United Advocates for Children and Families (UACF) has secured a grant from The California Endowment to establish The UACF Institute for Family and Youth Leadership.  The Mission of the Institute is, “To promote the emotional, behavioral and social well-being of children, youth and families through transformational leadership.” It will build on natural community support systems that help families reconnect with existing local resources. The goal is to keep children and youth safe, healthy, at home, and in school and to allow parents to work and be financially secure. 

Through the Institute’s work, families will become empowered to coach, mentor, lead, and use their ‘lived experience’ to bring positive transformation to the mental health system. The Institute will build bridges between family members, mental health professionals and the community at large to help children, youth and their families dealing with mental illness. 

The Institute will work on research development, training, technical assistance, publications and special projects. In research development, the Institute will be looking at evidence based practices, practice based evidence and community defined research. UACF’s renowned Equip, Educate, and Support (EES) peer-to-peer training as well as other training programs will be offered through the Institute. Also included in training will be support groups and family empowerment teams, and distance learning opportunities. 

Technical assistance will be offered through an 800 phone number and internet message boards.  Parent Partners and families will be able to get information on available mental health resources in their area and on how to access those resources. The Institute will publish monographs and self-help publications to provide parent partners and families with the latest information on children’s mental health. In addition, the Institute will take on special projects in the areas of early childhood mental health, school-based programs, juvenile justice and transitional age youth.

Welcome to our Training website.

The following trainings are available to everyone.  These trainings will empower Parent Partners/Family Advocates, parents and teachers to advocate for their families who are caring for children/youth with mental health and or behavioral challenges. This is also the training track that Parent Partners/Family Advocates will do to become certified Parent Partners/Family Advocates. For more information please contact UACF’s Institute for Families and Youth Leadership at (916) 643-1530 Ext. 101 or 103.

 Module 1(100-199)

101- Parent Partner/Family Advocate training (for new parent partners/family advocates)

Description: A one day training that will teach family members what their roles, responsibilities and job requirements will be as a Parent Partner/Family Advocate. We will cover boundaries, safety, confidentiality, billing, and notes to name just a few things.

102-Telling Your Story/Public Policy

Description: A one day training to prepare Parent Partners/Family Advocates to tell their story in a beneficial way to families, and to tell their story in a way that advocates for public policy. To determine how much of their story is to be told at different times.

103-IEP

Description: A one day training to teach Parent Partners/Family Advocates how to empower their parents to advocate for their child at an IEP or a 504 Educational Planning Meeting.

104-Cultural Competency

Description: A one day training that will teach the participants how to be more culturally aware of the families they engage with and help family members to be able to engage with other family members comfortably. Also, to ensure that all children and families are afforded dignity, respect, understanding and equal treatment.  

105-Mandated Reporters Training

Description: A one day training that will teach participants how to report child abuse. What is child abuse, who do you report it to. How to fill out the forms or call it in.  How to tell the family “you are a mandated reporter”.

 Module 2 (200-299)

200- Parent Partner/Family Advocate Training (for parent partners/family advocates who are in a lead position)

Description: A one day training that will teach family members what their roles, responsibilities and job requirements will be as a Parent Partner/Family Advocate lead. How to manage staff, evaluations and retain staff.

201-Work Force Connection (Parent Partners/Family Advocates, supervisors and directors)

Description: A one day training for Parent Partners/Family Advocates to work effectively together with others to transform the system of care and the quality of life for children, youth and families.  To train supervisors how to recruit, hire, coach, mentor and support Parent Partners/Family Advocates.

Module 3(300-301)

300- Work Force Connection (For supervisors and directors)

Description: County Integration with our HR department. How to work with UACF and their Parent Partners. Accountability, evaluation from the families RE: the Parent Partners/Family Advocates, weekly work schedule for the Parent Partners/Family Advocates.

Module 4 (400-499)

400- Educate, Equip and Support: Building Hope (EES)

Description: A 12-week, parent-to-parent education program.  The purpose of the course is to: (1) provide parents with education about symptoms of children’s mental health disorders, (2) equip them with information about treatment options, accessing mental health treatment, and local resources available to help address their children’s mental health needs, (3) educate them about accessing entitlement programs and the role of child welfare, education, and juvenile justice in the lives of children with serious emotional disturbances and (4) promote the building of natural supports between parents in local communities.

401- How to facilitate and Manage a Successful Peer to Peer Support Group:  

Description: A one day training that will teach Parent Partners/Family Advocates how to facilitate and manage a peer to peer support group. It will teach them how to start, setup, facilitate and engage with the family members.

402- Juvenile Justice:

Description: A one day training that covers the history of the juvenile justice system: The arrest process, court system, cost related issues and how to work and navigate with mental health and the juvenile justice system.

403- Educate, Equip and support: Building Hope, EES Train the Trainers

Description: United Advocates for Children and Families sponsors a three day EES Train-The-Trainers course. The curriculum is specifically designed for family members who have a child/youth who is currently or previously receiving mental health services. The participants will review detailed information on childhood mental health diagnosis, practice presenting the course information, basic group facilitation skills and at the end of training the participants are required to take a short test in order to receive the certified EES Trainer certificate.

Module 5(500-599)

500- Recognizing Mental Health in the Classroom

Description: A 2-day, education program for teachers and school staff. The purpose of the course is to: (1) provide teachers and school staff with an education about symptoms of children’s mental health disorders, (2) equip them with information on what signs they might see in the classroom from a student who has some mental health challenges. (3) Educate them on how to work with students and their families when a student is showing signs of mental health challenges (4) promote the building of natural supports between teachers, students and families.