The BC Children's Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre has trained Family Peer Support workers through a collaboration with FamilySmart, a provincial organization of trained families with lived experience in child and youth mental health. 

Wherever your family is in your journey - whether you have never accessed services but are concerned about your child, or your family is currently receiving services and you want to talk to someone who has been though something similar - the Family Peer Support workers are there for you.

Who are our Family Peer Support workers, and what do they offer? 

The Family Peer Support workers offer non-judgemental, compassionate peer support to parents, caregivers and families from anywhere in B.C. There are three who work at the Kelty Centre. They have lived experience as family members who have children and youth with mental health challenges. 

The Family Peer Support workers provide:

• peer support including coping strategies, self care, finding community resources and developing a support network
• personalized system navigation and way finding for a range of mental health services across the province
• mentorship through connecting to other parents and caregivers
• access to information, resources and networks 

Asking the FamilySmart Family Peer Support Workers at the Kelty Centre:  What does peer support mean to you?  

Mirella:
"Relationships are at the heart of helping people and Family Peer Support allows me to create relationships with caregivers/parents and come alongside them as they are trying to find support for themselves and their children.  No one should be alone in times of struggles, and my hope is that through my work as a Family Peer Support Worker I can offer a moment of connection, a space to hold emotions, and provide support that is respectful of each family and honours their unique journeys."

Melina:
"Listening, connecting and creating a non judgemental space for parents and caregivers who are supporting a struggling child or youth is the heart of my work at the Kelty Centre. Validating families’ experiences, acknowledging the incredibly hard work it takes to support, advocate, and sometimes just get through each day is also central to my peer support."

M. Julia:
"Our role as FPSW is to provide a safe, confidential and judgment free space for parents to share their children’s struggles, because we can relate to how overwhelming and isolating this journey can feel.

We do not tell families what to do. Instead, we walk alongside them, offering emotional support, sharing information, and suggesting resources that may be helpful."

 Amy:
"The isolation and overwhelm that can come when you have a child struggling with their mental health is something that no one should go through alone. Family peer support allows a safe, non judgemental place to share all of the hard feelings that can often have no other outlet. On the flip side, no one understands how much the seemingly small wins can mean better than another parent who has been through tough times with their kid. 
We’re here to celebrate, support and hold hope when it feels hopeless."
 

How to connect with a Family Peer Support worker at the Kelty Centre:

• Phone: 604-875-2084 or toll-free from anywhere in BC: 1-800-665-1822
• Email: keltycentre@cw.bc.ca
• Zoom video call: Contact by phone or email to arrange
• In-person: The Kelty Centre is open for families who would like to come in person. You can either contact the Kelty Centre                                                                                              by phone or email to schedule a time to come by, or drop-in during hours of operation
• Translation services: We can arrange an interpreter for you to speak with a Family Peer Support worker - contact us to arrange

We are open Monday to Friday from 9:30am - 5:00pm (note: we are closed on statutory holidays)