October 2020
Technical Assistance Center Update
The planning phase of our National Family Support Technical Assistance Center (NFSTAC), funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, began in September. We are excited to be leading this important work with terrific partners and we will continue to provide updates on our progress each month.
 
Currently our team is developing a plan to gather input from those we support about what they identify as needing most from the NFSTAC. Our first plan of action is to complete a needs-based assessment that will involve families and family-run organizations cross-systems. We will share more on this process in the near future.
 
As promised, we are excited to share the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center's logo and tagline, "Providing Family Support Across the Lifespan." We invite you to visit the landing page of the center's website here. Information will continue to be added to the site in the coming months. We encourage you to check back often to see our progress. We anticipate beginning to provide resources and support for families, caregivers, professionals and organizations in early 2021.
Virtual Mini-Conference
November 10th and 12th, 2020
Equity in Access, Services, and Outcomes for Children, Youth, and Families
During COVID-19
Workshop themes and tracks:
  • Tackling Mental Health Disparities for Children of Color
  • Mental Health, Substance Use, and Family and Peer Virtual Support Services that Work
Each workshop time period will feature workshops addressing the conference themes as well as topics such as peer support, family/youth leadership, co-occurring mental health/substance use disorders, trauma-informed services, etc.

Learn more about attending, sponsoring
and advertising by visiting the event web page linked below.

The full agenda is now available!
Visit the event web page to see the schedule with workshop titles and descriptions.
October 10th is World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day is observed annually on October 10th to help
raise awareness about mental health needs and to mobilize efforts
in support of mental health around the world.

The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health
issues to talk about their work and what more needs to be done
to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

On World Mental Health Day, October 10, the World Health Organization (WHO) will,
for the first time ever, host a global online advocacy event on mental health.
Legislation and Advocacy
Our Most Recent Update
Check out our latest Legislative and Advocacy newsletter, published yesterday,
for the latest information about what is happening with state
and national legislation that impacts families.
New Updates and Resources
We recently updated our Legislative and Advocacy pages with resources to assist you in your advocacy efforts on behalf of families. Visit the pages linked below to learn more about and to connect with both national advocacy organizations and those
in your state and to see our newly updated Advocacy Toolkit.
Get the Latest News
Follow our Legislative and Advocacy page on Facebook to get the latest news. You will also find information about national and state advocacy organizations as well as tools and resources that can assist in your efforts to represent the voice of families on our Legislative and Advocacy web pages.

Submit your state's advocacy and legislative news and updates to our
Legislative Liaison, Michelle Covington, at mcovington@ffcmh.org.
Webinar and Training Highlights
Title: On the Shoulders of Giants Scientific Symposium 
Date/Time: Tuesday, October 6, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. ET

Join Child Mind Institute for their 10th annual celebration of scientific achievement in child and adolescent psychology, psychiatry and developmental neuroscience, featuring 2020 Sarah Gund Prize recipient W. Thomas Boyce, MD followed by a powerful roundtable
on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and racial injustice on child and adolescent mental health and the development of the next generation of scientists and clinicians. Moderated by NIDA director Nora Volkow, the panel includes Prize recipients Felton "Tony" Earls, former NIMH director Tom Insel and Kenneth A. Dodge among others. This event will be entirely virtual with special presentations and roundtable discussions focusing on research around current world events.
Title: Integration of Behavioral Health Care and Primary Health Care:
The Past, The Present and The Future
Date/Time: Thursday, October 8, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET

The integration of behavioral health care into primary care is one approach to bridging the care continuum and increasing access to mental health treatment. In this webinar, speakers John Kern, MD, and Sloan Manning, MD, review the origins of behavioral health care integration, identify the role of payers, and identify the successes - and challenges - of current integration efforts. Moderated by Roland Larkin, PhD, NP,
this webinar closes with an examination of technology’s role in behavioral
and primary health care integration going forward.

Important Notes:
  • If you do not already have one, you will need to sign up for a free account with PsychU to register.
  • Due to high levels of interest, please access this webinar via your computer.
Title: Instructional Planning for School and Distance Learning for Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Inclusive Environments
Date/Time: Thursday, October 8, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET

School districts are utilizing a multitude of scenarios regarding how school will be held this school year. For some instruction is happening in the school building and for others instruction is continuing with distance learning. Furthermore, some schools are using a hybrid of the two and it is likely that the manner in which instruction is provided may need to pivot during the year because of the impact of the pandemic. How can schools and families figure out what instruction will look like this year and how to make it meaningful? The TIES Center, which is the national technical assistance center on inclusive
practices and policies for students with significant cognitive disabilities, will review
the 5C Process which is used for identifying learning priorities for each student
with intellectual disabilities and building continuity between their inclusive environments
and instructional supports to provide meaningful instruction across their day.
Date/Time: Tuesday, October 20, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET
This webinar will feature the voices of children, fathers, and mothers on the importance of fathering and co-parenting. The presenters will explore how the SFI program helps parents learn to hear what their partners and children need, and figure out - together - the routines, parenting strategies, and future plans they want to keep or change to best sustain their family. The webinar will include short videos of children
talking about what their father’s presence or absence means to them,
and of parents discussing how SFI changed their families.
Title: Got Back to School Questions? We’ve Got Your Answers.
Date/Time: Monday, October 26, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. ET

As students head back to school, either in person or online, there are often questions about parental rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). With a global pandemic disrupting every part of our education system, there is additional confusion and concern about how COVID-19 is impacting students with disabilities. We’ve identified pressing questions parents asked about how to navigate this new normal, and will have them answered by an expert attorney in the field.

Topics to be covered will include: compensatory education, procedural safeguards,
the waiver of rights, and keeping the “I” in IEP. 

Please join SPAN for an interactive Q&A session about navigating
the special education landscape during COVID-19.  
Our state chapter in Nevada, Nevada PEP, is offering a number of webinars covering a variety of topics in October that support parents, caregivers, families and their children as well as the professionals who support them. Click the button below to view their calendar, see titles and descriptions and to register for this month's webinars.
Please visit our webinars and events page for more information about these and other upcoming events and to learn about new events as we add them. We invite you to
submit events you would like to have included on that page as well.
Resource Highlight
From Us at NFFCMH
Emotional First Aid for Parents and Caregivers
Your own health and well-being as a caregiver is vital to the overall wellness of your family. Check out our latest infographic below, created in collaboration with
Wild Peace for Parents and, when things get tough, please take
moments to practice these tips for emotional first aid.
From Partnership to End Addiction
You're not alone. Find personal stories from parents and caregivers
of loved ones struggling with substance use and addiction below.
On the Partnership to End Addiction website, you can also connect with personalized support to help address your child’s substance use or addiction
via text, email or over the phone in English and Spanish.
Parents are, by law, equal partners on their child’s IEP team.
Get key information for parents and caregivers about Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and your role in the process on this page from Understood.