Family Group Decision-Making Approaches: State & Local Examples

Many States, counties, and localities have implemented family group decision-making models either as a pilot project or systemwide. The following examples provide descriptions of implementation plans and processes, practice guidelines, evaluations, and outcomes from programs throughout the United States.

Child and Family Handbook (PDF - 252 KB)
Partnership for Strong Families (2007)
Offers a handbook for families created for a Florida program that explains a family counselor's responsibilities, the program's services, family team conferencing principles, parents' rights and responsibilities, and more.

Empowering Families in Child Protection Cases: An Implementation Evaluation of Hawai'i's ‘Ohana Conferencing Program (PDF - 869 KB)
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Technical Assistance Bulletin, 7(2), 2003
Summarizes a process and outcome evaluation of a conferencing project in operation since 1996.

Family Engagement (PDF - 159 KB)
Virginia Department of Social Services (2010)
Presents a manual for planning and facilitating family partnership meetings that involve families, foster parents, service providers, and child welfare workers in all placement decisions, including the prevention of placement, in an attempt to ensure a network of support for the child and the adults who care for them.

Family Group Decision-Making: Final Evaluation (PDF - 356 KB)
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (2006)
Analyzes the impact of Texas's family group decision-making model on children's living arrangements, length of stay in care, child well-being, and participant satisfaction.

Family Team Meeting Facilitator Training: Participant Guide (PDF - 633 KB)
Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (2009)
Discusses roles and responsibilities of family team participants, group preparation, development, facilitation skills, and solutions to common problems.

The Family Unity Meeting Program in the County of San Diego Child Protection Setting
Quinnet (2002)
Outlines implementation of the family unity meeting process in San Diego including key elements and description of a four-step sequential process.

Hampshire County, U.K.: A Place of Innovation for Family Group Conferencing
International Institute for Restorative Practices (2003)
Explores the variety of family group conferencing programs in Hampshire County, UK. Highlights efforts to involve children and families in all phases of the process, from direct self-referral to staff hiring. (PDF - 245 KB)

Practice Guidelines for Family-Centered Meetings (PDF - 150 KB)
North Carolina Family-Centered Meetings Project (2005)
Describes a five-phase process for child and family team meetings and shared parenting meetings required by North Carolina Division of Social Services policy.

Promoting Permanency: Family Group Conferencing at the Manhattan Family Treatment Court (PDF - 127 KB)
Wolf
Journal of the Center for Families, Children and the Courts, 4, 2003
Describes the court's use of family group conferencing to engage family members in developing solutions to support two primary goals: speedy permanency and parental sobriety.

Solutions to Engaging Families in the Family Group Decision Making Process
Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program (2009)
Addresses the principles and beliefs of strengths-based, solution-focused practice and FGDM. The training reviews several types of questions to use during the FGDM process.