Family Voices of Vermont - Links Page; Parent to Parent of Vermont

for National link...
Join the P2P Listserv
Newsletter Articles

Family Voices, a national grassroots network of families and friends, advocates for health care services that are family-centered, community-based, comprehensive, coordinated and culturally competent for all children and youth with special health care needs; promotes the inclusion of all families as decision makers at all levels of health care; and supports essential partnerships between families and professionals. Family Voices, as a family support program of Parent to Parent of Vermont, advocates for system change and provides health care information to families.

Six Ways to Access Medicaid and EPSDT: info on insurance (Six Ways Booklet)

Aging Out of Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT): Issues for Young Adults with Disabilities report. EPSDT coverage offered through the Medicaid program has played an important and unique role for low-income children with disabilities, and maintaining this support is a key concern. This issue brief, linked below, discusses the challenges and implications for young people with disabilities when they become adults and lose their EPSDT benefits and how recent changes to the Deficit Reduction Act give states an opportunity to increase the availability of services that allow disabled individuals to lead as normal a life as possible as they move into adulthood. http://www.kff.org/medicaid/7491.cfm

Join Friday's Child newsletter (click here for sign-up instructions)

Health Care Visit Checklist for Children with Special Care Needs and link to Bright Futures website

Tell your story more effectively to policymakers: "Making Your Case" is a free online course, developed after many years of research on effective advocacy methods at the local, state and federal levels, and incorporates the best that "e-learning" tools have to offer. Designed for use by people with disabilities, family members, and concerned citizens.

Family Advocacy to help families who are experiencing difficulties that could lead to family disruption resulting in out-of-home placement for dependents or serve as barriers to reunification for those children already in out-of-home placement: www.caseyfamilyservices.org/

Federal and State Representatives and Senators: US Senate and US House or VT House and Senate contact info

Help support the Family Opportunity Act... Info on website to use data

AHS website www.ahs.state.vt.us

Parent to Parent of Vermont receives info from national Family Voices, adds vital local
information and disseminates this through our newsletter, The Heart of It.
Articles from former newsletters:

from Fall '07: SCHIP and Vermont's commitment
from Spring '07: Focus Groups Results on High Tech Nursing
from Fall '06: Legislative Updates! Advocacy in Action
from Spring 06: Vermont Teen serves on National Board at Family Voices' KASA
from Fall 05: Changes in Medicaid Under Discussion, Parent Leadership Conference 2006, Where's the Waste Update
from Spring 05: Family Voices in Action: Where's the Waste in Medicaid?, How to Share Your Voice, Articles about Osbornes and Austins, Want to Raise Your Voice?, and AHS Field Directors List

from Fall 04: Building Bright Futures: Vermont's Alliance for Children
from Spring 04: Dr. D increases lead to drop in enrollment, New Org structure of AHS update
from Fall 03: Dr. Dynasaur Premiums Increased, Reorganization of the Agency of Human Services, Respite Program Appropriation Increased also Medical Home Update article
from Winter 02: Flexibility in PCS Hours, Kids Are Priority One, Early Childhood Day
from Fall 02: Olmstead Advisory Commission established, Early Childhood Day, Disability Awareness Day
from Summer 02: Improvements in …Respite Programs, Family Opportunity Act wins in Senate, Lifespan Respite Care Act,
MCHB to Fund (6) Family-to-Family Health Care Information & Education Center
from Spring 2002: Respite Summit, Six Way Booklet Offer, Email Alert Network
from Spring 2001: Parent Leadership Conference, Governor's Commission on Health Care, Power Outages, A new resource
from Fall 2000: Medical Home update, Special Health Needs & Managed Care, KASA update, VCDR
from Spring 2000: Family Opportunity Act of 2000, Family Health Information Centers, Work Incentives Bill of 1999. Family Survey Results, Stand for Children
from '99 Fall/Winter: Getting Youth On Board, Supreme Court Ruling, "PC PLUS", What's a MEDICAL HOME?
from '99 Spring edition: Health Care Concerns, PCCM, Personal Care Services info
from '98 Fall edition: Dr Dynasaur info, Medical Managed Care, Waiver info, Katie Beckett Program vs Dr. D
from '98 Spring edition: PKU- a legislative story Other Articles of Interest: Katie Beckett's story from Spring 2002 Newsletter
Legislative Update - Hogan
Vermont Woman testifies in Washington
Being a Health Advocate for your Child article (written by National Family Voices)
Click for HHS PRESS RELEASE- Efforts to Implement Community-based Alternatives for People with Disabilities
How A Bill Becomes a Law in VT (short article from VANPO)
To check the status of any bill before Congress, go to the website for Legislative Information on the Internet - http://thomas.loc.gov.

Link to the Family Voices National Website

The Family Voices Conference List is available here, also; you may access it via Quick Links on the home page.
click for Family Voices resource links page for Vermont

Would you like to add your voice to that of 40,000 families and friends nationwide speaking on behalf of children with special health needs? Family Voices is a national grassroots clearinghouse for information and education about ways to assure and improve health care for children with disabilities and chronic conditions. If you would like to be counted in this movement to help make sure that children with special health care needs receive the services they need and deserve, contact Parent to Parent and we’ll make sure you are added to the national network list. There are no dues and you may be as active or as quietly supportive as you like-but by joining you will be counted. Call or email Parent to Parent at 764-5290 to add your voice to Family Voices. Join the P2P Listserv

Advocacy Links:

http://www.disabilitypolicycenter.org Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy
Topics include:
.       Advocacy Training Materials
.       Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
.       Disability Policy, In General
.       Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
.       Olmstead Supreme Court Case
.       Personal Assistance Services (PAS)
.       Rehabilitation Act (See Vocational Rehabilitation)
.       State Medicaid Buy-In Programs and State Work Incentive Initiatives
(See also Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act)
.       Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
.       Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA)
.       Vocational Rehabilitation
.       Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
In addition, the website includes hot links to other disability policy-related websites.