Indiana Family to Family

One of the challenges of raising a child with special health care needs is the fact that you must work with many professionals in your child’s life.  We have some tips/tricks we try to keep in mind when we’re trying to partner with providers:  Develop relationships with professionals even before you need them. Before meetings, write down points to be discussed, questions to be answered, and decisions to be made. Try to create a cohesive, team-like atmosphere when talking with professionals. I have had several experiences with doctors, school staff, etc where I had to work a little harder at this, but more times than not, I gained respect.  I was educated about the issues, and willing to listen to them and provide valuable input. Be sure you are educating yourself on the topic from  reliable  sources. Seek out professionals who demonstrate concern for you and your child. Learn your rights and the rights of your child. This is probably especially true in the special education sy

This is it. The final Open Enrollment deadline to sign up for 2015 coverage is February 15. If people miss that deadline, they will likely have to wait to sign up for coverage until the next Open Enrollment season, with coverage starting in 2016.  As the countdown continues, there’s a role each of us can play to make sure as many Americans as possible have the peace of mind that comes from quality, affordable health insurance. Millions of Americans have already gotten affordable, high quality health coverage through  HealthCare.gov . Make sure your friends and loved ones know they need to enroll by February 15th for 2015 coverage. Share this message to help us spread the word. 

Family Voices share the following information from the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health: It is important to reach out to your elected officials on a consistent basis.  We must make sure they are paying close attention to issues that affect children and youth living with mental health challenges, and their families.   Join us for a free webinar on  Tuesday, February 10th from 1-2pm ET  as we share tips on Educating Policy Makers.   Webinar Description:  What's advocacy, what's lobbying and what's plain old educating policy makers? This webinar will explain the difference between advocacy and lobbying and provide tips on creating a strategy to educate  state and local policy makers about children's mental health. We all have a role to play when it comes to educating our policy makers.   Presenters:  Sandra Spencer, Joy Spencer  National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health Click Here   to R

Social Security Administration field offices around the country will stay open an extra hour four days a week beginning  March 16, 2015 . Field offices will be open to the public for an hour longer on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.  Click here  for the full announcement.

Family Voices Indiana shares this opportunity to positively impact future nurse practitioners and social workers: Seeking families who are willing to be interviewed by Graduate Students about their experiences raising a child with special health care needs or disabilities. Interviews will take place during the Spring Semester of 2015 at mutually agreed upon times.   Families will receive a $50.00 stipend for their participation. 9 parents for class of MSW Social Work Students: Looking for all kinds of disabilities of any age Preference for in person interviews in Central IN, but could be via phone Interested families should send the following to  ryrodger@iu.edu Adult Name Child Name Child Age Child Diagnosis Phone number to reach adult Email to reach adult Best days and times to reach adult County you live in 

¤ What do you think about current resources and services for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Indiana? ¤ What has worked in supporting families, caregivers, and individuals  with ASD? What has not?  ¤ What changes do you think should be made? This 10-15 min survey is your chance to provide input that will inform changes and the next steps! Survey:  tinyurl.com/autismneeds We seek input from all perspectives: family members, individuals with ASD, medical providers, school personnel, justice system employees, and other community service providers.  Share the link with your friends or colleagues!  Conducted by the HANDS in Autism® Interdisciplinary Training and Resource Center on behalf of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA). Questions about the survey or HANDS in Autism? HANDSinAutism.iupui.edu  |  hands@iupui.edu  |  317.274.2675