Annotation: Through its helpline and keyword-searchable website, the American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse provides information and referrals to callers seeking information on existing national self-help support groups or local self-help group clearinghouses. The clearinghouse also provides consultation to those parents or other individuals interested in starting new types of self-help groups or mutual aid support networks. The clearinghouse publishes various how-to materials, as well as the Self-Help Group Sourcebook, a directory of over one thousand national and model groups, and a guide to starting groups. The directory is searchable online.

Contact: 375 East McFarland Street, Dover, NJ 07801, Telephone: 973-989-1122 Fax: 973-989-1159 Web Site: http://www.mentalhelp.net/selfhelp/

Keywords: Self help programs, Support groups

Annotation: Disability Resources, a nonprofit organization, monitors, reviews, and reports on a wide range of disability resources and disseminates information about them to libraries, disability organizations, health and social service professionals, consumers and family members through publications, online resources, and customized services such as consultant services, bibliographies, workshops and speakers. Its Web site has information on resources, technologies, and organizations (local and national) that help individuals with disabilities live independently. Topics include parents with disabilities and sites for children with disabilities and their parents.

Contact: Four Glatter Lane, Centereach, NY 11720-1032, Telephone: (631) 585-0290 Web Site: http://www.disabilityresources.org E-mail: info@disabilityresources.org

Keywords: Chronic illnesses and disabilities, Independent living

Annotation: The Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC) serves as the south regional center for the Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers. It serves Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Regional offices provide technical assistance, conduct an annual conference for parent center staff, and facilitate Individualized Technical Assistance Agreements (ITAGS). ECAC works with state agencies, professional organizations, school systems, and colleges and universities to train and support Parent Leadership. Parent Leadership activities include training of Parent Advisory Boards for state agencies and schools systems, offering a variety of leadership workshops for families, and providing stipends for families who co-teach or present in special education classes at state colleges and universities.

Contact: 907 Barra Row, Suite 102/103, Davidson, NC 28036, Telephone: (704) 892-1321 parent information line: (800)962-6817 Fax: (704) 892-5028 Web Site: http://www.ecac-parentcenter.org E-mail: information@ecacparentcenter.org

Keywords: Family resource centers

Annotation: The Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) serves organizations and programs that work with families of children and youth with disabilities. The center offers information and services on the subject of assistive technology (AT), including a monthly newsletter, national online discussions, a database of educational and AT resources, literature and electronic-resource reviews, and information about laws related to technology and individuals with disabilities. The center's Web site also lists organizations in each state that can assist parents, including parent support and advocacy groups, and state and national agencies and associations.

Contact: Academy for Educational Development, 1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Seventh Floor, Washington, DC 20009-5721, Telephone: (202) 884-8068 Fax: (202) 884-8441 Web Site: http://www.fctd.info E-mail: fctd@aed.org

Keywords: Assistive devices, Children with special health care needs, Disabilities

Annotation: Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HIC) provide information to families of children and youth with special health care needs on medical home; health insurance availability; early screening and intervention; appropriate transition services for youth; and leadership and decision-making capacity for all families. The centers are funded in all 50 states and the District of Columbia through grants from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. Family Voices -- through its National Center for Family / Professional Partnerships for CYSHCN (NCFPP) -- works to increase the leadership capacity and promote family-centered care through the expansion and implementation of these centers.

Contact: Family Voices, 2340 Alamo South East, Suite 102, Albuquerque, 87106, Telephone: (505) 872-4774 toll free: (888) 835-5669 Fax: (505) 872-4780 Web Site: http://www.familyvoices.org/info/ncfpp/ E-mail: cawhite@familyvoices.org

Keywords: Adolescents with special health care needs, Children with special health care needs, Family resource centers

Annotation: Family Voices is a national grassroots organization speaking on behalf of children with special health care needs. The organization works with local, state, and national policy makers, the media, health care and educational professionals in collaborative efforts to meet the needs of these children. Services to consumers include reference information and publications. Publications include a bimonthly newsletter. Materials are also available in Spanish. Their Web site provides access to state Family Voices groups, including family to family health information centers, and to other resources within each state.

Contact: 2340 Alamo Drive, S.E., Suite 102, Albuquerque, NM 87106, Telephone: (505) 872-4774 toll free: (888) 835-5669 Fax: (505) 872-4780 Web Site: http://www.familyvoices.org E-mail: kidshealth@familyvoices.org

Keywords: Advocacy, Children with special health care needs, Community programs, Consumer education, Family resource centers, Health insurance, Health policy, Legislation, Medicaid, Parent groups, Public awareness campaigns, Publications, Spanish language materials, State children's health insurance program, State programs

Annotation: The FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) Programs provides training and technical assistance to federally funded CBCAP Programs. The Center assists in building networks, collecting data, promoting stakeholder involvement, and providing access to resources. The Web site provides access to online learning tools, print materials, a listserv, Web links, and information on upcoming meetings and events. The Center is a participant in the Children's Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network (TTA).

Contact: Chapel Hill Training Outreach Project, 800 Eastowne Drive, Suite 105, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, Telephone: (919) 490-5577, ext. 222 Fax: (919) 490-4905 Web Site: http://www.friendsnrc.org E-mail: ylayden@chtop.org

Keywords: Child abuse, Child neglect, Child welfare, Community programs, Family centered services, Family resource centers, Family support programs, Parent support services, Prevention programs, State programs

Annotation: The Matrix Parent Network and Resource serves as the west regional center for the Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers. It is a 501(c)(3) organization and staffed primarily by parents of children with special needs. It serves California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Pacific Jurisdictions. Regional offices provide technical assistance, conduct an annual conference for parent center staff, and facilitate Individualized Technical Assistance Agreements (ITAGS).

Contact: 94 Galli Drive, Suite C, Novato, CA 94903, Telephone: (800) 578-2592 Secondary Telephone: (415) 844-3535 Fax: (415) 884-3555 Web Site: http://www.matrixparents.org/ E-mail: info@matrixparents.org

Keywords: Family resource centers

Annotation: The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) assists parents, educators, caregivers, and others in ensuring that all children and youth with disabilities have better opportunities to reach their full potential. The center provides personal responses to specific questions in either English or Spanish, referrals to other organizations, information packets, publications (including eNews), and technical assistance to parent and professional groups. A catalog is available. There is a nominal fee for some publications. Some materials are available in Spanish. State resource sheets list agencies and organizations for parents and professionals that address disability-related issues in each state. A research-to-practice database extracts key findings from research studies, presents implications for practice, and includes additional resources on the topics of the research.

Contact: 1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20009, Telephone: (202) 884-8200 TTY/voice: (800) 695-0285 Fax: (202) 884-8441 Web Site: http://www.nichcy.org E-mail: nichcy@aed.org

Keywords: Adolescents, Children with special health care needs, Early intervention, Family centered services, Health promotion, Information sources, Nuvee, Parenting, Program descriptions, Publications, Research, Resource centers, Spanish language materials, Special education

Annotation: The National Military Family Association (NMFA) advocates for improvements in the quality of military family life. The association works to educate military families concerning their rights, benefits, and services and to promote and protect the interest of military families by influencing the development and implementation of legislation and policies affecting them. NMFA produces a variety of publications including newsletters, fact sheets, news updates, position papers, and testimonies.

Contact: 2500 North Van Dorn Street, Suite 102, Alexandria, VA 22302-1601, Telephone: (703) 931-6632 Secondary Telephone: (800) 260-0128 Fax: (703) 931-4600 Web Site: http://www.nmfa.org E-mail: families@nfma.org

Keywords: Families, Family resource centers, Military

Annotation: The National Self-Help Clearinghouse works to facilitate access to self-help groups and increase awareness of the importance of mutual support. Activities include conducting training activities; carrying out research activities; and maintaining a data bank to provide information about and referrals to self-help groups and regional self-help clearinghouses.

Contact: City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3300, New York, NY 10016-4309, Telephone: (212) 817-1822 Fax: (212) 817-1561 Web Site: http://www.selfhelpweb.org E-mail: info@selfhelpweb.org

Keywords: Self help programs, Support groups

Annotation: The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD) is a statewide, nonprofit organization that serves families of infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities in Ohio, and agencies who provide services to them. The OCECD mission is to ensure that every Ohio child with special needs receives a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment to enable that child to reach his/her highest potential. OCECD's programs are designed to help parents become informed and effective representatives for their children in all educational settings. OCECD publishes a series of free publications for parents and a bimonthly newsletter. Some materials are available in Spanish. It's My Turn is a curriculum which promotes increased capacity of youth with disabilities to make choices, advocate for themselves, and gain the competencies to learn, work, live, and recreate in the community. OCECD serves as the Technical Assistance Center for Region 4 of the Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers. It serves Illinois,Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Contact: 165 West Center Street, Suite 302, Marion, OH 43302-3741, Telephone: (740) 382-5452 OH: (800) 374-2806 Fax: (740) 383-6421 Web Site: http://www.ocecd.org E-mail: ocecd@gte.net

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Early Intervention, Education programs, Family resource centers, Nuvee, Ohio, Parenting, Public policies, Special education, Support groups

Annotation: The PACER Center, founded in 1977, was created by parents of children and youth with disabilities to help other parents and families facing similar challenges. PACER strives to improve and expand opportunities that enhance the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities and their families. The center offers training and information about special education laws and procedures, parents' rights and responsibilities, and health and transition issues. PACER is staffed primarily by parents of children with disabilities and works with a coalition of 18 disability organizations. PACER offers programs for students, in-service training for professionals, and referral and reference information for the general public. The organization sponsors confeences, produces a variety of publications (with some materials available in Spanish and Asian languages), and develops and develops specialized Web sites.

Contact: 8161 Normandale Boulevard, Bloomington, MN 55437-1044, Telephone: (952) 838-9000 TTY: (952) 838-0190 Fax: (952) 838-0199 Web Site: http://www.pacer.org E-mail: pacer@pacer.org

Keywords: Affective disorders, Assistive devices, Behavior disorders, Children, Disabilities, Family resource centers, Mainstreaming, Parent education, Parenting, Parents, Special education, Supported employment, Training, Transitions, Young children

Annotation: Parent Information and Resource Centers (PIRC) provides access to information on more than 70 individuals PIRCs operating in almost all of the states across the country. These centers work closely with parents, educators and community organizations to strengthen partnerships so that children can reach high academic standards. The U.S. Department of Education created the first PIRCs in 1995 to provide parents, schools and organizations working with families with training, information, and technical assistance to understand how children develop and what they need to succeed in school.

Contact: 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202, Telephone: (800) 872-5327 TTY: (800) 437-0833 Web Site: http://www.ed.gov/programs/pirc/index.html

Keywords: Education, Family resource centers, Parent participation, Schools

Annotation: Parent to Parent USA (P2PUSA) is a national non-profit organization committed to promoting access, quality, and leadership in parent to parent support for families across the country with children who have a special health care need, disability, or mental health issue. Research findings, training and program support materials, a glossary of terminology, and links to additional resources are located on the Web site. The site also highlights alliance member statewide organizations that have parent to parent support as a core program and a commitment to implementing parent to parent evidence-based practices.

Contact: Web Site: http://www.p2pusa.org E-mail: NancyD@p2pusa.org

Keywords: CSHN programs, Family support services, Parent education programs, Training materials

Annotation: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal special education law, establishes a grant program to support organized parent-to-parent efforts. The purpose of these programs, known as Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers, is to enable parents to participate more effectively with professionals in meeting the educational needs of children with disabilities. Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers exist in each state to assist parents of infants, children, and youth with disabilities. Although the activities of the PTIs vary from state to state, typically parents receive training individually and in groups to understand their rights under federal and state law and to develop skills to enable them to be effective members of the team planning an appropriate educational program for their child. Speakers and workshops are often scheduled to address parents' rights and responsibilities in special education, communication skills, transition from school to independent living, integration of students with disabilities, networking, advocacy, and parent/professional partnerships. Many PTIs have lending libraries, publish newsletters, and make other materials available to families.

Contact: National Technical Assistance Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55437, Telephone: (888) 248-0822 National Center: (952) 838-9000 Fax: (952) 838-0199 Web Site: http://www.ncld.org/content/view/900/456084/ E-mail: alliance@taalliance.org

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Education, IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Parents, Training

Annotation: STOMP (Specialized Training of Military Parents) is a federally funded Parent Training and Information (PTI) Center established to assist military families who have children with special health or education needs. STOMP works to connect families to other families; provides a voice to raise awareness of issues faced by military families of children with disabilities; assists parents and professionals in developing their own community parent education/support groups; and provides information and training about laws, regulations and resources for military families of children with disabilities. STOMP, which began in 1985, is a project of Washington PAVE and is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Contact: Washington Pave, 6316 South 12th Street, Tacoma, WA 98465, Telephone: (253) 565-2266 Secondary Telephone: (800) -5-PARENT Fax: (253) 566-8052 Web Site: http://www.stompproject.org E-mail: stomp@washingtonpave.com

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Families, Family support, Federal programs, Parent support services, Special education

Annotation: The Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers (the Alliance) provides technical assistance for establishing, developing, and coordinating parent training and information (PTI) projects and community parent resource centers (CPRCs) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). PTIs and CPRCs in each state provide training and information to parents of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and to professionals who work with children. The alliance is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, and is coordinated by the PACER Center in Minneapolis. The alliance includes four regional offices, in Delaware, Ohio, North Carolina, and California, which serve parent centers in their areas; contact information for the regional offices is listed on the alliance Web site. The Web site also contains a directory of PTIs and CPRCs in each state.

Contact: Alliance National Center, 8161 Normandale Boulevard, Minneapolis, MN 55437-1044, Telephone: (952) 838-9000 toll free: (888) 248-0822 Web Site: http://www.taalliance.org E-mail: alliance@taalliance.org

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Family resource centers, Parent support services, Technical assistance