The Family Resource Center: A Model for Supporting Families of Children with Disabilities

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The Family Resource Center A Model for
Supporting Families of Children with Disabilities
The Jean Baton Swindells Resource Center for
Children and Families
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Providence Health and Services Mission
As people of Providence we reveal Gods love for
all, especially the poor and vulnerable,
through our compassionate service.
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• Providence Child Center carries out this
  mission by providing a nurturing community, based
  on Christian values, in which children are
  treasured and guided toward their fullest
  potential.

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• In each of the educational, developmental,
  rehabilitation and nursing care programs, we
  attend to the needs of the whole child and the
  childs family. We believe each childs life and
  development is significant and deserving of our
  best thought, energy and compassion. In an
  environment of creative collaboration, the Child
  Center endeavors to assure the rights and respond
  to the needs of families and children in our
  society.

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Providence Child CenterPrograms

• Jean Baton Swindells Resource Center for Children
  and Families.
• Center for Medically Fragile Children
• Providence Neurodevelopment Center for Children
• Providence Montessori School
• Wee Care Child Development Center

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The Swindells Center

• Carries out the Providence Health and Services
  mission by helping all families of children with
  disabilities feel competent
• in addressing their childs
• day to day needs.

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The Swindells Center History

• Opened in 1994
• Original Focus
• Staffing
• Resources
• No Cost to Families

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Expansion of the Swindells Center

• Staff
• Hours
• Resources
• Environment

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Expansion (cont.)

• Family and Professional Advisory Board
• Volunteer and Internship programs
• Increase in number of minority, non-English
  speaking families served
• Satellite Sites in Rural Areas

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Who We Serve

• Families served by all Providence Child Center
  programs
• Families throughout Oregon who have children with
  disabilities
• Healthcare, educational and social service
  providers throughout Oregon
• Foster Parents for children with complex medical
  and developmental disabilities

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The Swindells Center Families Served 2003-2006
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Services Provided

• Comfortable child and family environment
• Individual consultation
• Connecting families to community agencies,
  programs, and resources.
• Extensive lending library with parent focused
  literature
• Multilingual information and resources

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Services Provided (cont. 2)

• Development of unique materials
• Internet searches local, national and
  international
• Parent education speaker series
• Website resources

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Services Provided (cont. 3)

• Foster parent training, education and support
  specifically addressing complex medical and
  developmental issues and resources.
• Physician/healthcare and social service provider
  information and education.

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Needs Assessment

• Original survey
• Ongoing assessment
• Conversation with parents during contacts
• Satisfaction survey
• Advisory board
• Dialogue with community partners

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Questions and Concerns
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Topics of Concern
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Parent Education

• Parenting Children with Disabilities
• National Local experts
• Topics
• Specific Disability Diagnosis and Intervention
• Educational Strategies
• My Childs Life Care Notebook Training
• Temperament and Behavioral Issues
• Nutritional Challenges for the Child with
  Disabilities

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Community Outreach

• Physician offices
• Community agencies
• Advocacy organizations
• Insurance care managers
• Schools/Early Intervention
• State and County agencies
• Staff travel to outlying areas

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Collaborations Partnerships

• Sharing a common mission and avoiding duplication

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Tools to Facilitate Referrals and Community
Awareness
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Swindells Family Professional Advisory Board

• Family Centered Model
• Composition
• Role
• Needs identification
• Resource acquisition
• Community awareness
• Ensure family perspective

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Swindells Center Volunteers

• Recruitment
• Providence Child Center and community
• University and college internship

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Volunteer Activities

• Research
• Clerical support
• Material creation
• Library Maintenance
• Child Care assistance
• Community awareness
• Interpretation and Translation

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The Swindells Center Funding

• Major gifts
• Grants
• Federal
• Special Appeals
• In Kind Donations
• Partnering organizations
• Providence Child Center Foundation

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Oregon Families Information Referral Services and
Training (the first federally funded Community
Parent Resource Center In Oregon)
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The Swindells Center Future

• Satellites
• Expand family education seminars
• Further web site development
• Enhance community awareness
• Physician/medical student education
• Conference sponsorship with community partners

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The Difference We Make

• I was delighted that someone not only listened,
  but helped me problem solve what I needed to do
  for my child.
• Having a place to seek answers and information
  makes it easier to parent a child with
  disabilities.
• I feel more like a mom, and I am not alone when
  a problem comes up.
• I feel as though I know more and can use what I
  know.

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The Providers Perspective on The Swindells Center

• Parents have improved access to materials which
  enhance what we do.
• Caring for children is so much easier with the
  Swindells Center around.