title: What family support specialists do: examining service delivery.
abstract: This study describes services provided by family support specialists (FSS), peer advocates in programs for children with serious psychiatric conditions, to delineate differences between recommended components of FSS services and services actually provided. An analysis of qualitative interview and observational data and quantitative survey data from 63 staff at 21 mental health programs in New York identified that FSS and other staff have generally similar ideas about FSS services, and that these perceptions of activities are generally congruent with what FSS actually did. Implications of findings are discussed in the context of developing competencies and quality indicators for FSS.
authors.affiliation: The George Washington University, 2121 Eye St NW Suite 601, Washington, DC, 20052, USA, jpwisdom@gwu.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wisdom
authors.forename: R Eric
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Lewandowski
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pollock
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Acri
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shorter
authors.forename: S Serene
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Olin
authors.forename: Kelsey
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Armusewicz
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horwitz
authors.forename: Kimberly E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hoagwood
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005196:Family Therapy; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D009518:New York; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010379:Peer Group; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012944:Social Support