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Bringing Family Lived Experience To You
Accept, Advocate, Act
April 4, 2023 | Volume 1, Issue 6
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Note from the Executive Director
Supporting Clinicians in Best Practices for Family Engagement
When clinicians engage with the families of the individuals who they are supporting through mental health and substance use challenges, these natural supports can sustain and enhance recovery and build resiliency.
We have surveyed over 350 clinicians to learn how they have been trained in family engagement, what skills they think are crucial for clinicians to learn, and how they want to learn. Using their insight, we are developing a brief online module to help clinicians build these foundational skills. We have also developed a checklist for clinicians to help them reflect on their beliefs and their current level of skills related to family engagement.
Join us at our next webinar with SAMHSA to learn about this checklist, which skills and strategies we think are crucial for family engagement, and how to use the lived expertise of families in clinical environments.
If you have any effective training programs, research, or other expertise to help clinicians engage with family members and Family Peer Specialists, we encourage you to submit a proposal for our next conference!
With hope,
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Lynda Gargan, PhD.
Executive Director, National Federation of Families
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SAMHSA Seeking Public Comment for National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification
Comments are being sought on a draft set of National Standards for Peer Support Certification developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) Office of Recovery. The goal of these model standards are to advance adult, youth, and family peer specialist efforts in serving people experiencing mental health and/or substance use conditions and their families by improving the quality and consistency of state certification approaches across states. The standards were developed in partnership with peers, families, states, tribes, certifying bodies, and other experts.
The Office of Recovery is currently overseeing several critical phases in the development of the standards and is seeking public comment. NFF will be submitting comments and reaching out to our affiliate leadership to sign on to our comments.
NFF encourages each of you to read the National Model Standards and submit your comments. The deadline for comments is 5pm ET on Monday, April 10, 2023.
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SAMHSA's Office of Recovery collaborated with federal, state, and local partners to develop the National Models Standards for Peer Support Certification. | | |
SAMHSA invites the public to comment on the National Model Standards now through Monday, April 10, 2023 at 5pm EST. | | |
Children's Mental Health Acceptance | | |
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2023 Acceptance Campaign
Have you successfully secured a Children's Mental Health Acceptance Day proclamation from a governor, mayor, or local official? Every proclamation helps us measure the impact of Acceptance for Children's Mental Health. Please email us a copy ofyour proclamation and related event photos. Still working on it? Visit our Proclamation Toolkit for a guide that takes you every step of the way, plus the updated 2023 Proclamation Sample.
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National Federation of Families News & Highlights | | |
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You can now register for the 2023 NFF Annual Conference in Chicago, IL November 9-11!
Get your ticket now to take advantage of our early bird pricing! Explore our conference webpage to learn more about our theme, focus areas, tracks, and conference site!
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2023 NFF Annual Conference
Call for Proposals
There's still time to submit your proposal! The deadline has been extended to May 1st!
This year's NFF Conference theme will be Advancing Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion for Families and their Children: #Accept, Advocate, Act. We've opened the call for proposals! Submit your presentation proposal to fit within one of our tracks—Justice/ Equity / Diversity / Inclusion, Supporting Families and their Children Through the Lifespan, Supporting families with Co-occurring Concerns, Lessons from the Field, Emerging Youth and Young Adult Leaders / Youth Workforce Development, and Workforce Development.
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National Federation of Families and SAMHSA Present
"Family Engagement for Clinicians: Natural Support Involvement in Recovery Oriented Care and Planning"
Learn from Dr. Lynda Gargan, Executive Director of the National Federation of Families, about our new Family Engagement Checklist for Clinicians, which helps clinicians reflect on their beliefs and practices to identify strengths and growth areas related to family engagement. Dr. Gargan will introduce how Family Peer Specialists can facilitate a positive relationship between clinicians and family members of those with mental illness, serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, and/or substance use challenges.
Dr. Janis Tondora, a psychologist, researcher, and family member will share her experience as a professional engaging families and as a family member. Dr. Tondora will also share the key components of engaging individuals and families in a person-centered, strengths-based recovery journey. We will share the registration link shortly!
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Save the date for April 20th @ 1:30 p.m. | | |
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National Federation of Families and Alkermes'
Survey on Pediatric Caregiver Research Perspectives
NFF collaborated on a survey with pharmaceutical company Alkermes to learn from caregivers of children with serious mental illness about their awareness and barriers to participation in pediatric clinicial research for prescription drugs. They found that 63% of caregivers do not feel well informed about medication options available and 82% of caregivers did not think there was enough awareness about clinical research opportunities in their community. Alkermes presented this poster last November at the Collaborating for Novel Solutions Summit to bring this topic to the forefront of pediatric researchers' minds. NFF continues to work with Alkermes and the STARR Coalition to increase family participation in clinical research—from design to evaluation.
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Survey Results: How do you teach families about the importance of acceptance? | | |
In March, you shared your strategies for teaching families about the importance of acceptance. There was a near 4-way split between sharing NFF resources, coaching families to become advocates who raise their voices, educating families through videos and stories of other family advocates, and building a coalition of family advocates. All of these are great ways to encourage family voice and lived expertise at every table! | |
| QUESTION: What strategies help you keep families engaged in advocacy? | | | | |
We begin every NFSTAC webinar sharing our collective focus on family-driven language. Now you can have the latest version of this graphic too! It's person-first, inclusive, strengths-based, respectful, nonjudgmental, trauma-informed, and does not place blame on caregivers. Family-Driven language sets the tone for our discussions with presenters and attendees. | |
Watch March NFSTAC Events
Office Hour: Cultural Mindfulness for Family-Run Organizations with Myriam Monsalve-Serna
Webinar: Family Support and Crisis Intervention Team Training with Muriel Jones, Jill DiLoreto, Michael Bruckner, and Madonna Campbell-Greer
| 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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Family Connections: It's All Relative - Grandfamilies & Kinship Care
April 6th, 1:30 p.m. ET
What happens when adult children can no longer care for their own children? Over 7.6 million children in the U.S. live in a home with a grandparent or relative other than their parent. These caregivers face unique challenges such as their own health, food insecurity, and many other needs—but we'll also discuss their remarkable strengths in order to keep their youngest family members safe.
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Office Hour: Trauma-Skilled Practices for Family-Run Organizations
April 11th, 3:00 p.m. ET
For the April Office Hour, Dr. Sandy Addis, Chairman of the National Dropout Prevention Center, will share the philosophy behind trauma-skilled organizations—those that move past the recognition that comes with being trauma-informed and the actions associated with being trauma-responsive to embodying an organizational culture that seeks to holistically address and lower trauma.
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Webinar: Recovery, Recurrence, and Resilience
April 19th, 2:00 p.m. ET
Learn how Thrive! Family Recovery Resources brings hope and restoration to the families of loved ones experiencing substance use and/or mental health challenges with resources, support, education, advocacy, and healing connections with compassion, understanding, and love.
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Celebrating Our Affiliates | | |
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In March, Families Together in New York State celebrated Family Empowerment Month. They educated families on advocacy opportunities about substance use recovery, mental health care, child welfare, youth justice, developmental disabilities, and the education system in their Empowerment Month Townhalls. On March 21, they took families from across the state to Albany for a rally and march to demand their policy makers hear their voices.
Each year, Families Together puts out a policy agenda and works with families and youth to center family voice in decision-making. They don't stop when they've had a victory—they hold officials accountable for following the laws they fight for, such as Raise the Age NY which stopped 16- and 17-year olds from prosecution as adults.
In addition to the exemplary family advocacy work Families Together does, they also offer virtual trainings and workforce development opportunities for family peers—including use of the Family Needs and Strengths assessment tool for use in family peer support and support for youth advocates,
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Families Together in New York State is a family-run organization that represents families of children with social, emotional, behavioral, and cross-systems challenges. Our goal is to ensure that ALL children and youth have the support they need in order to succeed. | |
Interested in being a
Featured Affiliate?
In May, we'd love to feature YOU! Reach out to dasby@ffcmh.org if your organization has a program, event, or great story to share!
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Legislative and Advocacy News | | | |
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Keep Up with the Latest Legislative News
NFF's Legislation and Policy News for Family Advocates is the place to find the details on the bills, policies, and opportunities for input that family advocates need. Visit for the latest news and releases, proposed legislation and policies, and what's being implemented in both policy and legislation. It's updated monthly to give you the latest information in one place.
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Keep an eye out for our new Legislation & Policy Updates Newsletter coming soon! | | |
Stress Awareness Month Resources | | |
Stress Awareness Month
We have all experienced a stressful day—many of us multiple stressful days in a row! It's important to understand that not all stress is bad; stress is an important motivator. But chronic and toxic stress can have a negative impact on our mental, emotional, and physical health.
We can benefit from checking in on our stress levels regularly and embedding self-care and community-care strategies in our daily routines to reduce stress. Leaders can prevent stress-related burnout by implementing organizational well-being practices.
Share theses resources to raise awareness about stress.
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Resource: SAMHSA Bulletin - Child and Adolescent Disaster Behavioral Health
After youth experience a disaster, they can benefit from specific support and coping skills. SAMHA's Disaster Technical Assistance Center released resources to help youth and families address the behavioral health impact of disasters. Included are the flyer featured above, a coloring book, and more!
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This report from SAMHSA has a vast amount of information on beneficial approaches and interventions to support the mental health of LGBTQI+ youth. SAMHSA has identified information about schools and behavioral health and resources particularly useful for families and caregivers. | |
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Mathematica and the Center for the Study of Social Policy are conducting a study to identify promising and emerging practices that serve LBGTQ+ youth ages 10-24 involved in child welfare, juvenile justice, housing and homeless services, and sexual and reproductive health services. $50 e-gift cards will be given for participation in
60-minutes virtual interviews. E-mail jspielfogel@mathematica-mpr.com if you can share your lived experience or facilitate an interview with your child.
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