Allegheny Family Network

OUR MISSION IS TO SUPPORT AND PARTNER WITH FAMILIES REARING CHILDREN WHO HAVE EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.

CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES (CYF)/FOSTER CARE - AFN COLLABORATES WITH THE CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES (CYF) AGENCY, SUPPORTING FAMILIES WHO HAVE CHILDREN ENTERING PLACEMENT FOR THE SECOND TIME. AFN SUPPORTS THE PARENTS WITH A TEAM USING THE HIGH FIDELITY WRAPAROUND MODEL. THIS IS A STRENGTH-BASED MODEL THAT FIRST HEARS THE FAMILY'S VOICE AND CHOICE AS TO WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AFN PARTICIPATES IN THE CONFERENCING AND TEAMING PROCESS FOR FAMILIES IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY. THIS IS THE NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS IN THE COUNTY. THIS PROCESS FOCUSES ON THE VOICE OF THE FAMILY AND IS SIMILAR TO THE HIGH FIDELITY WRAPAROUND PROCESS.AFN IS CONTRACTED TO PROVIDE FAMILY SUPPORT PROVIDERS (FSP) FOR CYF'S DILIGENT RECRUITMENT PROGRAM (FOSTER CARE PROGRAM). THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AN FSP IS ASSIGNED TO WORK WITH FOSTER PARENTS WHO ARE FOSTERING A TEEN IN THEIR HOME. THIS PROGRAM WAS INITIATED TO HELP TRY TO PREVENT PLACEMENT DISRUPTIONS AND IDENTIFY AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FOSTER PARENTS WHO ARE WILLING TO ALLOW A TEENAGER IN THEIR HOME. ALL FSPS IN THIS PROGRAM HAVE EXPERIENCE AS A FOSTER PARENT AND ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE PEER SUPPORT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.

FATHERS INVOLVED NOW (FIN)THE FIN PROGRAM FOCUSES ON THE ISSUES AND CONCERNS THAT FATHERS OF CHILDREN WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL CONCERNS FACE DAILY, AS WELL AS PROVIDING AVENUES FOR A NURTURING CONNECTION WITH THEIR CHILDREN. IN THIS PROGRAM, A FATHER SUPPORT PARTNER WORKS WITH FATHERS TO ACCESS RESOURCES AND NEGOTIATE THE MENTAL HEALTH, EDUCATIONAL, JUVENILE JUSTICE AND CHILDREN YOUTH AND FAMILIES SYSTEMS. THE FATHER SUPPORT PARTNER SUPPORTS PARENTS IN GIVING THEM A VOICE AND CHOICE FOR THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH EDUCATING THEM ON THE SYSTEMS AND THEIR RIGHTS TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. THIS PROGRAM CONNECTS WITH DADS IN JAIL, THROUGH FATHERS' SUPPORT GROUPS, FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY REFERRALS, JUVENILE JUSTICE, CISP PROGRAM DOING A 24/7 DADS CURRICULUM WITH ADOLESCENT FATHERS AND SUPPORTING DADS OUT IN THE COMMUNITIES OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY.CIRCLE OF PARENTS (COP)THE CIRCLE OF PARENTS PROGRAM IS OFFERED TO ANY PARENT BUT IS DESIGNED FOR PARENTS WHO ABUSE OR ARE AT RISK OF ABUSING THEIR CHILDREN. IF PARENTS ARE INVOLVED IN CYF THEY ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND THE GROUPS. AFN IS NOW THE STATE CHAPTER FOR THE CIRCLE OF PARENTS IN PENNSYLVANIA. ALL STAFF HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN THE MODEL. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PARENTS TO HELP PARENTS THROUGH CONVERSATION AND SUPPORT OF EACH OTHER WITH A LEAD PARENT AND SUPERVISOR FROM AFN AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. DURING THE GROUP, CHILDCARE IS PROVIDED SO PARENTS ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTIONS. IT IS A STRUCTURED CHILDCARE DESIGNED TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT MAY HELP AND SUPPORT THE CHILDREN AS WELL. THE GROUPS ARE FREE FOR ANYONE IN A PARENTING ROLE. PARENTS LEAD THE GROUPS WITH THE HELP OF A PARENT LEAD (TRAINED FACILITATOR). A SUPERVISOR FROM AFN IS AVAILABLE IF NEEDED.

MENTAL HEALTH (MH) - AFN WORKS, IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER COUNTY PROVIDERS, TO SUPPORT FAMILIES ALREADY PARTICIPATING IN OTHER HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. CLIENT FAMILIES ARE REFERRED TO AFN FOR SERVICES BY OTHER COUNTY PROVIDERS. AFN PROVIDES A FAMILY SUPPORT PARTNER (FSP) TO EACH FAMILY SERVED. AFN ALSO STAFFS THE AFN CHAT LINE TO ANSWER CALLS REQUESTING SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES GOING THROUGH THE MH AND EMOTIONAL ISSUES OF THEIR CHILDREN. AFN OFFERS FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS THROUGHOUT ALLEGHENY COUNTY.

JOINT PLANNING TEAM (JPT) - COMMUNITY CARE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ORGANIZATION CONTRACTS AFN TO ASSIST CHILDREN, AGES FROM BIRTH TO TWENTY ONE YEARS, AND THEIR FAMILIES TO COPE WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. THIS ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED THROUGH THE FAMILY-DRIVEN, STRENGTH-BASED APPROACH KNOWN AS HIGH FIDELITY WRAPAROUND. THE FUNDER IDENTIFIES THE CHILDREN WITH A MENTAL DIAGNOSIS AND WHICH ARE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND THEIR FAMILIES THAT ARE TO BE SERVED BY AFN.