Dear Dennis:

Please give me more information on parent support groups: what is the content, format, frequency etc.? Do you train people to be leaders of these groups? Thanks. — Tom

Hi Tom:

Did you check our website under Start A Group? Some of your questions or concerns perhaps will be answered there. Our groups all meet once a week. They are run by trained parents with no professionals. Well, maybe professional parents. If we are opening a local group, then we send a staff to train the parents. If the group is out of the area or state or even country, then we provide training manuals in our opening packet, which is explained on our website. We also have sent personnel out of state to train for a weekend and an opening date on that Monday, and our facilitator stays to assist in the first meeting. We have done this in Canada, Arizona, and Pennsylvania with much success. There are costs involved and in all cases, the parents were able to raise the funds needed to get me or one of the facilitators to make the trip.

We work on a week-to-week basis with the parents in teaching them how to establish rules, post them, and follow through with consequences when the rules are broken. Our meetings are provided free of charge. We currently only have one Youth Support Group running, and that is in the Los Angeles area. Where are you located? Please feel free to ask any questions or concerns, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks for your interest in B.I.L.Y. Best of luck. — Dennis