Behavioral health provider training to enhance family partnerships

Providers' partnership with families of adults with serious mental health and other behavioral health conditions can be a powerful recovery tool. Multiple barriers complicate family partnerships, and providers require training to overcome these obstacles. This article describes barriers to family partnerships, the state of available training in empirically based strategies, provider interest, and an accessible training initiative that can lay a foundation for bridging this gap.

A national online survey of 357 behavioral health professionals investigated their past training in working with families, perceived training needs, and preferred training methods. An online training module was developed to enhance provider exposure and experience, aimed at increasing knowledge, positive attitudes, and understanding of the skills required for family partnership.

The survey found that regardless of clinical background, most providers reported interest in receiving training specifically related to working with families of adults with behavioral health conditions. Few reported having ever received any continuing education in this area. An online review confirmed that little such training is readily available. A pilot version of this training was conducted, with positive participant satisfaction evaluations and a significant number of providers participating in the course.

Increasing the availability of free, research-informed training offers opportunities for providers to begin enhancing the strategies necessary to partner with families successfully. Further development of training is needed to enhance the capacity of the workforce providing services to adults with behavioral health conditions to effectively include families, regardless of the specific intervention used. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).