September's  E-Perspective Newsletter
"Finding Your Footing 2019" Perspectives from Heather McKinnon Glennon
  Participant, Mom, Advocate, Community Builder

On Friday, June 14, 2019, the Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project (EIPLP) convened a two day training opportunity for parents of young children still in EI or recent graduates. This training was designed to start parents on a leadership journey. Skill building sessions, many delivered by parents of children with special needs supported participants to think about inclusion, acceptance, and awareness in our own communities.
I am Heather, Henry's mother and fierce advocate of my child's needs and rights, and community-builder in my city, Medford, Massachusetts. I arrived in central Massachusetts to meet the first cohort of EIPLP's latest initiative, "Finding Your Footing: Using Your Family's Experience to Inform System Change." We are 15 parents of children with diverse disabilities, and diverse challenges.

In this safe space, a think-tank of sorts, we began with an incredible session by StrengthsFinder Consultant and Coach, Chris Soucy. We examined our own strengths to begin our exploration of how to best become influencers of positive change and advocacy. We were then joined by one of the most incredible resource aggregation representatives we could have ever hoped for, Gloria Klaesges of F amily TIES of Massachusetts. Gloria shared tools including Family TIES' directory of resources which equips each of us with the ability to help locate supports for our own and other families in need. Their directory will be available soon online for all to access--and it is truly a support which should be shared and disseminated broadly. Later we were joined by Paul Thayer. Professor Thayer hosted a workshop titled, "Telling Your Story." In this powerful session we learned how to take our strengths and our vulnerabilities and craft them into impactful narratives to advance our efforts in leadership and advocacy. After a full day of programming we had an opportunity to connect over dinner, and really get to know one another more personally.

Bright and early on Saturday morning we reconvened for another full day of programming! We were joined by another stellar presenter, Mary Watson Avery who shared her expertise on Effective Communication. Mary was gifted with both humor and a well-developed ability to communicate.... effectively. This is a vital tool every person needs generally in their tool box, but as parents of children with special needs, it is an essential muscle to build. We then work-shopped a session on Team Building with the expertise of Pat Cameron. All of the skills leading up to this session were so thoughtfully planned. We began learning exactly how to build OUR TEAMS-- for effective impactful change. We all left this session feeling better equipped for the road ahead.
We closed our day with the incredible Cindy Kaplan, parent, yogi, and self-care advocate. She was able to convey the importance of self-care from a space we all live in--mom of a daughter with special needs, and like all of us, a busy human. We hear so much about self-care it often feels like a lecture. This was not THAT session. We learned how treating ourselves kindly only advances our goals of caring for our families, and advocating and leading the changes we seek to see in our communities.
It was an incredible two days of learning for us all, and I'm sure I am not alone when I say I am looking forward to reconvening with the group. Until then, thank you to the Early Intervention Parent Leadership Program's incredible leaders, Suzanne Gottlieb, Kris Martone-Levine, Liz Cox, and Kathy Mansfield for crafting such a wonderful program for us to learn from and share in this journey. Now get out there friends and LEAD THE CHANGE!

"Encuentra tu asidero 2019" Perspectivas de Heather McKinnon Glennon
  Participante, madre, defensora, trabajadora comunitaria
 
El viernes 14 de junio de 2019, el Proyecto Padres Líderes del programa de Intervención Temprana (Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project, EIPLP) convocó a una oportunidad de capacitación de dos días para padres de niños pequeños que se encuentran en Intervención Temprana (EI) o que acaban de graduarse. Esta capacitación se diseñó para iniciar a los padres en un camino hacia el liderazgo. Las sesiones fomentan las habilidades y muchas de ellas son impartidas por padres de niños con necesidades especiales. Estas ayudan a los participantes a pensar en la inclusión, la aceptación y la conciencia en sus propias comunidades.
Yo soy Heather, madre de Henry y feroz defensora de las necesidades y derechos de mi hijo, además de ser trabajadora comunitaria en mi ciudad, Medford, Massachusetts. Llegué a Massachusetts central para reunirme con los primeros seguidores de la más reciente iniciativa de EIPLP, "Encuentra tu asidero; Cómo usar la experiencia de tu familia para influir en el cambio del sistema" (Finding Your Footing: Using Your Family's Experience to Inform System Change). Somos 15 padres de niños con capacidades y desafíos diversos.

En este espacio seguro, que es algo así como un centro de estudios, empezamos con una increíble sesión a cargo de Chris Soucy, consultor y asesor de StrengthsFinder. Examinamos nuestras propias fuerzas para iniciar nuestra exploración acerca de cómo llegar a ser mejores factores del cambio positivo y de la defensoría. Después nos acompañó una de las más increíbles representantes de agregación de recursos que pudiéramos desear, Gloria Klaesges, de Family TIES de Massachusetts. Gloria nos compartió herramientas, como el directorio de recursos de Family TIES, que nos equipó a todos nosotros con la capacidad de ayudar a localizar recursos para nosotros mismos y para otras familias que los necesiten. Su directorio pronto estará disponible en línea para que todos lo consulten; y en verdad que es un apoyo que debe compartirse y difundirse muy ampliamente. Más adelante vino a acompañarnos Paul Thayer. El profesor Thayer organizó un taller llamado "Cuenta tu historia". En esta poderosa sesión aprendimos a tomar nuestras fortalezas y vulnerabilidades y crear con ellas narrativas de impacto que promuevan nuestros esfuerzos en liderazgo y defensoría. Después de un día completo de asistencia al programa, tuvimos la oportunidad de conectarnos durante la cena y de llegar a conocernos unos a otros más personalmente.
En la brillante mañana del domingo volvimos a reunirnos muy temprano para otro día completo de sesiones. Ahí nos acompañó otra presentadora estelar, Mary Watson Avery, que nos compartió sus experiencias en comunicación efectiva. Mary está dotada de muy buen humor y de una bien desarrollada capacidad de comunicarse efectivamente. Esta es una herramienta vital que generalmente toda persona necesita tener, pero como padres de niños con necesidades especiales, para nosotros es un músculo que es esencial desarrollar. Después tuvimos una sesión-taller sobre formación de equipos con la experiencia de Pat Cameron. Todas las habilidades que nos llevaron hasta esta sesión estuvieron planeadas muy cuidadosamente. Empezamos por aprender a formar NUESTROS EQUIPOS para lograr un cambio de impacto efectivo. Todos salimos de esta sesión sintiéndonos mejor preparados para el camino que nos espera.
Concluimos nuestro día con la increíble Cindy Kaplan, madre, yogui y defensora del autocuidado. Ella pudo trasmitirnos la importancia del autocuidado desde el espacio en el que vivimos: como madre de una hija de necesidades especiales y, al igual que todas nosotras, un ser humano ocupado. Escuchamos tanto acerca del autocuidado que a veces se siente como un sermón. Esta sesión NO FUE ASÍ. Aprendimos que tratarnos a nosotros mismos con amabilidad promueve nuestra meta de cuidar de nuestra familia y de defender y encabezar los cambios que tratamos de ver en nuestra comunidad.
Fueron dos días increíbles de aprendizaje para todos y estoy segura de no ser la única que espera con ansias volverse a reunir con el grupo. Hasta entonces, muchas gracias a los increíbles líderes del Proyecto Padres Líderes del programa de Intervención Temprana, Suzanne Gottlieb, Kris Martone-Levine, Liz Cox y Kathy Mansfield, por haber elaborado un programa tan maravilloso para que nosotros aprendiéramos y compartiéramos en esta jornada. ¡Ahora, amigos, salgan allá y ENCABECEN EL CAMBIO!

Massachusetts Young Children's Council 

The Young Children's Council (YCC) is a public-private partnership that serves as an advisory group to the Massachusetts Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems grant (MECCS) and Project Launch funded by two branches of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; HRSA, the Health Resources and Services Administration and SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.

The YCC recently expanded to include other programs in the DPH Division of Pregnancy, Infancy and Early Childhood that work to achieve a coordinated, comprehensive early childhood system of care in Massachusetts.
These programs focus on improving the physical, emotional, social and behavioral health of children aged birth to 8 years old.  This new iteration of the YCC, chaired by Craig Andrade, Director of the Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition has over 50 members and includes families, state agencies and community organizations. It's mission is identify strategies and resources to sustain system building efforts and provide a forum for policy discussions beyond the life of any one individual grant.

A top priority of the YCC is to promote family engagement and create opportunities for families and youth to partner with early childhood programs at DPH to share their experience and expertise from start to finish-from policy and program development, to practices and evaluation.

The YCC is currently recruiting more families interested in the well being of young children in Massachusetts to join the council. It is of major importance to the DPH that families who reflect the diversity of the Commonwealth are well represented, respected and serve as equal partners in program design and decision making in Maternal & Child Health programs.

If you are interested in learning more, contact Roxanne Hoke-Chandler, Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project Statewide Family Engagement and Collaboration Coordinator at roxanne.hoke-chandler@state.ma.us or by phone at 781-828-7205.
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In this video, learn more about how 
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjoyBZYk2zI&feature=youtu.be



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Parenting can be the tiring and rewarding .. families you are doing a great job!  #eiplp

THE PARENT LEADERSHIP PROJECT
The EI Parent Leadership Project (EIPLP) strives to develop an informed parent constituency, promote leadership and lifelong advocacy skills for parents and family members, facilitate family participation to ensure that Early Intervention Services are family-centered and support EI programs to identify, train and mentor families to take on roles across the EI and Early Childhood system. The Project is a parent driven endeavor, which continually seeks family involvement and input regarding the needs of families enrolled in Early Intervention and is staffed by parents whose own children have received EI services. The Project staff consists of a Project Director , a Family Outreach  Coordinator , a Family Engagement and Collaboration Coordinator, a Monitoring Coordinator and a Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator.

To receive the Parent Perspective Newsletter, a free publication, published four times a year or the Parent E-Perspective published a few times a year, by the Parent Leadership Project, call us toll-free at (877) 353-4757 and ask to be added to the EIPLP mailing list or email eiplp@live.com. 
 
NEXT DEADLINE : We welcome your input and suggestions for resources and articles. The next deadline is October 15, 2019 . Please call our toll-free number (877) 353-4757 or email the newsletter editor at kris.levine@state.ma.us .
 
The Parent Perspective newsletter is published by the Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project, through funding from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please contact eiplp@live.com.  
Early Intervention Parent Leadership Project | 877-353-4757 | eiplp@live.com  | www.eiplp.org
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