Identifying Effective Practice-Based Strategies for Engaging Families and Youth Bill Hobstetter & Carol Cecil Kentucky Partnership for Families and Children Vestena Robbins Kentucky Department for Mental Health and Mental Retardation

WHY DO WE STUDY FAMILY AND YOUTH INVOLVEMENT? Family-driven and youth-guided systems of care create opportunities for family and youth involvement at multiple levels. The Department for Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services contracted with the Kentucky Partnership for Families and Children to gauge family and youth involvement at multiple levels within regional systems of care.

WHY DO WE STUDY FAMILY AND YOUTH INVOLVEMENT? PURPOSE Define levels of family and youth involvement in systems of care Describe the process for assessing family and youth involvement Identify effective practice-based strategies for involving families and youth Discuss how assessment results are being used

“We will use the survey to guide us in developing our family and youth involvement benchmarks for next year” Dawn C. Local Resource Coordinator

HOW DO WE STUDY FAMILY AND YOUTH INVOLVEMENT? Instrumentation Goals of the Family & Youth Involvement Survey –To have the CMHC self-report their current level of family and youth involvement –To identify effective regional practice-based strategies –To identify possible action steps to further build family and youth involvement Document review

HOW DO WE STUDY FAMILY AND YOUTH INVOLVEMENT? Levels of Family and Youth Involvement Program actively supports staff and promotes efforts to create an environment that encourages family and youth involvement Family members and youth are involved in their own planning, treatment, and evaluation Family members and youth are provided various opportunities for peer support Family members and youth are provided various opportunities to develop leadership skills and become community leaders Family members and youth are involved as policymakers and advocates Family members and youth are involved in program quality assurance and evaluation activities McCammon, Spencer, & Friesen (2001)

“These data will help the state identify effective practice-based strategies that can be shared with other regions across the state.” Tena R. State Mental Health Agency Children’s Best Practice Coordinator

HOW DO WE STUDY FAMILY AND YOUTH INVOLVEMENT? Process for completing the Family/Youth Involvement Survey 1.State Mental Health Agency will identify 4 Community Mental Health Center regions to participate in the survey process each year. 2.State Mental Health Agency will contact Community Mental Health Center CEOs to inform them of the process and the Family Organization’s involvement. 3.State Family Organization will send a letter to the Children’s Services Director asking that a team be assembled to meet with Family Organization representative. 4.State Family Organization will schedule meetings with Children’s Services Directors.

HOW DO WE STUDY FAMILY AND YOUTH INVOLVEMENT? Process for completing the Family/Youth Involvement Survey 5.State Family Organization will send a letter confirming meeting that includes a copy of the survey process. 6.State Family Organization will review Community Mental Health Center’s documentation. 7.State Family Organization representative will visit each of the four regions to meet with teams, complete the survey, and tour two Community Mental Health Center offices. 8.State Family Organization representative will host a focus group with Parent Support Group, if one exists, or will interview parents if no Support Groups exist.

HOW DO WE STUDY FAMILY AND YOUTH INVOLVEMENT? Process for completing the Family/Youth Involvement Survey 9.State Family Organization representative will host a focus group with Regional Youth Council, if one exists, or will interview youth if no Youth Council exists. 10.State Family Organization representative will follow up with a report to the State Mental Health Agency and to regional participants. 11.State Family Organization representative will send a thank you to regional participants. 12.State Family Organization will host a debriefing session with State Mental Health Agency representatives and regional participants after all regional visits are completed for the year.

“This will forever change the way we do business.” Mike D. Children’s Services Director

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING WHAT ARE WE LEARNING? Lessons learned about the process State Mental Health Agency needs to introduce the process via a letter to CEOs Emphasize that purpose is not about monitoring for compliance [This is a Paradigm Shift] Strengths-based report is a positive Create a less intimidating process Consider focusing on family and youth involvement across populations – MH, MH/SA, and MH/SR Host an annual debriefing session with participating Community Mental Health Centers and State Mental Health Agency personnel

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING? Lessons learned about family involvement Cross-training of parents and professionals Devoting a computer for family member use Providing food, door prizes, childcare and transportation at support groups Establishing committees within support groups to help promote ownership Establishing and monitoring regional benchmarks for family and youth involvement Holding family focus groups to inform Community Mental Health Center’s plan and budget process Hosting family retreats and fun events

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING? Lessons learned about youth involvement Having Regional Youth Councils conduct needs assessment and share results with Mental Health/Mental Retardation Board of Directors Conduct a youth training needs assessment Hold Youth Council meetings in conjunction with Parent Support Groups Sponsor a poster contest for youth Host community-wide youth events (e.g., Battle of the Bands) to promote youth involvement

HOW ARE WE USING WHAT WE LEARN? State Family Organization –To provide targeted technical assistance to regions on building family and youth networks –To build stronger relationship between the family organizations and regional Community Mental Health Centers Regional Community Mental Health Centers –To increase awareness and strategies for involving families and youth at multiple levels in the system –To guide regional-level action planning –To guide development of benchmarks for family and youth involvement State Mental Health Agency –To identify effective family and youth involvement strategies being implemented across the state for possible replication in other regions –To inform the Mental Health Block Grant application process and to meet requirements for monitoring Regional Community Mental Health Centers