United Parents Overview
Mission
United Parents assists children with mental health, emotional, and behavioral disorders by providing services to families such as support, education, and resources.
Values
- United Parents is family driven.
- We are the voice of families building a bridge to recovery.
- United Parents is innovative; it seeks to identify, design & fill the gaps in treatment services.
- United Parents is an autonomous organization that works with other agencies and professionals in a collaborative, non-adversarial manner.
- United Parents encourages approaches to healing and recovery as diverse as our community.
History
United Parents is a grass roots non profit agency founded on the basic principles of “parents helping parents.” Every family may have challenges, but United Parents was in fact solicited by Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH) to assist families raising children with mental/behavioral/emotional disorders.
Understanding the unique challenges of these families, we identify and bridge gaps in traditional services to enhance outcomes in the home and community by integrating local resources which provide natural and accessible alternatives, critical in supporting longer term treatment outcomes.
Founded in 1990, we advocate for families to be recognized, respected and empowered as full partners in the treatment and care of their children. We believe in partnerships between parents and professionals as an integral path to recovery.
United Parents offers:
Parent Partners: ”A family’s helping hand”. Experienced and trained parents that partner with both professionals and parents to avoid crisis and conflicts in the home. We coordinate interventions with clinicians to enhance treatment success. We advocate for effective, practical mental health approaches that encourage wellness & recovery. We offer a family perspective to agencies to reflect culturally appropriate services and include community resources which can support families in their own neighborhood. (Since 2003)
Educational Advocacy: With a 96% success rate, our Educational Advocate assists parents in navigating the complex Special Education and mental health systems. We secure testing and assessments, facilitate the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process; 504 Accommodations; and positive behavior supports. We assist parents in constructive, long term approaches to enhance their child’s academic success. (since 2003)
Respite services: Respite care – “chill time for parents”. Respite is a short term break that helps parents and caregivers relax from daily routines and stress, helping stabilize the home and family, minimizing crisis. Services can be provided in the client’s home, a variety of out of home settings or during a special, pro-social kid’s activity. (Since 1995)
Parents With Purpose: This division of United Parents focuses on families involved with Child Protective Services. Parent Leaders work with parents to navigate the Juvenile Family Courts and Child Family Services systems. We rely on developing local resources to provide housing, parenting, anger management and/or domestic violence classes. Since most of these families live below the poverty level, we often barter one of our trainings in exchange for the tuition fees charged to parents. (Since 2009)
Monthly support groups: A dynamic forum for families to share, explore, suggest, educate and encourage each other as we care for our challenging children. (since 1989)
24/7 Help Line: Helping families after hours, de-escalating home crisis; talking with parents and children; triage calls with Police and/or Children’s Intensive Response Team (CIRT). Originally part of the Hospital Alternative Treatment Team (HATT), families in Ventura County counted on HATT for crisis prevention, possibly avoiding the psychiatric hospitalizations of children. Although serious crisis calls are now manned by CIRT, the 24/7 line is still a valuable prevention tool. (Since 1996)
Parenting workshops: Workshops for the real world! We present various approaches all of which use your child’s actual problems as coursework. Designed for parents with children that have emotional disturbance, we role play as we learn solutions and strategies. Workshops are also available to help parents learn the ins and outs of medications, mental disorders, special education, avoiding burn out, etc. (since 1990)
Full Service Partnership: United Parents provide a .5FTE Parent Partner to work as part of the Interface team for Full Service Partnership. Working with families with a child in the Juvenile Justice system, our Parent Partner helps parents establish more effective connections with their child(ren).
Crisis Support Counselors: Caring para-professionals calm & engage with children temporarily housed at an adult psychiatric hospital as they await an appropriate facility or are stable enough to return home.(Since 2004)
Parent/Professional Partnerships: Presentations and suggestions from “the other side” – parents that have lived with mental illness. These presentations enhance empathy and practical approaches to special needs families as well as reduce the stigma and prejudice which frequently stops families from seeking help. (Since 1990)
Professional Trainings: United Parents’ staff undergoes extensive clearances, certifications and on-going trainings to maintain a high professional standard and meet the needs of our special families. We share these trainings with others looking to enhance their understanding of mental disorders, knowledge and skills. (Since 2005)
“What we need is a network that looks out for children if children are recognized as having mental health problems … Schools, churches, scouting can all play a role in ensuring that children get the help that they need.”
- David Satcher, M.D., Former U.S. Surgeon General, ACMHA Conference, 2007
Advocacy: United Parents advocates (at local and state committees) for approaches to treatment that acknowledge family strengths, diversity and partnership that are effective in the home and community. We also advocate for families to be accountable, and work with professionals to strengthen both agencies and treatment outcomes. (Since 1989)
Many of these programs were developed in response to a need expressed by communities.
Call United Parents today for more information (805) 384-1555