Using Family Group Conferencing in the Children’s Mental Health Context

Source: (2005) American Humane FGDM Issues in Brief.

In Toronto, FGC was initially used exclusively in child
protection. However, it soon became evident that it
could be successfully applied in the children’s mental
health context. The Toronto FGC Project Steering
Committee—a collaboration of agencies focusing on
child welfare and children’s mental health—had an
appreciation of FGC philosophies and values, which
made the transition to include referrals from clinicians
a natural shift. Nevertheless, it became obvious that
the model required some adaptation for this different
context. This paper provides an overview of issues that
need to be considered when using conferencing in a
children’s mental health context. (excerpt)