Healthy Minds Fairfax

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-F
703-324-7938 TTY 711
12011 Government Center Parkway - Pennino Building
Fairfax, VA 22035
Janet Bessmer, CSA Program Manager
Peter Steinberg, Healthy Minds Fairfax Program Manager

Department Resources

Related Resources

Family support services

Note: Some information on this page may require you to copy and paste the link in your browser.

Family support services are community-based resources that help strengthen the family using formal and informal networks.

Family peer support partners

Family Peer Support Partners are paraprofessionals who provide peer support to families of children, youth and young adults with behavioral health issues. Family peer support partners are trained parents of teens or young adults with mental health issues who are experienced in navigating systems to access services. This service is provided by PRS Inc. at no cost to families. Visit PRS' Family Peer Support Partners page for referral forms.

Check out the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's infographic on the value of peer support for parents and other caregivers.

Peer-led support groups for parents and teens

Peer-led groups are often led by a person who has had similar experiences.

"Heads Up" and "Talk It Out" are weekly concurrent groups offered by the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board for teens between the ages of 14-17 who are working through emotional, mental health or substance use challenges, and their parents. These groups are currently being offered virtually.

Formed Families Forward has a support group for youth ages 14-22 that meet twice a month with a concurrent group for parents.

Support groups for families

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD; https://chadd.org/) has several support groups that meet through the Northern Virginia region: https://www.meetup.com/novachadd/events/. Most of their support groups are for parents and family members but they have a few groups for high school students.

Find out about other support groups.

Respite services

Respite is an opportunity for family members to get a planned, time-limited break. Respite can be provided in the community or while the youth spends a night out of the house. There are a limited number of providers who can provide in-home and out of home respite. These services can be funded through the Children's Services Act. In addition, Jill's House (http://jillshouse.org/) provides respite for children with intellectual disabilities ages 6 to 17.

Close
Fairfax Virtual Assistant

Related Resources