Allies with Families, the Utah Chapter of the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health was created in 1991 to offer practical support and resources for parents and their children and youth who face serious emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges.

Contact information:

E-mail: lori@allieswithfamilies.org

Address: 124 So. 400 E. #250 , Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Phone: 801.433.2595

Toll-Free: 1.877.477.0764

Fax: 801.521.0872

How Can Allies With Families Help You and Your Family?

1. Allies can provide basic information for you to better understand your child’s illness and to direct you to appropriate mental health resources. Allies have developed parent information packets for 19 common mental health diagnoses. These parent packets are also avilable in Spanish. All parent packets are offered to families free of charge.

2. Allies with Families can help you advocate for your child’s access to appropriate services that serve children and youth with mental health challenges such as: mental health care providers, disability services, education/support, courts, youth corrections, and children’s social services. Allies can also help you find culturally appropriate services for your family.

3. Allies can help your family find a parent support group in your area. Allies can connect you with other parents in your area who are facing similar challenges.

4. From Hope to Recovery education program provides practical education and information for parents or caregivers of children with mental illness. Information about specific diagnosis, navigating the mental health system and school system and sibling issues are some of the issues presented in the program. See the Calendar and Events page for further information of times and places where this program is being delivered.

5. Allies sponsors Sibshop Workshops for brothers and sisters of children with mental illness. Sibshops are recreational workshops developed by The Sibling Support Project and sponsored by Allies to provide support and fun to siblings. Sibshops acknowledges the unique role and issues of being a brother or sister of a child with mental illness. See Sibshops for more information. See calendar for Upcoming Events.

6. Allies can help you receive training to learn to advocate for yourself and/or other families who are facing similar challenges. Some trainings offer certification at the end of the program such as wraparound planning, negotiation and mediation, case management, and some family education programs.

7. Allies has a parent lending library with books, tapes, and videos on various mental health challenges and diagnoses, community resources, children’s books about different mental illnesses, family/parenting support and information. This lending library is available to all parents and is free of charge.

8. Project RECONNECT: Growing Up without Growing Apart.
A curriculum designed by parents for parents and caregivers who have a youth/young adult who is physically, emotionally or mentally challenged and who is transitioning into adulthood. There is no charge for the classes or class materials. It is an 8 week course. Please see calendar for Upcoming Events.

9. Allies with Families maintains a Policy Information Network for family members and professionals. This information is provided to update policy information and changes that affect mental health related issues. Persons who would like to be involved in and obtain knowledge about policy and laws that affect families may join our Policy Information Network. Please call our office for more information or go to our Join Us page to become a member of the Policy Information Network.

Allies with Families has a network of resources and personal experience which can provide effective strategies for families. We know how hard it can be to get support and information because we have been through similar experiences. We are here to share this knowledge with you. Please contact us at 801-292-2515 or call toll free at 1-877-477-0764.

Meet Our Staff: Many of the staff members of Allies are parents who have children with mental illness and have personal knowledge of the challenges of living with a family member who struggles with mental illness. We believe that the strength and success of Allies with Families is directly related to the high caliber of our staff.
	Lori Cerar, Executive Director Lori is the mother of two children, one of who has profound disabilities. She has worked as the Executive Director for 6 years and as a family consultant for 5 years. Lori has received training in many areas such as: wraparound facilitation, conflict management, NAMI Teacher Training and Sibshops. Lori has presented at numerous national and local conferences.
	Tina Dunyon, Office Manager/Bookkeeper Tina, the mother of 4 children, has worked for Allies since January of 1997. Her first daughter was born with a chromosome defect and passed away two months after birth.  Tina has been involved with the Parent to Parent Program at the University of Utah Hospital and has also been involved in giving support to parents at LDS Hospital.  She is well respected for her dedication in the office and her accuracy in running the financial side of Allies. Tina has attended several national conferences regarding children’s mental health issues.  She also sits on the Family Links Conference Committee.
	Tena Beckstrom, Targeted Parent Assistance Coordinator and Project RECONNECT Coordinator -Tena is the mother of 10 children, one of whom suffers from bipolar disorder, learning disabilities and epilepsy. Her daughter has received mental health services since age 14 and is currently 19 and living in a group home locally. Tena also has a 28 year old daughter who was recently diagnosed with epilepsy, and two sons, ages nine and 22 who have ADHD, not currently being treated.
	Karen Greenwell, Community Education Coordinator and Newsletter Editor Karen is the mother of three children, two of whom have been diagnosed with mental illness. Karen has advocated for children with mental illness and their families at the local, state and national level for more than seven years. Karen works for Allies with Families as the Community Education Coordinator and Newsletter Editor. She authored the From Hope to Recovery curriculum and developed coordinates the Operation Families Together program. Karen has her Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Post-Baccalaureate in Elementary Education from the University of Washington. She is a Certified Sibshop Trainer/Facilitator, Targeted Case Manager and Certified Family Advocate. Karen is committed to community outreach to focus on family strengths and instill hope for families who struggle with mental health challenges.
NO IMAGE	Dale Greenwell, Allies with Families Manager of Administration Dale is the father of three children, two of whom have a serious mental illness. He and his family have organized many community mental health events and also participate in bipolar disorder research at the National Institutes of Health. Dale is a graduate of Utah State University with a degree in Mental Health Administration. He completed his internship with Allies with Families creating parent informational packets on 19 different mental health diagnoses. These packets have also been translated into Spanish. As a certified Targeted Case Manager, Dale has years of experience working with children and adolescents with mental health needs and their families. Dale also works as a co-trainer with his wife Karen in training From Hope to Recovery teachers and Sibshop facilitators.

faqs calendar links & resources