Formalizing the Role of Families
Background
In the Coalition’s 2003 Strategic Plan (dated 9/18/03), it was stated that “Providers must understand and convey the message that families are an integral component of the team, not only in the treatment for an individual child/family, but on the provider team (parent reps on boards) and the policy team (parents influencing public policy decisions). In so doing, new partnerships, training, and outreach efforts must be implemented……The participants also agreed to support training to better educate stakeholders on the family’s role.”
With the Strategic Plan’s implementation in mind, we identified a linkage between family involvement on the treatment team and the policy team. This link relates to policy/program oversight. We believe that this role is as necessary as participation on the treatment team and is an integral element in policy making on the board level.
This resolution reflects the belief of all member agencies of the Coalition that family members of the children we serve should be integrally involved in both the treatment planning and policy/program oversight that guides the quality of services that member agencies provide.
In the interest of enhancing the policy development/program oversight involvement of family members, the Coalition hereby resolves to establish a guideline that encourages each member to identify structural opportunities for family involvement.
Be it resolved that family members be included on a committee or into some existing structure of each agency that has oversight responsibility and/or policy making responsibility for programs that serve the needs of seriously emotionally disturbed children and their families.
Be it further resolved that each Coalition member agency provide a range of supports to maximize the involvement and contributions of family members and to assure that their participation is felt to be valuable to the agency. 1
In implementing any plan, agency members need to be particularly conscious of potential issues of tokenism, family member’s self-consciousness and sense of isolation, unfamiliar terms and professional “argot", confidentiality and privacy.
The Coalition agrees to hear a report on efforts by the members in this area by the fall of 2004.
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Examples of supports could include: transportation, child care, training/skill building of family members, training/preparation of other participants with whom family members will be interacting, ongoing structured participation encouragement (e.g. family members’ peer advisory group). |
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Family Driven,
Youth Guided Materials
Parent as Partners: Shift to FDYG Goals & Objectives
The Role of the Family Advocate: Agency Resources (Hillside Family of Agencies)
The Role of the HFA
Family Advocate
The Role of the HFA
Family Advocate (bullets)
Interview Questions for
Family Advocate
(National Federation of Families)
Job Description:
Family Advocate I
Job Description:
Family Advocate II
Occupational Competencies for Family Advocates
FDYG Assessment Tools:
FDYG Assessment Tool
Overview & Guidelines
FDYG Assessment Tool
(Hillside)
Family Centered Care
Assessment Tool
(Family Voices)
For further information and additional resources, please take time out to visit the following links:
The National Federation of Families: Family-Driven Care Definition and Principles
San Francisco Children's System of Care, Family-Driven Care Assessment Tool (3-'07)
Closing the Gap:
Cultural Perspectives on
Family-Driven Care
Making it Work: When Families that Represent a Service Population Become Employees
Consortium for the Employment of Parent Representatives
NYS OMH Family Support Services Worker Competencies |
