Learn how to facilitate Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) conferences, which bring together extended families, friends and professionals — in school, youth justice, and children and youth settings — to make a plan and develop solutions to deal with a wide variety of issues.

	“The attitude of referring any questions or decisions back to the family so they control the FGDM was the most powerful aspect for me. It is a basic paradigm change — giving up control of the interventions and changes in the family.” —Kathy Boyd, Supervisor, Chester County Department of Children, Youth and Families, West Chester, PA

Benefits

• foster communication and collaboration between young people and their families and professionals
• empower families and friends — the people who know and care most about each other — to devise and carry out plans
• bring together formal and informal support to achieve the best possible outcomes
• respond to behavior problems that are manifestations of larger home issues
• in school settings:
  • support school attendance
  • address behavior problems
  • address academic performance
• in youth justice:
  • explore living options
  • help youth transition out of placement
  • prevent correctional residential placement
• in children and youth:
  • protect children from abuse or neglect while maintaining strong family ties
  • determine the best place for a child to live when home is not an option
  • help a youth who is aging out of the child welfare system plan for the future
  • help deal with problems in the home
  • prevent foster care placement

Focus

• how to prepare and facilitate an FGDM conference
• in-depth exploration of all stages of FGDM
• collaboration vs. coercion — working more effectively with families
• differences between real and token engagement
• impact of widening the circle to include extended family and friends

Agenda & Materials

• FGDM overview
  practice exercises and FGDM role plays
• feedback and stories from practitioners
• group discussion on philosophy of practice
• video of re-enacted FGDM conferences based on real-life situations
• video of family members who have experienced FGDM
• helpful take-along handouts and the FGDM facilitator guide

The two days run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $250 per person.

See the Training Schedule/Registration page for the current schedule and to register. For more information, email the IIRP Training & Consulting Division or call (610) 807-9221.