The Family Involvement Center believes that all children, youth, and families deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential through support, education, and advocacy to remove stigma and discrimination associated with mental, emotional, and/or behavioral health issues.  We trust that when families are strengthened, empowered, and connected to their community, they will take the lead in improving the quality of their lives.  

Our Values

Family-Driven:
Families have a primary decision-making role in the care of their own children as well as in the policies and procedures governing care for all children in their community, state, tribe, territory, and nation.

Youth-Guided:
Young people have the right to be empowered, educated, and given a decision-making role in the care of their own lives as well as in the policies and procedures governing care for all youth in the community, state, and nation.

Trust Building:
Building a trusting relationship and connection through acceptance and unconditional regard is primary to building a foundation for helping children, youth, and families.

Unconditional Care:
A commitment to not reject a child or family due to the behaviors for which they are receiving services and supports.  Because the needs of families may be complex, when challenges arise it is important to review and change the focus of the support plan rather than giving up on the child and family.

Family-Professional Partnership:
Families and professionals collaborate on the strategic planning, development, implementation and evaluation of programs and policies designed to improve the System of Care.  The family-professional relationship is based on mutual accountability and responsibility, with families having involvement in the workforce development and overall evolution of practice.  

Strength-Based:
Services and supports are based on the strengths of the child and family, which are identified, valued, and integrated into the design of the activities and interventions.

Community Collaboration:
Collaboration with other child-serving agencies, community organizations, and schools is considered to be a key element in building meaningful relationships and a unified System of Care for children and families.  

Connection to Natural Supports:
Youth and families that are connected to community and informal supports through the development of a natural network of other youth and families are less dependent on formal services and resources.  

Culturally Responsive:
All families are treated with dignity and respect regardless of color, race, or countries of origin. Support plans are individualized based on a family's culture, value system, and traditions.

Needs-Based:
Services and supports are designed based on the child's and family’s unmet needs, which are assumed to be the underlying cause of challenging behaviors.  If desired outcomes are not being achieved, it is considered to be due to an unmet need.

Self-Efficacy:
People’s beliefs about their capability to positively affect their lives is based on their opportunities and experiences of success.  A strong sense of self-efficacy enhances human accomplishment and personal well-being which leads to an increase in resiliency and protective factors that buffer vulnerability to mental and physical illness.