The Office of Family Empowerment (OFE) was developed to provide technical assistance and family perspectives to Alameda County Behavioral Health, including County-run and Community-Based Organizations and treatment facilities.
Our Vision
All Family Members in relationship with ACBHD can tap into their inherent worthiness, dignity, and humanity because race, affiliation, and diverse life experiences should not determine social, emotional, mental health, and legal outcomes.
Office of Family Empowerment Family Member Definition
A Family Member is an individual who provides:
- Emotional
- Practical
- Spiritual support
on behalf of a loved one with social/emotional or mental health concerns, including substance use disorder.
Family members may be:
- Biological parents
- Adoptive parents
- Foster parents
- Siblings
- Spouses
- Domestic partners
- Children of Consumers/Peers/Clients
- Aunts, Uncles, Cousins
- Friends
- Or anyone else whom the Peer/Consumer/Client/Youth defines as “their family members.”
In collaboration with the ACBHD System of Care Directors, OFE’s charge is to build systems of support for family members that value the diverse cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and socio-economic communities in Alameda County. This includes the myriad of changing needs family members may experience across the lifespan of their loved ones, from early childhood through elder adulthood.
Our goals will be met through voicing family perspectives to ACBHD’s Administration regarding policy and programmatic issues, recruitment and retention of family members in workgroups and planning councils, providing technical assistance to new and emerging family groups, working closely with existing family groups, and facilitating linkages throughout the County to extend a network of information, education, and support for family members.
We provide technical assistance, coaching, Co-Learning projects, Parent Cafés, Family Partner/Advocate training and support, Parent’s Tools to Thrive, and other Family-Centered Curricula and activities to develop and increase Family Member Leadership in Alameda County.
Beyond the Behavioral Health Care System, we collaborate with schools, child welfare, faith-based organizations, primary health care providers, juvenile and criminal justice, and the general public about mental health and/or substance use issues and their impact on individuals, families, and communities.
Find More Information
- Family members needing individual assistance navigating ACBH and advocating for their loved ones may contact the Family Education and Resource Center (FERC) at ferc.org or their warmline at 888-896-3372. FERC services are Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funded and completely free of charge.
- For family members needing assistance hospitalizing a loved one in crisis, get more information about AB1421 – Historical Information for 5150.