SAVE THE DATE!

Opiate Use & Disabilities: Increasing Resiliency & Decreasing Risk ​

When: April 2, 2016 - 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Where:Simmons College

How to register and get more information: http://www.masscec.org/events.html

 A Massachusetts Council for Exceptional Children Event

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR ADVOCATES/CONSULTANTS

COMING SOON

Have you ever thought about starting your own business as an Educational Advocate/Consultant?

Watch this website for updates on a formal Internship Program with me in Belchertown!

Curtis Blake Day School in need of supplies & furniture

Please Help the Curtis Blake Day School

We are a group of families, that have worked tremendously hard to save our school and have been successful! Unfortunately communications have broken down and we are unable to secure the contents of our past school. We had hoped that all of the supplies in the building would be donated after being...

Click to read more and donate or copy the URL into your web browser: http://www.youcaring.com/the-curtis-blake-day-school-via-the-children-s-study-home-411734#.VdCbeIFjKHA.email

FREE WORKSHOP ON SUBSTANCE USE IN YOUTH

Responding to Substance Use in Youth Facilitated by Marcy Julian, Western Mass Regional Manager, Learn to Cope Please join us for a light supper, networking with friends and colleagues, and interactive conversations.  Learn what preventive steps families can take to prevent substance misuse in their families, what the signs and symptoms are of substance misuse, and what to do if your family member is misusing substances. Wednesday, June 3, 2015                            5:30 light supper/networking Greenfield Community College                      6:00 - 7:30presentation/questions 1 College Drive, Greenfield ROOM C208  (use main entrance) 1.5 training hours issued                                                          COST                                                              FREE About Learn to Cope: Learn to Cope is a peer-led support network for families dealing with addiction and recovery.  Young people and communities need to be educated on opioid and prescription drug use. It doesn't matter what your zip code, education level, or income is; addiction knows no boundaries, it does not discriminate. Addiction can begin with a legitimate prescription or an experiment. No matter how well you parented your kids, they can make terrible decisions at times that can ultimately ruin their future, many of them didn't realize what they were dealing with when they tried it, they know now. Learn to Cope collaborates with many schools, hospitals, community coalitions, law enforcement and fire departments, as well as district attorneys and politicians to plan and facilitate local forums to address the public health crisis of opioid addiction that our country is facing today. Addiction is no longer only a family crisis, it is a community crisis as well.     www.Learn2cope.org<http://recoverproject.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4d5e4585e77abc9ca6b56ccfd&id=52974f5bc5&e=3751dfbcd4> For more information and to register for this event contact: Carol Venancio 413-536-2401 ext 3007 cvenancio@wmtcinfo.org<mailto:cvenancio@wmtcinfo.org> RSVP IS REQUIRED Error! Filename not specified.Register Early - Seating is limited Funded by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health

Participate in community research offered by Boston University!

Are you a teen or young adult with a developmental disability? 

Would you like to try a new activity in your community?

This study is looking for teens and young adults ages  14- 21 with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, or intellectual disability.

Young people and their parents will complete questionnaires about the physical and social environment, the activities they do, and how they feel about themselves.

Questionnaires will be completed three times over four months. After the first meeting, each young person will receive a $50 gift certificate to try a new activity, like going to the movies or a restaurant. 

Young people will also receive gift certificates when they and their parents complete the questionnaires: $25 after the second session and $30 after the third session. 

 Some teens enjoyed talking about themselves and what they like to do in the community. Some parents said that their teens enjoyed setting a goal and talking about their goal with the researcher.

Jessica Kramer at Boston University is in charge of this study.

For more information, contact her at:

kramerbulab@gmail.com        617- 353-7522         617-353-2702

U.S. Department of Education, NIDRR Grant # H133G120091.

FREE WORKSHOP on preparing for life after Special Education!

Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change (MFOFC)

in partnership with

Multicultural Community Services (MCS) Holyoke, 

Holyoke/Chicopee’s Family Support Center

presents

A Full Life Ahead

A Full Life Ahead is a series of workshops for parents and guardians of young adults with a disability. The series focuses on transition, employment, friendships, housing and other topics that will lead to interdependent, full lives in the community for young people with disabilities.

Please join us…

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

6:00PM – 8:00PM

MCS Holyoke Family Support Center

260 Westfield Road, Holyoke, MA 01040

Planning for Life After Special Education

This workshop will identify specific suggestions on how to develop comprehensive post-secondary vision statements, IEPs and transition plans, developing appropriate transition services for students, knowing various diploma options, best practices for family involvement and more. We are excited to have Attorney Pamela Coveney and Attorney Stefanie Krantz from the Disability Law Center present on this topic. 

Please RSVP by Monday, March 30^th to Karen Fletcher 413.534.3299 or karenfletcher@mcsnet.org

For more information please contact Karen Fletcher or Lisa Kochian at 413.534.3299.

www.mfofc.org                                                                                                                                 www.mcsnet.org

FREE EVENT for students 14-22 with special needs & their families!

Transition Resource Fair

Building Bridges from High School to

Community Life

The place for students with special needs (14-22+) and their families to find resources to help create a life plan

PLACE: Northampton High School (NHS) 380 Elm Street, Northampton 
DATE: March 25, 2015 
TIME: 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Keynote Presentation: NHS Black Box Theater, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Reservations required for the presentation in the Theater due to space limitations

Exhibitor Resource Fair: NHS Cafeteria, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
This year’s Transition Resource Fair brings together more than 30 exhibitors offering college and post-secondary options, job training, career investigation, day and recreation programs, independent, living ideas, special needs financial planning, and health services, just to name a few.
Students and their families can talk with agency representatives and get their questions answered as they consider their transition plan to adulthood.
The keynote presentation highlights the theme “Person Centered Planning, Building Bridges from High School to Community Life”.
The speakers will discuss the different service paths available for students in school to a life in the community.

The Keynote Presentation
5:00-5:30 p.m. : Presentation arrivals 5:30 p.m.: Presentation begins Location: Black Box Theater
Reservations are required due to limited seating. Please call 585.8010 or email donna.kushi@theassociationinc. org to reserve your spot by March 23.

Exhibitor Resource Fair
6:30-8:30 p.m. : Fair hours Location: Cafeteria
Reservations are NOT required. For more information
call 585.8010 or email donna.kushi@theassociationinc.org. 

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
Resource Fair exhibitors include:
Bacon and Wilson P.C.
Special needs financial planningBaroco, Day activitiesBerkshire Hills Music Academy, Post-secondary Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP
Special needs financial planning Carol Joyce, Person-centered planning Clinical and Support Options
Childrens’ Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI)
Community Resources for People with Autism Department of Developmental Services Department of Public Health,
Special health care needs
Edward Jones Financial Planning Family Empowerment
Hampshire County Family Support Center
Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) Franklin County Home Care
Personal Care Attendants and Adult Family Care
Franklin/Hampshire One-Stop Career Center
Job search related skill building
Holyoke Community College
Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment (ICE) Program J.Lynn Enterprises LLC, Transition Consultant Jericho
Life Skills, Day activities
Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Milestones
Day and community skill program for adults
New England Business Associates (NEBA)
Employment supports
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA)
Travel training services
Riverside Industries ServiceNet
Children’s’ Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI)
ServiceNet Farm
The Association For Community Living
Adult Family CareStavros, Transition to Adulthood Programs (TAP)/
Peer Advocates
The United Arc
Berkshire County Family Support Center
United Cerebral Palsy Assistive Technology Center UMass Amherst
Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment (ICE) Program
Valley Educational Associates (VEA)
Employment supports
Westfield State University
Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment (ICE) Program
This year’s Transition Resource Fair is co-sponsored by Family Empowerment and the Departmental of Developmental Services.
A Program of The Association For Community Living