the capital area quarterly€¦ · [email protected]. directors. inclusive education cynthia...

The Capital Area Quarterly Families Helping Families of Greater Baton Rouge

Winter Newsletter—January thru March 2014

The Capital Area Quarterly Families Helping Families of Greater Baton Rouge

Winter Newsletter—January thru March 2014

Plan ahead...celebrate Mardi Gras with us!

Families Helping Families of Greater Baton Rouge will be participating in the Krewe of Orion Mardi Gras Parade February 7th, 2015. Help us out and donate your extra Mardi Gras beads, small plush animals and more to toss during our ride! Drop-off at FHFGBR M-F, 9am—4pm.

With every visit to FHFGBR’s office, don’t forget to enter the drawing for a chance to be FHFGBR’s King and Queen of the float!

Read this newsletter online,

share it with friends or save

the pdf for future reading.

Planning has begun for the 6th Annual Active for Autism Run/Walk & Fun

Fest!

Mark your calendars and

stay on the lookout for

updates on registration and other important

dates!

If you would be interested in volunteering for Active for Autism call the FHFGBR office! We have many areas that can fit your skills and abilities, and will help a great

cause.

The Capital Area Quarterly Page 2 The Capital Area Quarterly

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jamie S. Tindle [email protected]

OFFICE MANAGER Kayley Williams [email protected]

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/MARKETING SPECIALIST

Tyler Trahan [email protected]

CHILDREN’S SPECIAL HEALTH SERVICES Kay Lewis-Caron, CSHS Parent Liaison and Ability Awareness Coordinator [email protected]

INFORMATION, RESOURCE AND REFERRAL Kimberly Brown, Information, Resource and Referral Supervisor & Lending Library Organizer [email protected] Kevira Johnson, Information, Resource and Referral Specialist & Lending Library Organizer [email protected]

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION Cynthia Chesterfield, Program Director [email protected] Kara Shupe, Educational Support Specialist [email protected]

EARLYSTEPS HonaBea Cavalier, Community Outreach Specialist [email protected]

RESOURCE CENTER FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Teresa Wilson, Program Director [email protected] Penni Cedotal, Autism Resource Specialist [email protected]

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRPERSON Tanja Foil

VICE CHAIR Sharon Whitlow

TREASURER Michelle Garbiras

SECRETARY Gay Ellis

DIRECTORS

Upcoming Meetings:

11:30am - 1:00pm @ FHFGBR Office

January 21 & March 18

**Board Meetings are open to the public. Please Join Us! **

Emily Boudreaux Belynda Gauthier

Katrina Coots Thomas Sellers

Carly Dickson Latoya Hawkins

Kathy Edmonston

Sirena Brock

OUR MISSION

To provide the individualized services, information, resources

and support needed to positively enhance the independence,

productivity and integration of persons with disabilities into the

community.

mailto:[email protected]











The Capital Area Quarterly

From the desk of the Executive Director

Page 3 The Capital Area Quarterly

Greetings, Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a most Healthy, Prosperous and Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe this year has passed and we are beginning 2015. If you are anything like me you make a list of things you wish to achieve in the New Year and soon find yourself overwhelmed with all there is to do. Last year, about this time, instead of making my seemingly endless list of things to accomplish, I prioritized just a few and decided to focus only on the first. If or rather WHEN I checked off item 1, only then would I move to number 2. I chose to first focus on services and supports for my Alex as he transitions from high school to employment. As I made this my focus I learned a lot about transition services for individuals with disabilities. Working at Families Helping Families of GBR, I always felt I knew what was available and how to access those services. However, I soon found out, because of frequent changes in services, there was much to learn. During high school we as parents are often taught that the school will support us through this process and there was very little we needed to do until the last year of high school whether you are pursuing higher education or employment or both. I’ve even heard parents say they are not concerned because the school would find our child a job during the final year of high school. This is only partially true. Sometimes our child’s school will assist but the most critical part of this process is that we as family-members must begin this process earlier than the last year of school. If I could turn the clock back a few years, I would have called Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS), http://www.laworks.net/WorkforceDev/LRS/LRS_Main.asp when my son turned 16 to apply for available services. (LRS Services Flyer offered to us by The Advocacy Center by clicking here). Another great resource is The Advocacy Center, http://www.advocacyla.org/, and of course Families Helping Families of GBR, www.fhfgbr.org . Chances are, we as parents have been struggling with varying issues most of our child’s life and are quite simply tired at times. That’s where FHFGBR comes in. We’ve been there or we, like me, are there right now so we get it and want to support families through these processes. We don’t have all the answers but we are determined to go through this journey with you and empower you with the knowledge you need to create the very best outcomes possible for you child. So as we enter into this New Year, I sincerely hope sharing my experience with you will help in some way. Also, in case you’re wondering, I never made it past item 1 on my list. Not only am I okay with that I learned that I was able to focus on something that was most meaningful to me and accomplish it fully, without the pressure. Here’s to a happy, prosperous and joyful New Year!! Cheers!! Jamie Tindle

http://www.laddc.org/files/EmploymentTransitionFlyer12-10-14.pdf

http://www.advocacyla.org/

http://www.fhfgbr.org


For a complete listing of our Lending Library resources, visit our website at http://fhfgbr.org/lending-library/

http://fhfgbr.org/lending-library/


Online Registration: Click here for conference registration

Funding for this workshop is provided by a contract with the Louisiana Department of Education

and funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fhfgbr-conference-2015-tickets-14755266399


Education Station


Helping Hands Support Group!

Coming Soon!

We, in the RCASD program, are excited to announce the beginning of our Helping Hands Support Group! Although the RCASD program is all about Autism, and our initiatives will always be geared towards benefiting those individuals with a diagnosis of Autism, we also support inclusion. Here at Families Helping Families we serve individuals with all disabilities of any age. We realize that although someone may not have a diagnosis of Autism, often times the need for supports and services, as well as the struggles that families are faced with, are often times very similar. So we want to assist anyone we can through their journey, whether it be a journey through Autism or another disability. With that said, a great deal of thought went into

our logo. You will notice there are two hands joined together on the logo. One hand is covered with puzzle pieces which we have used to signify Autism and the RCASD program, the puzzle pieces are in varying colors because Autism occurs with varying degrees of severity. The other hand is a hand without puzzle pieces which represents anyone out there who can benefit from our topics. It is our goal to reach as many individuals and families as we can through our efforts. You will notice that the two hands joined together form the shape of a heart and that represents our inclusive spirit and our love for helping others. Finally we took the word “Helping” from the name “Families Helping Families,” because “helping” is what we are all about here at FHFGBR. It’s who we are, it’s what we do. We would like to thank our very own Tyler Trahan for doing a wonderful job in helping us to create this meaningful logo for our group.

We hope you will be able to join us for our first Support Group meeting in

February 12, 2015 from 11:30am—1pm at FHFGBR.

Watch for more information to come in our e-blasts and Facebook updates!


Louisiana Medicaid

Programs


To apply for

Medicaid:

www.medicaid.la.gov

http://www.dhh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/237


www.healthcare.gov

www.adminlaw.state.la.us

https://www.healthcare.gov/subscribe/?utm_medium=paid_search

http://www.adminlaw.state.la.us/


WHY DONATE TO FAMILIES HELPING FAMILIES OF GREATER BATON ROUGE? Donations help us provide new & innovative programs that our existing funding sources do not

cover. With constant budget cuts FHFGBR contracts are in jeopardy of being reduced.

WHERE DO YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS GO? To fulfill our mission of providing resources and the integration of person with disabilities. Donations support program events such as our Sunshine Socials, Annual Thanksgiving Celebra-

tions and more.

Click the “Donate Now” button on our website at www.fhfgbr.org or call our office to donate. Every amount is big to us & helps us to fulfill our mission and make a difference in promoting

inclusion.

Click here for the Q & A Article

Q & A: ADA + FMLA = Job Protections for Parents


http://www.pacer.org/parent/php/PHP-c51h.pdf


Thank you to all those who feasted, volunteered, or donated to our 8th Annual Thanksgiving Feast.


Sensory Santa 2014 We, at FHF, feel so honored to have been able to serve our families in such a way that

brought joy to so many.

We could not have made this happen without our partners, Marcia Purnell and the staff at

The Mall of Cortana, who provided the space, arranged for Santa to be there, and who

provided a lot of behind the scenes assistance. We would also like to thank Kim Hoss,

Nicole Henderson and the rest of the staff at

Worldwide Photography for the beautiful 5x7

portraits that were a gift to each family.

Thank you to Healthy Smiles who donated

toothbrushes to our families to help keep all of

those smiles bright!

Our event would not have been as festive had it not been for the

generosity of our friends Sarah Harrison and Faimutz from Macy’s who

happily loaned us decorations that were used in our registration and

activities area. Pat Theriot from Sears contributed and made it even more enjoyable with the loan of a 50”

Television and DVD player so the children could watch Christmas stories while they waited to visit with Santa.

Several area businesses, service providers, and organizations turned out to help ensure that all went smoothly and

the children stayed actively engaged in fun activities like throwing light up snowballs, making ornaments, decorating

stockings, playing in sensory boxes, and even playing in the home made snow!! We would like to thank AMC

Theatres, AmeriHealth of Caritas, BIG, C.A.R.D., Community Empowerment Services, Family Road, McMain’s,

Moreau Therapy and The ARC for their individual contributions! AmeriGroup Solutions provided backpacks to the

families so they could load up all of their Christmas creations.

United Way and Autism Awareness at LSU both provided volunteers to assist with the event and of course several

of our own FHF staff as well as our own family members and friends were on hand to help make our event a

successful one for the families.

Last but not least, thanks to the folks at the North Pole for allowing Santa some time

away so he could come out and visit with the children and thank you Santa for

spreading the cheer!!

“Getting a great picture with Santa can sometimes be difficult and stressful after long wait

times and all the normal mall traffic. We feel blessed to be involved with Families Helping

Families and their Sensory Santa activities each year. It's wonderful for the kids to be able to

play and do crafts in an environment that is both friendly and understanding of our special

needs children. The added bonus of receiving a number to eliminate lines all together and the

"elf" to help get us to Santa on time just put it over the top!

- Rachael Braud”


Thank you to “Christmas for Challenged Children” for

coordinating all the Christmas gifts that will be given to

families with children with disabilities! There will be many

happy faces Christmas morning!!

Christmas for

Challenged Children

RHYTHMATAZ

Rhythmataz started in October and wrapped up on De-

cember 6th with the recital being held at LSU. The kids

seemed to have a blast and everyone appreciated Ms.

Mary Malloy our instructor who worked to really make

it so much fun for our families! The young hearts who

participated did such a wonderful job and they worked

so hard in preparation of the recital. They performed

two songs during the recital….Happy and Jingle Bells and

they received a standing ovation! Thanks to Ms. Mary,

the families, support workers and all of our FHF staff

who participated and helped to make this a wonderful

experience for the kids.


What is the EarlySteps Program? Earlysteps is Louisiana’s Early Intervention System for children with disabilities and developmental delays ages birth to three and their families. By providing resources and support during those critical years, Earlysteps helps children get off to a great start. Who is eligible? Children with medical conditions likely to cause disability or developmental delay , or with delays in the following areas, may be eligible: physical development, cognitive development, social and emotional development, adaptive development and/or communication.

We would like to invite you to our RICC and SICC meetings. State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) The mission of the SICC is to work in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, in an advisory capacity, to design and oversee the implementation of a family-centered, community-based, comprehensive, interagency service delivery system for infants and toddlers (birth through two) who are eligible for Part C services, and their families. The SICC meets quarterly on the second Wednesday of the month. All meetings are open to the public and held in accordance with the Louisiana Open Meeting Laws. The Next Meeting will be held on January 14, 2015, 1pm to 3pm in the Claiborne Building at 1201 North Third Street in the LA Purchase Room. Parking is available in front. Regional Interagency Coordinating Council (RICC) The Regional Interagency Coordinating Council (RICC) is an essential component of the Part C early intervention system at the local level. The group’s membership includes family members of children with disabilities, as well as service providers,

community leaders, and agency representatives. The RICC meets quarterly on the last Thursday of September, and the second Thursday in December. All meetings are open to the public and are held in accordance with the Louisiana Open Meeting Laws. The next RICC meeting is March 26, 2015, 1pm to 3pm at the Capital Area Human Services District Building. 4615 Government St. Building 2 Rm 200A. Questions? Contact HonaBea Cavalier, Community Outreach Specialist, at 225-216-7474 or [email protected]

Early Steps

If you know of a child that would benefit from receiving services from EarlySteps please call 225-925-2426. It’s never too soon to ask questions about your baby’s development.

Anyone can refer a child to EarlySteps

Audiology Speech-Language Therapy Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy

Special Instruction Assistive Technology Service Coordination Nutrition services

Services Provided by Early Steps:

Health Services Nursing Services Vision Services Medical Evaluations

Family Training Transportation Psychological Services Social Work services

Earlysteps is currently recruiting Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Sing Language Interpreters. For more information, contact Valencia Allen at [email protected] or 225-925-7090.


mailto:[email protected]?subject=Earlysteps%20Openings,%20as%20listed%20in%20FHFGBR%20Newsletter


Social Security Advocate Group – America’s Disability advocates, guiding claimants towards disability benefits by assisting them through the disability process. Helping inform its readers with disability re-sources and their disability guide.

Currently we are mostly a digital organization and are in the process of creating brochures and flyers. However, we do have myself and an in-house content writer who manages our website's content and disability blog and we would like to extent an article for you on your website about autism and disability if you are interested.

Social Security Advocate Group

Social Security Advocate Group Website

http://socialsecurityadvocategroup.com/


http://socialsecurityadvocategroup.com/disability-guide/



Date and Time Event Location Monday, December 2—Sunday, January 4 FHFGBR Office Closed

Tuesday, January 13 9:00am—11:00am

Legislative Roundtables American Red Cross 4655 Sherwood Common Blvd. 70816

Tuesday, January 13 5:30pm

2015 Active for Autism Planning Committee Meeting

FHFGBR 2356 Drusilla Lane

Thursday, January 15 8:30am—2:00pm

Parent Education Conference Instructional Resource Center 10225 Foster Dr. 70806

Tuesday, January 20 10:00am—12:00pm

Cyber Bullying Workshop FHFGBR 2356 Drusilla Lane 70809

Wednesday, January 21 11:30am—1:00pm

Board of Directors Meeting FHFGBR 2356 Drusilla Lane 70809

Thursday, January 22 10:ooam—11:30am

Get Familiar with Disabilities Waiver Workshop

Pointe Coupee School Board 337 Napoleon St. 70760

Tuesday, January 27 8:30am—10:00am

Java with Jamie FHFGBR 2356 Drusilla Lane 70809

Thursday, January 29 10:00am—12:00pm

Evaluation Process Workshop FHFGBR 2356 Drusilla Lane 70809

Thursday, January 29 6:00pm—7:00pm

Sensory Integration Strategies for All Ages

Spectrum Fitness 1326 Church St., 70791

Thursday, January 29 5:30pm—6:30pm

Art Escape Workshop FHFGBR 2356 Drusilla Lane 70809

Tuesday, February 10 11:30am


FHFGBR 2356 Drusilla Lane

Wednesday, February 11 10:00am—12:00pm

Act 833 Workshop WBR Parish Health Unit 685 Louisiana St. 70767

Tuesday, February 17 8:30am—10:00am


Tuesday, February 24 5:30pm


FHFGBR 2356 Drusilla Lane 70809

Tuesday, March 10 11:30am



Tuesday, March 17 8:30am—10:00am


FHFGBR WINTER CALENDAR

http://fhfgbr.org/event/legislative-roundtables/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/active-for-autism-committee-meeting/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/active-for-autism-committee-meeting/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/sde-parent-education-conference/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/cyber-bullying-workshop/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/board-of-directors-meeting/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/get-familiar-with-disabilities-waiver-workshop/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/get-familiar-with-disabilities-waiver-workshop/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/java-with-jamie-4/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/sde-evaluation-process-workshop/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/sensory-integration-strategies-for-all-ages-workshop/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/sensory-integration-strategies-for-all-ages-workshop/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/art-escape-workshop/

http://fhfgbr.org/event/active-for-autism-committee-meeting-2/


http://fhfgbr.org/event/act-833-workshop/








Date and Time Event Location Wednesday, March 18 11:30am—1:00pm

Board of Directors Meeting FHFGBR 2356 Drusilla Lane 70809

Tuesday, March 24 5:30pm



Wednesday, March 25 10:00am—12:00pm

LATAN Workshop FHFGBR 2356 Drusilla Lane 70809

You can see these and all of our upcoming events on our

FHFGBR Event Calendar on our website!

Interested in Volunteering?

We are always looking for people to come and donate

their time to help give back to the community!

We will especially be looking for volunteers for our up-

coming 6th Annual Active for Autism Walk/Run and

Fun Fest. With crowds of approximately 6,000, we will

be gracious for ALL help we can get.

Everyone has something they can offer to FHFGBR!

To volunteer, please go to fhfgbr.org/volunteers and fill

out our online application, or call our office

@ 225-216-7474.

http://fhfgbr.org/event/board-of-directors-meeting-2/



http://fhfgbr.org/event/latan-workshop/

http://fhfgbr.org/events/

http://fhfgbr.org/volunteers/

HOLIDAY CLOSURES

In celebration and observance of the holidays this winter and

early spring, the staff at Families Helping Families of Greater

Baton Rouge will be at home with their families and our office

will be closed on the following days…

12/22 thru 1/4 Christmas & New Year’s

Holidays

1/19 Martin Luther King Day

3/16 thru 3/17 Mardi Gras

“It’s who we are. It’s what we do.”

2356 Drusilla Lane Baton Rouge | LA | 70809

225-216-7474

FHFGBR receives partial funding from the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council, Capital Area

Human Services District, Louisiana Department of Education and the Louisiana Department of Health and

Hospitals as well as generous donations from families and our community.

FHFGBR does not endorse or promote any legislation, institutions, individuals or methods of treatment or

therapy.

DONATE NOW @ www.fhfgbr.org


the capital area quarterly€¦ · [email protected]. directors. inclusive education cynthia...

Documents