Alejandro Michel

The Mission of the Family Involvement Center (FIC) is to assist and support parents and caregivers raising children with emotional, physical, and behavioral health care needs. Through parent-to-parent support, education and training, and other FIC services, the parents we serve acquire skills that help them meet the needs of their families. We assist parents and caregivers in the development of natural supports systems that minimize reliance on formal systems of care. And, we encourage them to become active participants in the planning and delivery of care for their children. Our vision is to transform child-serving systems to be inclusive of parents and families in the development, direction, and delivery of support services. Our goal for the children we serve is to help them success in school, live with their families, avoid delinquency, and become productive adults. Family Involvement Center is a not-for-profit, family-run organization that was founded by Jane Kallal in 2001. The majority of our employees and Board of Directors have personal life experience raising children with emotional, behavioral, and/or mental health challenges. The approach of the Family Involvement Center is to provide an atmosphere that establishes authentic connections utilizing parent to parent support that: •Builds trust •Instills hope •Helps families become self-sufficient •Cultivates meaningful relationships with families & system stakeholders •Develops an informal network of natural supports by connecting parents to parents and youth to youth within their local communities The Spirit of the Family Involvement Center is to: •Reflect the values, beliefs, and voices of family members who have “walked” in their shoes •Personally understand concept of resiliency •Strive to build and nurture sustainable partnerships between family members and professionals •Model a solution focused approach