Family Partners and Youth Advocates have four key functions:

• To make families (parents, caregivers, and youth) equal partners — if not leaders — in the development and implementation of their service plans;
• To represent the needs and perspectives of families (parents, caregivers, and youth) to internal and external stakeholders and decision-makers within the system of care;
• To ensure that families (parents, caregivers, and youth) have access to a comprehensive array of prevention and support services that meet their individual needs; and
• To ensure services are family-centered, easily accessible, respectful of cultural, ethnic, and other community characteristics, and stigma-free.