Family Caregiver Alliance Service and Supports Provider Assessment

Community Assessment

Dear Service or Supports Provider:

My name is Tracy Palazzotto and I am the Founder of the Family Caregiver Alliance.

The Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) is a group of caregivers raising children who have a mental health diagnosis and/or behavioral challenges. We began in December of 2017 with the goal of developing family voice and system change in Erie County. Our mission is to educate, empower and inform caregivers of children with mental health, behavioral or emotional challenges.

The purpose of this survey is to gather information from providers regarding the services and supports that are offered to children and their families throughout Erie County.

Your feedback will allow us to:

Assess how providers address the needs of parents/ caregivers raising a child/children with mental health issues

Identify the gaps, needs and available services /supports

Review and evaluate family support services that already exist in Erie County

Benefits of Participation:

When providers who offer services and supports to children and their families collaborate and share information, we create a coordinated system of care in which there is limited confusion and better treatment outcomes and engagement.

Since providers interface with children and their families daily, you have a lot of insight on some of the barriers and strengths that exist, and we want to know what those are.

We do not ask for your name, agency, or any other identifying information. All responses received will be aggregated in the final report, which will be made available to all providers.

If you are interested in learning more, receiving a copy of the final report, or participating in a focus group, contact me via phone at 814-580-9033, email me at tpalazzotto@gmail.com, or follow us on Facebook @Familycaregiverallianceofpa

This survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. It is available via web or paper form (when requested). It is appropriate for any:

Direct care staff
Supervisor of a program which offers services or supports to children and their families
Administrator of an agency which provides services and supports to children and their families

We appreciate your time and willingness to participate.

Sincerely,

Tracy Palazzotto & the Family Caregiver Alliance

Instructions:

If you do not feel you are the correct person from your agency to answer the survey questions, please stop and pass the survey along to the appropriate person.

If there is a question that you do not feel comfortable answering, please choose the “decline” option.

If you do not know the answer to a question, please choose the “unsure” option.

Question Title

* 1. Are you, or is your organization, a provider of services for families who are raising a child/children with mental health/behavioral challenges?

Yes

Decline

Unsure

Question Title

* 2. Which of the following roles do you have within your organization?

I provide services directly to/with consumers and their families

I am a supervisor of a program that provides services to/with consumers and their families

I am an administrator of a program that provides services to/with consumers and their families

Decline

Unsure

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 3. Through which system(s) do you provide services?
(Check all that apply)

Mental Health/Behavioral challenges

Physical Health

Drug and Alcohol

Intellectual Disabilities

Special Education/IEP/504 Plan

Early Intervention

Child Welfare/Child Protective Services

Juvenile Justice/Corrections

Decline

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 4. When a child is first assessed and determined to meet medical necessity for services/ supports, what steps do you/ your organization provide?
(Rank by order)

Information on available treatment options, including medications and therapies

A list of providers with contact information

Information on what to expect next as a parent/ caregiver

How the diagnosis might affect the child's daily functioning (for example, school performance, peer interactions, family relationships, etc.)

Support Group

Help with navigating the system

Estimated wait time and what happens during that time frame

Decline

Other

Unsure

Question Title

* 5. At the time of initial assessment, do you offer contact information to someone at your agency for caregivers or youth to contact if they have questions?

Yes

Decline

Unsure

Question Title

* 6. How do you or your organization provide Psycho-educational related information to consumers? (Check all that apply)

Face-to-Face

Written/ printed materials

Refer to on-line materials/ websites

Videos

Other

Decline

Unsure

Not at this time

Question Title

* 7. What do you think might help parents/caregivers feel more well-informed about their child's mental health issues/behavioral challenges?
(Rank top 3)

Nothing, we provide adequate information for parents/ caregivers

More time with clinical staff and evaluators to ask questions

Written materials

Informational videos

Assistance, support, and validation from peers who have "lived experience" raising a child(ren) with mental health issues and/ or behavioral challenges

Educational sessions about how the mental health system works (for example, access to services, length of stay, insurance authorization and eligibility, available social/ recreational supports, etc.)

Formal Peer Support/support group

Training

Understanding /support from professional like psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists

Understanding/support from teachers and other school personnel

Access to services

Other

Decline

Unsure

Question Title

* 8. What successes have you experienced in providing services and supports to youth and their families?

Question Title

* 9. Are you aware if your agency has a policy or procedure in place to ensure parents/caregivers receive mental/behavioral health related necessary information?
(example: Information about diagnosis and available treatment options)

I am aware

I am not aware

Decline

Unsure

Question Title

* 10. During the screening process, do you assess parent/caregiver strengths?

Yes

Decline

Unsure

Question Title

* 11. During the screening process, do you assess family dynamics and culture?

Yes

Decline

Unsure

Question Title

* 12. As part of the child's mental health assessment, do you use a formal
tool to assess the child and parent/caregiver's family culture?

Yes

Decline

Unsure

Question Title

* 13. Rate how often you are aware of other services or supports who are involved with a consumer in your care. (For example, a youth involved with Juvenile Probation and Mental Health, or Blended Case Management with Office of Children & Youth, Special Education services with Mental Health, etc.)

0 (Rarely)

Often

100 (Always)

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

Question Title

* 14. What strategies have you used to obtain parent/caregivers input?

Surveys

Focus Groups/ Interviews

Treatment plan reviews

Suggestion box

Advisory Committee

Team meetings

National trends research

Board Membership

Decline

Unsure

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 15. How do you handle parent/caregiver questions about services?
(Check all that apply)

During scheduled appointments with staff

We host a hotline for consumers to call when they have questions

We distribute monthly/ quarterly newsletters with information

Via a "chat box" on our website

Ombudsman

Decline

Unsure

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 16. Which support opportunities, if any, does your organization provide for parents/caregivers?
(Check all that apply)

Support groups for parents/caregivers

Mentoring from other parents/caregivers

Training for parents/caregivers

Written materials

Decline

Unsure

None

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 17. Are there opportunities for parents/caregivers or youth to provide feedback about their care? (Examples include feedback directly to their care provider, through focus groups, or through anonymous surveys or suggestion box.)

Yes

Decline

Unsure

Question Title

* 18. Does your organization provide parents/caregivers the opportunity to be involved in:
(Check all that apply)

Governance (such as Board of Directors or Advisory Board)

Service Delivery

Mentoring other parents/caregivers

Leading support groups for parents/caregivers

Providing training for other parents/caregivers

Decline

Other

Unsure

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 19. Does your organization offer treatment services in sign language or other languages?

Yes

Unsure

Decline

Question Title

* 20. Does your organization offer mental health treatment programs or groups dedicated or designed exclusively for clients in any of the following categories? (check all that apply)

Child/adolescents with serious emotional disturbance

Transition age your adults

Persons 18 or over with serious mental illness

Persons with co-occurring mental health and drug and alcohol

Persons diagnosed with PTSD or other trauma-related disorders

LGBTQA population

Eating disorders

None

Decline

Unsure

Question Title

* 21. Would any of the following help enhance you or your agency?

Training about how to enhance parent/caregiver perspective

Ideas about how to enhance involvement with parents/caregivers in their child's care

Ideas/training about creating a culture that values and includes parents/caregivers

Decline

Unsure

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 1. Are you, or is your organization, a provider of services for families who are raising a child/children with mental health/behavioral challenges?

Question Title

* 2. Which of the following roles do you have within your organization?

Question Title

* 3. Through which system(s) do you provide services?(Check all that apply)

Question Title

* 4. When a child is first assessed and determined to meet medical necessity for services/ supports, what steps do you/ your organization provide?(Rank by order)

Question Title

* 5. At the time of initial assessment, do you offer contact information to someone at your agency for caregivers or youth to contact if they have questions?

Question Title

* 6. How do you or your organization provide Psycho-educational related information to consumers? (Check all that apply)

Question Title

* 7. What do you think might help parents/caregivers feel more well-informed about their child's mental health issues/behavioral challenges?(Rank top 3)

Question Title

* 8. What successes have you experienced in providing services and supports to youth and their families?

Question Title

* 9. Are you aware if your agency has a policy or procedure in place to ensure parents/caregivers receive mental/behavioral health related necessary information?(example: Information about diagnosis and available treatment options)

Question Title

* 10. During the screening process, do you assess parent/caregiver strengths?

Question Title

* 11. During the screening process, do you assess family dynamics and culture?

Question Title

* 12. As part of the child's mental health assessment, do you use a formal tool to assess the child and parent/caregiver's family culture?

Question Title

* 13. Rate how often you are aware of other services or supports who are involved with a consumer in your care. (For example, a youth involved with Juvenile Probation and Mental Health, or Blended Case Management with Office of Children & Youth, Special Education services with Mental Health, etc.)

Question Title

* 14. What strategies have you used to obtain parent/caregivers input?

Question Title

* 15. How do you handle parent/caregiver questions about services? (Check all that apply)

Question Title

* 16. Which support opportunities, if any, does your organization provide for parents/caregivers? (Check all that apply)

Question Title

* 17. Are there opportunities for parents/caregivers or youth to provide feedback about their care? (Examples include feedback directly to their care provider, through focus groups, or through anonymous surveys or suggestion box.)

Question Title

* 18. Does your organization provide parents/caregivers the opportunity to be involved in:(Check all that apply)

Question Title

* 19. Does your organization offer treatment services in sign language or other languages?

Question Title

* 20. Does your organization offer mental health treatment programs or groups dedicated or designed exclusively for clients in any of the following categories? (check all that apply)

Question Title

* 21. Would any of the following help enhance you or your agency?

* 3. Through which system(s) do you provide services?
(Check all that apply)

* 4. When a child is first assessed and determined to meet medical necessity for services/ supports, what steps do you/ your organization provide?
(Rank by order)

* 7. What do you think might help parents/caregivers feel more well-informed about their child's mental health issues/behavioral challenges?
(Rank top 3)

* 9. Are you aware if your agency has a policy or procedure in place to ensure parents/caregivers receive mental/behavioral health related necessary information?
(example: Information about diagnosis and available treatment options)

* 12. As part of the child's mental health assessment, do you use a formal
tool to assess the child and parent/caregiver's family culture?

* 15. How do you handle parent/caregiver questions about services?
(Check all that apply)

* 16. Which support opportunities, if any, does your organization provide for parents/caregivers?
(Check all that apply)

* 18. Does your organization provide parents/caregivers the opportunity to be involved in:
(Check all that apply)