Annual Repo rt -...
Transcript of Annual Repo rt -...
Mission
To improve the lives of children with disabilties and specialhealth care needs by providing parents with information,training and support.
Programs and services are offered free of charge, in Englishand Spanish, without regard to the child’s disability,age, fam-ily income, qualifying conditions or other eligibility factors.
Credo of Family Support
We believe that experienced families are a key source ofknowledge & support to help parents in becoming effectiveadvocates for their children.
We believe that professionals are important allies for families. The shared wisdom, counsel, respect and supportcreates enhanced positive outcomes for children.
We value diversity and celebrate our commitment to serving families in many forms.
We believe in supporting the role of the family in establishingpublic policy, and promoting public awareness related tofamilies and disabilities.
We believe that parents who model effective self-advocacyencourage a child’s pursuit of his or her own dreams.
“ I am so glad I called. You
opened up my world and
now I can reach out to find
what my kids need. Thank
you so much for your help.”
Letter from thePresident of the Board
xxxxxPresident Kevin BonnerFennemore Craig
Vice President Elaine Ellis, MD
Secretary Vickie HerdExtended Family Disability Services
LLC
Treasurer Elizabeth FreeburgWells Fargo Private Client Services
Heather BuchtaQuarles, Brady, Streich & Lang
Jim ColeChannel 3 TV
Bob CoxNothing But NET
Blanca Esparza-PapCommunity and Public Relations
Manager, Channel 3 TV
Karen HindsTempe Union High School District
Shirley KaufmanRetired Attorney
Michael RemusDirector of Special Education,
Deer Valley Unified School District
Gabriela Sanchez OrozcoPresident of G.A.N.E. (Grupo de
Apoyo para Nios Especiales)
Susan VoirolTempe Union High School District
Tim WattersColliers International
2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kevin Bonner
“Thanks to you, our child is
one of the thousands of
kids who is getting
treatment, and getting
better every year.
We’re proud of all the work
he's done, and every year
brings more success!”
Raising Special Kids strives to improve the livesof children with disabilities and special healthcare needs by supporting people who carefor them: families and professionals.
Helping families
Improving life for children
with disabilities and
special health care needs
20106,231 parents received
information, training, andindividual assistance.
Developing Parent Leaders
Most families are not prepared with the skillsand knowledge to address the unique chal-lenges of raising a child with a disability. Eachstep of a child’s development reveals theneed for new creative solutions which aremade more complex by the presence ofextraordinary health or ability issues unfamiliarto the family or their support network. Bringingfamilies new to these challenges togetherwith experienced parents who can share theirknowledge has proven to help provide chil-dren with the environment and support theyneed to fully develop their potential. The staffand trained volunteers of Raising Special Kidsare family members with experience raising achild with a disability.
Parent Leaders offer information and support.
2010265 Parent to ParentMatches
All participants in our volunteer parentmentoring program recieve follow-up contact from staff.
91% of parents report the experiencehelped them become more effective
in advocating for their child.
100% reported positive benefits fromemotional support and the opportunityto talk with “someone who understands.”
“The meeting on Saturday
was AWESOME! I learned so
much!! It was so helpful
for my meeting at the
school today. I went in
overly-prepared and came
out a happy mom.”
2010
2010Supporting Professionals
Family and CommunityMedicineThrough the Family and CommunityMedicine Program, pediatric physiciansin residency complete an orientationwith Raising Special Kids staff followedby a home visit with Family Faculty—trained volunteer parents—for a first-hand look at the challenging role ofraising a child with special needs.
Parent Panels Trained Parent Leaders present directlyto students in education, health andsocial services. Their perspective onthe challenges of raising a child withspecial needs adds fresh insight totraining programs and helps preparefuture professionals to provide family
friendly services.
Acquiring an understanding of the challengesof families living with disability face each dayhelps professionals in health, education, childcare and social services provide more effec-tive services to children and their families. Theinsight professionals gain from informed par-ent leaders results in improved care, bettersystems management and more positive out-comes for individuals with disabilities and thecommunities in which they live.
64 pediatric and familypractice physicians fromsix hospitals and medicalcenters completed train-
ing and Home Visits.
691 Pre-service teachersattended parent panel
presentations.
My reaction to the entire
presentation was "wow!"
Raising Special Kids
provides a phenomenal
service and now I have a
new resource to help me.”
2010
32% Families of DiverseLanguage andCulture
Serving Diverse Communities
2004-2005Total Contacts
Raising Special Kids provides support throughinformation, training, and assistance in findingresources to thousands of Arizona residentseach year. Services are offered free ofcharge to families and available to diversecommunities in English and Spanish through-out the state. Assistance is designed to meetthe unique needs of each family and is avail-able through varied methods including indi-vidual consultation, workshops and confer-ences, and parent leadership developmentopportunities.
Staff and Parent Leaders represented thefamily voice on systems-level boards, commit-tees, and activities:
• First Things First
• Developmental Disabilities Planning Council
• State Rehabilitation Council
• ICC for Part C programs
• Special Education Advisory Panel
• Cultural Competence Committee (ADHS)
• Foster Care Review Board
• Division of Developmental DisabilitiesSustainability and Innovation Task Force
• Arizona Autism Coalition
• Children’s Action Alliance’s Health CareCommittee
• Arizona Disability Advocacy Coalition.
Community Outreach Activities
• Special Day for Special Kids
• Autism Conference – Window Rock
• Hopi Special Needs Activity Day –Kykotsmovi
• Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Council
• Training at Head Start programs servingNavajo and Hopi families
• In collaboration with UMOM, monthly work-shops, training, and family support services,were provided to meet the unique needs ofof homeless families.
Need new
data
Sent data to Vickie
for new report
“Raising Special Kids has
been a tremendous
help, comfort and
encouragement to count-
less individuals and families
who wrestle with some of
the toughest issues people
have to face.”
2010
2010
40% Professionals (Health, Education, Social Services)
60% Families of children with disabilitiesand special health care needs
Parents and ProfessionalsServed
Many parents, and indeed, many profession-als, find the system under which special edu-cation operates to be overwhelming. Somefamilies found their child exiting high schoolbefore they fully understood the complexi-ties of qualifying for special education serv-ices, developing Individual EducationPrograms (IEPs), and the availability of assis-tive technology. Raising Special Kids hashelped thousands of parents understandtheir rights and how the system works so theycan advocate effectively for what their childneeds to receive a “Free and AppropriatePublic Education” (FAPE) as guaranteed bylaw.
The U.S. Dept. of Education awarded RaisingSpecial Kids a 5-year federal grant to serveas Arizona’s Parent Training and InformationCenter. Parent centers in each state providetraining and information to families of infants,toddlers, school-aged children, and youngadults with disabilities and the professionalswho work with them. This assistance helpsparents participate more effectively withprofessionals in meeting the educationalneeds of children and youth with disabilities.
Education
Raising Special Kids serves as Arizona’sFamily to Family Health Information Centerunder an award from the U.S. Departmentof Health and Human Services.
Our services encourage principles of family-centered care, and educate about policyand regulatory developments that mayimpact children and youth with specialhealth care needs and their families.
Health
94% of physicians trainedreported improvement totheir ability to communi-
cate with families.
92% of parents reportedinformation at workshops
will help them make better decisions abouttheir child’s education
Principles of Family Centered Care
• Acknowledges the family as the constant in a
child’s life.
• Builds on family strengths.
• Supports the child in learning about and partici-
pating in his/her care and decision-making.
• Honors cultural diversity and family traditions.
• Recognizes the importance of community-based
services.
• Promotes an individual and developmental
approach.
• Encourages family-to-family and peer support.
• Supports youth as they transition to adulthood.
• Develops policies, practices, and systems that are
family-friendly and family-centered in all settings.
• Celebrates successes.
“Thanks again for attend-
ing the IEP meeting! I can't
believe we finally got what
we've been after for two
whole years.
I am really enthusiastic and
have high hopes!!”
Age of Children of Families ServedDisabilities of Children of Families Served
2010
%
The O’Hare Family
When she mentioned at Jack’s18-month checkup that her sonwas not using any words, Ellenrecalls being told “not toworry.” After three more monthspassed with no words, theirdoctor recommend an EarlyIntervention evaluation. It waswhile receiving speech andoccupational therapies thatEllen learned about RaisingSpecial Kids.
She began consulting with staff,attending workshops and learn-ing how to work with theirschool to get appropriateplacement and services forJack. Ellen finds the insightgained in the workshops to beinvaluable and has attended “asmany as I can!”
Ellen has become a leader in a support group for families of students with special needs atJack’s school. She regards Raising Special Kids as an essential tool in assisting other familieswhom she often refers for services. Tom, a teacher at Midwestern University, has been instru-mental in incorporating Raising Special Kids Parent Panels into classes for medical studentsat the university. Both parents use their experience of their child’s disability to reach out tohelp other families and professionals improve the lives of children.
Family Stories
Ellen & Thomas O’Hare with son Jack who has autism
1 Autism2 At Risk (0-3) Developmental Disabilities 3 Developmental Disability4 Speech/Language Disorder5 ADD/ADHD6 Down Syndrome7 Behavioral Health
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Sent data to Vickie
for new report
“Thank you, thank you for a
wonderful conference
today! I learned so much
and got alot of resources
that I did not have before.
Thank you for all that you do!”
$ 879,118 Total Revenue
$ 670,072 Parent Information, Support & Training
$ 104,878 Training for Professionals
$ 95,738 Community Support
$ 774,949 Program Expenditures
$ 105,675 Administrative Functions
$ 880,624 Total Expenditures
Reporting year revenue and expenditures
A foundation grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust for parent training supported aseries of parent conferences throughout the state:
• Collaborative Therapy Conference – Phoenix Children’s Hospital
• Assistive Technology Conference – Noah’s Convention Center
• Practical Parenting Conference (Spanish) – Banner Estrella Medical Center
• Practical Parenting for Foster Parents – Disability Empowerment Center
• Collaborative Therapies Conference – Tuba City
Milestones
Financial Statement
others?
2010
“Reader satisfaction with
the newsletter is extremely
high. Readers almost
universally found the
information is presented in
a manner that is family
friendly and easy to
understand. The reputation
for being trustworthy and
reliable is excellent.”
— Piper Trust Report on results of Newsletter Survey
Referral AgencyA Place to Call HomeAid to the Adoption of Special
KidsAmerican Academy of
PediatricsArizona Autism UnitedArizona Baptist Children's
ServicesArizona Bridge to Independent
LivingArizona Care Providers, LLCArizona Center for Disability LawArizona Child Study CenterArizona Counseling and
Treatment ServicesArizona Department of
Economic Security - ChildProtective Services
Arizona Department ofEconomic Security - Division ofDevelopmental Disabilities
Arizona Department ofEducation - PINS
Arizona Department of HealthServices - Bureau for Women'sand Children's Health Services
Arizona PediatricsArizona State UniversityArizona's Children AssociationAssociation for Supportive Child
Care: The Child CareConnection
Bart Stevens Special NeedsPlanning Services
Bureau for Women's andChildren's Health Services
Cardon Children's MedicalCenter
CareConnectAZCatholic CharitiesCenpaticoChild & Family Resources/AzEIPChild Care and ReferralChildren's Rehabilitative ServicesChristina Family Care AgencyCity of Phoenix Early Head StartCity of Phoenix Head StartCommunity Information &
ReferralCoronado Elementary SchoolDeer Valley School DistrictDevereuxDirect Care PersonnelDreaming Summit Elementary
SchoolEmily CenterFamily Learning CenterFamily PartnersFirst Southern Baptist Church @
Sahuaro RanchFirst Things FirstFriendly HouseGALAGANEGilbert Parent CouncilGilbert Unified School DistrictGlendale Family Health CenterGlendale Union High School
DistrictGolden Gate Theological
SeminaryHealth and Associates
IncorporatedHealth Through NatureHealthy Mothers Healthy Babies,
Maricopa CountyHigh Functioning Asperger's Group
HummingbirdHurley Ranch Elementary SchoolJewish Family & Children's
ServicesJoni and FriendsKith and KinLa Frontera EMPACTLaveen SchoolLearning and Loving It
SymposiumLegend SpringsLife Development InstituteLindbergh ElementaryMagellan of ArizonaMaricopa Health PlanMaricopa Medical CenterMaryvale Family Health Center
(MIHS)Melmed CenterMelvin E Sine ElementaryMesa Unified School DistrictMexican ConsulateMIKIDMountain Health and WellnessMountain Pointe High SchoolMurphy School DistrictMuscular Dystrophy AssociationNAMI ArizonaNorthern Arizona Autism Society
of AmericaOn Angel's WingsOne Life UnlimitedParenting ArizonaPayson Education CenterPEDI CenterPeople Of ColorPhoenix Children's HospitalPhoenix Interfaith CounselingProvidence Clinica Familia
ProvidenciaQuality Care NetworkRehab Without WallsRISE, Inc.S.E.E.K.Safe HavenSalt River High SchoolSARRCSharing Down SyndromeSouthwest Behavioral HealthSouthwest Human DevelopmentSouthwest NetworkSt. Joseph's HospitalSunrise E ElementarySunshine AcresTASK San DiegoTempe Unified School DistrictTouchstone Behavioral HealthTourette Syndrome Assn Support
GroupTraumatic Brain Injury Assn.Tungland CoporationU.S. Department of EducationUCP of Central AZUMOMUnion Elementary School
District/Dos Rios ElementaryUnited Healthcare APIPAUniversity Family CareWashington Elementary School
DistrictWeinburg Elementary/ChandlerWest Valley Family Development
CenterYavapai School
Special thanks to our State Partners who fund Family Support Programs
Arizona Department of Economic Security - Division of Developmental Disabilities
Arizona Department of Health Services - Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Arizona Department of Education
Thank You to our Community Partners
Donors
“We called Raising Special
Kids, because we knew the
information and training
you provide to families is
clear and accurate.”
Tommi Pierce, Special Education Director,
Gilbert School District