Family Education and Support Services
What Are Family Education and Support Services?
Family Education and Support Services
is an array of formal and informal services with an emphasis on self-determination
and family control. Family Education and Support Services also emphasizes
full parent participation in service planning and evaluation, services in
the child's own home whenever possible and flexibility and responsiveness
from the formal service system. The provision of family support and education
services is to enhance recovery of the recipient while providing support to
the family system. It has been well documented that having access to another
person who has experienced some of the same challenges can be reassuring and
empowering to family members. Providing information about services available
in the community and referrals to these providers is also a critical component
to supporting families.
Why Are Family Education and Support Services Important?
In their article, "Effective Treatment for Mental Disorders in Children and Adolescents", Burns et al. (1999) noted that all families need a wide range of supports as they work to effectively raise their children. For families with children who have serious disorders in the emotional, physical or behavioral realm, their natural support systems may be overwhelmed which would require greater coordination of services. Family Education and Support Services often enables children to live at home, attend school and assists families in balancing their lives and giving attention to the needs of all family members by enhancing coordination of services.
In those few studies that have been conducted multiple benefits have been reported related to Family Education and Support Services Services. In a national survey done by Friesen & Koroloff (1990), 72% of parents said that emotional support (regardless of the form of support) was the most helpful aspect of care for parents whose children had emotional or behavioral disorders. Families said that the benefits of Family Education and Support Services included: increased access to information, improved problem-solving skills, and more positive views about parenting and their children's behavior, (Friesen & Koroloff, 1990).
Core Services of Family Education and Support Services Include:
- Family Support
- Respite
- Advocacy and referral
- Skill building/educational opportunities
The development of the descriptions for each OMH Priority Set for Evidence-Based Practices included extensive involvement from clinical experts, mental health recipients, youth and family members, and people who represent culturally diverse viewpoints. Their perspectives are critical to the understanding of these important practices and programs in mental health.
Family Perspective
It is the expectation of the New York State Office of Mental Health that Family Education and Support Services will be available to families of children and adolescents diagnosed with serious emotional and behavioral problems. Included are families whose children are at risk of placement, currently placed, or living at home. Services focus on the whole family, not just the child who is receiving mental health services.
Youth Perspective
Effective family support often involves the youth and making the family aware of youth issues. Family involvement often includes the siblings, parents, young people, and others in the support system (i.e. neighbors, grandparents, peers). Support groups can also be offered to young people, not just to their parents or caregivers. For example, a youth support group could be offered in place of respite. The group could be offered the same time (in the same building) as the parent support group. Key components of effective family support include educating the family about the youth's diagnosis, treatment or service options and recovery. It includes building skills in becoming active agents of change for youth. In addition, Family Support and Education Services often include youth advocates or advisors as well as parent advisors. Many young people want to be included in these programs and they can offer a unique perspective on the types of supportive services that are most helpful to young people.
Cultural Perspective
Providers employ strategies to address barriers to access. These strategies can include, providing flexibility in meeting times and places, creating easily understood written material, and engaging culturally specific supports, such as those available in the spiritual community and through naturally occurring community networks. This kinds of strategies may be particularly important for immigrants, communities of color, historically underserved and economically challenged communities where coordinated efforts help parents feel more comfortable and connected to service providers. Care can be taken to assure written materials are not only translated but are at a literacy level that does not raise additional barriers for the family members. In servicing children, care and attention needs to be paid to develop staff's cultural knowledge as to family and community norms and values around help seeking, secrecy and confidentiality, family roles, child rearing and spiritual practices.
Goals and Principles of Family Education and Support Services
The New York State Office of Mental Health is committed to the development of a community-based system of care in which families are full partners and services are driven by family needs. Families know their children and are in the best position to identify the needs and evaluate the outcome of services.
- The Goals of
Family Education and Support Services are (Burns
et al., 1999)
- Acquire support needed to cope with extra stressors associated with children diagnosed with an emotional disturbance.
- Provide support and education to help keep families together or reunite after an out of home placement.
- Assist families and family members to achieve more balance in their lives.
- Strengthen and empower adults in roles as parents, nurturers, and providers.
- Effective Family
Education and Support Services Programs Reflect the Following Principles
- Decisions are based upon family preference, choice and values;
- Families are the primary resource and decision makers;
- Families have access to a flexible, affordable, individualized array of supports;
- The family's strengths are the foundation upon which all supports are provided;
- Support services are culturally, linguistically and geographically sensitive;
- Family Education and Support Services are affordable, well coordinated, accessible and available to all families; and
- Parents are in partnership with professionals providing services
One Example of a Family Education and Support Service
In New York State, Common Sense Parenting® classes were first offered at two Children’s Psychiatric Centers approximately five years ago to provide continuity of treatment for children making the transition from inpatient or day treatment programs to their homes. Over time, the program has attracted families from the larger community. In the past year, training has been held both for State Children’s Psychiatric Center facilitators as well as for facilitators from the community so that the Common Sense Parenting® program can be available in regions throughout New York State.
Common Sense Parenting® is designed as an approach to assist parents in developing or enhancing their skills to encourage positive behavior, discourage negative behavior, and teach alternatives to problem behavior with their children. Program content is adapted from the Boys Town Family Home Program. Common Sense Parenting® is based on a social learning/behavioral model and aims to enhance parents in their role as “teacher" of their children. The program is promising and evaluation studies have shown benefits for parents from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and various socioeconomic groups (Thompson et al., 1993, 1997, Ruma et al., 1996).
The program consists of six two-hour sessions led by a certified trainer called a parent trainer. The skills taught include:
1. Clear communication.
2. Effective praise.
3. Preventive teaching- teaching expectations in order to assist children to avoid problems and to be successful.
4. Corrective teaching- correcting misbehaviors and teaching children what to do instead.
5. Teaching Self-Control/Staying Calm- a process for helping children to calm down when they are upset and teaching them ways to remain calm in future intense situations.
Feedback from participants in the program has been consistently positive, with parents, parent advocates, and mental health providers reporting improved parenting skills, family satisfaction and communication between parents and children. This feedback is monitored through parent questionnaires administered during the course of the training process.Children and Adolescent Service System Principles
All OMH Children's Initiatives are based upon the principles of the Child and Adolescent Service System Principles (CASSP). View the CASSP.
New York State Family
Support Services Directory
This link connects you to a directory of the family support services providers
in New York State.
Burns, B., Hoagwood K., Mrazek, P.J. (1999). Effective treatment for mental disorders in children and adolescents. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 2(4), 199-254.
Friesen, B.J., Koroloff, N.M. (1990). Family-centered services: Implications for mental health administration and research. Journal of Mental Health Administration, 17, 13-25.
Ruma, P.R., Burke, R.V., Thompson, R.W. (1996). Group parent training: Is it effective for children of all ages? Behavioral Therapy, 27, 159-169.