Featured program for February newsletter: CYACC

We have been introducing the health information specialists (HIS) and family leadership specialists (FLS) for the family to family health information center at Family Voices Indiana over the past few newsletters. This newsletter wraps up our introductions. For future reference, these biographies are included on our website. Every contractor at our center is a parent of a child(ren) with special healthcare needs and/or disabilities. We have personal experience navigating the systems and services in Indiana. We look forward to learning more about your families.

Brian Replogle is one of the FLS in the South Bend-Elkhart area. He feels that advocating for special needs found him when his nephew suffered a traumatic brain injury and took Brian down a road often traveled alone.

Brian is an adoptive-father to Austin. Austin has a Traumatic Brain Injury, the result of being a Shaken Baby at 2-1/2 years old. Brian has always had passion to help others; having Austin in his life has given direction and substance to the community work Brian has undertaken. Brian is actively involved in both Child Abuse Prevention advocacy and disability advocacy. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for Child and Parent Services (CAPS) of Elkhart County, and previously held board of directors positions with INSOURCE and The Elkhart Child Development Center, an inclusive childcare center. Brian previously was a Family Advocate with The Arc of Indiana, is a 2007 graduate of the Partners in Policymaking program of the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, and is a career firefighter with the South Bend Fire Dept. Brian has organized several parent support groups. He has been a candidate for local school board trustee, a parent member of the Title I Parent Involvement Task Force for Elkhart Schools, and was a CARES Mentor.

Brian looks forward to talking with and helping families navigate the often confusing and complicating world of disability needs and services.

Cristy James is a busy mom and an active member of the disability community. Cristy is currently contracted as the Electronic Communications Specialist for Family Voices Indiana. This comes with the responsibility to provide organized, reliable and timely communications for the families and professionals we support - via whatever means they find useful, including a website, blog, email, facebook and twitter.

She has served as the Hendricks County point of contact for Indiana’s Family to Family and leader of Better Than Ordinary, a support group for families of children with disabilities. She currently volunteers within the Avon Community School System, at Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding Center, for Special Olympics Indiana, for Best Buddies Indiana, and in various capacities at Plainfield United Methodist Church.

Cristy resides in Avon, IN with her husband and their two children. It is from her experiences as a mom of special needs children and interactions with other parents that she draws her wealth of knowledge and a desire to help the disability community.

Transition:

We get many calls from families with young adults who are transitioning to adulthood. One of the resources we often connect those families to is CYACC: Center for Youth and Adults with Conditions of Childhood

by Cyndi Johnson, health information specialist

CYACC: What is it?

The CYACC is a program of IU Health that seeks to steer youth with special health care needs toward a successful adult life. The CYACC team consists of physicians, nurses, a social worker, and other staff—many of whom have personal experience in the management of chronic conditions and developmental delay—to support the transition to adulthood.

What does CYACC do?

The Center for Youth and Adults with Conditions of Childhood (CYACC) provides interdisciplinary consultation and coordination of care for two populations:

· Y Youth ages 11-22 with special needs (chronic conditions, developmental delay, physical disabilities) as they prepare for the transition to adult life

· AAdults with specific needs due to their childhood illnesses or developmental disabilities

CYACC targets twelve focus areas:

· HHealth Care Financing

· MMedical Home/Primary Care And Subspecialty Care

· CCommunity Care Coordination

· EEducation And Employment

· FFammily/Caregiver Support

· TTransportation

· BBehavior/Mental Health

· HHealth Habits

· SSelf Management/Self Care

· RRecreation/Social Activity

· IIIndependent Living

· DDecision-Making/Legal

How do I contact CYACC?

To make an appointment with the Center for Youth and Adults with Conditions of Childhood please contact us at the number below. You may also contact us through email.

Phone 317.948.0061 or 1-866-551-0093
Email cyacc@iupui.edu

Wishard Primary Care Center, 1st Floor
1002 Wishard Blvd, Indianapolis 46202

CYACC and partnering organizations are in the process of creating a resource for youth transitioning into adulthood. At this time they are looking for input on what areas are

important and should be included. If you would be interested in providing feedback around the creation of a transition to adulthood resource, please take a few

minutes to take a short survey. Please note that this will be a resource for both the parents as well as the youth that is transitioning.

You can take the survey online by clicking here.

--

We invite you to sign up for our monthly newsletter here.