Centering the Family Experience: Family and Youth Panels at the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute
One of my favorite moments at this year's Partnerships for Well-Being Institute (PWBI) wasn't a keynote speaker or a breakout session; it was sitting in the audience and listening to youth and families share their stories.
As High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) practitioners, we know and practice to the best of our abilities the 10 HFW principles like Collaboration, Family Voice and Choice and being Individualized. But what was transformative for me, is—from listening to the family and youth panels—I came to realize that these are not just guidelines to our HFW practices: These are experiences that families have, or sometimes they don't.
Each panelist shared a unique journey, yet I found myself hearing the same message over and over again: "I wanted someone to really listen."
Not listen so they could fix the problem.
Not listen so they could tell them what to do.
They wanted someone to hear them.
Several panelists spoke about the difference it made when the professionals slowed down, asked meaningful questions, remained curious and genuinely valued their perspective.
Others shared how discouraging it felt when decisions were made about them without them, or when assumptions replaced conversations.
That message feels especially meaningful as we focus this issue on the Planning Phase of High Fidelity Wraparound. Planning is the stage where teams create goals, suggest strategies and develop the Plan of Care. What the family and youth panels reminded me, however, is that meaningful planning begins long before anyone starts writing goals or discussing services. It begins by understanding the person sitting across from you, learning who they are, what they care about, what gives them hope and what strengths they bring with them. That is why we start any HFW journey with the Engagement Phase. Those purposeful conversations create the foundation that allows planning to become truly individualized.
Another powerful aha moment I had listening to the youth and family panelists was the connection between the HFW Standards 7.1 and 7.2 in All County Letter (ACL) 25-47/BHIN 25-027, which emphasize ensuring youth and family voices are represented at every level of HFW program development, implementation and continuous quality improvement. Those standards are not simply administrative expectations. They reflect a core belief that families and youth belong wherever decisions are being made. Whether that is at a Child and Family Team Meeting, a Community Leadership Team, a statewide workgroup or on a conference stage, their voices help all of us better understand what is working, where we can grow and how we can build stronger systems together.
The youth and family experience is not just another perspective at these “tables.” Their collective voices are THE expertise that helps all of us become better planners, better partners and better listeners. Yes, the youth and family panels were inspirational, but what
I really appreciated was that they challenged us to think differently about how we approach planning. They reminded us that the strongest plans are built with families, not just for them, and that every meaningful conversation begins with listening.
As I left the session, I found myself reflecting on a simple idea that I know will stay with me long after the conference: Sometimes, the most important contribution we can make during the Planning Phase is not another idea; it is creating enough space for families and youth to share theirs.