The Partnership for Youth and Family Wellbeing:
​a voluntary program that helps African-American students experience success in school

The Partnership for youth & family wellbeing is for African American students who are experiencing academic crises.  An academic crisis can include things like skipping school, failing classes, frequent detentions, receiving suspensions, frequent visits to the office or a time-out area, receiving academic and other school services in the home or an alternative setting, transitioning back to school from residential treatment, etc.  

How we help students and families achieve success

The partnership program focuses on the things the family and child believe are important for success. A Family Partner Coordinator helps students and families identify concerns, needs, hopes, dreams, strengths and vision for the future. The Coordinator then helps the family form a team that will support them in developing and executing a plan to achieve the family's goals.  

The partnership team helps the family identify strengths and needs. They also help the family decide what actions the family and team members will take to attain the family's goals. Together, a family's team creates a written plan of care. 

Plans of care include things like: 

• self-care tools/services for parents
• support/coaching for meetings with school staff or service providers
• access to other appropriate services such as intensive therapy
• flex funds
• respite care
• a crisis plan

Following the plan of care, team members commit to doing some action steps. The team meets regularly for 9-12 months. At meetings they:

1. review Accomplishments
2. Assess whether the plan is working
3. Adjust things that aren't working
4. Assign new tasks to team members

When the family is ready to move on, the Team meets one last time. They make a plan for the future. This plan includes who the family can call for help or if they need to meet with their team again. 

Partnership teams are decided by the family. Team members can be:

• relatives
• friends
• faith community members
• trusted professionals and/or
• other supporter people in their life 

Families may also choose to add a Partnership Youth Mentor and/or a Partnership Parent Peer Support Specialist to their team. 

Eligibility

• African American children living in Ramsey County eligible to attend grands kindergarten through 12th.
• At risk for out-of-home placement or returning from an out-of-home placement.
• If a score is available, CASII or Functional Assessment Score of four or higher. 
• ​Has symptoms that indicate a mental, behavioral, substance abuse, mood, anxiety, developmental, conduct, emotional or scholastic skills disorder. 
• Experiencing an academic crisis:
  • skipping school
  • failing classes
  • receiving suspensions
  • frequent visits to the office or time-out area
  • anxiety that interferes with functioning
  • receiving academic or other school services in the home or an alternative setting
  • transitioning back to school from residential treatment
• Has been served by at least two of the following:
  • developmental disabilities provider
  • juvenile services/court
  • child protection
  • family court
  • Special education /IEP or 504 Plan
  • mental health provider,
  • substance abuse provider,
  • medical provider,
  • other

• Has been served by at least two of the following:
  • developmental disabilities provider
  • juvenile services/court
  • child protection
  • family court
  • Special education /IEP or 504 Plan
  • mental health provider,
  • substance abuse provider,
  • medical provider,
  • other

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​If you are uncertain that the child meets some of the eligibility criteria, refer anyway.  Change Inc. will follow up with the family.

Make a referral

Please complete a referral form and fax it to Corey Byrd, Director of Youth and Family Engagement, at 651-290-2703.

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For more information or questions

Call Corey Byrd, Director of Youth and Family Engagement at 651-230-7757 or e-mail him at cbyrd@thechangeinc.org