Family Support Services (FSS)

Family Support Services assists caregivers who provide care for children with behavioral health diagnoses.  

Certified Family Support Partners are an essential part of the Idaho mental health system. These trained partners have experience raising a child with mental illness, navigating multiple child-serving systems, and assisting children in developing the resilience needed for recovery. Family Support Partners offer hope and encouragement by sharing their experiences and knowledge, providing a base for connecting, mentoring, partnership and credibility with the family. 


Family Support Services (FSS) assist caregivers by strengthening their role as parents, teaching and connecting them to support services, and reducing the likelihood that the family or member will become isolated, disempowered, or disengaged.  The goal of FSS is to improve the quality of life and opportunities for recovery in the child’s home, school, and community -- through engagement with the family as well as with the client.

Certified Family Support Partners provide hope for families in similar situations (to theirs) by offering:

  • Stories of lived experience

  • Encouragement and understanding

  • Information about accessing resources

  • Direct caregiver-to-caregiver support

LIFE Counseling Center serves by:

  • Assisting caregivers who provide care for children with mental health diagnoses

  • Helping families to strengthen their role as parents through teaching skills and increasing support services

  • Teaching family members how to advocate for their child

  • Role modeling behaviors and skills needed for resiliency and coping

  • Helping families to utilize their strengths

  • Teaching caregivers and clients about causes of disorders and about using evidence-based interventions (back)