Youth Peer Support in Texas

Published by Texas System of Care: Youth Peer Support Specialists (YPSS) draw upon their lived experience of behavioral health challenges and service use to connect, support, and inspire hope in a young person who is experiencing similar struggles. YPSS are near-age peers who occupy non-clinical roles and utilize their specialized training and personal and professional experiences of coping with, recovering from, and navigating resources and services for mental health, substance misuse, and/or trauma. Texas System of Care supports initiatives to incorporate lived experience and youth peer support into child-serving systems.

Special thanks to Gabby and her mom, Candy, for sharing their stories to inspire others, to Arianna for sharing about youth peer support, Eisenhower High School in Houston, and to The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD. This video would not have been possible without their generous contributions.

This video was created by Tishna Films, directed by Devon Foster, produced by Shuja Uddin, and funded by Texas System of Care to advance the integration of youth peer support in Texas. For more information, please visit https://txsystemofcare.org and view the video.