About

Welcome! If you are a parent of a child who struggles with emotional, behavioral or mental health challenges, ACMH exists to help you!

The Association for Children’s Mental Health was founded in 1989 by two mothers who worked tirelessly to bring help and hope to other families by empowering them with information, support and encouraging the development of strong family member/ professional collaborative relationships. They also offered networking and leadership opportunities and worked to ensure that family voice was listened to and valued. All of their efforts were targeted at ensuring that all kids with mental health challenges and their families had access to the services and supports they needed and ACMH has been working tirelessly to carry out their legacy ever since!

ACMH has continued their tradition for over 25 years providing family-to-family support, education, information, advocacy, networking and leadership opportunities in an effort to empower families with the information, knowledge and skills needed to successfully access the services and supports their children need.

ACMH exists to bring help and hope to families of Michigan children and youth with severe emotional, behavioral and mental health disorders.

ACMH’s Mission

To ensure All Michigan children and youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges and their families live in a safe, welcoming community with access to needed services and supports.

Who we are:

• Family ~ almost all of ACMH’s staff are family members who themselves have navigated the mental health and other family service systems for their own children with mental health challenges.
• The Premier Voice of Advocacy for children and youth with mental health challenges and their families in Michigan!
• MI’s Chapter of the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health.
• MI’s Federally funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA) to serve as the Statewide Family Network for Michigan.
• The training & Coordinating Partner for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service’s Parent Support Partner and Youth Peer Support Projects.
• A statewide and community partner to child and family serving systems; working to improve services and supports to the families we serve and to ensure that family voice continues to be key in systems change efforts!

What we do:

The Association for Children’s Mental Health, ACMH, is a statewide, non-profit family organization dedicated to meeting the needs of families of children and youth with serious emotional, behavioral or mental health challenges. ACMH provides the following services to families and community partners across Michigan:

• Parent-to-Parent Support
• Education, Networking & Leadership Opportunities including an annual Conference, Regional Training, Leadership Camp, and other Special Events
• Information Dissemination, Referral, Outreach and Systems Advocacy
• Family Support Groups, Assistance & Advocacy
• Youth Involvement & Leadership Opportunities

What we believe:

We believe that families are the true ‘expert’ about their children’s mental health needs and the treatment and supports will work best for their family.

We believe that families should be equal partners with professionals in making decisions about their children’s mental health care.

We believe that mental health conditions are common, real and treatable and all children and youth with emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges should have access to the supports and services they need in order to be successful in their home school and community.

We believe in Mental Health services and supports that are family driven , youth guided and community based.

Family Driven means families have a primary decision making role in the care of their own children, as well as, a voice in the policies and procedures governing care for all children in their community, state, tribe, territory and nation.

Youth Guided means that young people have the right to be empowered, educated, and given a decision making role in the care of their own lives as well a voice in the policies and procedures governing care for all youth in the community, state and nation.

Community- Based means that your children receive the services they need in their home or community.

We believe that Parent-to-Parent support is a unique and valuable enhancement to children’s mental health services. Sometimes the best support comes from those who have ‘been there, done that ’ and being supported by someone with similar lived experience is invaluable in helping parents to feel understood, less alone, more hopeful, as well as, encouraged that they too can successfully navigate the systems that touch their family & successfully meet their child’s mental health needs.

ACMH’s Code of Ethics that guide our work:

• We support families as equals with common experiences rather than as an expert with all the answers
• We commit to welcoming all families and honoring our differences
• We respect the right of each family to make their own choices
• We take responsibility for understanding and clarifying our role as both a family advocate and a family member of a child with mental health challenges
• We protect the confidentiality of families and the information that they share
• We commit to compassionate, honest communication
• We commit to non-judgmental, respectful attitudes and behavior
• We foster meaningful relationships between families and community partners
• We build collaborative community partnerships to enhance the quality of care for children and families
• We tell our own story when it can help other families and community partners
• We are committed to assertive advocacy, which supports successful outcomes for children and families