Working with Peer Mentors to Support Reunification

Objective: Interventions based on peer support are gaining prominence in child protection. Such models may involve dyads of parents in “mentor” relationships, in which a parent who has successfully navigated a complex... [ view full abstract ]

Objective:
Interventions based on peer support are gaining prominence in child protection. Such models may involve dyads of parents in “mentor” relationships, in which a parent who has successfully navigated a complex system shares the experience with a parent newly entering the system. Intervention goals include parent engagement in reunification case plans and reduction of social isolation and stigma. Encouraging peer support is part of an overall movement to engage natural helpers in child protection. One public child welfare agency in a large U.S. state developed a “Parent Partner” program to link birth parents who had previous experience successfully reuniting with their children in child welfare, with parents whose children were recently removed from their care. This paper will review findings from an exploratory study examining the following questions. (1) What are parent and key informant experiences with the Parent Partner program? (2) What are Parent Partners’ perspectives on their work with birth parents? (3) How do rates of reunification compare for families utilizing Parent Partner services compared to families not served? Lessons learned about peer mentor selection, training, supervision, support, and organizational climate will be included.

Method:
A mixed-methods design was used. For question 1, focus groups (n=30), and a written client satisfaction survey (n=88) were used with birth parents who utilized a Parent Partner; telephone interviews were conducted with individuals from allied agencies and from units within the child welfare agency (n=20). For question 2, in-person interviews were conducted with all Parent Partner staff (n=5). For question 3, a matched comparison group was drawn to examine rates of reunification within an 18 month timeframe. 68 treatment families were compared to 68 comparison families matched by ethnicity, case intervention reason, gender, child age, and substance use of the parent.

Results:
Responses from birth parents and allied professionals were very positive, attesting to the promise of peer mentors for inspiring change, for reducing anxiety about, and increasing understanding of the child protection system. Peer mentors suggest the value and challenges of the work. Results from the outcome study indicate that reunification is more likely for parents served by peer mentors. Specifically, approximately 62% of women with a Parent Partner reunified, compared to 37% of women not served (X2 = 8.502, df=1, p=.004).

Conclusion:
Birth parents involved with the child protection system are often isolated in their solitary experience. Friends and family may not be available to provide support and parents are often unaware of others who may be experiencing a similar plight. Programs that encourage birth parents to share their common experiences may facilitate the process of change and inspire hope. Although additional research is clearly warranted, preliminary findings suggest that peer mentors may be an important resource for child protection agencies in their efforts to engage families and promote reunification. Findings from the qualitative portion of the study offer important implications for practice using peer mentors.