Family Advisory Board Membership Application

Family Application Kit

County of Berks

Healthy Transitions Leadership Team

Application Kit for Family Members

(Please note there is a separate application kit for youth/young adult members)

February 2015

Includes an overview of the Healthy Transitions Project, an application form for family members, and complete instructions for applying to become a Leadership Team member.

Healthy Transitions Project

The County of Berks is seeking applications from family members who have a child between the ages of 16-25 who are currently or who have received behavioral health services to serve on a Leadership Team. (Behavioral health services include mental health and/or drug and alcohol services.)

The Leadership Team is comprised of 16 total members. Eight of the members are system partners representing: mental health/developmental disabilities, drug and alcohol, children and youth, juvenile probation, education, employment, managed care and adult probation. Four Team members will be youth/young adults, ages 16-25, who are currently or who have received behavioral health services. The four family Team members have a child between the ages 16-25who are currently or who have received behavioral health services.

The purpose of this Leadership Team is to oversee the development, implementation and management of the Healthy Transitions Project.

Healthy Transitions Project - Overview:

In support of the President’s “Now is the Time” (NITT) Plan, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has awarded a grant project, “Now is the Time” Healthy Transitions: Improving Life Trajectories for Youth and Young Adults with, or at Risk for, Serious Mental Health Conditions” (Short Title, NITT-Healthy Transitions (NITT-HT).

In October 2014, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) was awarded this five year grant. Berks County, along with two other Pennsylvania counties, was selected to participate.

The purpose of this project is to develop a coordinated and comprehensive approach to the provision of services and supports to address serious mental health conditions, co-occurring disorders and risks for developing serious mental health conditions among youth/young adult’s ages 16-25 years old.

The goals of Healthy Transitions Project are:

Increase awareness about early indications of signs and symptoms for serious mental health concerns
Identify action strategies to use when a serious mental health concern is detected
Enhance peer and family supports for transition age youth
Link existing and develop effective services and interventions for youth, young adults and their families
Develop coordinated care models that will address key life domains, such as behavioral health services and supports, housing, employment, vocational training and higher education
Develop models of service delivery that can be replicated across the Commonwealth

The Leadership Team plays a significant part of making the Healthy Transitions project successful. The Leadership Team provides oversight to the project and provides input to its development and implementation.

Our goal is to assure that the Leadership Team reflects the diversity of Berks County. We are seeking members of different ages, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background and geographic location.

If selected as a member of the Leadership Team, you will be asked to attend the Leadership Team monthly meetings. All family Leadership Team members will be given a stipend for approved meetings. This stipend is a token of our appreciation for your time and expertise. The amount of the stipend is based on the length of the meeting and is dependent on available funds.

Leadership Team Questions and Answers:

How do I become a Leadership Team member?

The first step to becoming a Leadership Team member of the Healthy Transitions Project is to fill out this application and send it to:

Lauren Heydt

Healthy Transitions Program Manager

County Services Center

633 Court Street, 15th Floor

Reading, PA 19601

Phone: 610-478-3271 x6585

Applications are reviewed by members of the Leadership Team (who will keep all information contained in the application confidential) and they select new members based on pre-established criteria. Once the decisions have been made, someone will contact you to let you know if you have been selected.

Please note there is a separate application kit for youth/young adult members who are interested in being on the Leadership Team. Professional representation on the Leadership Team will be selected by the CASSP Advisory Committee.

Who can become a Leadership Team member?

Any family member who has a child between the ages 16-25 who are currently or who have received behavioral health services can apply to serve on the Leadership Team. It is important that the Leadership Team represents the diversity of Berks County.

How many people will be selected to be on the Leadership Team?

There are four family members on the Leadership Team. As vacancies occur, applications for new members will be solicited, reviewed and selected. There are sixteen total members on the Leadership Team.

How does the selection process work?

The current Leadership Team will review all applications and make recommendations for membership based on the selection criteria. A Leadership Team member may call you prior to making final decisions to see if you have any questions and to explain to you the important role of this Leadership Team.

How often are Leadership Team meetings held?

Leadership Team meetings are held once a month. Leadership Team members are expected to attend the meetings. Occasionally, an additional meeting, training or committee meeting may occur, but you will be notified in advance.

Where will the Leadership Team meetings held?

The location and meeting dates and times will be determined by the Leadership Team.

How much will I be paid?

You will receive a $50 stipend for each approved meeting you attend. This stipend will be a small way of showing how much we value your input into our discussions. You will receive $50, as long as funding is available.

When are the applications due?

You can apply anytime. New applications are discussed at the Leadership Team meetings and new members will be added as needed.

When will I know if I have been selected as a Leadership Team member?

Someone from the Leadership Team will contact you to let you know if you have or have not been selected.

If I am selected to be a Leadership Team member, what will I have to do?

You will have to:

Work with other youth, family members and system partners to oversee and develop the Healthy Transitions Project.
Represent the views of other family members who have children with behavioral health issues to help shape the vision and goals of the Healthy Transitions Project.

Help set the priorities for the work of the project.
Monitor ongoing implementation of the work plan.
Monitor ongoing evaluation, quality assurance and continuous quality improvement.
Report on the success of the project and the overall transformation effort.
Attend and actively participate in the monthly meetings.
Attend and participate in all training/education related to the project.

How long will I have to serve on the Committee?

Family members are welcome to participate on the Leadership Team until their child who is currently or has received behavioral health services turns age 27.

The Healthy Transitions Project

Leadership Team Application Form for Family Members

The following questions ask for some personal information about you. It is important that we select Leadership Team members who represent the diversity of Berks County as well as those who have a significant and extensive understanding of the behavioral health system. This information is confidential and will not be shared with anyone except the selection committee. If you need extra space to answer any of the questions, feel free to use a separate piece of paper. Thank you for your interest.

Today’s date:

Your name:

Mailing address:

Daytime and evening telephone numbers:

Best time to call you:

E-mail address:

Tell us about some of your experiences with the behavioral health and other child serving systems (i.e. education, child welfare, juvenile justice etc.). Again, this information will be kept confidential.

Have you ever been involved with any behavioral health family organizations? Please describe:

Are you now, or have you ever been involved in any community organizations or on any committees? Please describe:

Are you now, or have you ever been a member of a Leadership Team or anAdvisory Board? Please describe:

Why do you want to be a member of the Healthy TransitionsLeadership Team?

Briefly describe any experiences or other skills that you have that would benefit this Leadership Team:

Please complete the following information about yourself:

Ethnicity:

____ African-American/Black

____ American Indian/Native Alaskan

____ Asian

____ Caucasian/White

____ Hispanic

____ Other, please describe ______

Gender:

Are you currently employed outside of the home? Yes____ No____

If yes, where do you work and what do you do?

Is there anything that will prevent you from attending meetings or participating in the meetings? Please describe:

How did you hear about this opportunity?

What time and day of the week is best for you to attend Committee meetings? Check all that apply:

____Monday____Mornings

____Tuesday____Afternoons

____Wednesday____Late Afternoons

____Thursday____Evenings

____Friday

____Saturday

____Sunday

Please provide one personal and one professional written letter of
reference*. These letters should not come from a family member or
from anyone who is related to you. The Reference Letters should be
brief and should include:

Name of the person and their contact information

How they know you and how long they have known you

Why they think you would be a good addition to our Leadership Team

*The Leadership Team may want to contact these people by phone. Be sure to include the person’s daytime phone number.

*Your references may send their letter of reference directly to Sheila Bressler (address listed above) or you can send them with your application.

Thank you again for your interest in the Healthy Transitions Leadership Team.