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Rinkin, Executive Director of the Oregon Family Support Network (OFSN), is barely visible amid the file folders that bulge from baskets, the stacks of reports and research piled high on her desk, and the computer and printer that whir softly in the background. The Network, which Rinkin founded in 1991, serves the needs of families with children and adolescents with severe emotional, mental, or behavioral disorders. These are the kids, Rinkin notes, who often fall through the cracks of others' efforts to advocate for children. "These children need family-centered and age-appropriate services in their homes and in their communities," she says. "I firmly believe that children are best served in the home, but there are times when they may need residential treatment for a period of time." That attitude is evident in the Network's list of guiding values, which includes:
Rinkin's path to found -ing the OFSN began when her son was diagnosed with mental disorders when he was 13. "We knew all along that he was marching to a different drumbeat," Rinkin says. "Now we had a diagnosis and could work with him."
After attending a leadership conference in Washington, D.C., Rinkin returned to Oregon ready to advocate for children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders. She began working with others in the state, and organized a committee consisting of parents and families to determine the needs of children. She formed a board of directors composed of mental health, health, education, and social service professionals. Parents, though, comprise 50 percent-plus-one of the board's membership. The board wrote a mission statement, guiding principles, and goals, then received local, state, federal, and other grants, including $180,000 from the Meyer Memorial Trust. The Network became a nonprofit corporation in 1993, when it had 30 families on its mailing list. Today, the OFSN's newsletter is mailed to more than 4,000 members consisting of families, health and social service professionals, and educators around the state. The Network also has an office in Lane County, where it is part of an integrated approach to providing services and advocating for families that is coordinated by the county office of Health and Human Services. Chris Spicer, the OFSN Parent Advocate Liaison Coordinator in Lane County, operates "Gimme-A-Break," a respite program for families with emotionally, mentally, or behaviorally disturbed children. The OFSN trains volunteers who provide breaks for families. "This is a way that families can get away," Rinkin says. "Respite provides them a break." There are, she notes, other respite services in the state, but none that address the needs of families living with children who have severe behavioral or emotional disorders. In fact, she adds, other child advocacy groups, education activists, and health and safety champions often overlook the needs of some of Oregon's most troubled children. Rinkin crisscrosses the state conducting workshops, meeting with parents, training support group facilitators, and networking with professionals in the community who can provide services to the families in need. Equally important, she notes, is the need to educate society about the needs and difficulties of children and families in distress. "Most of the families we serve are single parent-generally mom as head of the household, and generally mom with more than one child," she says. "Think about it. We expect the mom to work and to be there for her child. Well, parents with emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children get calls from the school or police because their child is acting out. Mom must leave work to tend to the needs of her child. Often, the parent is working at a low-paying, service-oriented job. How many employers are willing to let the mom leave? How often can this happen before mom is out of a job?" Such complicated lives, Rinkin notes, are not well understood by elected officials, policymakers, school officials, or society in general. "We are quick to blame," she says. "We are not quick to support. Where is the village concept of support-of working with families-instead of blaming them?" The Network advocates for children whose mental or emotional disorders often are not diagnosed or are misdiagnosed early in their lives. They include illnesses such as attention deficit disorder, autism, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, multiple personalities, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Left undiagnosed, the child becomes increasingly isolated and the family becomes increasingly frustrated and alone. Often, the children turn to alcohol and other drugs to cope. The Network has established family advocacy support groups in each of Oregon's 36 counties. It has trained dozens of family coordinators in workshops that address communication skills, suicide prevention, how to run a support group, and how to deal with problem parents. The family coordinators have been recruited from the ranks of families that the Network has served. "When parents call us and say, 'My child is coming off the walls,' we provide information and support or we get it to them," Rinkin says. "Informed parents can make informed decisions that are in the best interests of their children and family. But ignorance and fear go together." Twice a year, the family coordinators are brought to Portland for a daylong seminar that provides research, technical assistance, expert advice, and an opportunity to meet and learn from other facilitators. In addition, the Network has enlisted the support and assistance of professionals in communities throughout the state. "We cannot do this by ourselves," Rinkin says. "Most of our work is done by volunteers. They make it happen. If we didn't have the support of professionals in the communities, this would not happen." The Network provides support and information to families whose children are severely emotionally or behaviorally disturbed, including:
"We work at the grassroots level," Rinkin says. "We get out into the communities and begin support groups for families. We let them decide how often they will meet, and what their needs are. It only takes two family members to form a support group. We can build from there." For additional information, contact Judy Rinkin, -Tony Kneidek
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Date of Last Update: 9/28/01 
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SALEM, Oregon-Judy Rin kin's office speaks of her passion. Posters that adorn the walls in her cramped quarters on the grounds of the Oregon State Mental Hospital proclaim: "One Youth at a Time," and "Putting Our Voices Together
for Children."
hen Rinkin sought services for her troubled son, she found there was little available other than institutional care. Her son now lives independently and attends Linn-Benton Community College, his disorder generally under control through medication.
Examine and prioritize goals: Know what you want to achieve, and know your child's needs.
