activities in arkansas shannon butler, social work trainee partners for inclusive communities (ar)
TRANSCRIPT
Activities in Arkansas
Shannon Butler, Social Work Trainee
Partners for Inclusive Communities (AR)
Role of Religious Organizations
• Spiritual formation and worship
• Social center
• Support network
Reasons Parents Give for Not Participating in Faith-based Groups
• Did not feel welcome• Not sufficiently supported• Too stressed/tired• Didn’t trust staff to care for children• Did not fit in• Concerned about child’s dietary restrictions
Faith-based Groups Respond to Parents’ Needs
• Training for workers• Buddy system - use either adults or peers• Video of child shown during worship service• Class where parents meet next to children with
one-way mirror – parents have religious education class combined with a support group; children are able to participate in class until ready to transition to typical class
Jonathan’s Child classroom
St. Paul United Methodist Church Fall Funky Festival
Searcy, Arkansas
Faith-based Groups Respond to Parents’ Needs
• Special events – Funky Fall Festival• Respite programs
- recruit and train respite providers- reciprocal respite among families- respite night, children stay at house of worship- parent candlelight dinner
• Organized parent support groups• Ministry steering committee
- primarily consisting of parents
UCEDD Responds to Parents’ Needs
• Regional training for religious education workers on strategies for supporting positive behaviors – attended by 100-250 persons in each setting
Evaluation comment, “I could never get my husband to attend any training the school or state offered. He trusts his church enough to come this time.”
UCEDD Responds to Parents’ Needs
• Hosted meetings of parents, leaders of local congregations, and state denominational leaders – represented religious education, worship leaders, mission coordinators, early childhood programs– Information exchange– identifying successful practices and
highlighting congregational efforts– coordinating training events
Contact Information
Shannon Butler, Trainee
[email protected] (until May 2007)
David Deere, Director
• Partners for Inclusive Communities,
Little Rock, AR
501-682-9900