Illinois Federation of Families
IFF receives funding and support from state and federal sources. Current partnerships and projects include:
§ Illinois Department of Human Services – Division of Mental Health (DHS-DMH)
DHS-DMH contracts with IFF to provide training and education through an annual conference for families. Training offered includes, but is not limited to, topics such as: bridging communication gaps, working with challenging people, parent-professional partnerships, IEP Planning, wraparound planning, etc. IFF also provides technical assistance to Family Resource Developers (FRD’s) through facilitation of monthly FRD meetings as well as workshops for SASS Case Managers and FRD’s. Additionally, IFF staff provide consultation to families of consumers within the DMH Statewide Child & Adolescent Network (C&A Network) on an as-needed basis.
§ Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
DCFS contracts with Illinois Federation of Families (IFF) to collaboratively support IFF in their goal to provide support to Family Resource Developers (FRD’s) through facilitation of monthly meetings, and to provide FRDs with educational opportunities through trainings, arranging speakers and information dissemination.
§ Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
IFF is a partner on 3 of the 11 Parent Mentor Grants supported by ISBE in Illinois: 1) TEAM, a project with the JAMP Special Ed Co-Op in Southern Illinois; 2) The Northwest Parent Mentor Partnership, a collaboration with The Northwest Special Education Cooperative, Bi-County Special Education Cooperative, and Ogle County Education Center; and 3) SEDOL-the Special Education Department of Lake County. IFF is the fiscal agent and project director for the JAMP and Northwest Parent Mentor Partnership projects. Parent Mentors work with families and schools helping to bridge gaps that may prevent productive and collaborative relationships. They provide support and assistance to parents regarding the special education system, district and state policies, the IEP process, etc. They also help educational staff identify meaningful ways that parents can be involved in their schools, and they provide training and education to parents and educators on the importance of collaboration.
§ Illinois Department of Human Services - Division of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse (DASA)
The Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse ( DASA) contracts with IFF to help improve the capacity in the state of Illinois to provide effective, accessible, and culturally competent substance abuse treatment for youth and their families through the statewide coordination and enhancement of youth services. IFF assists with family partnership coordination by holding listening sessions and organizing an annual family conference where parents can access information on how to advocate for their child with mental health, substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. These activities allow for feedback from families on treatment services provided in the state of Illinois and opportunities for interaction with state representatives regarding these important issues affecting their children.
§ Family Resource Center on Disabilities (FRCD)
IFF collaborates with the Family Resource Center on Disabilities (FRCD) to provide linkage to services, referrals to agencies and other resources available for persons with disabilities to families in Illinois. This collaboration also includes IFF providing special education (and other relevant topics) training to professionals and parents and dissemination of availability of additional trainings and services.
IFF participates on many committees and work groups across the state including the following statewide groups: the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership (ICMHP) and the ICMHP Family Involvement subcommittee, the DMH Child & Adolescent Advisory Council, the DMH Evidence Based Practice (EBP) Committee, the DASA Youth Subcommittee, the Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS) Leadership Team, etc.
IFF staff are involved with Local Area Networks (LANs) across Illinois, and have recently taken over the responsibility of the SystemofCareIllinois website to IFF. Staff also stay abreast of not only the latest education and training available, but also legislative issues and concerns pertaining to children and families, especially those with special education, emotional and mental health needs.
IFF maintains contact with the National Federation of Families, attends trainings/conferences and meetings held by the FFCMH, and communicates with other statewide networks across the country. IFF works collaboratively with all Illinois State Agencies to maintain communication and close partnerships regarding each of the IFF projects, as well as statewide efforts for children and families.
IFF provides resource referral information, workshops, and advocacy at local, regional and statewide levels. IFF also collaborates with other groups and organizations working for families and youth across Illinois.
For clarification of any acronyms above, or if you have any questions, please feel free to call IFF:
Ph) 847-265-0500
Fx) 847-265-0501
