Helpful Resources

Empowering you with quality information and techniques.

Allies with Families has devoted extensive time and allocated excellent resources to bring you quality programs for wellness education and training. All of our programs are described in detail below, and upcoming dates are listed for your convenience. All classes provided by Allies with Families are free of charge.

Operation Family Together

Do you feel like you need a break? Allies with Families presents Operation Families Together – a fun six-session family program for children with mental health needs, as well as their families. The program is designed to serve every member of a family with fun activities in a supportive group.

Operation Families Together has four separate parts:

• From Hope to Recovery© education classes for parents and caregivers of children with mental health needs
• Sibshops® for brothers and sisters (ages 7-13) of a child with special needs
• Kid Power a social skill group for children (ages 7-13) who have mental health needs
• Childcare for children ages 0-6

Save the date for one of our upcoming programs.

From Hope to Recovery Education Program©

From Hope to Recovery© is a free educational series for parents and caregivers of children and adolescents with mental health needs.

The program covers issues such as:

The impact of mental illness on the family, sibling support, crisis planning, school services, communication and wellness strategies give real-life, practical tools and resources to help children and families, and more...

From Hope to Recovery© is a six-week series which includes:

• Impact of Mental Illness
• Mood Disorders
• Thought Disorders and Other Serious Mental Illnesses
• Helping Your Child Succeed in School
• Cultivating Hope—Navigating the Mental Health System
• From Hope to Recovery

From Hope to Recovery Education Program© is a proprietary program, with a copyright held by Allies with Families.

Save the date for one of our upcoming programs.

Helping Children with Mental Health Needs Succeed in School

School is often a wonderful place where children enjoy spending the largest part of their day. But for children with mental health needs, school can be especially hard. Behaviors and learning problems are often a part of a child’s emotional and mental health needs.

Parents, caregivers, and professionals working with these children often ask questions such as:

• How does a child get special education services in school?
• What can a parent do to help a child in need?
• What do a child's testing results mean?

This program includes information to help parents and those who work with the school to understand the language of the school system, empowering them to affect change within the system. A basic review is provided of the referral and evaluation processes for school services and support, along with resources and information to help partner with school staff. Activities to brainstorm and match a child’s unique strengths and needs help participants to build an effective school educational plan for a child with mental health needs.

Save the date for one of our upcoming programs.

Siblings Speak Out

Being a brother or sister of a child with special needs is a unique experience. Sibling relationships are an important part of a child’s social and emotional development. Although brothers and sisters may have the longest lasting of family relationships, siblings of children with special needs may have – compared to their parents – far fewer opportunities to gain access to programs, services, and professional support.

This program highlights the common themes and concerns of brothers and sisters, with information on how a sibling’s illness/disability affects them. Information is also presented about Allies with Families' Sibshops® – a fun recreational program for siblings (ages 7-13).

Save the date for one of our upcoming programs.

Sibshops®

Presented by Allies with Families, Sibshops® are one-of-a-kind workshops for brothers and sisters (ages 7-13) of a child with mental health challenges and other special needs. Sibshops® are fun workshops with a mix of new games, new friends, and discussion activities.

Sibshops® are not therapy. Rather, they are a recreational program for the siblings of a child with special needs.

Sibshops® is a registered trademark of Donald J. Meyer on behalf of the Sibling Support Project.

Save the date for one of our upcoming programs.

The Impact of Mental Health Illness on the Family

When a child has an emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs, the entire family is affected. Parents and caregivers need current and reliable information and support to better care for their individual needs and the needs of the whole family. This program provides tools for parents and caregivers to build and develop practical, real-life interventions and strategies.

The program addresses topics such as:

Crisis planning, sibling support, school services, building a support team, wellness strategies, and more...

This unique point-of-view offers a strength-based, child- and family-focused perspective. Participants actively learn to understand the perspective of a child with mental health needs, as well as the special needs of that child's parents/caregivers and siblings.

Save the date for one of our upcoming programs.