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Save the Date:

 

Family Council Meetings:
Salvation Army
701 W. Jolly Rd
Lansing MI
6:00-8:00 pm

Next Mtg:
Tues. August 12, 2008

Families

Impact is a family-guided, family-driven system of care, meaning that families have a primary decision-making role in the care of their children. Families work with service providers to develop, manage, deliver, and evaluate the care their family receives.

 

 

 

 

Who qualifies for Impact?

• Youth who are school aged (5-17 years of age)
  
• CAFAS score of 80 or greater
  
  • The Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) is an assessment tool used by county mental health agencies to determine the degree of difficulty the youth is having in areas such as school, home, community, substance use, etc. A score is assigned in each area and is one of the factors considered to determine if the youth's needs would be best met through the Impact initiative.
• Ingham County resident
  
• Involved with Ingham county DHS and/or Ingham County Circuit Court-Family Division
  
• At risk for/or in out of home placement, or returning home from out of home placement
  
  • Due to safety concerns, breaking the law, running away
• Specific mental health or behavioral needs. For example:
  
  • Difficulty learning
  • Difficulty making and keeping friends
  • Is angry a lot
  • Often seems sad or hopeless
  • Seems to have more fears than others
  • Refuses to follow directions and often makes poor choices

Impact Family Council:

• The Impact Family Council was formed in April 2006 to provide family members raising children with emotional, behavioral, and/or mental health challenges a place to share their stories, connect with other family members, shape the future of services in Ingham county, and learn self-advocacy skills.
• Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, adoptive parents, foster parents, and caregivers come together every two weeks to provide one another support, encouragement, resources, and connection. The family members also provide guidance to CMH, DHS, the court system, and other child serving agencies about what is working well and what needs improvement.
• Family members share what services and supports family's want and need.

Impact Family Council members are:

• Ingham County residents
• Family members or caregivers of a child with emotional, behavioral, and/or mental health challenges
• Willing to share their diverse beliefs, ideas, experiences, and perspectives
• Have experience accessing services from at least one child serving agency such as CMH, DHS, court, etc.
• Are committed to working with others to develop a system of care for youth and families that will create positive outcomes for all

Families report the Impact Family Council is a safe place to share ideas, experiences, successes and challenges they are experiencing with their families. No one judges anyone even when they disagree, everyone understands what you are going through, and all of the members are supportive of families being their child's best advocate and champion.

Impact is Family Driven:

• Family Driven is a value of Impact system of care. Family Driven means that families are the primary decision makers about their youth and family. Impact ensures family voice and choice throughout the Impact initiative.
• Families have choice of which services they participate in. (wraparound and family advocacy)
• Families have choice of who sits on their child and family teams
• Child and Family Team plans are written with strategies that the family feels will be most likely to be helpful and effective for their youth and family
• Services are provided to families in their homes, community, or wherever is most comfortable for them
• Families have a choice to discontinue services at any time if they change their minds. Unless they are court ordered to participate.
• Full time Lead Family Contact and 5 part-time Family Advocates
• Family Advocacy Support is available to all families who are referred into Impact
• Impact Family Council is a venue for families to change the way services are provided in Ingham county
• Family members are members of all of the Impact workgroups and Stakeholder Group
• Family members advise our evaluation efforts

Support for non-eligible families:

• Families who are not eligible for Impact services are still able to access support. The Impact Family Council and Parent Leadership Institute sessions are available to any Ingham county family member of a child with emotional, behavioral, and/or mental health challenges.
• Celebration/Outreach activities for families are open to any family in the Ingham county area.
• Resources, information, and materials are available upon request from the ACMH Family Advocacy Support program to all Ingham county families of a child with emotional, behavioral, and/or mental health challenges.
• Families who have children who are experiencing emotional, behavioral, and/or mental health challenges.