This final report discusses the outcomes of the Family Connections Research and Demonstration Project, a project funded by the Oregon Center for Mental Health Services to study the effectiveness of an intervention designed to address the major problems related to services initiation and continuance within the children's mental health system. The intervention was delivered by Family Associates, parents without mental health training who acted as a system guide to low-income families whose children had been referred to mental health services through the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program. The family associate provided emotional support, information about mental health services and community resources, and direct assistance such as help with transportation and child care. A comparison of 96 families from intervention counties and 143 families from comparison counties indicated that families in the intervention group were significantly more likely to initiate children's mental health services than were those in the comparison group, that they reported higher levels of empowerment, and greater positive change in family well-being during the time they worked with the Family Associate. Appendices include relevant forms, interviews, and questionnaires. (Contains 105 references.) (CR)