What should I do if I don't know who "my person is" or who to contact if my Head of Family is non-responsive?

Relationships are messy.  Working through the mess strengthens relationships. The suggestions below for these common scenarios come from young people and volunteers within Thread. 

Example:

You might become discouraged or frustrated because you are not sure who you can turn to for support. You may feel like taking a step back from Thread, but know that’s not the answer. The Thread Family may no longer work together cohesively if the communication between Family Member and Head of Family is not strong, and young person may be negatively affected - what can you do next?

Potential Cause 1:

There was a miscommunication and/or you may not be sure of all of the members in your Thread Family who you can also turn to for support.

Try This:

• Check the Thread App in your Thread Family group to see the people (and their contact info) who are in assigned to your Thread Family.
• Speak up if there are concerns with communication (share with your GrandParent, Community Manager, etc.); the quicker something is said, the quicker action can be taken.
• Start with your coach and work your way through key relationships (Head of Family, GrandParent, Community Manager). 

Why?

We should remember that a key component of learning from all voices is embracing the norm of listening to all voices while letting our voices be heard. By speaking up when there is a challenge or concern, you may bring a perspective or a solution to the issue that was missing otherwise.

Potential Cause 2:

Head of Family is not responsive for a long period of time to you or any Family Members. 

Try This:

• Practice the 3x3 Method: 3 calls, 3 texts, 3 emails, etc. at 3 different times. If you don’t hear anything at the end of the plan, talk to your GrandParent about the next steps.  

Why?

A big part of learning from all voices is that you start with the assumption that people have the best intentions.  Until you connect with the Family Member/Head of Family, you won’t have the facts as to what may be happening to cause the unresponsiveness. You also agreed to show all the way up - so keep trying and patiently find other ways to connect.