Empowering Pennsylvania's Youth and Families through System of Care Partnership

Pennsylvania System of Care Partnership Assuring Family Involvement in Partnership With Youth and System Partners

Presentation Overview History of Family Involvement in Pennsylvania Defining Values and Building the Structure Family Driven in PA System of Care Partnership 2

Note Today, we will only be talking about family involvement, but we believe that it takes a three- way partnership to achieve fundamental system change: Strong Youth Leaders Willing System Partners Strong Family Leaders 3

Road to Equal Partnership But the road to equal partnership is quite challenging! Youth Managing Their Mental Health Issues To Strong Youth Leaders 4

Road to Equal Partnership FROM Resistant System Leaders TO Willing System Partners 5

Road to Equal Partnership FROM Angry Family Members TO Strong Family Leaders 6

Road to Equal Partnership Is it any surprise that it takes a long time and hard work to bring these three groups together?! 7

Developing the Partnership The Vision and Mission Statement may take it tover a year to develop! Building relationships Learning to trust Sharing Beliefs, values and stories Getting buy-in 8

The SOC Partnership Vision Every Youth and Family in Pennsylvania will be able to access and navigate a unified network of effective services and supports that are structured in adherence to Pennsylvania System of Care Partnership Values and Principals. 9

SOC Partnership Mission The youth, family and system leaders of Pennsylvania will work as equal and trusted partners for the purpose of creating sustainable change which will empower youth, families and all youth serving systems to be responsible and accountable for outcomes that lead to the fulfillment of hopes and dreams. 10

Building on Statewide Strengths History of systems change initiatives that promote strong family engagement: CASSP principles (MH) High Fidelity Wraparound (multisystem) Family Group Decision Making (Child Welfare) Evidence Based Practices (multisystem) Juvenile Justice Enhancement Strategy (JJES ) Positive Behavioral Supports (Education) 11

Family History There has been a history of limited family involvement at the county and state levels (sometimes identifying safe family members) 12

PA System of Care Partnership Finding and Engaging Family Members 13

Where are They? They are Everywhere Advocates- Individuals who write, call, or show up ( and their spouses). Your friends, families, or colleagues whose children are involved in services. Service providers in your community that value and encourage family involvement. Interfaith collaborative groups. Parent groups, support groups, advocacy groups including Family networks, MHA, NAMI, Education Rights Groups, Disability Rights Network and more! 14

Places To Find Families Family Centers Drug and Alcohol Offices Pharmacies Community Bulletin Boards AA and NA groups Inpatient/Outpatient Sites Physicians Pediatrician's Adoption Assistance Support Providers Juvenile Probation Offices Private Foster Care Agencies Restaurants 15

Places To Find Families Family Support Partners Behavioral Health Managed Care Orgs. Post Office Dentist Office Eye Doctors Office District Judges Offices Youth Panels Hospitals Clinics Local Businesses Mental Health Providers Newspapers Flyers Radio/ Public Service Announcements Churches Synagogues Mosques Other Spiritual groups 16

Once You Find Them What Then Arrange Open Forums Explain what you are trying to do and ask for input! Have a few families tell their stories so they get to know each other and realize they have a lot in common. Feed them, give a stipend for their time, address possible transportation and child care issues. Distribute applications and information to attendees so they canparticipate at whatever levels are available. Invite applicants to a meeting with system partners. Facilitate a discussion that engages all in conversation about the benefits of family/youth/system partnerships Offer training to all family members to build your family leadership into the future. 17

Engaging Family Members Family members have many different levels of skill, interest and availability. How can we tap into these? 18

Engaging Family Members Personal Experience Family members who currently advocate for their o child 19

Engaging Family Members Advocates Family Members that have learned to advocate not just for their child/children but have been able to help other family members navigate through a system/systems 20

Engaging Family Members Advisors Family Members that are participating on local advisory groups, committees, work groups; and their entry level experience in working with youth and or system partners. 21

Engaging Family Members System Architects Family members that have a deep understanding and unique skills that will contribute to system reform. 22

PA System of Care Partnership Defining Values Building the structure for Genuine Partnership between Families, Youth and Systems 23

Values PA System of Care Partnership developed into to Family and Youth Driven. The State Leadership and Management Team now has a Tri-Chair model, of leadership. Family Chair, Youth Chair and System Chair, positions that includes: Tri-Chairs set meeting agenda. Lead the meeting Serve as Executive Committee 24

Partnership Relationships Each Meeting begins with a persons story: what about your life made you want to be part of the County or State Leadership Team? Youth, Family and System Partners all explain their personal commitment to this work. A Tri-Chair can help tie the personal story to the purpose of the meeting. 25

Family Members as Leaders Cohort support strategies Pre-meeting meeting for family members , so family members feel prepared. Family members can eventually deem the pre-meetings unnecessary because they feel fully prepared. Conference calls with family members to review reactions to the previous meeting and to provide the Family Tri-Chair with agenda items for the next county or state leadership team meeting. 26

Family Engagement at all levels The Expansion grant built upon the successes of the Cooperative Agreement Family Support Partners are staff in the HFW model Family members were involved in planning the whole grant Family members participated in staff selection Family members on the state level planning team participated in the planning of future structures that will support increased family engagement 27

Families That want Increased Responsibility Options/support to other families Advising Mentoring Educating Training Credentialing 28

State, County Level System Leaders Preparing to work with families as equal partners Hold pre-meetings to: Discuss the role of Family Partners Offer guidance on how to interact with Family representatives Identify concerns Develop agreed upon strategies to assure involvement, address differences, measure results 29

Pennsylvania System of Care Partnership Where was the family voice in our expansion planning process 30

Family in Expansion Planning Process State leadership and Management Team held Regional Forums ( 10-14 held across the state) The formal planning team examined how family leadership and support can be broadened and strengthened across the Commonwealth Six regional workgroups were held to identify the strengths within various regions of the Commonwealth and what was needed to establish Systems of Care. 31

The End Result A comprehensive strategic plan for PA System of Care Partnership was developed for the counties; And a state-wide family engagement strategy was prepared for implementation This resulted in comprehensive change where youth, family and system leaders are working together as equal partners! 32

PA System of Care Partnership Dianna Brocious Family Involvement Specialist pasocdianna@gmail.com 724-525-0329 Crystal Karenchak Family Involvement Specialist karenchakcm@upmc.edu 717-772-7628 412-260-8114 www.pasocpartnership.org this project, publication/report/ Was developed in [in part] under grant number SM061250 from the Substance Abuse and mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Depart of health and Human Services (HHS). The views, policies and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAMHSA or HHS. Revised 2016 33