paparentandfamilyalliance.org Parent Support Line: 570-664-8615 contact@paparentandfamilyalliance.org2024 IMPACT REPORTPA PARENT ANDFAMILY ALLIANCE
In southwestern Pennsylvania, a quiet revolution began with a groupof parents who had walked the difficult path of raising children withmental health challenges. In 2008, Allegheny Family Network (AFN)launched with just two staff members, providing not just services butgenuine understanding. Through one-on-one parent peer support,AFN became a lifeline for families in Allegheny County and has sincegrown into one of the nation’s largest family-run peer supportagencies.In 2018 AFN expanded statewide, founding the PA Parent andFamily Alliance to ensure that parents across Pennsylvania couldaccess this essential support. Today Parent Alliance team members—rooted in communities across the state—offer personalized guidance,helping parents understand what their children need to thrive.Driven by the belief that no parent should face their child’s mentalhealth journey alone, the Parent Alliance creates a communitywhere every family can feel seen, supported, and empowered.We are working toward a world inwhich every child gets the mentalhealth support they need to thrive. V I S I O N S T A T E M E N T M I S S I O NSupporting parentsof children withmental healthchallenges to betheir child’s bestadvocate. About Us
A N Y P A R E N T I NP E N N S Y L V A N I AC A N A C C E S S O U RS E R V I C E S F O RF R E E . NO MATTER HOW YOUNGOR OLD YOUR CHILD IS,WITH NO QUALIFYINGCONDITIONS! P A R E N TS U P P O R T L I N E 5 7 0 - 6 6 4 - 8 6 1 5paparentandfamilyalliance.orgThe PA Parent and Family Alliance is in part supported by SAMHSA. The report’scontents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarilyrepresent the official views of SAMHSA. We are grateful for financial support fromPA Care Partnership. In addition to grant funding, we are grateful to our generous individual donors andthe members of the Village, our monthly donor program. All data discussed in this report follows our grant cycle and is from October 1, 2023to September 30, 2024.
At Parent Alliance we believe that every child deserves the support they needto thrive, and we know that parents are the best advocates for their child’sjourney. Our Family Support Partners (FSPs) are parents with lived experience navigatingtheir own children’s mental health challenges. They also have been highlytrained in the systems parents will need to navigate so they can providecompassionate guidance and practical resources for parents across the state. Our work spans virtually across Pennsylvania, meeting parents where they are,from the biggest cities to the smallest towns. On the next pages, you’ll see the impact of our efforts from this grant cycle,not just in numbers, but in stories that bring our mission to life.Each interaction, each connection, and each moment of support is part of ourcommitment to empower parents and transform the lives of their children.PARENT PEER SUPPORTACROSS PAMembers of the Parent Alliance Staff
My FSP was so knowledgable and helpful. She hashelped me feel empowered and was so patient withme every step of the way. I am so grateful that I found the Parent Alliance. Iliked everything about this service. —Lycoming County Parent
Maria, whose first language is Spanish, used towalk into her son’s IEP meeting feelingoverwhelmed and ready to push for mediation.She was struggling to understand the nuances ofthe IEP process in English. She was uncertainabout signing the IEP because of the ongoingmiscommunications with the school. Getting an FSP was a game changer for Maria andher family. Her FSP translated and clarified eachstep of the IEP process for her. Maria was finallygiven the information she needed to understandthe supports being offered to her son. By the endof the meeting, she felt empowered and confidentin her decision to sign, ensuring her son couldreceive the support he needed without delay.Blog reads 52017,305Total cases openedWhen Sara got a sudden call from her son’sschool about truancy, she was shocked—andeven more so when they threatened a $300 fine.Unsure of her options, she reached out to ParentAlliance, where her FSP explained that theschool was required to offer a StudentAttendance Improvement Plan (SAIP) beforeinvolving the court.Armed with this knowledge, Sara went into themeeting prepared. When the school mentioneda court letter was already on its way, she pushedback, avoiding unnecessary fines and ensuringher son received the support he deserved.71Average # ofparents supportedat one time 5,216Tip sheet views 32,056Views on YouTube
Everywhere I went I was getting confusinginformation about PA’s Mental Health Consent Law. My doctor, my insurance company, and the peopleat the front desk of my son’s therapist office wereall telling me completely different things. Finding the Parent Alliance’s easy-to-understandblog on what the consent law says and what it DOESNOT say has been really helpful as I work to getmy son the help he needs.—Bucks County Parent
Listeners to our podcast:This is Not What I wasExpecting 1082,555Parents trained onmental health supportat school 57Parents educated onsecondary transition 47,908Website views 26,260Newsletter reads Jenna felt helpless. Her daughter was strugglingevery day. She was not only missing school butalso battling severe mental health challenges,including self-harm behaviors. Despite havingwhat she thought was good insurance, shecouldn’t get any services; every therapist had anoverwhelming waitlist, or her insurance simplywouldn’t cover them. With her daughter’sgrowing distress and no immediate support insight, Jenna feared they were headed for acrisis.Reaching out to Parent Alliance, Jenna wasimmediately connected with a Family SupportPartner (FSP) who helped her discover optionsshe hadn’t known about. They helped her applyfor insurance that would cover her daughter'sneeds and provided guidance on accessingFamily-Based Services through her county.She also received guidance on truancy policies,which helped her understand her rights andresponsibilities. Finally, they connected her andher daughter with peer support groups, givingthem a network of understanding andconnection during this challenging time.Thanks to this support, Jenna avoided theoverwhelming financial and emotional toll thatcould have come with missed work, truancyfines, and, more critically, a potential crisis. Forthe first time in months, she felt hopeful, withthe right tools and support to help herdaughter heal and move forward.
At every IEP meeting for my son I felt like I wasexpected to just agree and nod. Going through the Parent Alliance’s IEP Bootcampgave me the confidence to ask for things I didn’teven know were available. My son’s new IEP is so much better because ofit. With his new accommodations this has beenhis strongest school year yet! —Centre County parents
The best way to support families is from all directions. By joining hands withcommunity organizations, local services, and dedicated experts, we’re building anetwork that ensures parents have access to the resources, guidance, and compassionthey need. Together these partnerships enable us to empower parents in theirjourney to advocate for and support their children through every challenge.PARTNERING TO MAKEPARENTS’ LIVES BETTERIn partnership with the Garret Lee Smith Grantees, we have created and willcontinue to create tip sheets that meet the immediate needs of familiesacross the state, including our most popular tip sheet of the year, InpatientHospitalization: A Resource for Parents. In partnership with the ASPIRE Center, we’ve helped onboard a Family SupportPartner to provide essential resources and guidance to families, supportingASPIRE’s mission of advancing suicide prevention and mental wellness.We empower and support the development of grassroots organizationsled by parents and caregivers in the mental health space, helping themgrow and amplify their impact across the lifespan of a child.Garret Lee SmithGarret Lee Smith GrantThe ASPIRE CenterGrandparents Raising Grandchildren, anorganization in Luzerne County Learn more about the Aspire Center hereCheck out the tip sheet here
As the program year 2025 begins, we look forward tocontinuing to support parents across the state of PA. We know that every parent’s journey is unique, butone thing is universal: the need for connection,support, and a sense of community. With your help,we’re making sure no parent has to face supportingtheir child through a mental health challenge alone.As I look back over the past year, I am filled withgratitude for the incredible community we’rebuilding together. One of my highlights of the yearhas been our podcast, This is Not What I wasExpecting. Through honest, heartfelt, and sometimesfunny conversations, we’re helping parents feel seenand understood, bringing hope and encouragementwhen it’s needed most.We’re also excited about the Village, our newmonthly giving program. By joining the Village,supporters like you become a vital part of eachfamily’s support network, providing consistentresources and guidance. Together we’re creating acommunity of support that lets parents know they’renever alone.Looking ahead, we’re ready to make even more ofan impact. With your continued support, we’re readyto continue growing, reach more families, anddeepen our programs. None of this would bepossible without you and the trust you place in us.Thank you for being an essential part of this journey.With gratitude,Christina Paternoster Director“All of my kids are grownup now, but I rememberhow difficult it was in thethick of it. I am grateful that I amable to give back toparents who are activelyraising their childrennow—especiallychildren who strugglewith their mental health. I am a proud foundingmember of the Village,and I would love for youto join us!”Susan J. PA Mom of 4 Village FounderClick here to Jointhe Village today!