Custom Family Group Conferencing &
Family Group Decision-Making Training
The founders of CCMA (Dr. Char Berquist and Heather Blades) have been offering high-quality training in Family Group Conferencing (FGC) and Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM) since 2013. Audiences for these trainings have included court personnel, child welfare professionals, social workers, educators, community volunteers, and others.
What is FGC/FGDM?
Family Group Conferences( FGCs) (also referred to as Family Group Decision-Making meetings) are family-led meetings in which family, friends, and other supportive people come together to make a plan to address difficulties or challenges faced by a family or individual.
FGCs are supported by independent facilitators, who help the family prepare for the FGC and guide the conference. In an FGC, families are empowered to express their needs, verbalize their concerns, identify resources, and create their own robust plans to support the family or individual in managing challenges, which vary by the context in which the process is used.
Outside agencies involved in the life of the family or individual may provide information on things that the family should address in their plan, but the family and their friends and supports decide the best way to achieve their goals.
FGCs are supported by independent facilitators, who help the family prepare for the FGC and guide the conference. In an FGC, families are empowered to express their needs, verbalize their concerns, identify resources, and create their own robust plans to support the family or individual in managing challenges, which vary by the context in which the process is used.
Outside agencies involved in the life of the family or individual may provide information on things that the family should address in their plan, but the family and their friends and supports decide the best way to achieve their goals.
Contexts for FGC/FGDM Training
Family Group Conferencing and Family Group Decision-Making in a powerful process that can be used in variety of contexts, including:
- To support families in the child welfare system as they work towards permanency (either returning to their families of origin or in adoption).
- To help secure emergency placement for children removed from the home due to abuse or neglect, and to support their caregivers.
- For parents receiving substance abuse treatment, to support their recovery and ensure the well-being of their children.
- For at-risk youth struggling with issues including juvenile offending, truancy, and academic concerns.
- To support elder adults in safely remaining independent in their own homes and communities.
- To support families struggling with long-term care needs for a child or adult family member.
- Plus much more!
FGC/FGDM Training Content & Fidelity Focus
Our virtual facilitator trainings are grounded in the key fidelity elements that make FGC/FGDM a family-focused and effective process. Our FGC/FGDM trainings cover:
- Philosophical underpinnings of the FGC/FGDM model — why it works, where it comes from, and how it centers family voice.
- Goals and benefits of the process across settings such as schools, social service agencies, juvenile justice, and community programs.
- Facilitator role and responsibilities — including behaviors, neutrality, pacing, and supporting family-led planning.
- Strategies for building strong support networks that reflect each family’s culture, strengths, and natural connections.
- Preparing family members for an FGC/FGDM meeting — ensuring clarity, comfort, and readiness for meaningful participation.
- Coordinating an FGC/FGDM meeting from initial contact through plan presentation and follow-up.
Virtual Training Format
CCMA's founders Dr. Charlene Berquist and Heather Blades have been offering highly interactive and research-based FGC/FGDM training and services for nearly a decade. Our FGC/FGDM training is built around adult learning principles, recognizing that participants bring valuable experience, insight, and professional wisdom to the room. We design each session to be practical, engaging, and immediately applicable to real-world facilitation.
Participants engage in:
Our approach emphasizes:
This format helps participants build confidence, deepen understanding, and leave with practical tools they can use immediately — whether they work in schools, social service agencies, juvenile justice, behavioral health, or community-based programs.
Participants engage in:
- Interactive instruction — short teaching segments paired with discussion, reflection, and opportunities to connect concepts to your own work.
- Small-group practice — structured roleplays and scenario-based activities that allow participants to try out facilitation skills in a supportive, low-pressure environment.
- Realistic scenarios — examples drawn from schools, social service agencies, and community programs to help participants see how FGC/FGDM can be adapted across settings.
- Hands-on skill application — opportunities to practice key elements of the model, such as preparing families, structuring the meeting, and navigating challenging moments.
Our approach emphasizes:
- Active participation rather than long lectures
- Flexibility so facilitators can adapt the model to their own programs
- Cultural humility and respect for diverse family structures
- Participant comfort, with clear instructions and supportive facilitation
- Celebration of diverse facilitation styles, recognizing that there is no single “right” way to lead an FGC/FGDM meeting
This format helps participants build confidence, deepen understanding, and leave with practical tools they can use immediately — whether they work in schools, social service agencies, juvenile justice, behavioral health, or community-based programs.
Past Training Clients
Past training clients have included Great Circle, Alternative Opportunities with Preferred Family Healthcare, the Omaha Tribe Peacemaker Project, the Healthy Families Taskforce, Missouri State University, the Greene County Juvenile Justice Center, and the Office of Dispute Resolution and Family Court Programs in the 7th Judicial Circuit.
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Contact CCMA
Contact us for more information on offering a virtual FGC/FGDM training for your group or organization.
September 10-11, 2026 Facilitator Training (Virtual)
CCMA is offering a two‑day FGC/FGDM Facilitator Training on September 10–11, 2026, open to anyone interested in building strong, family‑centered facilitation skills. This training covers all core principles and skills of the FGC/FGDM model and includes an exploration of how the process can be used in schools, social service agencies, juvenile justice, behavioral health, and other community settings.
Training Schedule
Registration & Fees
Continuing Education Credits
Training Schedule
- 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Central on Thursday and Friday, September 10-11, via Zoom
Registration & Fees
- $550 for a single registration
- $475 per person for groups of two or more
- Open to individuals, agencies, schools, and multidisciplinary teams
Continuing Education Credits
- CLE credits (varies by state, please contact us)
- CDRE (Kansas)
- Self‑submission options for CE or CEUs for Counselor Continuing Education credits and NASW (National Association of Social Workers) CE credits
- CE credits for other professional groups may also be available. Contact us for more information.
