On October 26, IHR’s Family Engagement Program (FEP) presented a training titled “Being the Bridge: The Vital Role of Peer Recovery Specialists in Enhancing Child Welfare Outcomes for Families” at the sold-out Massachusetts Providers’ Council Convention in Boston.

IHR presenters included our Director of Recovery, Latisha Goullaud; Senior Director of Family Engagement Programs, Omer Mendelson; and Peer Recovery Specialist Christina Remuck. Kerri Field, the Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) Statewide Substance Use Unit Supervisor in the Central and Northern Regions, partnered with the IHR team to develop and deliver the training. Together the presenters highlighted the work of IHR’s Peer Recovery Specialists, parents in recovery who use their own lived experience and specialized training to support other parents involved with DCF in working towards their own recovery and family goals.

Attendees learned about recovery, peer support and the value of lived expertise, the cultivation of individual and agency relationships, and the importance of including and honoring multiple perspectives in child welfare work.

The presentation was fully attended and the audience participation made this training interactive and lively, with the conversation continuing beyond the workshop.  

We are grateful to the Providers’ Council for the opportunity to share this work and to everyone who joined the conversation.

IHR offers Family Engagement Program services, including peer support for parents, across Massachusetts. If you would like to learn more about IHR’s Family Engagement Program or explore ways to bring this approach to your organization, please contact Latisha Goullaud or Omer Mendelson, or visit Family Engagement and Recovery Programs at www.healthrecovery.org.