Lifegiving Integrated Network of Key Supports (LINKS)

LINKS2025-08-19T13:02:57-07:00

Empowering youth and families through connection, care, and community.

About

What is LINKS?

LINKS stands for Lifegiving Integrated Network of Key Supports. It’s a project that helps kids, teens, and young adults (from birth to age 21) who are dealing with—or at risk of—serious emotional or mental health challenges and their families. Serving six counties, LINKS works to make sure every young person has access to the care, support, and opportunities they need to grow, learn, and succeed.

How LINKS Works

LINKS uses something called the System of Care approach. That means different people and organizations work together as a team to help children and families. The care is:

  • Guided by youth – young people have a voice
  • Driven by families – families are involved in decisions
  • Culturally respectful – support is tailored to each family’s background
  • Personalized – services are matched to each child’s needs

Everyone works together so families feel supported, understood, and included.

LINKS has Three Main Goals

  1. Build a strong and lasting system of care across the region
  2. Make it easier to get mental health services, education, and peer support
  3. Reduce unfair differences in access to care, especially in communities that don’t get enough support

To reach these goals, LINKS brings people and groups together to:

  • Improve how families are referred to the right help
  • Offer classes and workshops about mental health
  • Expand peer support programs for youth and families
  • Reach out to communities that have had trouble getting services in the past
ESD112 Links

Behavioral Health Access Survey

Help us understand how youth and families in SW Washington feel about navigating the behavioral health system by completing a short 2-minute survey.

Complete Survey

LINKS Program Funding

Funding for the LINKS project comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) through the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED) program.

Services

Services

Support for Parents & Caregivers

LINKS teams up with community groups to offer free trainings and workshops. These help parents, caregivers, and community members better understand how to support children and teens—whether they’re dealing with everyday struggles or more serious issues like behavior problems, school difficulties, or mental health needs.

Current Programs

Click on the toggle below to learn more:

What is Loving Solutions?
Loving Solutions is a class for parents of kids ages 5 to 10 who are showing challenging behaviors. Also called Parent Project® Jr., it’s based on the same proven methods as Parent Project® Sr., but made for younger children.

The class uses easy-to-follow lessons and group activities in a workbook format to keep things fun and helpful. Families also get “Steps of Success” (S.O.S.) homework to practice what they’ve learned at home.”

Upcoming Loving Solutions Workshop Series for Parents & Families:
Thursday evenings, 9/11/25-10/30/25, offered virtually and in-person in Kalama, WA.

Please contact us for more details and to register.

Parent Project Sr., or Changing Destructive Adolescent Behaviors (CDAB), is an activity-based curriculum based on cooperative learning principles. Parents work in groups to brainstorm, practice applying new ideas, and build support.

Critical Issues Addressed:

  • Arguing and family conflict
  • Childhood trauma
  • Poor school performance
  • Chronic absenteeism and dropouts
  • Negative media influence
  • Early teen sexuality
  • Teen drug use, violence, and bullying
  • Runaways

Session Goals:

  • Minimize family conflict
  • Lower juvenile crime
  • Reduce recurrence of unwanted behaviors
  • Improve school attendance and performance

Upcoming Parent Project Workshop Series for Parents and Caregivers:
Tuesday evenings, 9/16-11/04, offered in-person at the ESD 112 Conference Center in Vancouver, WA.

Please contact us for more details and to register.

Curricula developed by Recovery Alberta/Mental Health Literacy aim to improve mental health literacy with modifications available for teachers, school staff, community members, and families. The duration of the presentations varies but is generally around 1.5-2 hours.

Please visit Mental Health Literacy or contact us for more details.

QPR is an easy-to-follow educational program that teaches participants how to identify a mental health crisis and how to help someone at risk receive the support they need. It also serves as an action plan that can save lives. QPR training sessions typically last 90 minutes.

Please visit QPR Institute or contact us for more details.

Future Offerings

The Strengthening Families Program is a 14-session, evidence-based program that focuses on parenting skills, children’s social development, and family life skills, specifically tailored for high-risk families. Parents and children participate in SFP both separately and together. Group Leader Manuals include a comprehensive lesson plan for each session. Additionally, parents’ and children’s handouts are provided for every session.

Please visit Strengthening Families Program or contact us for more details.

Upcoming Workshops & Events

Loving Solutions

September 11 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Parent Project® at ESD 112

September 16 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Loving Solutions

September 18 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Parent Project® at ESD 112

September 23 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Loving Solutions

September 25 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Resources

Resources

Family Youth System Partner Round Tables

Family Youth System Partner Round Tables (FYSPRTs) are community-based groups composed of youth, families, professionals, and community members committed to improving the system of care that supports youth and families with complex mental health needs. Youth and families are treated as equal partners at the table. The FYSPRT provides a space where you can share your experiences and insights to help develop a higher quality and more accessible system for families using these vital community resources.

To learn more or participate, please visit the following partner websites based on your county location:

Behavioral Health Youth Navigator Program

The Youth Navigator program is a behavioral health care model where we organize MDTs (multidisciplinary team meetings) to connect youth and families with the care and resources they need.

To learn more or participate, please visit the following partner websites based on your county location:

If you are looking for mental health resources in your area, please visit the Behavioral Health Youth Navigator websites above.

Program Contacts

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Upcoming Classes & Events

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ESD 112
ESD 112August 18, 2025 at 1:11pm
We want to take a moment to express our gratitude for the amazing teachers and school staff who have been hard at work getting ready for the new school year, all across the ESD 112 region. They have been preparing classrooms, beautifying school campuses, updating websites, and doing a lot of behind-the-scenes magic. Thank you for all that you do in preparing to welcome students back to schools soon!
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SERVING CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES FOR OVER 50 YEARS

ESD 112 equalizes educational opportunities for learning communities through innovative partnerships, responsive leadership, and exceptional programs.

Contact ESD 112

2500 NE 65th Avenue
Vancouver, WA 98661

Call: (360) 750–7500
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ESD 112 acknowledges and honors the traditional lands of the Cowlitz and Chinook Tribes, Lower Columbia Peoples, Shoalwater Bay Tribe and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, on which our school districts reside in what is now Southwest Washington. We pay respect to the elders and caretakers that have stewarded these lands throughout generations and that are still here today.

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Related Programs

REACH K-12 Program

Education Advocate Program

Open Doors Program

Student Assistance Program

Community-Based Prevention

Attendance & Reengagement Program

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