Objectives: This paper will provide a history of how family-driven care has evolved in the United States. Methods: Several examples of family-driven care including the National Policy Academy led by the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, the Jefferson County Kentucky’s Parent Advocacy Program, and the Family Ties Resource Centers in Westchester, New York, and the 2009 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s Policy Statement are used to illustrate the development of family-driven care. Results: In the past twenty-five years the mental health field has shifted from viewing parents as the cause of their child’s issues to active participants in treatment and active participants in policy development and system reform efforts. Research shows that better outcomes are achieved when family members and youth have meaningful roles in their treatment. Conclusions: Family-driven care has advanced in the child and youth mental health system in America and next steps are needed to further develop the ability of families to become true partners in treatment planning, service and system development, enhance research as to the effectiveness of these activities and reform policies and practices to reflect needs of families.
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