Other Parents Like Me

Other Parents Like Me (OPLM) is a membership-based platform with a resource hub and daily online support groups led by parents, for parents of teens and young adults struggling with mental health issues and/or substances.

THE PROBLEM

We are experiencing a global mental health epidemic.

Anxiety and depression. Substance abuse. Suicidal ideation. Self harm. Adolescents and young adults are in crisis. 

• Overdose deaths have increased 500% since 1999 among ages 15 - 24 (CDC)
• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among ages 10 - 34 (NIMH)
• There was a 31% increase in mental health-related emergency department visits amongst ages 12 -17 (Yard et al., 2021)
• Anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%, in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (WHO)

As a result, parents are in a state of crisis, too.

A void exists for supporting parents going through this crisis. Other Parents Like Me fills this gap.

SOLUTION

Other Parents Like Me (OPLM) lets parents know they are not alone.

This membership-based platform and virtual community is designed to create a safe space with the access and support parents need as they move from crisis to healing.

PREMIER MEMBERSHIP IS $49/MONTH AND INCLUDES:

• Daily Zoom Support Groups: Parent-led — currently offering 15 support groups per week, with early morning, identity-based, late night, and more
• Live Speakers & Panels: Featuring renowned authors and leading experts in live and recorded sessions, with a Q&A session for attendees
• A Resource-rich Hub: Over 1,000 podcasts, articles, apps, books, organizations
• Glossary: An A to Z of mental health terms and disorders
• Parent Stories & Blogs: Insights into the journey of parents like you
• Support Directory: Professionals and organizations in the recovery/wellness space
• Mentorship Program: Peer Parent mentors better connect you to our community and steer you to the resources and benefits you need

PEER PARENTS

Peer Parents are just like our members — parents of teens struggling with mental health issues and/or substances. They facilitate the meetings and are there to support parents on their journey from crisis to healing.

WORDS FROM OUR MEMBERS…

“I feel empowered. I feel like I have done right by my child and or can look at a situation differently because of the perspectives of others.”

“I have been regularly attending meetings for almost 9 months now and…. when I show up to meetings I know for one hour I am surrounded by people who understand, who listen, who care, and it's life-changing. I haven't felt this supported by others in over a decade. OPLM is a sanctuary and I'm grateful beyond words.”

“I have a home.”

“I realize that when my husband and I do the meeting together it has given me a safe space to communicate and share some things with him that I have not...to let go of some of my fears…to be able to lean into the uncomfortable.”

“I just really appreciated hearing from other parents who struggle with depression. It made me feel not alone, valued and heard.”

“The power of connection with parents like me is EVERYTHING.”

FOUNDERS

We are two moms determined to make a difference.

We found each other during one of the most challenging times in our lives. While trying to maintain our careers and families, we endured life-altering challenges as we saw our children suffer from anxiety, depression, cutting, substance use disorder, suicidal ideation. Resources were hard to find, treatment options were exorbitant in cost and we lost our sense of community and friendships as we hid behind our shame, fear, and grief.  We are passionate about this space and our connection to OPLM is personal. 

Casie Fariello, our Chief Executive Officer, comes with 26 years experience as flight attendant overseeing training, customer service relations and crisis management. Liz Reitman, our Chief Marketing Officer, is a veteran of branding and marketing and is the founder of an award-winning NYC branding studio established in 1994.

MEET THE TEAM

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We are so grateful for any ways that you and your friends can support.

Contribute. By supporting this campaign, you’re helping us connect with more parents and families in need of a community. You are saying we see you and you are not alone.

Share. Spread the word! Whether it’s email, social media, or just word of mouth, your voice will go a long way. Here's a folder with text + images to make it easy to share.

Join. Sign up for OPLM’s Newsletters to receive updates and personal insights from families on this journey. Our newsletters come from a place of vulnerability, strength and include touching stories of parents in the thick of it.

WHY CROWDFUNDING

Other Parents Like Me is fueled by our community and we want our members to feel as much a part of building OPLM as our team does. 

As a business, we decided to campaign through IFW, a female-only crowdfunding platform. Given the current challenging economic situation, crowdfunding would be the boost we need during this early growth stage while gaining traction with membership and potential investors.

HOW YOUR SUPPORT HELPS

We have been bootstrapping for the past year and don’t want cost to be a barrier to anyone looking for help. It takes a village behind the scenes to make our safe community successful and impactful to all on this journey. By contributing, you'll help us: 

• Add team members. We have run lean for the last year and need to add staff in order to reach out to programs and speakers, continue training our peer parents, maintain our website's integrity, and continue to add to our resource hub. Bringing on new expertise and talents will help us grow exponentially and fill the gaps in order to be successful.
• Improve the website user experience. As we have been growing, we learn and discover what our members need and want. We want to add functionality to the site and make changes to the platform so our community has a seamless experience.
• Increase marketing and advertising. In order to continue to get the word out, build brand recognition and trust within the parent community, we will launch an OPLM podcast and elevate our marketing and SEO so we can reach parents in crisis as they search desperately to find a place with resources and support.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

We are so grateful for your support of Other Parents Like Me, for spreading the word about this organization, and for helping bring this vision to life. By contributing to this campaign and sharing it with your friends and family, you are allowing more parents to seek help and heal.