Family and Youth Involvement:
A Workbook for Policy and Governance Boards

 

Background:

This self-assessment and user friendly workbook was prepared by the Colorado LINKS for Mental Health’s Leadership Team on Family Youth Involvement in Policymaking and the Grant Implementation Group.  The workbook is a response both to boards and to families sharing their need for training and information not only for family and youth participants on boards, but also for boards who wish to expand their knowledge of how to engage new members of their boards.

The goal of the workbook is to help boards involved in policymaking, governance of behavioral health and related systems to embrace family and consumer representatives on your board.  The workbook is designed to be succinct and practical, with overviews, discussion guides and checklists, with sample bylaws, reimbursement forms, and other materials.  It contains tips and tools for preparing for family and youth involvement on a policymaking or governance board, recruiting and retaining families and youth on a board, and gathering family and youth input outside of board meetings.

Piloting:

This workbook is a work in progress!  We are in the process of piloting it with policy and governance boards that work on children's behavioral health issues, and based on their feedback we will be making revisions to the workbook in the fall.  If your group would like to pilot any part of the workbook, please email Natalie Portman-Marsh at Natalie@csi-policy.org. 

Feedback:

If you would like to submit a comment, correction, suggestion, or other feedback about any part of the workbook or attachments, please go here, and tell us what part of the workbook your comment is about.  We welcome the opportunity to improve the quality of this tool!

Complete Workbook and Attachments:

• Family and Youth Involvement: A Workbook for Policy & Governance Boards and Planning Groups
• All Attachments to the Workbook

 

 

Individual sections and accompanying attachments of the workbook:

 

Introduction

Accompanying attachments:

• Board Self Assessment on Family and Youth Involvement

Section 1: Structuring Meetings to be Family and Youth Friendly

Accompanying attachments:

• Example Bylaws
• Example Letter of Agreement between Boards and Board Members
• Example Orientation Packet
• Example Meeting Norms
• Example Meeting Minutes Template
• Example Acronyms List
• Family and Youth Involvement Top Ten Dos and Don’ts Lists

Section 2: Compensation and Reimbursement

Accompanying attachments:

• Example Compensation and Reimbursement Form

Section 3: Marketing and Recruitment

Accompanying attachments:

• Example Board Perspectives Checklist
• Example Recruitment Flyer
• Example Recruitment Letter
• Example Family and Youth Board Member Application

Section 4: Youth Participation

Accompanying attachments:

• Youth Skills and Interest Inventory Form
• Board Assessment on Readiness for Youth Engagement
• Example Employer Release Form for Youth

Section 5: Leadership Development for Youth and Families

Section 6: Culturally Competent Boards

Accompanying attachments:

• Commitment to Diversity Checklist
• Cultural Proficiency Continuum
• Cultural Competence Self Assessment
• Cultural Responsiveness Discussion Guide

Section 7: Privacy and Confidentiality

Accompanying attachments:

• Example Confidentiality Statement

Section 8: Evaluation Strategies for Family and Youth Involvement

Accompanying attachments:

• Example Process Evaluation Tracking Sheet
• Example Board Member Satisfaction Survey
• Discussion Guide on Family Involvement

Section 9: Beyond Meeting Participation

Accompanying attachments:

• Best Practices for Focus Groups
• Discussion Guide for Using Input from Outside the Room

Conclusion and References