Don't forget that the 6th Annual Heart and Hope Statewide Family Conference is being held on Saturday, August 25, 2012, at Dunedin Highland Middle School in

Pinellas County.

This is a free full day event designed to help bring individuals who are at risk, families who have children with disabilities, and the professionals who serve them awareness in regard to their options and rights that are available to them within the school system and beyond.

Free breakfast, lunch and childcare will be provided. One-on-one assistance will be available at our IEP clinic.

Visit http://www.fndusa.org/programs/heart-and-hope.aspx for more information and to register.

FND is proud to announce the FND University. FND University is a 24 hour, online distance learning system that will allow you to take a variety of trainings from the comfort of your own home. This fully interactive training platform will also enable you to keep a transcript of all of your courses and receive a certificate of completion as each one is completed. Trainings include topics such as: Understanding IDEA, Parental engagement, effective communication, conflict resolution, and more. To enroll in the FND University click here. FND University

The Parents of the Panhandle Information Network is currently seeking 1 part-time/20 hours per week, , Parent Resource Specialist. This position will cover the following counties: Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor, Madison, Lafayette, and Dixie.  

A Parent Resource Specialist offers training and assistance to parents, professionals, and self advocates on the educational system as it relates to IDEA. Interested candidates must have a firm understanding of IDEA, strong computer skills, the ability to work from home with full internet access, live within the area they will be serving, and have a strong desire to help families who have children with disabilities.    

Send resumes to: employment@fndusa.org

Please be sure to include the title and location of the position you are applying for in the subject line.

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Calling all self-advocates! 

Are you a young adult with disabilities who has gone through the transition process while in school? 

Would like to help others in developing their self-advocacy skills and self-confidence for that process?   

If you answer yes, then we have the job for you!    

The Parents of the Panhandle Information Network Program (POPIN) is currently seeking a 20 hour per week Youth Mentor to provide training and assistance to other young adults with disabilities on self-determination and self-advocacy. This position involves public speaking and requires some light travel. Applicants must live within the region they serve, have basic computer knowledge, and have access to the internet. This region includes all of the counties within the Panhandle of Florida from Escambia to Alachua.

and  

The Parent Education Network Program (PEN) and the Family Support, Training, Awareness, and Resources Program (Family STAR) are currently seeking a combined 30 hour per week Youth Mentor to provide training and assistance to other young adults with disabilities on self-determination and self-advocacy. This position involves public speaking and requires some light travel. Applicants must live within the region they serve, have basic computer knowledge, and have access to the internet. This region includes the following counties: Lee, Collier, Hendry, Glades, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Monroe, and Miami-Dade.    

For more information, please contact Tara Bremer at 800-825-5736 or email your resume to: employment@fndusa.org

Please be sure to include the title and location of the position you are applying for in the subject line. 

FND is Awarded Family to Family Health Information Center Grant

We are happy to announce that we have been awarded the Family to Family Health Information Center grant for children and youth with special health care needs and their families. The award was made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.

The grant to serve families across Florida begins June 1 of this year. FND will provide information and support to families on various topics regarding the needs of children and youth with special health care needs. More announcements about services, workshops, and events will be released soon.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Family Network on Disabilities (FND) is happy to announce that their Transition, Independent Living, Employment, and Support (TILES) Program has been awarded the Annual Award for Excellence in Transition-focused Parent Training from PACER Center’s TATRA (Technical Assistance on Transition and the Rehabilitation Act) Project.  This annual award identifies and highlights promising transition tools for students with disabilities.

Project Director, Tara Bremer, Training Coordinator, Amber Dame, and Youth Mentor, Randall Kleinheinz, were presented with the award this morning at the 5^th Annual Secondary Transition State Planning Institute for the newly-developed Road to Successful Transition Workshop.  This is a six-module lesson plan to help with transition planning and self-advocacy.

The Road to Successful Transition Workshop is a key component in FND’s new statewide Youth Advocacy and Action Project of FND.  This project is aimed at developing advocacy and leadership skills among youth with disabilities to help them improve their lives and their communities.  The project will provide training in advocacy to youth with disabilities, who then put those skills into practice by advocating for themselves and for improvement in their communities.

In addition to in-person training sessions, The Road to Successful Transition Workshop will be made available through webinars, archived presentations on our website, through FND University (an e-learning platform which will be launched later this summer), and distributed on CD’s.

Family Network on Disabilities is a national network of individuals of all ages who may be at-risk, have disabilities, or have special needs and their families, professionals, and concerned citizens.  The mission of Family Network on Disabilities is to ensure through collaboration that individuals have full access to family-driven support, education, information, resources, and advocacy and to serve families of children with disabilities.For more information about Family Network on Disabilities, please visit www.fndusa.org or contact (800) 825-5736.

May 17, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dunedin, Florida – Family Network on Disabilities (FND) is happy to announce that it has been awarded the Family to Family Health Information Center grant for children and youth with special health care needs (CSHCN) and their families.  The award was made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.

Jennifer Morgan Byrd, FND’s President of the Board of Directors, said:  “We are honored by this grant award.  We look forward to working with families of children and youth with special health care needs across the state.  Now more than ever, our families need the support and information that is the focus of this grant.”

The grant to serve families across Florida begins June 1 of this year.  FND will provide information and support to families on various topics regarding the needs of children and youth with special health care needs.  More announcements about services, workshops, and events will be released soon.

Richard La Belle, FND’s Executive Director, said:  “We are humbled by this award.  Peer to peer support and providing information to families in need is what FND is all about.  I will never forget the powerful impact in my family’s life when my wife and I found someone who understood what we were going through and who was offering us a hand to hold through the maze.  That is what we will continue to pay forward in helping other families across Florida through this grant.”

More information about the Family To Family Health Information Center grant can be obtained from the FND Central office, 2196 Main Street, Suite K, Dunedin, FL, 34698, (727) 523-1130, or from Richard La Belle, who can be reached directly at the FND number and at richlabelle@fndusa.org.

For more information, please contact:

Richard La Belle, Executive Director

Family Network on Disabilities

2196 Main Street, Suite K

Dunedin, FL 34698

Tel: 727 523 1130

Fax: 727 523 8687richlabelle@fndusa.org

www.fndusa.org

Mothers Against Brain Injury, Inc.

In the last issue of News from the Heart we introduced to you an organization called Mothers Against Brain Injury, Inc. Mothers Against Brain Injury (MABII) is the recipient of The Allstate Foundation's Teen Safe Driver Grant for the 4^th year in a row. MABII's Executive Director, Tracy Porter, has reached out to high schools throughout Duval, St. Johns, Nassau and Clay Counties to create powerful PSA's focused on the hazards of unsafe teen driving practices (like texting while driving).

A panel of teenagers has narrowed the contest down to 4 finalists and those PSA's can be voted on by the public at www.firstcoastteens.com from April 25 until May 5. The winner will be decided by the most number of votes and the prizes will be awarded live on First Coast News Good Morning Jacksonville on Saturday, May 7.

Please visit the site, watch the videos, and cast your vote for the PSA that moves you the most. (Warning - you may need a box of tissues.)

William J. Rish Recreational Park

William J. (Billy Joe) Rish Recreational Park is located on the St. Joseph Peninsula near Port St. Joe and Cape San Blas in northwest Florida. It is 100 beautiful acres and is accessible for persons with disabilities. Rish Park is open year round. Special ramps provide beach access on the Gulf of Mexico and newly renovated boardwalks connect all of the cabins to the beach, event hall, and pool. Even the swimming pool is wheelchair accessible.

The entry fee is $5 per day per person. Reservations are not required for day visits, but it is best to call ahead of time to make sure the park is not filled to capacity.

Eight cabins are available for overnight stays for individuals, families, and large groups.Only Florida residents with disabilities may rent cottages or use the park facilities.  Family members, guardians, or caregivers are welcome as well. Advance registration is required for overnight stays.

Children's Week

We had a good turn-out at our Children's Week Event held in Dunedin last weekend. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success:

Angelo's Pizza, Winn-Dixie, Target, Boy Scouts of America, Gymboree, The Dunedin Public Library, Art from the Heart Café, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Dunedin Parks & Recreation, Dunedin Blue Jays, Clearwater Threshers.

Staff will be participating in Children's Week activities at the State Capitol April 3-9.

The Youth Advocacy and Action Project of FND

With the help of generous funding from the Starbucks Foundation, Family Network on Disabilities (FND) is very happy to announce the launch of a new statewide project called The Youth Advocacy and Action Project of FND.

This project is aimed at developing advocacy and leadership skills among youth with disabilities to help them improve their lives and their communities. The project will provide training in advocacy to youth with disabilities, who then put those skills into practice by advocating for themselves and for improvement in their communities.

In addition to the monetary help provided by the Starbucks Foundation, FND will be partnering with Starbucks employees to assist the project's "graduates" in choosing and participating in an activity or project that will benefit and improve their community.

By motivating youth to action, we hope to inspire a generation to take responsibility for their communities. The ultimate goal of this project is to leave in place a well trained, confident group of youths with disabilities who will be able to advocate for themselves - to improve their own lives - as well as their communities.

Family Network on Disabilities (FND) was founded in 1985 by a group of parents of persons with disabilities who came together for mutual support and information-sharing. FND is a grassroots organization for persons with disabilities and their families that is family-centered and family-driven.

The mission of Family Network on Disabilities is to ensure through collaboration that individuals have full access to family-driven support, education, information, resources, and advocacy. FND serves all persons with all disabilities and believes that everyone has intrinsic value and the inherent right to: respect, independence, knowledge, freedom of choice, inclusion, quality of life, success, and equality.

FND Announces Youth Leadership Program 

With the help of generous funding from the Starbucks Foundation, Family Network on Disabilities (FND) is very happy to announce the launch of a new statewide project called The Youth Advocacy and Action Project of FND.

This project is aimed at developing advocacy and leadership skills among youth with disabilities to help them improve their lives and their communities.  The project will provide training in advocacy to youth with disabilities, who then put those skills into practice by advocating for themselves and for improvement in their communities.

In addition to the monetary help provided by the Starbucks Foundation, FND will be partnering with Starbucks employees to assist the project’s “graduates” in choosing and participating in an activity or project that will benefit and improve their community.

By motivating youth to action, we hope to inspire a generation to take responsibility for their communities.  The ultimate goal of this project is to leave in place a well trained, confident group of youths with disabilities who will be able to advocate for themselves – to improve their own lives – as well as their communities.

Family Network on Disabilities (FND) was founded in 1985 by a group of parents of persons with disabilities who came together for mutual support and information-sharing.  FND is a grassroots organization for persons with disabilities and their families that is family-centered and family-driven.

The mission of Family Network on Disabilities is to ensure through collaboration that individuals have full access to family-driven support, education, information, resources, and advocacy.  FND serves all persons with all disabilities and believes that everyone has intrinsic value and the inherent right to:  respect, independence, knowledge, freedom of choice, inclusion, quality of life, success, and equality. 

This will be the last weekly edition of News from the Heart. The results of our survey indicated that you would prefer to receive the newsletter monthly

News from the Heart will be sent to you the first each month, beginning April 1. We hope that this format will give you the information that you need in a timely, efficient manner.

Please don't wait for the next survey to let us know what you think. This publication is for your use and we want to provide you with information that you when you need it. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Children's Week

We are very excited about the Children's Week event that is fast approaching on Saturday, March 26 from 11:00am - 2:00pm at The Dunedin Community Center (1920 Pinehurst Road). This is a FREE event celebrating the upcoming Children's Week event in Tallahassee next month. The Dunedin Public Library will be there to conduct storytime (which will also be interpreted in sign language), Art from the Heart Café will have pottery painting, and Phinley of the Clearwater Threshers will make a special appearance at 11:00 am. The Dunedin Blue Jays mascot, D-Jay, heard that Phinley is going to be there and is planning to crash the event too! There will be a free bounce house, free food, and much more!