Module 7Module 7

Promoting Family Promoting Family Engagement and Meaningful Engagement and Meaningful

InvolvementInvolvement

Test your KnowledgeTest your Knowledge

Biological parents must always be included Biological parents must always be included in the decision-making and treatment-in the decision-making and treatment-planning processes concerning their children planning processes concerning their children in out-of-home placements. (True/False)in out-of-home placements. (True/False)

Confusion over the roles of the foster and Confusion over the roles of the foster and biological families acts as a barrier to family biological families acts as a barrier to family involvement and collaboration among the involvement and collaboration among the different systems of care (e.g., school and different systems of care (e.g., school and child welfare systems. (T/F)child welfare systems. (T/F)

Parent-child/adolescent involvement in case Parent-child/adolescent involvement in case planning is correlated with greater stability planning is correlated with greater stability of placement and eventual family of placement and eventual family reunification. (T/F)reunification. (T/F)

Lesson ObjectivesLesson Objectives

Participants will be able to: Participants will be able to:

1.1. Describe three common barriers that Describe three common barriers that impede collaboration and family impede collaboration and family involvement across systems of careinvolvement across systems of care

2.2. Outline three strategies for fostering Outline three strategies for fostering increased family involvement in the increased family involvement in the decision-making and treatment planning decision-making and treatment planning processes, both across systems of care processes, both across systems of care and within school mental health.and within school mental health.

Brainstorming ActivityBrainstorming Activity

What are some common barriers What are some common barriers to family involvement in the to family involvement in the decision-making and treatment-decision-making and treatment-planning processes in school?planning processes in school?

Common Barriers to Family Common Barriers to Family Involvement in Treatment Involvement in Treatment PlanningPlanning Family’s negative beliefs and attitudes Family’s negative beliefs and attitudes

towards mental health servicestowards mental health services Family’s lack of understanding of the mental Family’s lack of understanding of the mental

health needs of youth in foster carehealth needs of youth in foster care Confusion over the roles of the foster and Confusion over the roles of the foster and

biological parentsbiological parents Confidentiality concerns Confidentiality concerns Scheduling difficulties, transportation issues, Scheduling difficulties, transportation issues,

child care concernschild care concerns Some biological parents may be prohibited Some biological parents may be prohibited

from taking part in treatment-planning and from taking part in treatment-planning and decision-making for various reasonsdecision-making for various reasons

Why is Family Why is Family Involvement So Involvement So Important?Important? Involved families achieve the Involved families achieve the

following for children in foster care following for children in foster care (National Resource Center for Youth (National Resource Center for Youth Development):Development): Families feel empowered and engaged Families feel empowered and engaged

in the processin the process Children are more likely to receive Children are more likely to receive

treatment tailored to their needstreatment tailored to their needs Child is more likely to receive culturally Child is more likely to receive culturally

relevant and responsive carerelevant and responsive care

Family Involvement Family Involvement (Cont.)(Cont.) The Department of Health and The Department of Health and

Human Services found that family Human Services found that family involvement in the child’s welfare involvement in the child’s welfare process was highly correlated with process was highly correlated with the youth’s:the youth’s:– Stability in out-of-home placementsStability in out-of-home placements– Emotional well-beingEmotional well-being– Educational outcomesEducational outcomes– Shorter out-of-home stays and Shorter out-of-home stays and

increased family reunificationincreased family reunification

More Research Findings More Research Findings on Family Involvementon Family Involvement Improved educational outcomesImproved educational outcomes Improved emotional well-beingImproved emotional well-being Better service delivery from Better service delivery from

caseworkers and teacherscaseworkers and teachers Improved child behaviorImproved child behavior Improved caregiver self-efficacyImproved caregiver self-efficacy Less time in treatmentLess time in treatment

Importance of Family Importance of Family Involvement in the Foster Care Involvement in the Foster Care SystemSystem The Maryland Foster Parents Association The Maryland Foster Parents Association

(MFPA):(MFPA):– ““Families need to be valued as part of the team, and Families need to be valued as part of the team, and

seen as sources of strength and expertise”seen as sources of strength and expertise”– The MFPA stresses a home-school connection to The MFPA stresses a home-school connection to

assist foster children. This team should include:assist foster children. This team should include: Teachers, health care providers, social workers, foster Teachers, health care providers, social workers, foster

parentsparents

Maryland’s Department of Human Resources Maryland’s Department of Human Resources (DHR):(DHR):– ““Working jointly as a team, foster parents, social Working jointly as a team, foster parents, social

workers, mental health professionals develop and workers, mental health professionals develop and provide intensive treatment and determine plans, provide intensive treatment and determine plans, often with the natural parents or relatives”often with the natural parents or relatives”

Small Group DiscussionSmall Group Discussion

What are some specific strategies What are some specific strategies that you have found useful in that you have found useful in increasing parent involvement increasing parent involvement (from perspectives of caseworker, (from perspectives of caseworker, school, and school mental health school, and school mental health clinicians)?clinicians)?

Strategies to Boost Strategies to Boost Family InvolvementFamily Involvement Share informationShare information Create a welcoming climateCreate a welcoming climate Offer real opportunities for Offer real opportunities for

participationparticipation Offer concrete assistance to Offer concrete assistance to

enable participationenable participation

Strategies to Engage Families Strategies to Engage Families in the School Mental Health in the School Mental Health ProcessProcess

Utilize all available resources to communicate Utilize all available resources to communicate (e-mail, home phone, cell phone, fax, etc.)(e-mail, home phone, cell phone, fax, etc.)

Honestly address caregiver concerns before Honestly address caregiver concerns before treatmenttreatment

Ask families to openly discuss their Ask families to openly discuss their expectations about mental health treatmentexpectations about mental health treatment

Establish clearly defined long and short term Establish clearly defined long and short term goals that will be addressed in therapygoals that will be addressed in therapy

Be open to connecting families to at least one Be open to connecting families to at least one local resource (e.g. youth groups, mentor local resource (e.g. youth groups, mentor programs)programs)

Deliver on your promises related to the Deliver on your promises related to the treatment and maintain open channels of treatment and maintain open channels of communicationcommunication

Strategies to Engage Families Strategies to Engage Families in the School Mental Health in the School Mental Health ProcessProcess

It is also necessary to create a It is also necessary to create a family-centered environment that family-centered environment that provides:provides:1.1.Emotional and educational supportsEmotional and educational supports

2.2.Opportunities to participate in Opportunities to participate in service delivery and to make service delivery and to make decisionsdecisions

3.3.Activities to enhance family Activities to enhance family member’s capacities to carry out member’s capacities to carry out their self-determined rolestheir self-determined roles

Activity/ DiscussionActivity/ Discussion

In pairs, discuss which areas you In pairs, discuss which areas you excel in with families and which of excel in with families and which of these areas you could improve in these areas you could improve in and your plan for improvement. and your plan for improvement. Use a case example as a means Use a case example as a means to share your experiences. Be to share your experiences. Be ready to share with the larger ready to share with the larger group.group.

Re-Test Your KnowledgeRe-Test Your Knowledge

1) Biological parents must always be included 1) Biological parents must always be included in the decision-making and treatment-in the decision-making and treatment-planning processes concerning their children planning processes concerning their children in out-of-home placements. in out-of-home placements. FalseFalse

Explanation: Biological parents who have had a Explanation: Biological parents who have had a child removed for abuse or neglect reasons child removed for abuse or neglect reasons may be prohibited from taking part in the may be prohibited from taking part in the treatment-planning and decision-makingtreatment-planning and decision-making

Re-Test Your KnowledgeRe-Test Your Knowledge

2) Confusion over the roles of the foster and 2) Confusion over the roles of the foster and biological families acts as a barrier to family biological families acts as a barrier to family involvement and collaboration among the involvement and collaboration among the different systems of care different systems of care True True

Explanation: Many times, foster care parents Explanation: Many times, foster care parents and biological parents are confused about and biological parents are confused about who should be participating in treatment and who should be participating in treatment and what their role is in the child or adolescent’s what their role is in the child or adolescent’s treatment. treatment.

Re-Test Your KnowledgeRe-Test Your Knowledge

3) Parent-child/adolescent involvement in case 3) Parent-child/adolescent involvement in case planning is correlated with greater stability of planning is correlated with greater stability of placement and eventual family reunification. placement and eventual family reunification. True True

Explanation: Research has found that parent Explanation: Research has found that parent and child/adolescent involvement is related and child/adolescent involvement is related to more positive outcomes including to more positive outcomes including reunification with the birth family. reunification with the birth family.

Practical ResourcesPractical Resources

Casey Family ProgramsCasey Family Programs

www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/Mentalwww.casey.org/Resources/Publications/MentalHealthReview.htmHealthReview.htmPublished in 2006, this review contains major Published in 2006, this review contains major findings from studies about the evidence base findings from studies about the evidence base for mental health carefor mental health care

Family Team Decision-Making (FTDM)Family Team Decision-Making (FTDM)www.acy.org/upimages/FTDM_Issue_Brief.pdfwww.acy.org/upimages/FTDM_Issue_Brief.pdfThis issue brief describes the evolution of This issue brief describes the evolution of FTDM, and the reasoning behind this FTDM, and the reasoning behind this increasingly team-oriented, family-centered increasingly team-oriented, family-centered approachapproach

Practical Resources Practical Resources (cont.)(cont.) Casey Foster Family Assessments (self-Casey Foster Family Assessments (self-

assessments)assessments)

www.casey.org/Resources/Tools/CaseyFosterwww.casey.org/Resources/Tools/CaseyFosterFamilyAssessments.htmFamilyAssessments.htmContains tools used to help foster parents Contains tools used to help foster parents self-identify their strengths and challenges in self-identify their strengths and challenges in caring for childrencaring for children

Powerful FamiliesPowerful Families

www.casey.org/Resources/Tools/PowerfulFamwww.casey.org/Resources/Tools/PowerfulFamilies.htmilies.htmWebsite offers strategies for foster and Website offers strategies for foster and biological parents to become better biological parents to become better advocates for their childrenadvocates for their children

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Funding for this project was supported by: Funding for this project was supported by: Maryland Mental Health Transformation Maryland Mental Health Transformation

Grant # 5 U79SM57459-02 from SAMHSA Grant # 5 U79SM57459-02 from SAMHSA

The Center for School Mental Health is The Center for School Mental Health is supported in full by Project #U45 MC 00174 supported in full by Project #U45 MC 00174 from the Office of Adolescent Health, from the Office of Adolescent Health, Maternal, and Child Health Bureau (Title V, Maternal, and Child Health Bureau (Title V, Social Security Act), Health Resources and Social Security Act), Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services.Health and Human Services.