- Family Link Program (PLP)
Family Link Program is a program focusing on connecting Black families to resources so that they continue to engage and build strong bonds by connecting them with other families who have the same living experiences, have access to services, and are matched with cultural brokers who speak the families’ language (s). The cultural brokers are culturally responsive, provide one-on-one direct support, system navigation, advocacy and sharing resources. This process increases the strength and resilience of our families, embracing and valuing their perspectives. 0-life children, self-advocate, families.
Family Service Navigators will be the main point of contact for our families
Our priority is to provide Black families with disabilities with quality services despite racial disparities they face everyday in any of the following areas: 0-life children, self-advocate, families.
- Home Visiting
- Birth-to Three Services
- Child Finds
- Special Education (IEP & 504)
- IEP & transition Planning (beginning at least by age 16yrs)
- Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)
- Social Security benefits (SSI)
- Medical supplies
- ABA
- Life after high school & employment
- Housing
- School 2 Work
- DVR
- Technology
- Support Groups
- Outpatient Therapy (OT, SLP etc)
- Mental Health services
- Community activities
There are separate groups for:
- Fathers (Engaging our Black Fathers)
- Mothers
A support group for parents of loved ones with disabilities or special healthcare needs is a great place to get positive tips, resources, and be with other parents who may be going through similar situations. It is important to recognize that often families dealing with a myriad of concerns and stressful situations could benefit from direct support to help address their needs. Parent support groups provide a space and time for parents to focus on what’s happening with their child's needs and also focus on self-care.
Multicultural Autism Group
- What is Autism?
- Diagnostic Process
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Assistive Technology
- Support Group
- Ben’s Fund (https://www.featwa.org/bens-fund.htm)
Early Learning Program (Inclusion Works)
- Child care Resources and Referral
- Early Intervention
- Home Visiting
- Ages Three To Five
- Developmental Screening (Ages and Stages)
- Play and Learning
- Youth & Adult Services
This program provides services to vulnerable adults who are 18 years of age and older, this includes individuals with disabilities and special healthcare needs. We help them connect to services such as SSI, DDA, housing, food stamps (SNAP food benefits) and medical supplies.
Health Wellness
People with disabilities need health care and health programs for the same reasons anyone else does—to stay well, active, and a part of the community.
Having a disability does not mean a person is not healthy or they cannot be healthy. Being healthy means the same thing for all of us—getting and staying well so we can lead full, active lives. That means having the tools and information to make healthy choices and knowing how to prevent illness.
Employment Services
Connect with vocational counseling rehabilitation services, school-to-work transition services and employment agencies to assist in obtaining successful employment outcomes for people with disabilities and their employers.
Independent Living
Independent living means that a person lives in his or her own apartment or house and needs limited or no help from outside agencies. The person may not need any assistance or might need help with only complex issues such as managing money, rather than day-to-day living skills. Whether an adult with disabilities continues to live at home or moves out into the community depends in large part on their ability to manage everyday tasks with little or no help.
- Black Family Engagement
Family engagement is a program that is promoting family involvement to ensure meaningful and successful engagement in all aspects of families lives with loved ones with disabilities and special healthcare needs. We know that these families often require a greater degree of parental involvement and advocacy than their peers without disabilities. We must be intentional in learning about the families and their needs, respect, and honor families existing knowledge, culture, value, and their potential. We will cultivate, sustain active and effective partnerships and collaboration with the community. Family engagement means building relationships with families to support the family’s well-being, develop strong parent-child relationship, learning to self-advocate, understanding caregiver relationships, and involvement in regular two-way communication, and be part of the decision-making. The sense of community comes from focusing on the building of family relationships which is critical for individuals with disabilities and special healthcare needs to continue to contribute to society and not to be isolated.
Approached Areas are:
Education
Community
Employment
Disability Services
Racial disparities
Social justice
Housing
Anti-Blackness
Immigration & Refugee services
Identify barriers and the needs of parents and family members that keep them from participating in their child’s education, especially the economically disadvantaged, disability, limited English proficiency Identify strategies to support successful school and family interactions.
Center the conversation with a self-advocates perspective.
Developing high-quality early care and education etc.
Advocacy
- Early Intervention
- Education
- Employment
- Inclusion
- Housing