Parenting

ADHD Support Groups and Parent Networks in West Michigan

September 14, 2026 · 6 min read

Last updated September 14, 2026

Research on ADHD outcomes keeps finding the same thing: people who are connected to others with the condition do better. Parents learn what works from other parents; adults discover they are not uniquely broken. West Michigan has more of this than most families know about. Part three of the resources series maps it. Specific meeting times change, so this describes where to look rather than when to show up.

CHADD

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is the largest national ADHD organization, and it runs local chapters and affiliates with parent support groups, adult groups, and educational meetings. Michigan has had active chapters in the Grand Rapids and Detroit areas, though local activity varies year to year; check chadd.org for the current Michigan listings. CHADD also runs the Parent to Parent training program, an evidence-informed course for parents of children with ADHD, and its National Resource Center answers questions by phone. If there is no active local chapter, CHADD's online groups are a reasonable substitute.

Hospital and clinic-based groups

Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, through Corewell Health, has periodically offered parent education programs related to ADHD and behavioral health; ask your child's pediatrician or the hospital's behavioral health department what is currently running. Pine Rest offers group programs and parent education, some of which address ADHD directly and some of which address related concerns such as anxiety and behavior. Trinity Health and Holland Hospital behavioral health departments have similar offerings that change over time. These groups are usually led by clinicians and have the advantage of accurate information; the disadvantage is that they may require enrollment as a patient.

Behavioral parent training

The strongest-evidence intervention for childhood ADHD, behavioral parent training, is delivered in groups by several West Michigan providers. Programs to look for by name: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for younger children, the Incredible Years, Triple P (Positive Parenting Program), and Parent Management Training. Ask any child therapist or the behavioral health intake line at the major systems whether they offer these. Kent ISD and Ottawa Area ISD also periodically offer parent workshops, and Arbor Circle, a Grand Rapids nonprofit, provides family-focused behavioral health services including parent training. A structured program is more useful than a support group for parents in the first year after diagnosis.

Church-based support

West Michigan's density of churches means that many congregations have some form of mental health or special needs ministry, and several host support groups for parents of children with disabilities that include ADHD. Ask your church's care or family ministry staff. If your own congregation has nothing, larger churches in the area often welcome members from other congregations to such groups. The Faith and ADHD hub addresses the specifically Christian questions these groups often raise.

Adult ADHD groups

Adults are underserved compared with parents. CHADD's adult groups, some in-person and many online, are the main national option. Some West Michigan counselors run adult ADHD skills groups, typically eight to twelve weeks, structured around time management, organization, and emotional regulation; these have good evidence and are worth asking about at any counseling practice that lists ADHD as a specialty. Online communities (the ADHD subreddits, ADDitude magazine's forums, and various Discord servers) are large and active; they vary in accuracy and tone, and they are best used for connection rather than medical guidance.

Michigan Alliance for Families and disability networks

Michigan Alliance for Families provides free information, training, and one-on-one support to families of children with disabilities across the state, with regional parent mentors. It is the best first call for school-related questions and it connects families to local networks. The Arc of Kent County and Disability Advocates of Kent County serve broader disability populations but include families with ADHD and offer advocacy support. Ottawa County families have parallel resources through the Ottawa Area ISD parent advisory committee.

Starting your own

If nothing fits, start something. Ask your child's school counselor to help form a parent group at the school; many will host and some will co-facilitate. Post in a neighborhood or church group. Six parents meeting monthly at a coffee shop, with a rotating topic and one clinician guest a few times a year, is a support group. CHADD provides materials for starting affiliates. The main requirement is one person willing to send the reminder emails, which is the one job the ADHD parent should hand to someone else.

The bottom line

CHADD, hospital and clinic groups, behavioral parent training programs, church ministries, adult skills groups, online communities, and Michigan Alliance for Families are all present in West Michigan. Start with parent training in the first year after diagnosis, add a peer group for the long haul, and if nothing fits, start one. Next: tutoring and coaching.