Arkansas Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health (AFFCMH) was organized in 1995 by Jane Burgan, a parent and

longtime advocate for improving services to families and friends of children with special needs. Once organized an affiliation with the National Federation Organization was established. Jane and the original board members recognized that the system serving children and youth with special needs was fragmented and broken. They dedicated themselves to training, informing and supporting families to become effective advocates for themselves and their children. They worked with providers and agency professionals to bridge the gaps to achieving effective service delivery for the families who sought their services. The AFFCMH approach to empowerment helped families and caregivers become effective selfadvocates using the following steps: * * * * Believe in yourself Get informed Realize you have rights Use communication skills * Discuss your concerns * Be assertive and persistent * Ask for help

A number of local support groups and local advocates were developed across the state of Arkansas. Annual training meetings were held and individual support for families who called for help was provided. The organization lost its funding base in 2001, but continued assisting families on a person to person voluntary basis, until 2002. In 2006, through funding from the System of Care cooperative agreement awarded to the State of Arkansas by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) the AFFCMH was revitalized. This coincided with efforts at the State level to implement System of Care as the policy for the State of Arkansas. In the summer of 2006, Arkansas began its journey to develop a better system of care for children by assembling a group of stakeholders and charged them with the task of identifying the solutions. The AFFCMH engaged in this process with this group of stakeholders. The first priority of this group was to insure that parents and families were engaged in the process. First Lady Ginger Beebe led a listening tour throughout the state to gain insights from the experience of parents. AFFCMH's executive director and other federation members acted as facilitators on the listening tour. One of the primary issues raised on the listening tour was the lack of family support. Parents repeatedly stated "I wish someone would have told me about this earlier". Almost every parent mentioned struggles with finding information, locating providers/resources and lacking knowledge about the supports available to them and their rights concerning the service. Parents also talked about the need for respite care or help in caring for their child. It is clear that parents are searching for a parent driven support and information network.

The AFFCMH has responded by creating or supporting support groups in a number of counties. The AFFCMH has created a respite voucher program and is working to expand the availability of respite to families across the state of Arkansas. The AFFCMH continues to be engaged in a leadership role in the development and implementation of System of Care within the state of Arkansas.