What is Family Engagement?
This is a partnership that makes families active decision-makers and equal partners in treatment and service delivery at the individual, organizational, and system levels.
There is now a Provincial Standard for family engagement in child and youth mental health services. They define family as,
“A circle of care and support that offers enduring commitment to care for one another related biologically, emotionally, culturally, or legally. This includes those who the person receiving care identifies as significant to their well-being.”
What is a Provincial Standard?
- Quality standards that include best practices to describe how high-quality services can happen.
- Indicators to show progress.
- Compliment accreditation standards and clinical guidelines from professional bodies.
To learn more about Family Engagement Quality Standards click here.
How we will reach the quality standard of Family Engagement.
Niagara’s providers of child and youth mental health services have formally committed to putting to an action plan designed to achieve high-quality care in the eight quality areas of engagement:
Co-Development – Commitment – Communication – Diversity & Inclusivity Empowerment – Ongoing Learning – Partnership – Research & Evaluation
The Core Service Providers (CSP) (Pathstone Mental Health, Niagara Health, Contact Niagara, and Centre de Santé) have outlined how Niagara will co-plan services with families, and be accountable to those commitments. The goal is to achieve a more fulsome children’s mental health system with families who are engaged in the process.
