Parent Peer Professional Led Workforce Development
Parent Peer Professional Led Workforce Development supports parent peer professionals through training, consultation, and workforce expansion to strengthen Wisconsin systems of care for youth and families.
Funder: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Due Dates: September 23, 2026 (Written questions) | September 28, 2026 (Answers posted) | October 28, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Central (Application) | December 11, 2026 (Estimated award notification)
Funding Amounts: One estimated award of $339,000 annually; $1,695,000 total over five years, subject to annual renewal
Summary: Supports parent peer-led training, consultation, and workforce expansion to strengthen Wisconsin systems of care for youth and families.
Key Information: Applicants must meet eligibility requirements when applying and operate in accordance with Wis. Stat. § 46.54.
Description
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Division of Care and Treatment Services, funds the expansion and sustainability of parent peer professionals as subject matter experts in local systems of care. The program strengthens statewide infrastructure for lived experience, engages youth and families, and supports coordinated, community-based, culturally responsive services addressing mental health and substance use needs. Its vision is for children, youth, and families to feel valued, heard, and supported in their communities.
The funded program must combine locally informed, parent peer-led workshops and training with train-the-trainer support, workforce development opportunities, and a statewide parent peer professional consultation body. It also expands the certified parent peer specialist (CPPS) workforce in under-resourced areas through two-to-three annual certification trainings coordinated with the Wisconsin Hub for Peer Professionals (WiHPP).
