Family Inclusion FRN Guidelines

The Family Inclusion Standards

The FRN Family Involvement (FI) Standards are part of the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health/ Intellectual disAbility Services Practice Guidelines

Statement of Purpose:

Family Inclusion certification is designed to help providers implement best practices in family inclusion.

Summary of Best Practice Standards:

To conform to FRN FI Best Practice Standards, providers must, at a minimum, adopt the following as formal policies and procedures, and formally monitor participant records for documentation of the ongoing use of these practices.

Click a title below to see the full description.

1. Obtain a Release of Information

During the initial intake or admission interview, all participates should be asked to identify at least one person who may be important to their treatment and recovery, and then be asked to sign a release of information
When there is no release of information signed, or there is no family identified, documentation should show 1. the attempt to identify a family member or support 2. the reason this task could not be completed.
Any concerns the participant has regarding family should be documented.
If the individual is unwilling or unable to sign a release at the start of services, ongoing attempts should be made. A refusal for family contact at the start of services may not always be a refusal once the individual becomes more comfortable with the staff and treatment setting.

2. Contact the Family

Documentation should reflect the first contact with family and staff attempts to:
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1. Introduce the staff or team 2. Their contact information 3. Discussion of key issues.
Acquire relevant information bout the participate from the family.
Discuss the benefits and barriers to family inclusion in treatment.
1. Ask the family about any questions or concerns they may have 2. And how these questions and concerns were addressed.
Provided guidance, resources, and/or referrals for family in supporting the participate.

3. Offer Ongoing Support, Guidance, and Resources to all Families

A policy or guidelines should be in place that disseminates program information to all families.
Information should be available onsite for distribution that 1. Contains program details and 2. How families are included in the program.
There should be a process in place for referring family members to receive assistance or support for matters that may not be directly related to the participant’s services.
There should be a process developed to educate all staff members that even without a signed release, that resources and program information are available to anyone who asks for it.

4. Engage the Participant in Conversation around Family

Staff should help the participant to think through the benefits and barriers to family inclusion and how this impacts their recovery.

Documentation should reflect:

Both formal and informal discussion around family.
When family is discussed in individual, group, or general setting.

5. Engage Family in Recovery Planning

Clinical documentation should reflect:

That the participant was asked to allow family to be included in the recovery planning process.
If the participant agrees 1. That the family was invited to participate in the recovery planning process 2. If the family is not included, documentation should reflect why.
It should be documented when accommodations are needed, and how they were addressed to allow family to participate.

6. Provide All Staff Regular Training &Supervision Around Family Inclusion

Agencies or provider programs should have the following in place:

A policy that provides general family inclusion training to all program staff.
A policy that provides targeted training around family inclusions for supervisors and those working directly with families.
Specific guidance for supervisors around family inclusion practices.

7. Formally Monitor Ongoing Staff Family Inclusion Practices

Agencies or provider programs should have the following:

A policy or process to complete a formal chart review to internally monitor family inclusion practices. The result of this review will be submitted and reviewed by FRN annually.
A policy or process that utilizes the outcomes of the monitoring process to inform family inclusion practices within the program or agency.

8. Collect Regular Feedback from Family

Agencies or provider programs should have processes in place for the following:

To gather regular feedback from family members about their experience with the program and or agency.
To report this feedback to the Family Resource Network (FRN).

9. Recruit Family to Serve on Boards, Committees, or Other Advocacy Groups

Agencies or provider programs should have processes in place for the following:

To create opportunities to allow families to participate in advocacy or program improvements.
To allow family representatives to serve on the agency boards or other committees or advisory groups.
To make families aware of these opportunities within the program or agency.

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Family Inclusion

Best Practice Standards

The Family Inclusion Standards

Statement of Purpose:

Summary of Best Practice Standards:

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