The Family Advocacy Program provides direct family advocacy services to families with children who have medical, mental, or behavioral health challenges. Our family advocates provide assistance to families who need to navigate the special education, juvenile justice, and mental health care service systems. Services can include education on caregiver and child rights and responsibilities, attending PPT and child and family team meetings. Working collaboratively with parents/caregivers, youths, schools and other service providers, family advocates empower families and help them participate fully in the development of their child’s care plans, including IEPs if appropriate.
The Family System Manager Program works at the system level to help caregivers and youths become active and equal partners in Connecticut’s Network of Care. Working with both families and service providers, family systems managers offer education, technical assistance, and mentoring to assist in the development of family-driven, youth-guided policies and practices and to facilitate family participation in all levels of system activity and policy development.
The CT Medical Home Initiative assists families to access family-trusted pediatric care and the medical and non-medical services that are needed to help children and their families achieve their maximum potential. Through five regional centers and numerous pediatric practices around the state, the Medical Home Program connects qualifying applicants to appropriate resources, and this family-centered, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate and culturally competent care is achieved.