Family and Youth Support Partners… Doing What They Do Best ‘Do For’ ‘Do With’ ‘Cheer On’ Presented by: Youth and Family Training Institute for the Federation of Families Conference November 13-17,2013

Presented By: Christine Snyder – (Family), Credentialed Family Support Partner (FSP), Family Support Partner Specialist with the Youth and Family Training Institute Chad Owens – (Youth), Credentialed Youth Support Partner (YSP),Youth Support Partner Specialist with the Youth and Family Training Institute The Youth and Family Training Institute is the High Fidelity Wraparound Training Provider for the Pennsylvania System of Care Partnership.

Quotes from Support Partners FSP QUOTE “Working as a Family Support Partner is like someone giving you a puzzle without the picture. You have to figure out how all the pieces fit in order to help the family reach their goals.” - Mary Motley YSP Quote “We are young professionals that sometimes need more than a little guidance on how to maintain our role but are very essential to families to have. We are worth the work.” - Anonymous YSP

Goals & Objectives List three activities of a High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) Family and Youth Support Partner Discuss how the HFW Strength, Needs & Cultural Discovery (SNCD or Discovery) can guide the work of the support partners To explain the concept of ‘Do For, Do With & Cheer On’ Participate in behavioral rehearsals highlighting the skills that enhance the relationship between the support partners and the youth/families

Responsibilities of Support Partners Ensure and empower youth/family voice and choice with the planning process and actual plan Support improved self-efficacy and confidence Able to “truth tell with respect” to the youth/families and team members Promote and strengthen healthy relationships and supports. To help rebuild ‘burned bridges’

Responsibilities of Support Partners Continued Help System Partners/Natural Supports understand the culture and strengths of the youth/family while staying focused on the overall needs of the team Use the youth/family personal story effectively to teach through experiences To communicate as a team with the facilitator and support partner to assist in positive outcomes for youth/family

Differences in Responsibilities Youth Support Partner Family Support Partner Provide support directly to the youth Provide support directly to the family Connects youth with other youth Connects families with other families Helps others understand the specific youth “culture” Can provide support to the youth when a YSP is not assigned or present Working as a liaison between team members and youth Working as a liaison between team members and family members

Qualifications of Support Partners Strong communication skills Maintain non-judgmental attitude toward families/youth & professionals Ability to work with a team and have strong time management skills Ability to share story appropriately, with passion, not emotion Should have a high school education or GED

Qualifications Continued Should have knowledge about resources within their own community Experience with behavioral health challenges and self awareness Ability to work with a team of youth/family members and System Partners Someone who is able to share their stories to teach through experience and provide HOPE

Qualifications Continued Must have reliable transportation Assertive, good sense of humor and common sense Outspoken, flexible, motivated, self-disciplined Skilled at leading and inspiring by example

Differences in Qualifications Youth Support Partner Family Support Partner Must have “lived experience” within a child serving system (MH/MR, Behavioral Health, Child Welfare, JPO, etc.) or may be a graduate of the HFW Process A ‘Forever’ person in the parent role who has been the primary caregiver of a child with emotional or behavioral concerns The YSP is generally 2 to 5 years older than the youth they are working with and under 25 when they become a YSP Knowledge of child serving systems and capabilities to provide the knowledge to families Must be successfully managing their own behavioral health challenges/support (if needed) Has been there or may still be going through it (offers a unique perspective)

Training/ Credentialing (PA Specific) All High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) workforce members in PA receive 5 days of team training Mastering of skill-sets created by YFTI for the FSP and YSP roles as demonstrated by live observation, videotaping and documentation reviews Completed credentialing packet that is submitted to and maintained by YFTI Average length of time from credentialing has gone from 27 months to 12 months since the program began…. ** FSP’s and YSP’s work from skill sets that are unique to their individual roles, they receive coaching that keeps them true to the skill sets and are working with the youth and their families as described in their plan.

Support 3 hours of coaching/supervision a week until credentialed (and is encouraged to continue after) On-going learning activities to be supported and documented by team coach (Professional Development Plans)

‘Do For’, ‘Do With’ and ‘Cheer On’ Concept of… ‘Do For’, ‘Do With’ and ‘Cheer On’ Do For: Show them how to do it Do With: Help them do it Cheer On: Watch them run with it If you give a person a fish they will eat for a day. If you teach them to fish they will eat for a lifetime.

ACTIVITY Learning how to fish

Strength Need Cultural Discovery(SNCD) It is a true “story” about the family and youth which includes the needs, strengths and cultural from the information given from the family, youth, supports and system partners.

Discovery… What is it Strengths Something the family and youth enjoy The good things the family and youth do well The overall things that are going well within the family and youth

Discovery Needs Can be identified by family and youth They are not a service Can be short or long term System partners and supports can contribute to needs

Discovery Cultural Not just ethnicity It is what the family and youth believe in It is how the family and youth function

Discovery/SNCD ACTIVITY

How the SNCD guides the work Strengths and cultural pieces help in planning around the needs Therefore having needs identified by the family, youth, and team help in building the steps to help the family be successful

RECAP Questions And Answers

Thanks Special Thanks Youth and Family Training Institute www.yftipa.org System of Care Partnership www.pasocpartnership.org National Wraparound Initiative www.nwi.pdx.edu Federation of Families www.ffcmh.org

Additional Information: Shannon Fagan, Director of YFTI fagansm@upmc.edu Christine Snyder, Family Support Partner Specialist snydercs@upmc.edu Chad Owens, Youth Support Partner Specialist owenscw@upmc.edu