Medicaid waivers, respite care-and IEPS! Learn how the military healthcare system interacts with civilian healthcare and what military parents need to know about TRICARE services and Special Education.
Continue reading “4 Reasons for Parent Center Staff to Know 5 Facts About TRICARE”Tag: iep
Frequently Asked Questions-Answers from the Branch
Many parent center staff, even those who often work with military-connected families, contact the Branch team with questions about how things work in the military system.
Here are some examples of questions we’ve received—you may have similar questions. While you are free to contact us, many answers can be found in the resources on our website, such as the resources listed below. You can also find answers by going to branchta.org and entering the topic in the search area.
K-12 and Post-Secondary
- “A military family I’m helping is having difficulty getting their child’s records transferred-who can they talk to?”
- “The new school is insisting the student take an alternate exit exam due to her disability, which will prevent her from getting a regular diploma. The family is active duty military—is there anything to help?”
Key Topics on the minds of military families
Feature your parent center’s information, training and resources on these topics to reach and assist military families:
- State-specific Information
- Moving and your child’s IEP
- Community resources at your new duty station
Highlighting these three key areas using language familiar to military-connected families (“PCSing”) demonstrates your parent center’s knowledge of the issues they face.
Continue reading “Key Topics on the minds of military families”Post-High School Transition Resource for Military Families-with handout
Military families move both in and out of states on a regular basis. Parent centers can offer families some of the following select resources gathered from the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR), US Department of Labor, US Department of Education, Social Security Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
NEW! We’ve added this for military families. Although it’s helpful to highly-mobile families with children of any age, it may be especially useful for transition-age youth whose families are new to a state.
Directory-University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs)
Each resource is nationwide and provides state-specific information. Parent centers can encourage military-connected youth and their families to research state and local agencies in advance of a move, locate and make contacts, and start achieving transition goals in their new location. At the end of this article, there is a handout for parents and youth you can brand with your parent center’s logo.
Employment
Employment Center at Installations (listed on installation websites under Morale, Welfare and Recreation)
List of Vocational Rehabilitation agencies by State – from the US Department of Labor
Federal Schedule A Hiring Authority Fact Sheet: Tips for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Interested in Starting a Career with the Federal Government 84% of Federal jobs are located outside the greater Washington, DC area! The Schedule A Hiring Authority bypasses the traditional methods for getting a Federal job and allows individuals to apply for a Federal appointment through a noncompetitive process. If an individual meets the eligibility requirements for the appointment and the minimum position qualifications, he or she can be hired without competing with the general public.
careeronestop>Find Local Help -US Department of Labor. This extensive site is mobile-friendly.
- Interactive maps to State employment assistance services and their locations (can include local services)
- Youth Councils and Workforce Development Boards (also known as Workforce Investment Boards) which have listings for both local and State-level employment programs for youth and young adults under the Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA). Under WIOA, all funded programs must be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities and such individuals are entitled to reasonable accommodations and modifications to allow such individuals to fully participate in such programs. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
- Training programs eligible under WIOA, which includes Vocational Rehabilitation state grant programs that assist individuals with disabilities in finding employment
- Employment Network Finder (for recipients of Social Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance). Free career counseling, job placement, ongoing support
- American Job Centers (over 2,000 of them!)
Other interesting links include the Apprenticeship Office Finder, and the Native American Program Finder.
Employment and training helpline at careeronestop:
1-877-US2-JOBS
(1-877-872-5627)
TTY: 1-877-889-5627
Bureau of Labor Statistics K-12 Student Resources: interactive tools for major metropolitan areas, regions and States on the economy and employment; designed for student use.
College
Education Center at Installations (listed on the installation website under Morale, Welfare and Recreation)
Community College finder (from careeronestop)
If the military-connected youth you’re assisting has intellectual disabilities or autism, Think College has nation-wide resources for youth who would like to attend college and their parents.
What’s Happening in Your State? Interactive map or table for learning about activities, policies, legislation, and contact information about postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability, by State. Includes links to relevant websites.
Find a College: interactive map with information on 265 college programs for students with intellectual disability by State, plus the How to Think College Guide to Conducting a College Search.
Government Benefit Agencies
Interactive Map of State Medicaid and CHIP Profiles (Medicaid.gov): Information includes a State’s Demonstrations and Waivers.
Social Security Office Locator by Zip Code
For Transition-Age Youth: Military Family Resource (add your parent center’s information!)
Family Care Plans
A Family Care Plan is a way to make sure that a military family is taken care of while their service member is gone. They may be gone because they are deployed, on temporary duty, or due to other military obligations.
Resolve School Issues with the Interstate Compact-2 Parent Handouts
The Interstate Compact is an excellent tool for your work with military families. There are resources for parents that describe what the Interstate Compact is, and what it can be used for. These two handouts are for military parents who want to know what specific steps to take to start resolving issues by using the Compact, and what their next steps are if their first efforts don’t succeed. You’ll find them helpful too!
Continue reading “Resolve School Issues with the Interstate Compact-2 Parent Handouts”
Interstate Compact Presentation by the Military Interstate Compact Commission (MIC3)
Interstate Compact Military Presentation by Rick Masters, General Counsel for MIC3, the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission. Includes Question and Answer session about this important legal protection for military-connected children in public schools K-12. Includes a handout for military parents.
Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children
The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children was created to provide a smooth transition for military children as their families relocate from installation to installation. “While the Compact is not exhaustive in its coverage, it does address the key issues encountered by military families: eligibility, enrollment, placement and graduation” (NCSL, 2014). The Compact has been created with the hope that students will not lose academic time in transition, obtain an appropriate placement, and be able to graduate on time. Currently, all 50 states and District of Columbia participate in the Compact. Continue reading “Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children”