Effective Training Through ParentAgency Partnerships

1
Effective Training Through Parent/Agency
Partnerships

• Presented by
• Bibba Dobyns, Libby Jones and
• Claretta Witherspoon
• UNCG Center for Youth, Family and Community
  Partnerships
• Greensboro, NC

2

• North Carolina Mental Health Reform Strengths
  Were
• Privatized services at the local level
• Many more service providers were available in the
  community
• Area Mental Health Centers became Local
  Management Entities

3

• North Carolina Mental Health Reform Strengths
  Were
• Person Centered Planning became the universal
  planning process for all disabilities and all
  ages
• Person Centered Thinking supported Family
  Centered approaches
• New service definitions were funded, supporting
  more community based services

4

• North Carolina Mental Health Reform Strengths
  Were
• Case Management functions are embedded into most
  all services
• Flexible dollars were available to support family
  involvement, training, and non-funded services
  with approval of the local Community
  Collaborative

5

• North Carolina Mental Health Reform Challenges
  Were
• New service providers had new staff, many not yet
  trained or skilled
• Families did not know where to go to access
  services

6

• North Carolina Mental Health Reform Challenges
  Were
• Families were assigned new people to coordinate
  their plans and services
• Case Managers were no longer stand alone
  positions

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No matter how great the plan, during the
transition there would be confusion
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Definition of a Child and Family Team Meetings
in which family members and their community
supports come together to create a plan for the
child, youth/student and family members that
builds on the child, youth and familys strengths
and addresses their needs, desires and
dreams CFT definition from the NC Families
Uniteds System of Care Handbook January 2006
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Seven Practice Principles That Support the Child
and Family Team Process    

•  
• Family, children and youth are full partners.
• Planning is led by the family.
• Meetings are a safe, supportive place for all
  members.

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Seven Practice Principles That Support the Child
and Family Team Process    
  4. Meetings include people who can help the
family succeed.   5. Plans are built around what
families do well and fits with their beliefs  
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Seven Practice Principles That Support the Child
and Family Team Process    
6. Members are committed to the plan and share
responsibility for successful outcomes.   7.
Plans are changed when they are not working for
families.
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• How We Made Effective Family/ Agency
• Training Partnerships Work
• We didnt rush the process
• We were all philosophically on the same page
• We trusted each others ability to come
• through in the training room

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• How We Made Effective Family/ Agency
• Training Partnerships Work
• We talked it out and prepared material
• together
• We acknowledged experience differences
• We developed relationships
• We supported each other

14

• How We Made Effective Family/ Agency Training
  Partnerships Work
• We debriefed after every session
• We committed to honesty with each other and
  created a safe place for that
• We accepted that we may get hurt feelings now and
  then but that did not mean we wouldn't remain a
  training team

15

• How We Made Effective Family/ Agency Training
  Partnerships Work
• We acknowledged that we all process information
  in different ways and at different speeds - be
  patient with each other
• We agreed to be receptive to feedback
• We noted that being imperfect did not mean
  failure, but meant we would learn and be better
  next time

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• How We Made Effective Family/ Agency Training
  Partnerships Work
• We set expectations high knowing we must strive
  to reach that level of training delivery in time.
  
• We gave permission to use our own words to
  present content as long as we maintained the
  point

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• What Were Doing Now
• We are working with fellow partners to develop
  another curriculum that will serve as part two
  to the Introduction of Child and Family Teams A
  Cross System Training From the Familys
  Perspective
• This new curriculum will provide self awareness
  and facilitation skills training as it applies to
  keeping the Child and Family Team process family
  driven

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• What Were Doing Now
• North Carolina Families United, our statewide
  family network, and their partners are in the
  beginning stages of developing Family Member
  Trainers across the state so that there are more
  parents and caregivers prepared to partner as
  true trainers in the room with existing trainers

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• What Were Doing Now
• UNCG Center for Youth, Family and Community
  Partnership trainers will not participate in new
  curriculum development without family members nor
  will trainers deliver topics related to children
  and families without co-trainers representative
  of parents or caregivers.

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Contact Information Bibba Dobyns
bibba1_at_bellsouth.net 336-254-8806 Libby Jones
ljones3_at_bellsouth.net 336-988-7874 Claretta
Witherspoon c_wither_at_uncg.eduu
336-217-9748 UNCG Center for Youth, Family and
Community Partnerships 330 S. Greene Street,
Suite 200 Greensboro, NC 27401 Phone
336-217-9730 Fax [phone]