1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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’

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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)

12. 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.

13. 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)

14. ‘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.

15. ACTIVITY
Learning how to fish

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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

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

20. Discovery/SNCD
ACTIVITY

21. 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

22. RECAP
Questions
And
Answers

23. Thanks Special Thanks Youth and Family Training Institute
System of Care Partnership
National Wraparound Initiative
Federation of Families

24. Additional Information:
Shannon Fagan, Director of YFTI
Christine Snyder, Family Support Partner Specialist
Chad Owens, Youth Support Partner Specialist