Family Team Meetings
Every family has strengths, which may be temporarily overshadowed by challenges they are facing. Family team approaches seek to indentify and build on those strengths so the family can successfully address issues of concern. This approach is family-centered, strength-based, and focused on engaging families in an authentic way.
The family team meeting process begins by engaging and preparing the family and their support partners. A family team meeting is then convened, bringing together the family with formal and informal supports to develop the family and ensure the safety and well being of the children in that family. Action plans identify the resources, supports, and specific activities to be carried out by parents, friends, extended families, and their support network. These plans adapt to cultural, ethnic and racial norms that vary from family to family.
Purpose:
Genuinely engage families and youth to identify strengths, resources, and supports to reduce barriers and help families succeed.
Activities:
√ Work with DHS to strengthen and expand the use of quality Family Team Meetings for families that come to the attention of the child welfare system:
- Educate and engage partners
- Promote best practice
- Assist with evaluation
- Identify and recruit informal supports and community resources
√ Build a capacity to offer community Family Team Meetings that includes agreed upon referral process, training and support of facilitators, and tracking and quality assurance activities.
Community Based Family Team Meeting Referral Brochure
Community Based Family Team Meeting Referral Form
For more information about Family Team Meetings you may contact the FTM Coordinator, Jocelyn Blazek, at jblazek@dhs.state.ia.us or by phone at 641-782-1745 ext. 2026.