National Family Caregiver Month is celebrated each November to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. of President Biden 2024 National Family Caregiver Month Proclamation states, “Family caregivers are the backbone of our Nation, making enormous sacrifices to be there for the people who need and love them most. This month, we honor their selfless love and courage and recommit ourselves to getting them the support they deserve. In the United States of America, no one should have to choose between taking care of a parent who raised them, a child who depends on them, and a wage they need.”
Family caregivers are defined as family members or someone identified as “family” who provide help and support to a person with a chronic health condition – including mental health and substance use conditions, disability or functional limitation. This can include a variety of situations, including grandparents raising grandchildren, a teenage son or daughter helping their parent with a major health problem, and a parent raising their children while caring for an elderly parent with dementia.
As a parent/caregiver of four children, two of whom have significant behavioral challenges, I know firsthand how rewarding and how exhausting it can be to raise a family, work full-time, manage a household, and meet the specialized needs of children with disabilities. My family and I were fortunate to have a strong support system, including family, a church community, and providers who offered guidance and respite. Even with this support, caring affected our mental well-being, our daily decisions and our work-life balance. My own caregiving experience has been a driving force in my 25-year journey of supporting other caregivers and in my role today as a Public Health Advisor in SAMHSA’s Office of Recovery.
It is currently estimated that 53 million American family caregivers provide care for a loved one. The economic value of these unpaid caregivers is approximately $600 billion annually. By 2034, for the first time in history, people over 65 will outnumber people under 18, making family caregivers even more necessary. Caring for a loved one can affect the caregiver in many complex ways: financial stressors, emotional exhaustion, physical fatigue, social isolation, relationship strife, and more.
In 2018, the RAISE Act (Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, & Engage) for Family Caregivers was signed into law and directed the US Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national family caregiver strategy. An advisory board was created that includes both federal agency representatives and non-federal members who have lived experience or represent people with lived experience as family caregivers. Strategies include:
- Promoting greater adoption of person- and family-centred care in all health care and long-term service and support settings, with the individual and family carer at the center of care teams;
- Assessment and planning of services (including transition and coordination of care) involving care recipients and family carers;
- Information, education, training support, referral and care coordination.
- Rest options. and
- Financial security by addressing workplace issues.
SAMHSA has long recognized that caregivers need special supports to be successful and healthy while caring for their loved ones, and such supports may include:
- Statewide Family Network grants provide financial infrastructure for statewide family organizations to support parents raising children, youth, and young adults with severe emotional disorders (SED) and/or co-occurring disorders.
- National Family Support Technical Assistance Center (NFSTAC) is committed to providing training and technical assistance to clinical and social professionals, families and communities using a lifespan approach that focuses on mental health and/or substance use challenges. NFSTAC’s approach is based on the core principles that families play a vital role in supporting their loved ones and are the experts in making a family support plan.
- SSI Eligibility for Caregiver Parents (3 min, 52 sec) video that provides parents and caregivers with a basic understanding of Social Security eligibility requirements for children under the Supplemental Security (SSI) program.
- The “Talk. The They Hear You campaign aims to reduce under-age alcohol and other substance use in young people under the age of 21 by providing parents and carers with the information and resources they need to address these issues with their children early and often.
- Family Psychoeducation EBP Toolkit recognizes that patient outcomes are improved when family members’ needs for information, clinical guidance, and support are met.
- Resources for Families Coping with Mental and Substance Use Disorders recognizes the importance family members play when their loved ones experience changes in mood or behavior. By being able to offer support, family members can connect those in need with treatment, resources and services to start and stay on their recovery journey.
- Help for service members and their families is important because service members and their families may experience different mental health issues than the general public.
SAMHSA’s Office of Recovery appreciates the importance of family caregivers in supporting loved ones on their recovery journey. Since its inception two years ago, SAMHSA’s Program Advancing Recovery Knowledge (SPARK) has convened policy and practice meetings to improve care support, conducted educational webinars on family support and encouraged the significant involvement of families in policy and practice improvements.
Join us in celebrating National Family Caregiver Month!
