ACMH’s dream is that ALL Michigan children and youth with serious emotional disturbance and their families live in safe, welcoming communities with access to needed services and supports.
We know the best way to accomplish this task is to empower parents and youth, strengthen family voice and enhance and expand family driven and youth guided practices by continuing to promote Michigan families as the primary decision maker in the care of their own children and policies which govern the care for all children and youth throughout Michigan.
Our overarching strategy for all of the work that we do is supporting the development of family leaders throughout Michigan by providing information, support, training, leadership and networking opportunities. These opportunities not only support family members to effectively meet the day to day mental health needs of their children; but also to use their ‘voice of experience’ to help advocate for their child and shape and improve mental health services for all children & their families.
ACMH believes that youth and family voices are key in any effort to shape or improve mental health services, supports, systems and policies in their community and our state and works to provide ongoing opportunities and connections for youth and families to use their expertise and voice of experience.
ACMH supports the work of a Statewide Parent Advisory (PAC) and Statewide Youth Advisory (YAC) Committees. To learn more about either of those groups, their purpose, work or opportunities to get involved click the links below:
ACMH conducts a variety of activities to help develop family leaders across the Michigan, including:
- Hosting local and statewide Parent and Youth Leadership Camps
- Providing ongoing learning and networking opportunities
- Identifying new parent and youth leaders to connect to leadership and advocacy roles in mental health
- Offering training and education sessions on topics of interest for families across the state to increase connections and improve family and youth involvement in self and systems advocacy
- Provide training and technical assistance to local communities interested in developing, implementing and supporting Parent Support Groups or other parent or youth leadership opportunities in their community
ACMH believes that building a strong network of family leaders across Michigan is the most effective strategy to spread awareness about the real issues of children and youth with mental health challenges and their families!
Click on the links to the right to learn more about using your voice and leadership opportunities!
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