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May 10, 2023 | Issue 78 (View newsletter as webpage) Para leer este boletín en Español, haga clic aquí

Important News

Family Voices Awarded Family Engagement and Leadership in Systems of Care (FELSC) Grant

Family Voices recently shared that they have been awarded the Family Engagement and Leadership in Systems of Care (FELSC) grant from Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).

Over the course of the grant, Family Voices will provide national leadership on family engagement to support youth and family leaders, Maternal and Child Health (MCH) programs, and other stakeholders that serve children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Their role as the technical assistance (TA) provider for the Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2Fs) includes new goals for increasing F2Fs' capability to engage diverse, underserved CYSHCN and their families in direct patient care, organizational design, and governance, along with increasing F2Fs' capability to collect, monitor, and report on family engagement data.

SPAN's own Diana Autin is one of three Co-Directors on the grant.

For more on this announcement, click here.

Take a look at SPAN's current work related to Leadership in Family Professional Partnerships: click here.

Resources

NJ Division of Disability Services New Website

The NJ Department of Human Services, Division of Disability Services (DDS) has a new website.

Check out the website here.

It includes information about various programs and services, including:

Information and Referral Services
Traumatic Brain Injury Fund
Disability Health and Wellness Initiatives
Personal Assistance Service Program
NJ ABLE
Inclusive Healthy Communities Grant Program
Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Screening
NJ WorkAbility

It also includes resources and publications in English and Spanish. One excellent resource is the New

Jersey Resources guide to programs and services offered by the NJ Department of Human Services. This

guide is updated regularly and can be accessed digitally or print copies can be requested via email. There is also an audio version of the guide available here.

Join a SPAN

Parent Circle

Did you know that SPAN offers Parent Circles for families and caregivers of young children?

Parent Circles are informal virtual meetings hosted by SPAN's NJ Inclusive Child Care Project in an effort to provide opportunities for families with young children, as well as early childhood professionals, to engage in conversations on a variety of topics related to supporting the healthy social-emotional development of young children. These meetings are offered in Spanish as well.

Families and caregivers can expect to receive helpful strategies and resources, including several from the Positive Solutions for Families training (an evidence-based, family-friendly workshop of seven sessions). Please follow the links below to register for the Parent Circle of your choice and follow us on Eventbrite to be notified when we add more!

Registration Links:

English: Click Here

Spanish: Click Here

Learn more about the NJ Inclusive Child Care Project: Click here.

Upcoming Events

SPAN offers a variety of learning opportunities for families and the professionals who work with them.

Highlighted Event This Week

Marijuana: What Parents, Schools, and the Healthcare Workforce Need to Know

Wednesday, May 17

2:00-3:30PM EDT

Online

Whether a young person has not yet tried marijuana, has begun to use it, or uses it regularly, the guidance and information provided in this webinar can help. The teen and early adult years are when children are most vulnerable to starting marijuana use and to its harmful effects. In the context of more and more states legalizing the drug for adult nonmedical use, marijuana use is becoming more normalized and its risks are becoming more commonly overlooked. This is despite the rising potency of the drug, new modes of using it, and the mounting research evidence of its risks to young people’s health and well-being.

Learning Objectives:

What are the basics: What you need to know about marijuana use among young people, including how it’s used, why it’s used, and what the effects are
How to talk to young people about marijuana: Suggested language and strategies for maintaining open communication
Where else can you look to for support: What can schools do to help educate and protect youth and how can primary care providers get involved in prevention and early intervention?

By the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center (NFSTAC) and the National Federation of Families (NFF).

To register, click here.