Federation of Families
www.ffcmh.org

FIRST STEP
"every journey has a first step"

FIRST STEP is Stark County's local chapter of the national parent-run organization Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health.

This chapter, FIRST STEP, is forming to serve families and children with emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs by providing:

-Advocacy on the Federal, State, and Local level.
-Parent and Family support.
-An opportunity for family members to work with professionals and other interested citizens to improve services for their children with emotional, behavioral or mental disorders.
-Newsletters.
-Informational packets.
-Monthly meetings.

OUR MISSION:

-To provide leadership in the field of children's mental health and develop necessary human and financial resources to meet its goals.
-To address the unique needs of children and youth with emotional, behavioral or mental disorders from birth to transition and adulthood.
-To insure the rights of full citizenship, support and access to community-based services for all children and youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders and their families.
-To provide information and engage in advocacy regarding research, prevention, early intervention, family support, education, transition services and other services needed.

OUR PHILOSOPHY:

Fundamental to the Federation and to FIRST STEP is a focus on family participation and support.

Every family has a right to an appropriate, available and accessible support base to meet family-identified needs. THEREFORE, policies, legislation, funding mechanisms and service systems must utilize the strengths of families by: ensuring that they are equal partners in the planning, implementation and evaluation of service; viewing the child as a whole person and the family as a whole unit, rather than emphasizing the disability; empowering families and children to make decisions about their own lives; encouraging innovative programming which increases options and promotes the integration of services.

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Federation of Families