Elevating stakeholder voice: Considering parent priorities in model development for community mental health center services

Peer-support services, including Parent Support and Training, have traditionally subscribed to a strict definition of what it means to qualify as a peer, and therefore as a provider of these services. This article examines views of peer and non-peer stakeholders in Kansas CMHCs on additional characteristics of “peer-ness.” The findings of this analysis result in a call for a broadening of the definition of “peer” in order to creatively meet the needs of families in the current service climate while still providing support for upholding the family-driven paradigm that brought about inclusion of parent voice in the treatment process-a hallmark of the PST service.