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Montana bill would create certified family peer-support specialists to help families of children with special health needs
Summary
House Bill 76, sponsored by Rep. S. J. Howell, would establish certification for family peer supporters — trained parents or caregivers who help families navigate medical and behavioral-health systems — and is pitched as a pathway to Medicaid reimbursement and workforce development.
Representative S. J. Howell introduced House Bill 76 as a measure to create a certified family peer support system for families of children and youth with special health care needs. The bill defines the role, adds family peer support to the state’s behavioral‑health scope, includes a clergy exemption, and directs the Board of Behavioral Health to set eligibility and training criteria.
Proponents told the House Human Services Committee that family peer supporters are paraprofessionals with lived experience who provide nonclinical, parent‑to‑parent assistance: empathetic listening, navigation across schools, medical and justice systems, referrals and follow‑up. Beth Ayers of Montana…
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