Parents and Caregivers
What should I know as a parent about these programs?
High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) and Peer Support is a process, not a service. In HFW, youth and caregiver(s) are part of a team that includes a wide range of important people in the youth’s life. This may include relatives, friends, sports coaches, spiritual advisors, caseworkers, probation officers, teachers, and behavioral health professionals. The team also consists of a Family Support Specialist and Youth Support Specialist who will work with you and your child, respectively, sharing their own lived experience navigating systems of care to empower you through your own parent journey. These support specialists work together with the HFW Coordinator to hold the team accountable and connect families to needed resources.
Within the team, you and your child’s perspectives are prioritized, and the team works intentionally to ensure that the Plan of Care reflects your values and preferences. Your Plan of Care serves as a roadmap for how the team will support your family’s goals, what services will be provided, what strategies will be used to meet your needs, and what the milestones for success look like along the way. Together, each team works to wrap support around your family to empower you to meet the demands of daily life.
In addition, HFW is “unconditional.” It is common for families to experience challenges and setbacks, especially when working to address complex needs and navigate systems that are not always family-friendly. Because HFW is a team-based, collaborative process built on consensus, timelines for service are customized based on your family’s needs.
For more information about what HFW means for families and what you can expect if you engage in this process, check out this short video and explore the Handbook for Families.
Other Resources for Parents/ Caregivers in Maine
Maine has a variety of supports available for parents and caregivers of children with behavioral health needs. Below, please find information about several common supportive resources and how to access them.
Resources for Parents and CaregiversGet Involved
If you are a parent or caregiver who has lived experience navigating systems of care for a child with complex needs and want to support this work, your experience is invaluable to Maine and the work of the Center of Excellence. There are a couple of ways to get involved.
If you want to be a part of a HFW team working directly with other families to share your experience and empower others to navigate their journey, consider becoming a Family Support Specialist. Becoming a Family Support Specialist (FPS) requires you to be employed by a Maine Behavioral Health Homes (BHH) Provider. In Maine, an FPS working on HFW teams must be certified in the PEARLS model. To learn more about being certified in PEARLS, check out this page.
If you want to support other families but don’t want to provide HFW, there are other opportunities for you to engage in family support roles. Consider opportunities that may be available through G.E.A.R.S. Parent Network and check out this flyer for more information.
If you want to use your experience to shape the implementation of HFW and inform the behavioral health system design, then consider becoming a member of a family advisory committee. If you are interested in participating in this group, please email Kim Magoon, Project Director, at kmagoon@pcgus.com.
