Mission

The National Federation of Families, a national family-run organization, serves as the national voice for families whose children – of any age – experience mental health and/or substance use challenges during their lifetime. We: 

 

• Advocate at the national level for the inclusion of family voice in all aspects of services and supports across clinical, educational and community settings

• Promote effective partnerships among families, professionals, and policymakers at the local, state, and national level

• Advance the value of lived experience and the family peer workforce to support families

• Collaborate with family-run and mission-aligned organizations to transform family-serving systems and health care in America

 

Vision

Family-serving systems that recognize the importance of family voice and embrace the full inclusion of all families who reflect the diverse cultural, linguistic, and geographic diversity of our country.

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Values

The National Federation believes that families:

• Possess unique expertise regarding the challenges that their children experience

• Often need support throughout the lifespan of their children

• Should not experience bias or discrimination as a result of their child(ren)’s mental health and/or substance use challenge(s)

• Reflect diverse backgrounds and cultures and must be treated with dignity and respect

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Our Commitment to Social Change

​At the National Federation of Families, we believe that we must rediscover our capacity for lifting up all members of our society, no matter their lived experiences, challenges, or personal traumas. By focusing on peoples’ potential – rather than their differences – we can begin to build stronger and more inclusive neighborhoods. We believe that true equity is the result of vibrant communities and responsive systems that promote self-reliance and interdependence and that celebrate diversity. Learn more here.

Adapted from Adler University (2023)