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 Family Group Conferencing

A collaborative and empowering approach where families and their support systems meet within a formalized structure for the purpose of decision-making.

Note - this element is currently the focus of a Practice Track Project Team - for more on this team's work, follow this link.  Family Group Conferencing Project Team.

For access to additional information about other models and approaches, use this link Other Materials (.pdf)

Deer Creek Work: Family Group Conferencing

We agree on the following:

A.     First, we agreed to change the name back to Family Group Conferencing from Family Group Decision Making

B.     We agreed on a first draft of a “Shared Values Statement” – Core values include:

a.       Family involvement and participation based on a broad definition of family, including who the family identifies as family.

b.       Family is empowered to make decisions.

c.       The family is appropriately prepared by staff.

d.       Use of a facilitator – well trained, internal or external, objective, neutral

e.       Make it as comfortable for the family as possible (time, place, culture)

f.        Appropriate involvement from service providers

g.       Formalized documentation requirements with standardized forms

h.       Active monitoring of outcomes (i.e. Did people do what they said?)

i.         Focuses on strengths

j.         Focuses on long term planning not just crisis management

C.     We identified some key differences that may or may not need to be resolved

a.       What should be tracked?

b.       Should family be left on their own to reach decisions?

c.       To what degree should preparation include trying to meet the cultural needs of the family?

d.       Are the final decisions made by the family, the professionals or both?

e.       What is the role of the facilitator?

D.     We viewed 2 well developed and implemented approaches (Richland and Medina)

 

Actions Identified:

a.       Reach Consensus on our values statement

b.       Decide whether any of our differences need to be resolved

c.       Determine whether and which forms can be developed as a template for other counties. Can we develop a standardized template that will support integration of our core values without demanding that all counties do things exactly the same way?

d.       Explore funding options

e.      Investigate whether current trainers are training consistent with our values