The Family Support Model Strengthening and Empowering Families for a Healthy Development

“Provision of Services” Approach Assess what a “recipient” needs. Determine the eligibility. Make arrangements for the person to receive some of the services their agency offers. Make referrals to other appropriate services. Provide incentives or pressures to get the recipient to follow through until services are not longer needed.

Some Faulty Assumptions The family is telling us all the relevant information regarding their situation. We know what’s best for them. They will follow up on whatever treatment plan we create for them. When they don’t, they are “non- compliant,” and as a result, services should be taken away.

Four Concepts of Family Support A set of beliefs and an approach A type of grassroots, community-based program A shift in human services delivery A movement for social change

Empowerment Means… A dynamic process through which families reach their own goals. No one can “empower” someone else. Empowering families means helping families reclaim their ability to dream, and to restore their own capacity to take good care of themselves. This also means helping communities, states, and nations to create the conditions through which families can reach their own goals, which may mean changing human service systems.

Family Support vs. Current System Family Attitude“I am responsible for my family’s future” “The system owes me” Family-Worker Relationship Partnership, families set own goals Professionals decide what families need Worker PhilosophyWhat is strong with this family, and how can we build on it What is wrong and how can we make them fix it Worker FocusSupporting ongoing healthy family development Focus on crisis Power DynamicPower withPower over Worker & DiversityDiversity is valuedPeople should fit in

Features of FDC training 110 hours of interagency training Classes offered by community-based trainers Supportive, interactive One-on-one mentoring by field advisor Portfolio to document learning Final exam and credential

Goals of the FDC Families will develop their own capacity to solve problems and achieve long- lasting self-reliance and interdependence with their communities

Goals, cont. Frontline workers will develop skills needed to work effectively with families. Agencies and communities will transform the way they work with families, focusing on strengths, families setting their own goals, and fostering collaboration.

Process of Change Family develops a partnership with the family development worker. Worker helps the family to asses its needs and strengths in an ongoing process. Family sets its own major goal and smaller goals that work toward the major goal and brainstorms ideas for reaching goals.

Process of Change, cont Worker helps family make a written plan, with some tasks assigned to the family and some to the worker. The plan is continually updated and successes are celebrated! Family learns and practices skills needed to become self-reliant.

Process of Change, cont Family uses services as stepping stones to reach their goals. The family’s sense of responsible self-control is restored. The family is strengthened by the development process so they are better able to handle future challenges.

Outcome Research June 1998 to May 2000, Cornell University investigated the NY State FDC Evaluated impact on families, family support workers, agencies, and their communities. Data were collected through focus groups of family members and interviews with frontline workers and their supervisors, FDC facilitators, field advisors, advisory council members, and state policymakers.

Outcomes for Families Family members recognized their strengths, set their own goals and developed plans to reach those goals; Families increased their involvement in agencies, school and community organizations and participated in ways that reflect self-empowerment.

Outcomes for Workers Workers reported increased self-esteem, confidence, and assertiveness in helping families as well as in setting goals for higher education and their careers; Workers related improved communication and relationship skills in professional lives with families and co-workers, as well as in their personal lives; Workers expressed increased knowledge and use of empowerment-based family support skills in working with families.

Outcomes for Agencies Supervisors reported higher staff morale and lower turnover. Workers further developed outreach and networking capacities so that families gained more access to services at interagency and cross-system levels.

Agency Outcomes, cont Agencies incorporated use of FDC empowerment-based assessment tools to help families identify their own strengths Agency directors, policymakers, and state officials expressed commitment to efforts to implement empowerment-based family support practices across programs, agencies and systems.