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What: Training to develop leadership and advocacy skills   Who: For parents/caregivers of youth diagnosed with mental illness willing to use their new skills to advocate for children with mental health needs beyond the needs of their own child.  When: Starts: ~3:00pm, Friday June 11th till ~3:00pm Saturday 12th  Where: Fairmont Hot Springs by Anaconda  Why: There needs to be a parent/caregiver voice in the system of care for children’s mental health. Parents/caregivers that have been through the experience of raising a child with a mental illness are the experts in what treatments and services are effective for recovery. Therefore parents/caregivers are key to improvement of the SOC for mental illness. In order to get parent/caregiver voice into the system of care, a leadership and advocacy training will empower parents by giving them the tools and skills to be involved in the SOC. 

Click here to register for this event (Cost $75) What: Develop skill sets and the tools to help direct support staff, parents as well as self-advocates, develop and customize sexuality education to the level suitable for the individual adult being supported. Well-rounded education is the key: teaching adults with autism or other developmental disabilities the necessary facts and skills to develop self-worth, friendship and loving relationships. Appropriate sexuality education can help prevent inappropriate behaviors from escalating in public, towards others or self-injurious activities. Skill sets, best practices and guidelines to: Discussing dating, sex and sexuality Helping folks differentiate the types of love Teach to respect boundaries/understand privacy Empowering people to recognize and report abuse When: Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 11:00 am to 1:00pm Mountain Who: Presenter Monica J. Foster, CC

Click here to download the flyer (PDF) When: April 7, 2011 6pm to 9pm, 3 CEUs, $50.00 Where: Summit Medical Fitness Center Community Conference Room 205 Sunnyview Lane, Kalispell What: This is an overview of a 15 hour course designed for parents of a child with a brain disorder.  NAMI Basics is a peer education program. Parents and other primary caregivers of children and adolescents with mental illness have diverse and complex needs. Education and support for families helps them to live the best life possible while managing the trauma that often accompanies the onset of mental illness. NAMI Basics allows families to connect to one another while learning about brain disorders and empowering themselves to overcome new challenges. It provides information families want and need about their child.  This course is taught by a team of trained NAMI family members and direct caregiver volunteers who know what it’s like to have a child struggling with one of these brain disorders.  Topics covered will be: the ‘no fault’ approach, the biology of mental illness, getting an accurate diagnosis, an overview of treatment options, the impact on family, communication, crisis management, the systems/agencies involved with your child, the importance of record keeping, and advocating and team building for you and your child.  To register:  Contact Stephanie Luehr at stephanie.luehr@pluk.org, or 406-270-1086

Click here to download the flyer (PDF) What: A series of 6 classes, over three weeks, structured to help parents and direct caregivers understand and support children and adolescents with serious mental illness while maintaining their own well being.  The course is taught by a team of trained NAMI family members and direct caregiver volunteers who know what it’s like to have a child struggling with one of these brain disorders.  Topics covered will be the ‘no fault’ approach, the biology of mental illness, getting an accurate diagnosis, an overview of treatment options, the impact on family, communication, crisis management, the systems/agencies involved with your child, the importance of record keeping, and advocating and team building for you and your child. We invite you to call for more information. There is no cost to participate in the NAMI Basics Program and you will be given course materials to take home. Pre-registration is required and class size is limited to 20. When: March 1 – March 17, 2011 Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00am to 11:30am Where: Summit Medical Fitness Center 205 Sunnyview Lane Kalispell To register: Call Stephanie Luehr at 406-270-1086 or email stephanie.luehr@pluk.org

Go to http://www.geneticalliance.org/webinars to register now! What: The interest and use of health information technology (HIT) has greatly proliferated over the past decade, largely due to the increased focus the Federal Government has given to components of HIT, including electronic health records (EHRs), personal health records (PHRs), clinical decision support systems, and functionalities such as electronic prescribing and electronic lab ordering and results. However, for communities that are located in rural or underserved areas, the use of financial incentives will not be enough to implement an EHR. This “digital divide” has been a source of concern for both policymakers and consumer advocates. This presentation will focus on the origins of the digital divide and discuss access to and effective use of technology. When: Wednesday, February 9, 2011 10:00am - 11:00 a.m. Mountain Presenter: Jason C. Goldwater – Health IT Project Manager, NORD

“I’m advocating for greater alignment between ESEA and IDEA. Alignment does not mean the merger of IDEA and ESEA. Nor does it represent any intention whatsoever to diminish or weaken IDEA as a unique and freestanding civil rights statute. … The reauthorization of ESEA and IDEA will create an opportunity for a paradigm shift that will allow us to define one educational system, while also refining our policies and practices to make certain that we educate all students to the highest possible standards,” said Posny.

A parent had a question. She said she did not agree with the school's proposed IEP, the school refused to change the IEP, so she needed to file for due process. Her advocate advised that she could not file for due process until after the school provided Prior Written Notice (PWN).

She was right. She could have requested the due process hearing when the dispute arose, without waiting months for the school to respond.

Click here to register for this event What: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 60 percent of American adults say they endured abuse and other difficult family situations as children, otherwise known as adverse childhood experiences. Those experiences can have long-term health consequences. The annual financial burden to society of childhood abuse and trauma is $103 billion, according to a 2007 Federal Economic Impact Study. The costs include annual direct costs such as hospitalization, mental health care, child welfare service, and law enforcement, as well as indirect costs such as special education, juvenile delinquency, mental health and health care, adult criminal justice system, and lost productivity. The SAMHSA 10x10 Wellness Campaign invites you to a free training teleconference titled, “The Impact of Trauma on Wellness: Implications for Comprehensive Systems Change.” This teleconference will educate diverse stakeholders about comprehensive systems change, including preventing harm and inadvertent retraumatization and ensuring that services and supports are welcoming, engaging, and culturally attuned. The goal is to help facilitate the healing process among people who have experienced trauma so that they can become fully engaged in their communities. When: Wednesday, March 30, 2011 1:00 - 2:30p.m. Mountain Presenters: Cathy Cave, Senior Program Associate, Advocates for Human Potential Roger Fallot, Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation, Community Connections Ann Jennings, Ph. D., Founder and Executive Director, The Anna Institute

What: The 2011 National Transition Conference will provide a forum for the development of an action agenda, bring together critical partners in the transition community to exchange innovative ideas and approaches; demonstrate knowledge gained from policy implementation; transition practices; research findings; and promote and facilitate the development of networks and relationships. The 2011 National Transition Conference will bring together: Youth and young adults Family members/advocates/caregivers Educators Vocational rehabilitation professionals Employment and training professionals Researchers State and federal officials Leaders in the transition community When: November 7-9, 2011 More info: Registration will be available online in the summer. Check the conference website at www.transition2011.org for conference news and updates.

Click here to register for this event What: The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery, Faces and Voices of Recovery, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness jointly present the second in a series of webinars on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its implementation in the states. This webinar will give advocates the strategies and tools they need to interact effectively with state legislators, administrators, and others charged with the development of mechanisms and regulations for implementation of the ACA in their states. When: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 1:00pm Mountain Time For more information: Contact Courtney Kirk at ckirk@magnasystemsinc.com.

Like many educators, Dr. Charmaine Lowe’s initial introduction to assistive technology was unexpected, untutored, and unequivocal. It happened a decade ago, Dr. Lowe recalls. “I was in an IEP meeting, which was an encounter for which my undergrad studies had not prepared me. I found myself conducting a rough and dirty search and getting online to get a handle on what I was going to be grappling with because I realized it was my job to be an advocate for this child. I learned fast that my training in special education and assistive technology was woefully inadequate. Fortunately, in that instance, all the parties were willing to learn and to understand, but the truth was we were dancing in the dark. From that point on I decided that the lack of preservice training in AT was something I could remedy as a college professor.” 

Click here to register for this webinar What: Join Occupational Therapist and Inclusion Advocate Ingrid M. Kanics, OTR/L for this enlightening webinar. Participants will learn about the seven senses as well as how the brain integrates and uses this sensory information in everyday activities. The webinar will provide participants with activities in each sensory area that can be used to help children explore and integrate sensory information in their daily lives. When: June 1, 2011 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Mountain Cost: $30 per person (free for Lekotek affiliates) Special-FREE for all caregivers of children with disabilities (just email domahen@lekotek.org to resgister) Presenter Bio: Ingrid M. Kanics, OTR/L is an Occupational Therapist who has worked for 10 years helping communities create and run amazing places where all children can play together. She was senior consultant on the national advisory team for the Center for Creative Play, Pittsburgh, PA. During that time she worked with numerous communities and children's museums helping them expand their understanding of Universal Design and the importance of Sensory Play in every childs' development. She continued this work as Therapy Director at Hattie Larlham, Mantua, OH, where she oversaw therapy and recreation programs for children of varying abilities. She now owns her own consulting business focusing on great play spaces in communities. She has presented at local, state, and national conferences on the topics play, sensory integration and Universal Design. Conferences include the Association of Children's Museums, American Occupational Therapy Association, Parents As Teachers, and National Association of the Education of the Young Child (NAEYC).

Click here to register for this event What: This webinar is designed to provide you with information about new technology. It does not imply that OSEP supports or advocates for any specific intervention or methodology. When: Thursday, May 26, 2011 1:00 - 2:00pm Mountain

What: Autism Coffee Talk When: Friday, May 20th at 11am Where: The Montana Club atrium. 2620 Brooks St Missoula, MT Who: Montana CAAN is a parent driven organization that is committed to supporting individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. Our mission is to provide support, build community, create compassion and awareness, and to advocate at a state and local level to secure needed services.

The Autism Society, the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization, exists to improve the lives of all affected by autism. We do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing the latest information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy.

Click here to download the full flyer and registration form for this event (PDF) What: Becoming a high performance organization requires coalitions to be purposeful in how we organize to do our work and not fall into the trap of doing what we have always done and expect different results.  This training is designed for new and veteran coalition leaders working toward strengthening their coalition to become a high performance organization that will produce results in the community.  Participants will learn tools and techniques critical to building and sustaining a strong coalition with an emphasis placed on organizational management, recruiting and retaining coalition members and utilizing media outlets in the community to advocate for our cause.  The training is designed as an interactive opportunity for participants to both learn new skills and hone existing ones.  When: September 14-15, 2011 Where: Missoula Forum for Children and Youth 435 Ryman St Missoula MT Cost: $25/person $20/person for dues-paying Forum members Contact: 406-721-3000 ext 1020 or jsudnem@co.missoula.mt.us for more information

Visit the NAMIWALK website for more information and to register for this event What: Each fall, a group of dedicated volunteers and staff hold the NAMIWalk to generate the resources and awareness that allow NAMI Montana to complete its critical mission of supporting, educating, and advocating for Montanans with severe mental illnesses and their families.  NAMI Montana will be holding its eighth annual NAMIWalk in Helena at Memorial Park on September 25th.  It's set to be our best walk ever.  We've got goals of having over 2,500 Walkers and raising $125,000. When: Sunday, September 25, 2011 Where: Memorial Park Helena, MT More Information: Please go to the Walk website to sign up to be a Team Captain, to be a Walker, or to donate.  Find out about how to start a team and the duties of a Team Captain here.   If you don't feel comfortable signing up online, please send us an email at info@namimt.org or give us a call at (406) 443-7871 and we'll send you a packet of information.

Gov. Corzine's latest proposal to strengthen services for people with autism has families and advocates cheering, but experts in the wider developmental-disabilities community fear New Jersey is headed toward a two-tiered system favoring one diagnosis.

The ability to self-advocate is important for kids to learn in order to be successful at all stages of their lives. In the past, self-advocacy was a term applied mostly to adults with disabilities, but recently more focus has been placed on teaching this skill to preteens and teenagers.

What does a parent do when she suspects her child has learning difficulties? How can she advocate for her child when everyone keeps telling her that her child will "just" grow out of it, that he'll learn to read when he's ready? In this article, a mother tells her story about her struggle for success-and how she found the resources to identify her son's reading difficulties, as well as the supports he needed to succeed.