About Us

Support | Education | Advocacy

OUR MISSION: Through peer-to-peer support, education, and advocacy, we partner with families of children with behavioral health needs to improve their quality of life.

OUR VISION: Families will be empowered, respected, valued, and encouraged by an accepting community and responsive providers and child-serving systems.

OUR VALUES:

Family Voice: We believe that families are best equipped to advocate for themselves, set their own goals and priorities, and make decisions about their families.

Natural Supports: We believe that families are most successful when they connect with those who have lived experience and extended family and friends.

Strengths-Based Approach: We believe that all families have strengths and assets to be acknowledged and built upon.

Collaboration: We believe that teams of families, natural supports, and service providers can work together collaboratively to meet individual needs.

Persistence: We believe that every family deserves our attention as long as they continue to need and desire our help.

Individualized Attention: We believe that every family is uniquely different and should be treated with empathy.

Family Run Organization

Allegheny Family Network is a “Family Run” non-profit organization serving Allegheny County.

As a “Family Run” organization AFN is staffed by family members (parents or caregivers) with lived experience who have raised or are raising a child with mental health or emotional needs.

Fifty one percent of our Board of Directors are Family Members, one hundred percent of our Parent Advisory Board are Family Members, and all of the staff from the Chief Executive Officer to the direct support staff are Family Members.

EXECUTIVE TEAM

AFN’s Executive Team provides strategic leadership and vision to ensure the organization remains responsive to the needs of families. Guided by AFN’s family-driven, peer-led values, they work to strengthen programs, partnerships, and advocacy efforts so that families navigating behavioral and mental health systems have the support they deserve.

John Eliyas

Chief Executive Oficer

Jessica Judy

Chief Services Officer

Darcel Madkins

Human Resource Director

Christina Paternoster

AFN Statewide Director

Misty Woody

Chief Development and Strategy Officer

PARENT ADVISORY BOARD

Allegheny Family Network's Parent/Caregiver Advisory Board provides unique insights and understanding that can illuminate the complex situations faced by parents raising children with emotional and behavioral challenges.

The board is responsible for providing recommended guidance on the organization's strategic direction and encouraging meaningful engagement with parents. This includes setting goals, assisting with policy development, giving parent/caregiver-centered feedback, and ensuring that the needs and concerns of parents/caregivers are actively considered in the organization's decision-making processes.

Debbie Allen

Jean Ericsson
Coordinator

Marnie Gregory

Duprene Johnson

Cindy Kenney

Shaina Little

Melissa Schuetz

Beth Steck

Margie Williams

LEADERSHIP TEAM

AFN’s Leadership Team is made up of peers with lived experience navigating children’s behavioral and mental health systems. Their firsthand understanding guides our mission, ensuring families receive support that is compassionate, practical, and grounded in real life.

Alexis Accorsi

Services Supervisor

Jason Booker

Services Supervisor

Roman Barker

Services Supervisor

Jean Ericsson

Administrative Supervisor

Indea Hamlin

Services Supervisor

Tammy Harper

Services Supervisor

Christine Snyder

Database Supervisor

Stephanie Tecza

Education Navigator

Marcus Williams

Services Supervisor

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AFN’s Board of Directors provides governance and strategic leadership to support our mission. In alignment with our family-driven values, at least 51% of board members are family members who bring lived experience and a deep understanding of the challenges families face.