Family Resource Guides

General Information

Building Community Building Hope 2016-2017 Resource Guide

The 2016/2017 Resource Guide from the federal Administration on Children and Families offers support to service providers as they work with parents, caregivers, and children to prevent child maltreatment and promote social and emotional well-being. The Resource Guide focuses on protective factors that build on family strengths and promote optimal child and youth development. Information about protective factors is augmented with tools and strategies that help providers integrate the factors into community programs and systems. Agencies, policymakers, advocates, service providers, and parents alike will find resources in this guide to help them promote these important elements within their families and communities.

Additional pdf copies of the guide available. The new resource guide is accompanied by several scenarios that can be used for training and discussion purposes, about how to apply the five protective factors, along with more than 20 tip sheets that are also provided in Spanish.

Chat line

A confidential chat line is up and running by the Pennsylvania Family Alliance, a support line that family members can call for support, resources, and general information on raising children and young adults (age birth - 26) with social, emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges.

Learning Groups

The Pennsylvania Family Alliance set up learning groups. They are an excellent way for Standards of Care Professional Development to connect their lead family member to professional development opportunities and a community of practice so feel free to share with anyone you think would be interested.

Juvenile Justice

A Family Guide to Pennsylvania's Juvenile Justice System

If your child is in the juvenile justice system, this guide is for you. This guide was written by a team of family advocates and juvenile justice practitioners. They created this guide to help you understand Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system and be better prepared to work closely with juvenile justice staff to promote positive outcomes for your child.

Building Bridges Between Your Court and Your Community

The Court and Community Collaboration Committee has prepared this handbook under the direction of the Pennsylvania Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers to fulfill the vision that communities and juvenile courts throughout the Commonwealth will work together to achieve the goals of Balanced and Restorative Justice. This handbook details how community members and organizations can take an active role in juvenile crime prevention through this partnership.

Family Involvement in Pennyslvania's Juvenile Justice System

This monograph will serve as the beginning of an important dialogue between all the partners, families, youth, victims and system professionals, as was the case with the development of the original Pennsylvania Balanced and Restorative Justice Monograph. Its purpose is to identify and develop strategies and models that will support family involvement in the juvenile justice system in effective and measurable ways and that are rooted within balanced and restorative justice practice. Subsequent efforts will expand upon the myriad of issues this monograph can only start to explore.

Mental Health

Drug Abuse and Addiction: Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Drug Addiction

Website with Harvard Medical School guides for mental health, drug and alcohol and more.

Fact Sheet for Parents with Children who have Mental Health challenges.

Strategies, Tools, and Tips for Supportive and Meaningful Youth Engagement in Federal Government-Sponsored Meetings and Events

The purpose of this Guidance is to provide federal staff and contractors with strategies, tools, and tips for appropriately engaging youth in governmentsponsored
events and meetings in order to: