Parent Peer Specialist

What is the role of the Certified Parent Peer Specialist?

The Role of the Certified Parent Peer Specialist is varied and can take on several forms of support and assistance to families experiencing social, emotional, behavioral and/or substance use concerns of youth.

Certified Parent Peer Specialists in Wisconsin, like Certified Peer Specialists, are guided by and expected to work in accordance to a list of Core Competencies, a clearly defined Scope of Practice, and a Code of Ethics.

It is generally recognized that Certified Parent Peer Specialists provide the following services:

• Uses their own family’s resiliency experience as a tool
• Presents resiliency information
• Provides information about social, emotional, behavioral, and/or substance use-related resources
• Assists in identifying and supporting families in crisis
• Facilitates family-directed services, goal setting, and communicating effectively with treatment providers

The primary purpose of certification is to ensure that people employed in Wisconsin as Certified Parent Peer Specialists meet high standards of performance and that they:

• Create uniformity of core competencies of practitioners
• Ensure professional development, continued education and supervision
• Advance uniform standards, scope of practice and best practice
• Promote ethical practice within the profession
• Instill confidence with the families served
• Allow employers to tap into expanded funding sources

While the role of a Certified Parent Peer Specialist will vary from one family to the next, it generally includes empowering those who are parenting by:

• Increasing their knowledge and skills
• Modeling behavior for others
• Holding hope for change and growth
• Assisting in advocacy and teamwork

Certified Parent Peer Specialists use their experiences to assist other parents with:

• Navigating service and support systems
• Encouraging and understanding the youth’s voice
• Providing peer support through the sharing of their own parenting experience.