Families as Allies

Families as Allies - Facebook Live
2021-03-31 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Every time there’s a fifth Wednesday in a month (like this month!) we hit Facebook Live to give you a report on what Families as Allies has been doing and what we have planned for the next three months. Join us at noon on 3/31/21 on our Facebook page!
Get a Reminder on Facebook >>

Virtual Support Group - April 1
2021-04-01 12:00 - 13:00
Any parent or caregiver of a child with a behavioral challenge is welcome to join us on the first and third Thursday of each month. During the month of April, groups will focus on dealing with IEPs and other school issues. There will be time to talk about anything else the group would like to discuss.

Supported Decision Making in Special Education
2021-04-01 16:00 - 17:00
Parent to Parent USA invites you to join us along with our partners at the Burton Blatt Institute for a four-part 8 webinar series on Supported Decision making presented by Jonathan Martinis.
In this session, we will discuss ways to use Supported Decision Making to ensure that people with disabilities receive appropriate and effective supports in Special Education.
Register here!

Cultural and Linguistic Competency Lunch and Learn Series: Implicit Bias
2021-04-06 11:00 - 12:30
Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources’ Crossover Xpand SOC
Cultural and Linguistic Competency Lunch and Learn Series continuing on April 6th, 2021. Each month, there will be a one (1) hour training with different speakers and topics. The upcoming sessions are as follows:
April 6, 2021
Reverend Edward Palmer
“Implicit Bias”
A one-hour continuing education (CE) credit will be awarded to those who attend each session in its entirety and return a completed post-event evaluation. For DMH and Social Work these sessions are Cultural Diversity/Awareness/Competence credit. For and NBCC (LPC and LPC-A) this session is Major Societal Concerns/Social Justice. Please note that for Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) the credit for this training is one-hour general credit CE (MFT does not award or need ‘cultural diversity’ credit).
Each session is only 1 CE hour of credit. Participants do not have to attend all sessions to be awarded the CE for the sessions they are able to attend.
Attached is the agenda and speaker information for the first session. You may register using the following link: https://pbmhr2021.wufoo.com/forms/q1qw1lwf1eta9ho/
Please register your name as it should appear on your CE certificate. This should also be the name you use when logged into the training via Zoom. The registration link will close on Wednesday, March 31st, 2021 and the Zoom information for the training will be sent on Friday, April 2nd, 2021. Registration is first come first serve and space is limited to 300 participants.

Families, Make Your Voices Heard: An Introduction to Advocacy Webinar
2021-04-06 12:00 - 13:00
The National Family Support Technical Assistance Center (NFSTAC)

The National Family Support Technical Assistance Center (NFSTAC) and Partnership to End Addiction invite you to join in and learn how you can advocate for policies that support families and individuals impacted by mental health and substance use. Make your voices heard!

Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/families-make-your-voices-heard-an-introduction-to-advocacy-webinar-registration-145920368751

Who is Caring for You? Self Care in an Age of COVID-19 with Sue Badeau
2021-04-07 14:00 - 15:30, 2021-04-14 15:00 - 16:30
The National Family Support Technical Assistance Center (NFSTAC)

In the mental health field, whether as parents, caregivers, professionals, or community advocates, we must address a wide array of child and family needs while following agency regulations, policies, and paperwork. In recent times, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, increased racial unrest, and frequent natural disasters, we are finding that we must do this and more without our usual resources, tools, or approaches. Meanwhile, we are faced with our own emotions – grief, loss anger, confusion, frustration – and the very real impact of secondary trauma. How do we cope with this mix of emotions while also doing our job?
This webinar will help participants understand, express, and cope with their emotions and create a self-care plan to develop resilience in the face of uncertainty and circumstances that change daily.
Register here>>

Procedural Safeguards and Individual Education Programs (IEPs)
2021-04-09 10:00 - 11:30
It can be intimidating to know how to approach your child’s Individual Education Program (IEP) and IEP meetings with the school. This session goes over how you can be a partner in your child’s IEP and use your expertise as a parent to make sure your child’s IEP is appropriate for them. Your rights related to your child’s IEP will be reviewed as well. This is the third in a five-part series about procedural safeguards. Participants are welcome to attend any or all of the sessions. This training is appropriate for families and anyone who works with families in any system.

Register here >>

Building Bridges of Hope: Supporting Children and Youth with High Emotional and Behavioral Health Needs
2021-04-13 15:00 - 17:00
National Training and Technical Assistance Center

Supporting children and youth with high emotional and behavioral needs is often lonely, overwhelming, complex, and not well-understood. How as a caregiver do you navigate school services, child welfare, and other involved systems to get the support you need for your child? How as school providers might we learn with families through their advocacy journeys?

Let’s come together to listen and learn from family advocates and colleagues in the field to deepen our practice, student-center our services, and make this work less lonely and more connected.

The “Building Bridges of Hope” NTTAC Institute and accompanying community of practice will join parents, caregivers, providers, and educators together to strategize how to support each other while supporting our students with emotional and behavioral health needs.

Join us as we create space to dream and hope together to find new ways of being, learning, and partnering.

Together, we engage in interactive discussions regarding what is working, concerning challenges, and rising promising practices and services nation-wide.

Learning Institute Date and Topic

Trauma-Informed Caregiver-School Partnerships in the COVID-19 Recovery and Beyond

Tuesday, April 13
4:00 – 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. CT / 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. MT / 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. HT

Wednesday, April 14
6:00 – 8:00 a.m. ChST

Register here>>

Virtual Support Group - April 15
2021-04-15 12:00 - 13:00

Families As Allies Board Meeting
2021-04-15 18:30 - 19:30
Quarterly board meeting of the board of Families as Allies. All meetings are open to the public and include time for public comments. Public comments can also be emailed to info@faams.org or faxed to 601-355-0919.

Register Here >>

ADA, Olmstead and EPSDT – What Do All These Things Mean to Me?
2021-04-16 10:00 - 11:00
Nobody knows their children better or is more devoted to advocating for them than their families. This webinar gives families a layperson’s overview of civil rights laws related to mental health and Medicaid and what those laws mean about helping children be able to live in their homes and communities.
Register here>>

Autism Screening Day
2021-04-19 10:00 - 18:00
If you or your child’s physician, child care provider, or pre- k teacher has concerns about your child’s development, you do not want to miss this event.
MECIC is hosting a Virtual Autism Screening Day on April 19th: To register for a screening day, please call 601-266-4745.
To learn more visit https://mecic-usm.org/.

Working for Change: ﻿Using the Power of a Personal Story
2021-04-21 10:00 - 11:30
Mississippi Parent Training & Information Center Project
Systems change is about improving access to services and supports for children with disabilities and their families. This training was developed to help parents become “system change agents” to achieve this goal. This training will help parents explore what advocacy is, why changing systems is important and how to use the power of their personal story to create change records are important? What is FERPA? How do I request copies of my child’s records? How do I stay organized? How long should it take to get the copies I requested? These are five commonly asked questions when parents get ready to attend IEP meetings. This presentation will provide answers and links to other resources.
Presented by:
Leslie Junkin, Project Director MSPTI
Register here>>

Supportive Coaching for Parents Supporting Other Parents
2021-04-21 12:00 - 13:00
Join us via Zoom for our monthly Coaching and Support session for parents who are supporting other parents in any system.
Register here>>

State of Babies Yearbook: 2021
2021-04-22
Zero to Three. Early connections last a lifetime.
Learn about the data. Hear from experts. Join the conversation. Take action to support.
Join experts and advocates on April 22, 2021, at 2pm ET for our State of Babies Yearbook 2021 Baby Summit. We’re looking forward to a robust, solution-oriented conversation around our findings, telling stories behind the data, and laying out the strong, permanent, national policies that will ensure families and babies can thrive.
About the State of Babies Yearbook: 2021
Now in its third year, the 2021 edition of the Yearbook explores substantial disparities and inequities in babies’ experiences when examined by race/ethnicity, income, and geographic setting. The 2021 Yearbook is augmented by RAPID-EC data collected during the pandemic to show how the crisis affected families with infants and toddlers. Policymakers and advocates will be able to use this data to identify and advance policies that produce the near-term support and long-term stability that babies and families need.
Register here>>

Steps for Success: Making IEP Meetings Work
2021-04-22 12:00 - 13:00
Mississippi Parent Training & Information Center Project
Do you often leave your child’s IEP meeting feeling as if your concerns were not heard or addressed and that nothing has changed? You may be missing one of the steps covered in this training. Join us to learn how you can avoid some of the most common hurdles and how to have more productive IEP meetings and better outcomes for your child.
Register here>>

Family Support for Behavioral Health Across the Lifespan Series Session 1
2021-04-22 14:00 - 15:30
The National Family Support Technical Assistance Center
The National Family Support Technical Assistance Center invites caregivers, family peer support specialists, and other members of the mental health and substance use workforce to this 3-part series on how family members can support children who experience mental health and/or substance use challenges during their lifetime.
Join subject matter experts in engaging discussions about attending to both mental health and substance use problems and their complex impact on families. Following a “fireside chat” with experts, participants will be invited to join partitioned breakout sessions based on child age (0 – 12, 13 – 17, 18 – 25, 26, and up.) Breakout discussions will be led by moderators who will invite attendees to share their lived experiences, questions, concerns, unique challenges, resources and support, as they relate to supporting children in each age group. After the breakout sessions, we will reconvene to synthesize ideas and identify goals for next steps. The topics and issues raised in breakout rooms during Session 1 will guide the program for Sessions 2 (May) and 3 (June).
Register for session 1 here.
Register for session 2 here.
Register for session 3 here.

Mapping Dreams: Transition to Adulthood
2021-04-23 10:00 - 11:00
Mississippi Parent Training & Information Center Project
Mapping Dreams: The Transition to Adulthood is a training that introduces families to concepts of transition planning. The training provides strategies for what parents and youth can do to help plan for the student’s transition from high school to adult employment, postsecondary education or training, and independent living.
Register here>>

What is a System of Care and How Do MAP Teams Help Families?
2021-04-23 10:00 - 11:00
The term “System of Care” is often used to describe mental health approaches and is actually mandated in Mississippi state law. This webinar explains from a family perspective what local “Making a Plan” (MAP) teams are and how they are designed to help children with serious mental health challenges stay in their homes and communities. This session is part of a five-part series and focuses on MAP Teams as the single point of entry and support for children with the most challenging needs. This series is meant to familiarize families and those working with them with a system of care concepts and is not intended to replace more formal training such as those offered by the Mississippi Wraparound Institute or the Mississippi Department of Mental Health .

All sessions are appropriate for families, those working with them, and policymakers.

Register here>>

Records and Record Keeping
2021-04-27 10:00 - 11:00
Mississippi Parent Training & Information Center Project
What records are important? What is FERPA? How do I request copies of my child’s records? How do I stay organized? How long should it take to get the copies I requested? These are five commonly asked questions when parents get ready to attend IEP meetings. This presentation will provide answers and links to other resources.
Presented by:
Leslie Junkin, Project Director MSPTI

Register here>>

Request, Referral, and Consent
2021-04-27 12:00 - 13:00
Mississippi Parent Training & Information Center Project
Request, Referral and Consent: What do these three words mean to parents? Do you know how to request evaluations, make a referral or what you must give written consent for before evaluations or services can begin? Join us and learn what you need to know and how to use the information as you advocate for your child.
Presented by:
Leslie Junkin, Project Director MSPTI

Register here>>

Education and Mental Health During COVID-19: How are the Children and Caregivers Doing, Really?
2021-04-27 13:00 - 14:30
SAMHSA-sponsored webinars presented by the National Federation of Families
A Two-Part Webinar Series Discussing the Effects of COVID 19 From the Family Perspective
Over the past year, COVID 19 dramatically transformed every aspect of family life as stay-at-home orders went into effect nationwide. In January 2021, the National Federation of Families conducted a national survey to learn from families regarding the effects of COVID 19 related to their children’s education and both their children and their family’s mental health. Receiving over 1100 responses from families in every state and the District of Columbia, NFF has compiled this data to create an infographic that offers a comprehensive look at the struggles our families face with both virtual education and behavioral health. Challenges range from balancing school and work, meeting students’ special education needs, and accessing needed behavioral health services. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected, and these results will serve as the catalyst for the discussions in each webinar.
This topic will be presented as a two-part series. The first will present the data and define the challenges from the family perspective. We will discuss the data findings and delve into the rich, anecdotal information. The second will address the implications for both schools and behavioral health providers. How do schools gear up to support the mental health needs of students with resources that are equitable to those earmarked for physical health issues? How do behavioral health providers meet the needs of families and attempt to mitigate the effects of the pandemic? Equally important is how these two groups partner to ensure that both children and families are receiving the support they need.
These two interactive roundtable events will include ample opportunities for questions from participants. By the end of these discussions, it is anticipated that participants will be able to:
• Understand the challenges that families have faced during the pandemic
• Articulate the importance of supporting both mental and physical health needs as students return to in-person learning
• Describe the importance of strong partnership between schools and behavioral health providers
Register here>>

Language Matters: We Are All People, First
2021-04-27 15:00 - 16:15, 2021-04-28 06:00 - 07:30
NTTAC Event: Building Bridges of Hope – Community of Practice Series

Supporting children and youth with high emotional and behavioral needs is often lonely, overwhelming, complex and not well-understood. How as a caregiver do you navigate school services, child welfare, and other involved systems to get the support you need for your child? How as school providers might we learn with families through their advocacy journeys?
Let’s come together to listen and learn from family advocates and colleagues in the field to deepen our practice, student-center our services, and make this work less lonely and more connected.
The “Building Bridges of Hope” NTTAC Institute and accompanying community of practice will join parents, caregivers, providers and educators together to strategize how to support each other while supporting our students with emotional and behavioral health needs.
Join us as we create space to dream and hope together to find new ways of being, learning, and partnering.
Together, we engage in interactive discussions regarding what is working, concerning challenges, and rising promising practices and services nation-wide.

Register here>>

Special Education Advisory Panel
2021-04-28 10:00 - 11:00
The Special Education Advisory Panel by the Mississippi State Department of Education will meet on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. You may access the meeting either online or by phone.
The Panel will hear public comments at 10:15 a.m. Written comments may be submitted to Dr. Armerita Tell, Mississippi Department of Education, P.O. Box 771, Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0771; email: atell@mdek12.org; or call the Parent Hotline Number: 1-877-544-0408. For more information, or if you need accommodations due to a disability, contact Dr. Armerita Tell at 601-359-3498.

View the meeting notice here (Word .Doc file): https://www.mdek12.org/sites/default/files/seap_public_meeting_notice-april_28_2021.docx

Future Power: How Parents Can Help
2021-04-28 11:00 - 14:00, 2021-04-29 11:00 - 14:00
The Meridian Public School District in partnership with Weems Community Mental Health Center has teamed up to host Future Power: How Parents Can Help
The event will take place at the Meridian Community College Workforce Development Center. Parents of Elementary students are invited to come on April 28 from 11 am-Noon or 1 pm-2 pm. Parents of secondary students are invited to come on April 29 from 11 am-Noon or 1 pm-2 pm. The Keynote speaker for each hour will be Dr. James Murphy, District Behavioral Specialist.
“I look forward to taking a few minutes to share with the community how the Meridian Public School District is working towards educating the whole child, specifically, their mental health,” said Dr. James Murphy, MPSD District Behavioral Specialist. “While also beginning the conversation of what are some of the challenges facing the community we serve in terms of mental health.”
Parents will be able to gather information on special services, school programs offered by MPSD, and community resources available through our community partners.
Attendees will be eligible for door prizes and lunch will be provided. COVID-19 guidelines will be followed at the event. For more information contact Dr. James Murphy at jmurphy@mpsdconnect.org.
Register here >>

Virtual Leadership Training
2021-04-29 09:00 - 11:30, 2021-04-30 09:00 - 11:30
This training is for parents, caregivers and staff members who are interested in learning to serve on decision-making groups and committees. There will be 2 sessions, and each session will last 2.5 hours. Participants must attend all sessions for the entire session in order to receive their certificate. They also must be able to join the sessions from a device that has a camera and stay on camera throughout all sessions. Parents and caregivers who are receiving a stipend for completing this training must also turn in all course evaluations in addition to completing the other requirements in order to receive their stipends.
Register now >>
