Child Family Team Meetings

A group where all the group members had more-or-less equal power that I was involved in was a teaching team in a preschool. We met weekly to discuss lesson plans, share ideas, and provide feedback for any issues that were shared within the group. Each teacher was able to create their own lesson plan, but this group allowed the teachers to gain new ideas and insight on different topics. This group opened lines of communication between the teaching staff and allowed each teacher to feel supported and important to the team.

Consider how you felt when you were a part of a group where just a few of the group members had most of the power. What was the structure of the group, and how did it function? Enter the Structure and Function Here:

This is a meeting that typically occurs with the family of the children, services providers, and the family case manager (FCM) as needed for families that are involved with the Department of Child Services. The FCM is the one who typically has the power over of what is discussed, the final say on the plan of action, and assigns tasks to be completed by each of the additional members of the group. Although everyone provides feedback and input regarding the situation and progress of the family the final plan is provided by the FCM. A CFTM is does allow for guidance, information to be shared, and problem solving to occur. There are many norms that are followed in a CFTM and if those are broken the individual is often frowned