F.I.R.S.T. offers a new project to help families understand the services available to persons with developmental disabilities
Asheville, NC – July 24, 2008 – The services for persons with Developmental Disabilities has changed as the state of North Carolina has made changes in the Mental Health system which can be confusing to professionals and especially families. F.I.R.S.T. is very excited to offer families and professionals support and education about how the system works.
With our ACCESS Project, staff will train families and individuals about both state and federal services. F.I.R.S.T. will offer sessions open to the public in each of the eight counties in the Western Highlands Network monthly making the ACCESS Project accessible to families in all areas. These training are made possible with funding from Western Highlands Network. “Every parent that I have talked to over the years is confused about how services for developmental disabilities work. Many families have had CAP MR/DD for many years and do not understand the procedures one because they have changed on a regular basis and no one has really explain the system to them. We are very excited to offer this education to families and have Mike Brown, who knows the system so well is really an asset to F.I.R.S.T.”
Mike Brown, formally with Turning Point and Blue Ridge will spend most of his time doing training to groups about how the system works and what you can expect from the system. “Our goal is to have parents and families members have a better understanding of how they can support and be helped supporting a family member with Developmental Disabilities.” Brown will also work individually with individual to support them in learning the system and advocating for their needs. ACCESS Project will closely watch the changes in the system and inform families how those changes may affect them. Outreach into the communities of stakeholders about how Developmental Disabilities servcies work and support families in Western North Carolina is a major part of the ACCESS Project.
F.I.R.S.T. is a resource center for families of children with or at risk of disabilities that has served over 2100 families and professionals in Western North Carolina since 2002 about special education issues and access to community resources. Most of this support to families has been one to one help at the time of crisis or for specific information usually dealing with school issues and accessing community services through state and government agencies.
F.I.R.S.T.’s mission is to help persons with disabilities to live included, productive lives as members of the community by supporting and education families to be their child’s best advocate and youth to be self-advocates.
All families qualify for education and training from F.I.R.S.T. but we focus on families with family members with disabilities or at risk of disabilities including developmental delays, physical disabilities, learning disabilities and mental illness. Through collaborations in the community, F.I.R.S.T. looks for projects to fill gaps in services for persons with disabilities.
For information: www.firstwnc.org or
Contact: access@firstwnc.org
Phone: 828.277.1315
Direct line to ACCESS: 828.216.9925
