Vol. 13, No. 1
December 2007

Meeting Preparation Is Key

A number of studies show the success of the meeting and the level of family involvement are related to how well prepared and informed the family and their community supports are about the meeting. Before the meeting, time should be spent fully exploring family resources and strengths, and building the trust between the professionals, the family, and the community members.
One study shows that how well the other professionals understand the purpose of the meeting predicts how successful it will be. While this can be done on a case-by-case basis, coalitions can also be built through training, community meetings, and consultations.
Studies show that the success of the meeting is also predicted by how well prepared and skillful the facilitator is.

Sources: Crampton 2007; Merkel-Holguin et al. 2007