Creating independent voices: the emergence of state wide family advocacy networks.

The efforts of 28 statewide family advocacy networks (SFNs) as they aim to promote family support, system change, and enhancement of self-governing capacities are the foci of this article. This systematic study of the developments and activities of statewide family advocacy networks has provided a rich qualitative database that documents the diversity and types of organizational arrangements, the increase in outside financial resources, the extent to which ethically and culturally diverse people are involved, and the commonly used outreach strategies to increase minority participation. Clearly, statewide family networks are demonstrably capable of self-governance and provision of family support, and play an important role in addressing children's mental health system of care and legislative issues. The data point to a number of future studies as SFNs pursue their objectives. Implications for social service providers and agency directors seeking ways and means to creatively include parents in the delivery and administration of mental health programs are raised as topics for future studies.