BC Parent Peer Support

Corinna is a mom of three and has lived in and around Abbotsford for 21 years. Her experiences as a parent, including parenting foster children, drew her to this work in a desire to make a positive impact. She values being able to support other parents and offer them hope for their child’s future.

Graeme is a dad of two. He was drawn to this work to share with other parents the same kind of support his family received from FamilySmart when they were struggling. It’s important to him to let parents know that they are not alone, and that they are not to blame for their kids’ situation.

Wendy is a mom of three and a foster parent who has called Campbell River home for 13 years. She values being able to be the person who “just gets it” and helping others not feel alone, listening, offering hope, providing a safe space for parents to talk openly and honestly about their challenges.

Moira is a mom of two sons and has lived in Port Moody for 19 years. She was drawn to this work to help parents and caregivers like she was helped many years ago. What matters most to Moira in her work is that families know she understands some of what they are going through.

Sarah is a mom of three who has called Coquitlam home for the last 15 years. She was drawn to this work by the opportunity to offer the kind of support that her family needed when they were struggling. What matters most to Sarah is to help parents feel seen, heard, accepted, resourced, and hopeful.

Jacquie is mom to one son and has called the Sunshine Coast home for 25 years. She values being able to use her lived experiences to support other parents in her community and helping those parents to feel better about themselves and what they’re going through.

Sheila is a mom of two young men and has called Kelowna home for the last 11 years. Sheila was drawn to this work by the chance to give to families the support she wished she had herself, to let them know they are not alone in their mental health journey’s and that there is help out there.

Michelle is a mom of three. She was drawn to this work after she connected with FamilySmart when her middle daughter was struggling. She appreciated how helpful the support was through a very lonely, scary and difficult time. She wants others to know they are not alone and it gets better.

Jeannie is mom to three and has called Maple Ridge home for 33 years. She was drawn to this work by the opportunity to support other families through her lived experiences. What matters most to Jeannie is helping others feel less alone, to know they are enough and to see where they shine.

Monica is a mom of two daughters and has called Mission home for the last 11 years. She was drawn to this work because she knows how hard it can be to feel alone and experience the stigma and the shame. She values being the person she wished she’d had during the years she advocated for her daughter.

ALF is mom to one daughter and has called North Vancouver home for 29 years. She was drawn to this work because she believes families helping other families is important. She values being able to listen, empathize and help make sense of what is going on for a family.

Kathy is a mom of two daughters and has called Prince George home for 27 years. She was drawn to this work in a desire to help others feel heard, understood and less alone. For Kathy, what matters most in her work is validating parents’ feelings and experiences, sharing hope, and compassion.

Michaela is mom to one daughter and has called White Rock home for 20 years. She was drawn to this work by a strong desire to help others and give back the way others helped her along the way. She wants other parents to know that they are not alone and reaching out for help is a sign of strength.

Sukhpal is a mom of two. She has lived in Surrey for the last seven years and was drawn to this work in a desire to help her community. What matters most to Sukhpal about this work is helping other families feel supported and know how to navigate mental health services.

Tammy is a mom of three and has been a Parent Peer Support worker for ten years. She values the ongoing learning in this work and being able to share with other families what might help. Tammy wants other parents to know “You are not alone, you are important and there is help and hope for your family”.

Sandra is a mom of three and a grandmother of three. She has lived in the Fraser Valley her entire life. She values being able to offer parents a space to share the hard things and their successes; to be themselves and let it all out if they choose – they are not alone.

Trudie is a mom of three who has called Squamish home for 25 years. What matters most to her in this work is being the person who can understand what parents who are wrestling with some really hard things are going through and hold a space for them that is free of judgement. She’s been there too.

Jamie, a Parent Peer Support Worker since 2015, values providing parents and caregivers a space where they feel heard and validated so they can continue growing their capacity and skills to manage the hard and enjoy the good.

Melina has been a parent peer support worker since 2019. She values being able to come alongside families in whatever way they need so they feel less isolated in the challenges they face, whether this is offering guidance for how to navigate services or offering empathetic and non judgmental space.

Lisa is a mom who followed her heart when parenting her two sons. She has called Victoria home for 24 years and was drawn to this work to give hope and inspiration to families whose children are struggling. In her work, it matters most to help parents understand they are their child’s biggest asset.

FamilySmart offers Parent Peer Support to all BC parents & caregivers at the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre through a collaboration with BC Children’s Hospital.

Diane is a mom to two young adults. She was drawn to this work because she wanted to come alongside parents that are in situations similar to where she found herself while raising her kids. She values being able to support other parents when they are vulnerable and going through difficult situations.

Kelly is a Mum of “two of the best girls ever”. She knows from her own lived experiences that untangling the web of mental health services available can be overwhelming and she’s glad to be able to help others do just that. She values helping others to feel heard and to know what their options are.

Melina has been a parent peer support worker since 2019. She values being able to come alongside families in whatever way they need so they feel less isolated in the challenges they face, whether this is offering guidance for how to navigate services or offering empathetic and non judgmental space.