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What is YFC?

Welcome to the North Sound Youth and Family Coalition! YFC for short. We are excited you are here and hope you will join us in improving the System of Care in our region.

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The Basics


YFC is a Regional Family Youth System Partner Round Table (FYSPRT - pronounced fis-pert). FYSPRTs create platforms for families, youth, and system partners to collaborate, listen, and incorporate the voices of the community into decision-making at the local, regional, and state levels. There are nine (9) FYSPRTs in the State of Washington. This effort is funded by the Washington Health Care Authority (HCA).

YFC currently meets online on the 2nd Monday of every month from 3-5pm.

YFC supports the community needs of youth, family, and system partners through collaboration, listening, and resource sharing. Most meetings begin with a presentation on a topic relevant to the needs of families and youth in our region. This is followed by the monthly business meeting, wherein we create and provide a forum to make connections with others in the community, offering validation and hope.

 

YFC makes a difference by welcoming the voices of youth, family and system partners in sharing strengths and needs regarding behavioral health (mental health and substance use) services for youth. FYSPRTs, like YFC, have the potential to initiate and influence system-wide change throughout the state from the local/regional level.

Who are YFC's Members?

 

We are a 5-county region, consisting of members from Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island, and San Juan counties. People throughout the region are welcome to attend.

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YFC's leadership team includes a young person, a family member, and a system partner. The family and youth leaders bear the distinction of having either cared for someone who is/was served by the behavioral health system (mental health or substance use services), or who has received services themselves. North Sound Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization (North Sound BH-ASO) acts as the groups’ convener. The convener’s role is to help activate the tri-leads into their leadership roles and take care of all the details to ensure meetings and projects run smoothly.


Family and youth should represent at least 51% of each FYSPRT according to the state guidelines. As such, we need many more youth and family voices at YFC
meetings! Anybody can attend. Becoming a member means you agree to be part of the decision process and attend most meetings. All you need to do is register for our meetings and attend at least two meetings every six months.

What can you expect at a meeting?


You can expect a safe, collaborative, welcoming environment to share your thoughts, listen, and learn from others. Each person at the table brings a unique perspective, so please attend a meeting to see how you fit in.


You can propose topics to add to a future meeting agenda by contacting us with your ideas, questions, or concerns. You can share different perspectives and develop suggestions for ways to make things better. If you are a youth or family member in our community, your views and experiences are valuable. In sharing your thoughts at a YFC meeting, you can offer helpful insights about systems from a point of view that is not heard from nearly enough. Your voice is valuable because nobody knows how things are working better than you!

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Everyone who fills out our monthly meeting evaluation can request a $25 GRUBHUB or restaurant gift card. Youth and family participants will get enough money to feed everyone in their household ($25 for each person 12 and up, and $10 for those 11 and under).

What is your role as a member of the YFC?


As a member, we ask that you make a commitment to attend as many monthly
YFC meetings as possible, and/or attend any YFC events that happen in the community.

YFC leverages the experiences, expertise, and insight of key individuals, organizations,
and departments that are committed to building a System of Care for children’s
behavioral health. Local YFC members are not directly responsible for managing project
activities but provide support and guidance for those who do. Thus, individually,
members will:

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  • Through education, collaboration and participation influence the movement toward the infusion of System of Care values and principles in community organization, workforce development, policies, practice, financing, and structural change. System of Care values specify that a system must be:

    • Family driven and youth guided, with the strengths and needs of the child and family determining the types and mix of services and supports provided.​

    • Community based, with the locus of services as well as system management resting within a supportive, adaptive infrastructure of structures, processes, and relationships at the community level.

    • Culturally and linguistically competent, with agencies, programs, and services that reflect the cultural, racial, ethnic, and linguistic differences of the populations they serve to facilitate access to and utilization of  appropriate services and supports and to eliminate disparities in care.

  • Bring community, individual and agency strengths in completing necessary tasks.

  • Identify barriers/challenges and approaches to resolve issues.

  • Identify strengths/initiatives/projects of existing community and system agencies that support systems of care values and principles.

  • Educate our system of care partners as we develop and grow.

  • Develop problem solving approaches for moving forward.

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