Philadelphia Family Voices Open for Referrals
Philadelphia Family Voices (PFV) supports families who are raising children, youth or young adults with emotional, social, behavioral, and mental health challenges or autism. PFV is run by local families with lived experience and knowledge of Philadelphia’s behavioral health services for children and youth-serving systems. As a family-run organization, the majority of PFV’s Board of Directors is composed of family members and caregivers, including parents, grandparents, kinship care, adoptive parents, and foster/resource parents with a primary responsibility in raising a child with a behavioral health condition.
Utilizing their lived experience and firsthand knowledge of navigating Philadelphia child-serving systems, PFV advocates guide other families to become their child’s own best advocates. They provide 1:1 guidance, both virtually and in-person, to help families navigate children, youth and young adult services in Philadelphia more effectively.
Some services provided by PFV include attendance at IEP/school meetings and/.or court hearings, providing information about family and children’s legal rights, identifying goals based on individual family needs, and sharing their own personal stories of hope. PFV’s Family Peer Support Specialists offer resources, provide advocacy, and help facilitate access to educational, behavioral health, autism, Juvenile Justice and other children and youth services in Philadelphia.
PFV is guided by three core values and principles:
- Youth & Family-Driven: PFV believes youth and families have the right to be well-informed and empowered as primary decision-makers in their personal care as well as the policies and procedures governing the care of the community.
- Culturally & Linguistically Responsive: PFV believes youth and families should receive what they need in their preferred language and with sensitivity and respect to their beliefs and values.
- Community-based: PFV believes youth and families deserve high quality behavioral health services and supports to remain in their home communities while receiving treatment.
For more information, to schedule an appointment with a Peer Support Consultation or to make a referral to PFV, call 484-228-1229 or e-mail PhiladelphiaSupport@PhiladelphiaFamilyVoices.com.
