Intensive Peer Support Services

Intensive Peer Support Services (IPSS) is a structured six-month mentoring program for youth in foster care with high needs. Each youth receives individualized, in-person support for at least six hours every week from a Peer Support Specialist (Youth Mentor) who brings lived experience, professional experience, or both. These steady, trusting relationships are at the heart of the program.

Program Goals

Through this program, we set out to help each youth build confidence, strengthen communication, and care for their emotional well-being. We encourage healthy family connections and personal growth, and help youth develop the skills they need to live independently. Our hope is to reduce the number of youth who age out of foster care directly from congregate care, so that each young person steps into adulthood prepared and supported.

Who We Serve

We provide Intensive Peer Support Services to youth ages 16 to 17 who are in DFPS conservatorship and living in a congregate care setting. We also serve youth who are without a placement or at risk of being without one. Referrals are made directly by DFPS caseworkers and community-based care staff.

Our Method: Positive Youth Development

We use the Positive Youth Development (PYD) model, a research-based framework that builds on a young person's strengths rather than focusing on deficits. Research shows that youth do best when they have caring relationships with adults, opportunities to build skills, and a voice in decisions that affect them.

In our work, this looks like:

  • Caring relationships: Each youth is paired with one consistent mentor who meets with them in person.

  • Skill building: Our specialists coach youth in communication, emotional well-being, and independent living.

  • A voice in decisions: Each youth's own goals guide their Personalized Development Plan.

What to Expect

  1. Referral and match: After a DFPS caseworker makes a referral to ipss@graceplacetx.org, we match the youth with a Peer Support Specialist.

  2. Building trust: The specialist takes time to get to know the youth and what matters most to them.

  3. Personalized Development Plan: Together, they create a plan that reflects the youth's own goals.

  4. Weekly mentoring: The specialist meets with the youth in person and offers steady encouragement along the way.

  5. Progress updates: Caseworkers receive monthly updates so everyone stays connected to the youth's progress.

Regions Served

Our Peer Support Specialists serve youth in all DFPS regions and counties across Texas.

Become a Peer Support Specialist

Learn about becoming a Supplemental Caregiver (Youth Care Worker) by clicking here. If interested, complete the IPSS Job Interest Form below.