The Advocacy Alliance

Child and Family
Mental Health Advocacy

The Advocacy Alliance's Child and Family Mental Health Advocacy Program provides information, support, educational information and advocacy to families who are involved in the mental health system. Families can request this confidential service at no charge to assist them in understanding and navigating the Children’s Mental Health System.

The Mental Health Advocacy Program has 4 major components:
    Individual Case Advocacy
    Systems Advocacy
    Parent Education and Systems Training
    Identification and Resolution of Issues/Trends

A Family Peer Advocate is someone who has experience living with a child who receives behavioral health services and therefore can inspire hope in families that their children can lead healthy and meaningful lives. The Family Peer Advocate supports the family’s empowerment and recognizes them as the central resource and ultimate decision-maker for the child, by promoting partnership and collaboration among the family and service providers.

The Child and Family Mental Health Advocate provides support to the Family Peer Advocate and works with all child serving systems of care (i.e., Children and Youth, Juvenile Justice, Education and Mental Health) to ensure not only children’s/adoelscent's and families’ rights are protected, but also provides assistance with systems planning and enhancements.

Our Child and Family Mental Health Advocacy Program promotes cooperation and collaboration among child-serving systems with goals consistent with the Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) Principles and the promotion of resiliency.

The CASSP Principles state that services and supports should be:
    Child-Centered
    Family-Focused
    Community-Based
    Multi-System
    Culturally Competent
    Least Restrictive

If you would like to contact one our advocates, you may email us or call us toll free at 1-877-315-6855.

Child and Family Mental Health Advocacy Services are available to families in the community and at:

    Youth Development Center
    Hickory Run State Park
    White Haven, PA 18661

Resources

For more information regarding children's mental health services, publications and resources that are available, please click here.