHSA Administrator Miriam Delphin-Rittmon Departs
We want to express our appreciation and thanks to Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, PhD, Former Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, as she ended her appointment at SAMHSA in January. Dr. Rittmon—and many others at SAMHSA—have continuously supported our work with families and caregivers of loved ones experiencing mental health and/or substance use disorders. More importantly, they have taken the time to listen to family voice, incorporating families and caregivers in their work and efforts. On behalf of the National Federation of Families and our affiliates, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
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NFSTAC News and Highlights | | |
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Family Collective Podcast: Supporting Fathers as Caregivers
The second episode of NFSTAC's new podcast Family Collective is Supporting Fathers as Caregivers. This episode features David Cozart sharing his expertise on collaboration, collective impact, and policy change with Gail Cormier. They explore how to develop holistic programs that support families and recognize the evolving definition of family, emphasizing the importance of including fathers as valuable assets in all plans.
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The February NFSTAC Events are postponed. Stay tuned for more information about rescheduled dates! | |
NFSTAC Technical Assistance
NFSTAC invites you to submit requests for free technical assistance from our network of partners and subject matter experts. NFSTAC is driven by the needs of families and the workforce that supports families. You'll find education, training, and family support resources tailored specifically to families, the family peer workforce, communities, healthcare systems, clinicians, and educators.
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Our team has worked with family members and the workforce to create a number of resources for families and family peers, including:
Find more on the NFSTAC Resource webpage!
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National Legislation
Kids Off Social Media Act Introduced
Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Katie Britt (R-AL) introduced bipartisan legislation to keep kids off social media and help protect them from its harmful impacts. The Kids Off Social Media Act would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media platforms and prevent social media companies from feeding algorithmically-targeted content to users under the age of 17.
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Lend Your Voice of Experience | |
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NFF is working alongside Lifting Voices to contribute data to two important surveys to better understand and improve mental health and substance use services for youth and young adults. These surveys are designed to uplift the voices of youth, young adults, and their caregivers:
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Parent or Caregiver Survey: This survey is for parents or caregivers of youth aged 12 to 25 who have required interventions for conditions such as mental health, behavioral, attentional, or substance use needs.
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Youth and Young Adults: This survey is for individuals aged 12 to 25 who have experienced mental health and/or substance use conditions. It seeks to gather insights on accessing care and recommendations for service improvements.
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February Advocacy Campaigns | | |
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Recognize, honor, and celebrate parents who serve as strong advocates for their families and their communities. NFF believes parents and caregivers are the experts on what their families need, especially when it comes to mental health and/or substance use disorder.
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Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
This month focuses on promoting safe, healthy relationships for teens—and can take place in person or online. It is a type of intimate partner violence that can include physical, psychological, or sexual violence, as well as stalking or harassment of a person aged 12-18. Parents, teachers, and communities also need to recognize and respond to teen dating violence. Resources include:
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SAMHSA's Family Peer Support Services: Broadening the View
Family members who are primary caregivers navigating complex systems with their loved ones with a mental health and/or substance use disorder are parents, siblings, spouses, adult children, and more.
Learn more about their lived experiences in this new SAMHSA fact sheet based on a event where family members, advocates, leaders, and the family peer workforce shared their perspective regarding expansion of family peer support services.
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SAMHSA's National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance
Learn more about the new framework for transforming behavioral health crisis care nationwide. The new guidance includes two documents: one focused on "Behavioral Health Coordinated System of Crisis Care" and the second on "Model Definitions for Behavioral Health Emergency, Crisis, and Crisis-Related Services." SAMHSA also seeks public comments through March 21st on "Mobile Crisis Teams: An Implementation Toolkit".
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SAMHSA & NFF's Nothing About Us Without Us: Families Supporting Recovery
SAMHSA’s working definition of recovery is “A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.” That very process of change is for families as well.
SAMHSA hosted a Recovery Month event with NFF focused on families supporting family members in recovery from mental health and/or substance use disorder. In this video, you'll meet family members who share their own family story and how they learned to improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential as a family.
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NSSC just released SMI Caregivers in Crisis: What You Need to Know, a comprehensive guide to help those caring for someone with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) who need support during times of crisis.
Inside this informative 5-page guide, caregiver elements are explained in layman's terms. Dynamics of HIPAA (Health Information Privacy Accountability Act), avoiding and navigating police involvement, and other pertinent information are discussed.
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Addressing the Complex Needs of Youth: A Call to Action underscores the critical challenges and opportunities agencies face serving youth with complex or high-acuity behavioral needs and the innovative practices being used to address them. It captures the current state of services and outlines actionable recommendations to drive meaningful change at the federal, state, and local levels.
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2025 Training Institutes – Register Today!
Join nearly 2,000 experts and leaders, including family leaders, from across the U.S., working at the federal, state, and local levels to transform public human services systems, programs, and services. Choose from an array of workshops and presentations on cutting-edge research, and innovative programs, services, and practices all focused on improving outcomes and building bright futures for children, youth, young adults, and their families. Learn more & register early for a special discount, first come, first serve. NFSTAC staff will be presenting at the Pre-Institutes Training Program, so make sure to register for that, too!
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