Component: Young Parent Services

Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017

Service description

Family capacity building and support seeks to promote the resilience of families, the integral role families play, and their capacity to support children and youth with special needs. These services enhance the family’s ability to support and adaptively respond to the needs of the child/youth. Capacity building and support services will enable the entire family to better address a child or youth’s needs and be active partners in the delivery of services.

People served

Families (including parents, caregivers, guardians, siblings, and other family members) of children/youth with special needs.

Program/service features

Family capacity building and support services may include access to peer support to promote resilience and positive child/youth, and family functioning. It may provide effective capacity building training for families, developed and chosen in partnership with the families. Family capacity building and support may also include services such as assistance in navigating pathways to care, and training to assist families in learning about the needs of the child or youth.

Specific service provided

This program is delivered in accordance with the descriptions provided here or any subsequent updated versions (or any other supporting policy documents provided by the ministry).

Program goals

Family capacity building and support services are designed to:

  • support timely, effective early intervention
  • reduce the need for more intensive and intrusive intervention
  • develop family capacity
  • connect families to services when appropriate
  • improve child and youth functioning

Ministry expectations

Services are child and family-centered and support the diverse needs of families in a way that is culturally safe, promotes equity, anti-racism, and anti-oppression.
The following are minimum expectations for the delivery of family capacity building and support services:

  • services provided are embedded as a part of the overall service plan for the child or youth
  • services are designed to strengthen family capacity and gains made through treatment and to prevent recurrence or exacerbation of mental health problems of the child or youth
  • family support and capacity building will be assessed and provided based on the individual needs and situations of the family and child/youth
  • services are designed, developed, and implemented in partnership with families services are individualized to the specific needs of the family
  • flexibility in terms of scheduling and settings is maximized to facilitate access to service
  • an important complement to the Family Capacity Building and Support service is the Child/Youth and Family Engagement key process. Engaging families in service planning is a way to make sure that supports to families are focused on addressing the needs of families. Another important key process is the Case Management and Service Coordination, which aims to engage other core service providers and broader sector partners in an integrated and coordinated response to service delivery

Reporting requirements

The following service data will be reported on at an Interim and Final period. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates and targets.

Service data name Definition
# of families: CYMH Family and Caregiver Skills Building and Support The number of families that received support services at some point during the fiscal year. This is a cumulative number and a family is reported in the initial quarter in which they received services and counted only once during the fiscal year.
# of hours of indirect: Former CYMH Family and Caregiver Skills Building and Support The total number of hours of service provided by staff "on behalf of" clients, such as telephone calls, advocacy, and administrative support to the service.
CSN: Family and Caregiver Skills Building and Support: Ministry-funded agency expenditures Total ministry-funded expenses for the Transfer Payment Recipient to administer and/or deliver this service in the reporting year (cumulative).
# of hours of direct services: Former CYMH Family and Caregiver Skills Building and Support Number of hours of direct service. The total number of hours of "Direct" service provided by staff to individuals during the fiscal year for a service. "Direct" Hours: The hours spent interacting, whether in a group or individually; face to face (in person or by video) or on the phone. It does not include work done "on behalf of" clients, such as telephone calls, advocacy, etc. Administrative support to the service is not to be included. For group service, one hour of service equals one hour of service for the entire group. For example: one hour of group service with five participants equals one Hour of Direct Service. (Note: each individual in the group is recorded under no. of individuals served’ where there is a record).
# of individuals: sessions/workshops/training – Former CYMH Family and Caregiver Skills Building & Support Attendance Centre – The total number of young persons receiving substance abuse/addictions programming either as part of the Attendance Centre Program or, through referral from the Attendance Centre Program to a community partner during the period of the ATC program, that targets specific medical, social and behavioural issues related to substance use and addictions. Services include programming that provides for treatment, detoxification, relapse prevention, and referrals to clinical supports.