PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS
Our peer support specialists are individuals with lived expertise and specialized training in supporting others. Peers come alongside parents to offer a support in a variety of ways. This can include: individual or family support, social support groups, and guidance around accessing resources and other services.
Erin
Peer Support Specialist
My name is Erin Staley. I am a Peer Support Specialist, we have lived experiences that make us who we are which in turns helps us be there for you.
I am a Deaf mother, wife, and Nana. Grew up hard of hearing and am now Deaf and attended both public and deaf schools, where I learned American sign language. I have lived experiences that have helped me become an empath and compassionate person. I know how to listen and provide a non-judgmental vibe. I am a mother of a child who survived a narcissistic relationship and another child who became a victim of a groomer and survived an attempted murder. I am a wife who became a full time caregiver for my husband when he had a really bad pancreatitis attack after our last child was born. I became a new mother again in my 40s and am navigating my way all over again. Surviving and still trying to survive the emotional and mental roller coaster life seems to keep throwing our way.
I know it's hard, no matter how we choose to parent and no matter what path we choose to follow, we need a support system to help guide us or simply hear our words. True emotions are needed to be heard and that’s where I come in. To simply provide you a free space to express without fear from the outside world.
Avree
Peer Support Specialist
Avree found her way to Northern Colorado by accident after spending time in Hollywood, Las Vegas, and Kansas City. She is a proud mother to her amazing toddler Ocean, a step-mother to two wonderful teenage boys, a wife, a writer, a business and non-profit owner, and a passionate advocate for providing a support network to parents in and beyond her community.
Outside of Peer Support Work, Avree and her husband James own their business Elevated Birth Services, where she works as a birth doula and childbirth educator and is incredibly passionate about supporting, educating, and empowering parents to have peaceful, intuitive, and rewarding pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences. She is also in the beginning stages of running her non-profit, the Love Always Foundation, where she seeks to support women and children when the need it the most - whenever that may be.
Albeit difficult, some of Avree’s most treasured and valuable education and life lessons have come from her lived experience of a very challenging childbearing year - including a massively hard pregnancy, a traumatic birth experience, and suffering with several postpartum mood disorders, including Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, and OCD. Because of these experiences, Avree is especially fond of working with parents in pregnancy and postpartum, as she believes supporting folks through the incredible difficulty, vulnerability, wonder, and beauty of the perinatal time is her life’s work.
When she is not participating in her many business ventures, Avree can be found hiking on a beautiful Colorado trail, enjoying a date night in Old Town with her husband, writing one of her million unfinished books, and chasing her toddler around at a local park.
Most importantly, Avree would be so thrilled to support you at any point in your journey. Parenthood is not meant to be walked alone, and walking alongside you in any capacity would be her absolute honor and pleasure.