NETWORK FOR PROFESSIONALS
PRESENTER'S GUIDEINVITING A FAMILY TO A NETWORK MEETING INTRODUCTION What is a Network Meeting?
[top of page]Network is an innovative approach to working with families who need
the support from a variety of service systems. It is a "family friendly" approach that concentrates on family's strengths rather than on problems. Network brings together all of the principal service
providers in a community, who meet with parents, family members, and others of the family's choosing, to jointly create a coordinated, individualized plan for each family member, utilizing all of the service resources
of the community. The plan is family driven, since a Network meeting always focuses on what the family needs. Families turn to Network when they need the help of more than one system of agency. Network
both simplifies the situation by providing one coordinated plan, and expands the pool of services available to the family. Listed below are
some questions and an outline that will help you in organizing your presentation.
A. QUESTIONS
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- What is the reason you are inviting the family to a Network meeting?
- What is it that a Network can do for you and the family?
B. STRENGTH-BASED DISCOVERY
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- Please remember that the Network will be developing the individualized plan based on the family's identification of issues and goals, an exploration of the
strengths of family members, and development of a support circle. You and the family can help to prepare for the Network meeting by considering the following:
- What are the areas of strengths/special interest for each family member?
- What has been tried previously? How has this helped? How has this hurt?
HELPING TO PREPARE A FAMILY
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Network meetings can be a valuable experience for families and service providers. To ensure that the Network meeting time is most productive and worthwhile for
everyone, please review the following information with each family member prior to the Network meeting:
1. Determining who should be at the meeting
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It is ultimately the family's decision who they wish to invite for their meeting. They
should decide who they would like to invite themselves, and give you permission to contact those people they would like to have you invite. Discuss with the family any
other resource people you think might be helpful and would like to invite.Some sample questions to ask the family prior to the Network:
In addition to the people you live with, who are the most important people to you? To your family? When and how are they part of your and your family's
life? Who have you turned to for help and support when you have had difficulties? Are there relatives, neighbors, friends, members of a religious
organization, or anyone else who has been or could be supportive? Do you/does your son or daughter have anyone (youth/child or adult) they listen
to, or turn to for advice? Are there any professionals you have worked with who have helped, or who you would like to invite because of their expertise?
2. Helping to identify strengths and resources
[top of page] It is important to discuss and review strengths and resources with family members
prior to the Network meeting. Their strengths and resources will serve as the basis for the plan developed at the Network meeting. Some sample question to ask the family prior to the Network:
What are you interested in? What would you enjoy doing with your time? What are the best things about you? What do people like and value about
you? What are the best things about each member of your family? Whom do you admire most in your family? In your community? Why? Tell me about
your family. What is important to them? How are they special? Tell me about your community; what is important/special about it? When does your
family have fun together? Tell me about the best day you have had together. When things have been difficult, how have you and your family managed?
3. Identifying needs, goals and concerns
[top of page] Prior to the Network meeting it is important to discuss with the family what they
would describe as their needs, goals and concerns. Some suggested questions to review prior to the meeting include:
What is your main concern at this time? What are your goals for yourself? For your family? What do you need in order to make things better? Think of
a time when things were better; what was different? If you could make a change that would make things better, what would it be?
Final Steps
[top of page] What you can expect from Network facilitators:
To help assess with you the appropriateness of a Network meeting. To help brainstorm possible resources for the meeting. To explain the Network strength-based discovery process.
Network facilitators are committed to ensure that meetings are most productive to all involved. Please look over the checklist below to make sure you have completed
all the steps for your Network presentation.
Have you invited the child involved and key family members to attend the Network meeting? Have you discussed meeting location and transportation arrangements with the family and given them directions to the Network meeting? Have you discussed the Network process with the family and told them what to expect? Have you invited all the key professionals involved with the child and family to attend the Network meeting and notified them of the directions to, as well as
the time, date and place of the meeting? Have informed the Network facilitator if a translator or baby-sitter is needed for the meeting? Would it be helpful for the family to contact a representative from Family Support organization for support and information prior to the meeting? Please call the Network facilitator if family members or key professionals have last minute changes in schedule and cannot attend the meeting.
Thank you for helping to make the Network meeting a productive and worthwhile experience. |
