Our History

Family Peers for Hope (FPH) is a newly formed family-run organization in Montana led by executive director Beth Ayers and an experiences board of directors consisting of parents and caregivers of children with behavioral health challenges and/or special health care needs. Recognizing the need for an independent organization focused on creating a state-wide family support network and developing the Certified Family Peer Support Workforce.

FPH was created to build upon the work started by Montana’s Peer Network (MPN). MPN has been supporting parents and caregivers raising children with behavioral health challenges and/or special healthcare needs since 2021 through advocacy, workforce development, education and direct services. They then created a Families Division in 2022 to further these efforts. In the last 4 years MPN has successfully formed and facilitated the MT Family Peer Support Task Force which developed professional standards for Family Peer Support Workforce, ran a Family Peer Support Pilot Project which provided state-wide Family Peer Support services and collected data that was used by Montana’s Governor in 2024 to allocate funding to Family Peer Support programs. They created a statewide family membership which provides community, connections and support to parents and caregivers. They also worked with legislators on HB76 to create state certification for Family Peer Support which was signed into law in May 2025.

Family Peers for Hope will continue the work that MPN’s Families Division began by supporting parents and caregivers raising children with behavioral health challenges and/or special healthcare needs. They will also be developing the Certified Family Peer Support Workforce.