When families are in crisis it is typically the “system” that intervenes to address such issues as child welfare, juvenile offending, drug and alcohol abuse, or other challenges. Often these interventions fail because they are not targeted in ways that honor the unique needs and diverse backgrounds of families, nor do they establish webs/networks of ongoing support. The Family Group Conferencing (FGC) process offers an alternative that brings together extended families (including relatives, family friends, and others) to develop a plan to address the family’s concerns. In this session the presenters will overview the FGC process and their experiences and research with FGC in a diverse array of contexts.

1. Family Group Conferencing:
Creating New Normals for At-Risk Families
A presentation by
Dr. Charlene Berquist & Heather Blades
The Center for Dispute Resolution
at Missouri State University
www.MissouriState.edu/CDR * CDR@MissouriState.edu * (417) 836-8831

2. Agenda
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What is family group conferencing (FGC)?
Our experiences with FGC
Overview of the FGC process
Research on FGC
Discussion of applications of FGC in your work

3. Introductions
 Your name
 Why are you here? What is your interest in family group
conferencing?

4. What is Family Group Conferencing?
 Family group conferences bring a family together with their
relatives, friends, and other supportive people in their lives
to develop a plan to support an individual in the family who
is facing challenges or difficulties, or to address a specific
concern or issue.
 Family group conferences create “new normals” for families
in a variety of ways

5. J. Nice, Family Unity Project
 “Family Group Decision Making (FGC) is more a family
gathering to which service providers are invited, than an
agency meeting to which family members are invited.”

6. History of FGC
 Moari Tribe -“PUAO-TE-ATA-TU (DAY BREAK)
 Federal legislation in New Zealand -1989 Children, Young
Persons, and their Family Act
 Spread to Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, and
United States
 First U.S. model is the Family Unity Model –begun in Oregon
apx. 15 years ago – models of practice vary
 Currently implemented in over 35 states across the U.S.

7. Contexts Where FGC is Used
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Child protection and child welfare
Juvenile offending
Addiction recovery
Re-integration of juveniles/adults after
detention/incarceration
 Child mental & physical health support
 Others?

8. Our Experiences with FGC
 FGC with female adolescent offenders (Networks for Girls)
 Collaborative partnership with Greene County Juvenile Office
 Program began 2010
 Funded by Title II Grant from the Missouri Department of Public Safety and the
Missouri Juvenile Justice Advisory Group from funding provided by the U.S.
Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
 FGC with parents in recovery (Regional Partnership Grant)
 Collaborative partnership with Alternative Opportunities/Carol Jones Recovery Center
 Program began in 2012
 Funded by a federal grant funded by the Children’s Bureau
 FGC Training and Support
 Regularly provide training for volunteers, court and child welfare personnel, and
mental health and recovery professionals
 Have applied for Federal Healthcare Innovation Grant as a collaborative partner
providing Family Group Conference training and ongoing teleconference
communication and conflict management support - notification date January, 2014

9. Human “Bean” Exercise

10. Human “Bean” Debrief
 What is your reaction to this exercise?
 How has your family coped with one of these situations?

11. FGC vs. Traditional Practice
FGC
Traditional Practice
Family Meeting
Agency Meeting
Family’s choice
Families are mandated
Families are defined broadly
Families are narrowly defined
More family representatives
More Agency Representatives
Meeting begins with strengths
Meeting is problem focused
Private family time
Agency representatives present for entire
meeting
Family members are the experts
Agency representatives are the experts
Family creates the plan
Agency representatives create the plan
Family is responsible for follow
through
Agency monitors family compliance with the
plan

12. The Values and Beliefs of FGC
1. Families have strengths to solve family concerns in times of
need.
2. Family members know their family best and should be the
primary decision-makers for their family.
3. Families should be respected.
4. Children are best raised in families.
5. Empowering people is preferable to controlling them and
empowering families will lead to families controlling their
lives
6. Mistakes are opportunities for growth and development.

13. “Stand Up” for What You Believe

14. Benefits of FGC
 Creates quality plans
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„Family is invested in the plan.
„Family often makes plans more strict and detailed than agency plans.
„Creates more stable living arrangements .
„Creates better futures for children
 „Saves time and money
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Offers cost neutrality or savings
Saves time by frontloading
Decreases court involvement
Reduces placements and intensive services
 Empowers families and allows them to resolve concerns in a safe
environment
 Creates more resilient families
 Others?

15. Voices of Our Participants
 “I think it has shown her what strengths she has and what kind of
person she is and she is stronger than she knew.”
 “…I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that I can speak to my family
about any problems we have.”
 “Great experience. Really enjoyed being able to voice my thoughts and
opinions in a place where they wouldn’t be un-noticed. Hearing what
her concerns were helped me realize how she felt about everything.
 “This was really amazing and this helped me out a lot. I’m proud and
love myself now more than ever and I love my family.”
 “This really helped us figure out who is able to be there for support.”
 “I am very glad this group happened.”

16. Video: Family Voices

17. The Four Stages of FGC
1. Referral
2. Preparation
3. The Family Group
Conference
4. Follow Up

18. The Referral
 Process will vary depending on program
 Role of referring worker
 Introduces FGC to primary family
 Explains agency’s concerns
 Explains FGC values
 Referral information

19. Role of the Facilitators/Coordinators
 Professional vs. volunteer
 Are impartial architects of the FGC process
 Prepares family for the FGC and conducts the FGC
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Protects the process
Keeps a safe space
Responds to changes and crisis
Facilitates beginning and end
Assists in evaluation of the plan

20. Principles Guiding the Preparation of
Families
 Family groups are entitled to information because of their
decision-making role.
 Process should be transparent – no surprises.
 Family groups must be adequately prepared.
 Information is shared with everyone – not the “keeper of
secrets”.

21. Preparing Family & Others
 Information is shared with family members
 What is FGC
 Why the family is involved
 What to expect
 Family asked key questions
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Who to include
Safety concerns
Family culture
Strengths and concerns of family
Logistics
Commitment
 Others at the table

22. Stages of the FGC
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Welcome
Introduction phase
Sharing of strengths and concerns
Information sharing
Private family time
Plan finalization

23. Current Research in Family Group
Conferencing
 Focus of current research
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Participant satisfaction
Attitudes of system participants
Plan content
Perceptions of and placement of children
Limited implementation and follow-up research
 Gaps in the research
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Comparison of program types
Limited understanding of specific features of process
Differences between types of cases and impact
Perceptions and experiences of different participants and
facilitator/coordinators
 Long term outcomes

24. Our Family Group Conferencing
Research
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Quantitative and Qualitative
Program comparisons
Participant comparisons
Pre-and Post Surveys
Observational data
Focus Group Interviews
Longitudinal outcomes

25. Application
 How might this program
format be useful for you?
 Are there collaborations you
might draw upon?
 How could you solicit
volunteers and program
support?
 What challenges might you
face in implementing this
type of program?

26. Questions and Comments

27. To Learn More
The Center for Dispute Resolution
at Missouri State University
Phone: (417) 836-8831
Email: CDR@MissouriState.edu
Web: www.MissouriState.edu/CDR
Dropbox with Handouts:
http://tinyurl.com/meffu9f