"Many child and youth agencies have implemented youth and family engagement practices but we've heard from young people and families that there is still a lot of inconsistency on how engagement is practiced. The need for measurable best practices is really important and that's why we developed the quality standards. If best practice in engagement is measurable then communities can be accountable"
About the author
Jana is the Manager of Engagement and Standards at the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health (the Centre) in Ottawa, Ontario. She oversees the development and implementation of quality standards for the child and youth mental health sector including the quality standards for youth and family engagement. Jana's team works with community based child and youth mental health agencies in Ontario to imbed youth and family voice within organizations and communities by implementing the standards. Jana is also a member of the Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) backbone team.