When Governor Lujan-Grisham, vetoed NM Senate Bill 48, the junior funding bill, it meant over 50 million dollars for various projects was no longer available. One of those projects was support for Family Peer Support services. Sign the petition and show support for this important service.

Family peer support is an effective and valuable support service provided to families of youth who struggle with emotional, mental, behavioral health and substance use challenges. Family peer is a unique service delivered by caregivers/parents who have the “lived experience” raising a child, youth or young adult who has interacted with one or more child-serving systems. These may include behavioral health, schools, CYFD, residential treatment, treatment foster care, juvenile justice or others.

 What makes family peer support unique is having the benefit of another parent or caregiver who not only understands how to access and navigate the services and systems that are available to youth and their families, but who can also relate to the often overwhelming feelings of exhaustion, blame, fear and loss caregivers and families experience. The provision of family peer support means families do not have to walk the journey alone when their child(ren) receives a diagnosis or is struggling to succeed at home, in school or in their community.

 The family/parent peer support workforce helps ensure that families can stay together while receiving the supports and services their children need and deserve or that they can receive appropriate services when that is not possible. Sharing their knowledge and experience saves families and child-serving systems time and money and, equally important, it gives caregivers and families hope.

If you are a family that has received family peer services, are a family that could benefit from family peer services or are another provider type that sees the value for families. Please sign our petition to get Family Peer Support services funded as an ongoing service in the state of New Mexico. 

If you are interested in learning more about Family Peer/Parent Partner services, please contact Families ASAP at (855) 484-0144.