With virtual schooling and remote work becoming more common, families have been spending more time together at home, and, sometimes, this can cause unintended friction between parents and kids.

It can be simple annoyances like a dad’s regular whistling or a teenager’s heavy footsteps. Or it could be deeper issues that have been bubbling under the surface and have finally boiled over.

Oakland Family Services Specialized Services for Youth, with Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN), created the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) and Teen Advisory Council (TAC). These free support groups have been helping local families for more than a decade by providing ways for parents and teens to:

• Express their concerns

• Learn better communication techniques

• Empower themselves so that they can advocate/speak up for their needs in schools and the community overall

• Form friendships and connections

The PAC and TAC meet together or separately and discuss topics from cultural diversity to mental health awareness. The groups also cover topics specific to parents and teens. For example, teens can participate in mock interviews while parents can learn about creating Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) with their teen’s school.

One of the ways PAC and TAC are different from other support groups is that discussions are organic so that conversations flow naturally amongst the parents and between the teens. The groups are also peer-led with a support partner from Oakland Family Services.

“The PAC and TAC also allow both parents and teens to serve as role models and mentors to their peers,” said Lauren LaFleur, LMSW, outpatient supervisor at Oakland Family Services.

Currently, Oakland Family Services is welcoming new attendees to attend one, some or all sessions. For more information, please call Jennifer Batey, parent support partner, at 248-858-7766. Specialized Services is funded by OCHN.

When

PAC/TAC meetings run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the month:

• June 17

• July 15

• Aug. 19

• Sept. 16

• Oct. 21

• Nov. 18

• Dec. 16

Where

PAC/TAC groups meet virtually on Zoom (Meeting ID: 807-833-7070).