Youth Peer Support Project

2017  Training & Technical Assistance Dates for Cohort’s 1-7 . Click here for more information.

Agencies Interested in Bringing the Youth Peer Support Service to Your Community Click Here.

Michigan’s Youth Peer Support Project is a Statewide Initiative in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services that provides Medicaid reimbursable Youth Peer Support to eligible youth as a part of Michigan’s Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment State Plan.

ACMH is the Statewide Coordinator & Training Partner for the project and provides initial training and ongoing coaching, supervision, support and technical assistance.

The Youth Peer Support Medicaid Service is designed to support youth with a serious emotional disturbance through shared activities and interventions.

The goals of Youth Peer Support include:

• supporting youth empowerment,
• assisting youth in developing skills to improve their overall functioning and quality of life, and,
• working collaboratively with others involved in delivering the youth’s care.

Youth Peer Support services can be in the form of direct support, information sharing and skill building.

The Youth Peer Support service is provided by trained youth peer support specialists, one-on-one or in a group, for youth with serious emotional disturbance who are resolving conflicts, enhancing skills to improve their overall functioning, integrating with community, school and family and/or transitioning into adulthood.

This service provides support and assistance for youth in accordance with the goals in their plan of service to assist the youth with community integration, improving family relationships and resolving conflicts, and making a transition to adulthood, including achieving successful independent living options, obtaining employment, and navigating the public human services system.

Youth Peer Support Specialists must have lived experience navigating behavioral health systems and must participate in and complete the approved Michigan Department Health and Human Services training curriculum.

Youth Peer Support activities are identified as part of the assessment and the person-centered/family-driven, youth- guided planning process.

The goals of the Youth Peer Support service shall be included in the individualized plan of service where interventions are provided in the home and community. These goals will be mutually identified in active collaboration with the youth receiving services and must be delivered by a Youth Peer Support Specialist with lived experience.

The Youth Peer Support Specialist shall receive regular supervision by a child mental health professional and shall participate as an active member of the treatment team.

Qualifications for the Youth Peer Support Specialist include:

• Young adult, ages 18 through age 26, with lived experience who received mental health services as a youth.
• Willing and able to self- identify as a person who has or is receiving public behavioral health services and is prepared to use that experience in helping others.
• Experience receiving services as a youth in complex, child serving systems preferred (behavioral health, child welfare, juvenile justice, special education, etc.)
• Employed by PIHP/CMHSP or its contract providers.
• Trained in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services approved curriculum and ongoing training model.

For more information about the Youth Peer Project or for information about how to bring Youth Peer Support to your community contact:

Kristina Dristy, Youth Peer Support Statewide Coordinator, kdristy@acmh-mi.org or 517-643-3314.

Kim Batsche-McKenzie, MDHHS Manager of Programs for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbance, batsche-mckenziek@michigan.gov or 517-241-5765.

Jane Shank, Director, ACMH: acmhjane@sbcglobal.net or 231-383-1595.