Building Blocks

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Presented By Rachel Smolenski and Raeanna
Smolenski December 5, 2009

• Building Blocks
• Early Childhood System of Care Southeast CT.

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Trickle-In with us by making a

• FACETAG!!!

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What to expect today

• Need for Sibling Supports
• Overview of Sibshops
• How we got started
• How you can get started
• One of our Sibshops
• Participant /Caregiver Feedback
• Question/Answer Time

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Need for Sibling Supports

• Most of the five million children with
  disabilities and chronic health impairments have
  brothers or sisters.
• Despite a clear need for services, many
  brothers and sisters grow up without resources
• Helps Institute Family-Driven and
  Youth-Guided practices.

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Need for Sibling Supports cont.

• Young children look to older siblings as role
  models.
• Young children have siblings that have questions
  and needs.
• Parents can be overwhelmed with the needs of a
  special child.

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What Are Sibshops?

• For the young people who attend them and the
  energetic people who run them, Sibshops are best
  described as events.
• Sibshops are lively,
  pedal-to-the-metal celebrations of the many
  contributions made by brothers and sisters of
  kids with special needs.

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What Are Sibshops? cont

• Sibshops acknowledge that being the brother
  or sister of a person with special needs is for
  some a good thing, others a not-so-good thing,
  and for many somewhere in between.

• They reflect a belief that brothers and sisters
  have much to offer one another-
• if they are given a chance.

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What are the goals of the Sibshop model?

• Goal 1 Sibshops will provide brothers and
  sisters of children with special needs an
  opportunity to meet other siblings in a relaxed,
  recreational setting.
• Goal 2 Sibshops will provide brothers and
  sisters with opportunities to discuss common joys
  and concerns with other siblings of children with
  special needs.

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What are the goals of the Sibshop model?

• Goal 3 Sibshops will provide siblings with an
  opportunity to learn how others handle situations
  commonly experienced by siblings of children with
  special needs.
• Goal 4 Sibshops will provide siblings with an
  opportunity to learn more about the implications
  of their sibling's special needs.

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What are the goals of the Sibshop model?

• Goal 5 Sibshops will provide parents and other
  professionals with opportunities to learn more
  about the concerns and opportunities frequently
  experienced by brothers and sisters of people
  with special needs.

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Who attends Sibshops?

• Originally developed for 8-13 year-old siblings
  of children with developmental disabilities, the
  Sibshop model is easily adapted for slightly
  younger and older children.
• Children who attend Sibshops come from diverse
  backgrounds.

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Lets Break For Our First Activity

• Favorites!!!

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How we got started

• In 2007 our Early Childhood S.O.C. Community
  assessed the need for sibling supports by talking
  with enrolled family members.
• When asked what they needed families reported
  there were no resources for their other, mostly
  older, children
• Staff and two youth were supported financially to
  attend a Sibshops training by Don Meyer in
  Binghamton, NY. by the Family Organization.

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A Little About Don Meyer

• Don is the director of the Sibling Support
  Project out of Washington that began in 1990. He
  has conducted more than 300 workshops worldwide
  and has trained over 8,000 parents and providers
  on sibling issues and the Sibshop model.

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A Little More about Don

• Don has also authored several books geared toward
  sibling supports. (list available today)
• Don has been featured on 20/20, ABC News
  Nightline, and World News Tonight.
• Don has been quoted in the New York Times and The
  Washington Post.

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Partnering with Local Agencies

• Sibshops was brought back to the local System of
  Care Collaborative.
• Local agencies involved in the collaborative
  offered space ideas to hold Sibshops and area
  organizations have lent space for a nominal fee.
• Collaborated with schools and local youth service
  agencies for marketing efforts.

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Partnering With A Local College

• A local college student (trained by Don Meyer)
  found New London County Sibshops
• We met to discuss collaboration
• Student observed and participated in our Sibshop

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Partnering Cont

• Student applied for Community Development grant
  at her college
• Student received grant and implements program and
  student group
• Collaboration Sustainability without Cost!!!

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How you can start your own Sibshops

• Attend a 2-day training by Don Meyer.
• Bring youth to attend to be trained as
• youth facilitators.
• Have a community agency representative attend
  with you.
• Utilize the information provided today to begin
  discussions in your communities.

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How to Sponsor a Sibshops

• Any agency serving families of children with
  special needs
• Must be able to financially support and properly
  staff the program
• Must be able to market to a sufficient numbers of
  participants.

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Sponsoring Sibshops

• Agencies and programs are strongly encouraged to
  co-sponsor a local Sibshop.
• Sibshops are not expensive to run.
• Volunteers from local colleges, agencies, and
  organizations can assist.

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Time for a Break..
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One of our Latest Sibshops!!!

• Saturday
• 1000AM-200PM
• BP Learned Mission
• New London, CT.

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Facilitators, Junior Facilitators and Youth
Sibling Volunteers prepare for the day.
Balloons for Pushpin Soccer
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Trickle- In Activity Face Tags!!
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Introductory Activity Favorites
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KNOTS!!!
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The Web!!
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Lets break for our 2nd Activity.

• Time to try the WEB

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STAND UP!
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Sightless Sculpture
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Lunchtime
P I Z Z A
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After Lunch Fun!
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Discussion Activity When I Felt This Way
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Pushpin Soccer!!
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BLOB Tag
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Blind Zoo
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Discussion Activity Good News, Bad
News
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Lets break for our final activity

• Good News, Bad News

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Free Time
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Closure Activity
As a group we fill out the Sibshop Feedback Form.
If your friends ask you what you did today, what
would you tell them?
This is a good time to check in with the
participants. It is helpful to find out which
activities are the favorites and which aren't
liked at all.
Can we have MacCheese next time?
I loved Blob Tag!!
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Parent Feedback Form

• We also have the parents fill out a form after
  the Sibshop has taken place.

Q22. What do you think your child has learned
from the Sibshops? How has he or she benefited so
far?
He says he is calmer when thinking about his
brothers problems.
came away from the Sibshops realizing that
there are other kids who have similar feelings
about their special needs siblings. She enjoyed
it so much she wants to go to another
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Take Away Message!?

• It helped him to see that hes not alone. There
  are other siblings just like him.

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Question/Answer Time
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References and Resources.
Don Meyer DirectorSibling Support Project
donmeyer_at_siblingsupport.org
Rachel Smolenski rsmolenski_at_familiesunited.org
1-860-443-0044 Raeanna Smolenski
alkalinaholic18_at_aol.com
1-860-303-6855 Families United for Childrens
Mental Health
www.familiesunited.org Building Blocks
www.buildingblocksct.org Southeast Mental Health
System of Care www.semhsoc.com