NYC Focus Group Participants Needed

[Families Together in NYS]

WANTED: NYC Family Members for Focus Group on Custody Relinquishment-Pass on
to anyone who may be able to help...

Families Together in NYS is asking for your help in locating families who
have been advised to relinquish custody of their children in order to access
mental health services.  We received a grant from the van Ameringen
Foundation to conduct a study entitled “Keeping Families of Children with
Mental Health Needs Together:  A Report on Custody Relinquishment in New
York State.”  The primary goal is to detail the prevalence, causes and
outcomes for families who are advised to relinquish custody to obtain mental
health treatment.  In order to gather information we have organized focus
groups with family members.

Often families live in counties that do not allow voluntary relinquishment
so a child can receive residential treatment services through the Department
of Social Services system.  In these situations families often are advised
to file a PINS petition so the Judge can order placement through the DSS
system.  Families who have either relinquished custody, been advised to
relinquish but choose not to, and families who filed PINS petitions to
obtain mental health treatment are all needed for the focus group.

We hope to be able to identify how families encounter custody relinquishment
through the different pathways of diverse systems.  For example some
families are advised to relinquish custody when their children are being
discharged from the hospital and it is not safe for them to return home, the
child needs additional treatment in a residential setting.  In other
scenarios families refuse to take their child home due to safety reasons &
are then hotlined by the hospital, so the Judge places the child in DSS
custody.  In other situations the school or family files the PINS petition
knowing the child needs residential treatment, and once the PINS petition is
violated, the Judge will order placement.

 We would like families who have had such experiences to share their story
with us, so we may document the extent of this problem and seek resolution
by ending this practice in NYS. Unless a family member chooses to disclose
their name, we will not share any personal, identifying information.  Only
the county they reside in must be identified.  We will compensate family
members for their time with a $25 stipend, and will be able to reimburse
transportation costs. The time and location will be announced shortly, and
will most likely be in Manhattan.

We held one very successful focus group with family members at our annual
conference in Albany last April.  It was amazing to see how families from
all different backgrounds could come together and support one another.
Families shared great information with one another and were able to get a
clear idea of how this practice unfolds mostly in rural and suburban areas.
We are now seeking to hold another focus group with family members from the
New York City area.  If you think you can help us locate families, please
have them call Wendy Decker the toll free number for Families Together in
NYS at 1-888-326-8644 or by email at wdecker at ftnys.org .  Thank you!

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