in program design, implementation and evaluation. Working Strategies, 5(3), 1-11. Website: Parent Involvement: What Parents Teach Us, (Fall 2001). Article on the benefits of involving families. Working Strategies, 5(4), 1-11. Website: Elements of Best Practices in Family Centered Services, (June 2000). School of Social Work, University of Illinois at By S. J. Wells, Website: Family-centered Casework Practice – This site includes various resources for family- centered casework practice which encompass the range of activities designed to help families with children strengthen family functioning. Although the focus is on family-centered casework practice for children and families involved in the Child Welfare System, many of the resources are applicable to a variety of services. Website: Written Research synthesis and meta-analysis of studies of family-centered practices, (2008). This research report summarizes the results of a meta-analysis of 52 studies involving over 12,000 participants from seven different countries. The findings show that practices are correlated with positive outcomes for the parent, child, and family. By Dunst, C. J., Trivette, C. M., & Hamby, D. W. Asheville, NC: Winterberry Press Characteristics and Consequences of Family-centered Helpgiving Practices, (2005, June). A bibliography of resources that serve as a foundation for understanding family-centered practices that build parent and family capacity and strengthen parent and family functioning. Center for the Advanced Study of Excellence in Early Childhood and Family Support Practices, By Dunst, C. J., & Trivette, C. M. CASEmakers publication, 1(6), 1-3. Capacity-building family-centered help giving practices, (2007). Article summarizes research and identifies the major components of family-centered practices. By Trivette, C.M., and Dunst, C. J. Winterberry Research Reports, 1(1), 1-10. Community-Based Alisal Family Resource Center Mural
In the community, of the community, for the community; in and around a particular community, and reflective of community needs and dynamics. Census and organizational data indicate that communities and neighborhoods are rapidly growing more diverse. Each community has its own culture and unique needs and realities. Effective service providers are those that respect the values, self-determination, and priorities of families, and translate their needs and desires into appropriate resources, supports, and services (Magrab, 1999). Service providers endeavor to provide services that are reflective of community needs and dynamics. They achieve this through ongoing assessment and input from families and the community thus ensuring that services are relevant to the community and are based in the community. Providing community-based services requires that organizations: Establish relationships with key community members who know the community well Are embedded in the community and are contributors to the process Emphasize the importance of creating strong connections to the neighborhoods and community through the development of vital and relevant family support programs Engage members from diverse communities in a community assessment process Forge partnerships with organizations that represent diverse cultures and the
An essential component for meeting the needs of a community is to ensure that public services are known, well coordinated, and fully utilized. This requires that different agencies, across multiple sectors (e.g. schools and health care), work together and involve community members to identify redundancies. Families receiving services are often the most familiar with the variety of programs available in a community and can be a valuable resource. As state and federal resources diminish, community-based organizations continually seek opportunities to coordinate, collaborate, and when possible, integrate their programs so that families can access services with ease. Some strategies to develop and/or strengthen coordinated efforts are, : Develop an understanding of the objectives, operations and services of other programs Increase communication, resource sharing and joint planning among local agencies Develop a common vision and alignment on goals and objectives Align practices Co-sponsor community events and classes Assess services to reduce duplication and maximize resources Work in multi-disciplinary teams Organize cross-training of staff when possible Document and evaluate coordination efforts Coordinate internal processes and communication Highlights of Promising Practice: MCSTART MCSTART, as a promising practice, demonstrates the power of collaboration. The Monterey County Screening Team for Assessment, Referral, and Treatment (MCSTART) is an inter-agency collaborative providing a comprehensive system of community resources to identify, assess, refer and treat children who have been prenatally exposed to alcohol and other drugs. MCSTART was developed collaboratively and the program structure was integrated by design. Components of services from three agencies [i.e., Door to Hope – Lead Agency, Family and Children’s Services (Department of Social and Employment Services), and Monterey County Children’s Behavioral Health (Health Department)] collaborate on the