Chad Owens, Statewide Youth Support Partner Specialist/Mentor

Chad Owens is the Statewide Youth Support Partner Specialist/Mentor at the Youth and Family Training Institute (YFTI) and a Certified Peer Specialist. He is responsible for working with a variety of youth and other stakeholders to help develop youth advisory components as well as various informational, educational, and training materials to help youth navigate the behavioral health system and other child serving systems. Chad also creates training videos, posters, comics, and cartoons.

Chad began working as a Youth Support Partner (YSP) for Child and Family Focus in Bucks County in April 2010 and became a credentialed YSP in December 2011. He has also been trained in Person Centered Planning, Family Group Decision Making, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and Wellness Recovery Action Planning. He has been a strong advocate for the YSP role, speaking wherever needed about the importance of having YSPs as equal partners on the High Fidelity Wraparound teams and how to support them in their jobs and roles.

Chad believes, “It is in my heart to help youth, particularly youth with system involvement, because they will be our future leaders, caretakers, musicians, artists, builders, doctors, etc. It has been my experience that youth with challenges are more likely to strive for the extraordinary. As a YSP, I had the opportunity to support youth on a county level, and as a Youth Support Partner Specialist, I am able to do so on a statewide level.”