Core Element Overview
The Team supports the idea that everyone needs periodic respite breaks that reduce youth, family, and caregiver fatigue and restore energy. The Team orients the family, youth, and Family Team to the impact that regular, planned respite can have on promoting safety and strengthening permanency, wellbeing, resiliency, and recovery from the effects of trauma, mental illness, and physical illness. The Team explores parent/caregiver’s and youth’s access to and need for respite time and resources that reenergize, soothe, and provide relief from the day-to-day stress and exceptional demands of living with and parenting a child with emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs.
The Team supports the parent(s)/caregiver(s), youth, natural supports, Family Team members, and others (as appropriate) to develop and make decisions about respite plans. These plans coordinate resources that ensure parent(s)/caregiver(s), family, and youth and have regular reenergizing respite breaks. The respite plan supports parent/child attachment and prioritizes the use of a family member or natural support’s home for respite care whenever possible. Respite care may also include the use and provision of in- home/community-based respite provided by the Home-based team as well as out-of-home respite care via the use of a respite bed in a facility.
