parent handouts Archives - Military Parent Technical Assistance Center

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)

Directory of LEND programs

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!)

Help Military Families Prepare Their Child’s School for Deployment -with handout!

As we know, having a parent away for a lengthy time places extra stress on children and the at-home parent, siblings or other care givers. No matter how often a military parent is deployed, and no matter how well-prepared a child might be for a parent’s absence, children with disabilities may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of stress on their physical and emotional well-being.

To help improve support for the child and increased understanding and support from teachers and schools, here are a few ways you and your center can help military families prepare their child’s school for deployment:

Continue reading “Help Military Families Prepare Their Child’s School for Deployment -with handout!”

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”

Easy Branch Orientation and Guide for Staff Training

We’ve created a guide to our most useful materials on military families: their culture, their unique needs, and the military systems that support them when they have a child with a disability. There is something for every staff member, from those with lengthy experience working with military families to those just starting out. AND-links to parent handouts, including 3 handouts you can brand with your Parent Center logo!

Continue reading “Easy Branch Orientation and Guide for Staff Training”

Medicaid: Referring Military Families to Supports and Services

Military families have unique concerns around the supports and services needed by their child with special needs. On the one hand, they have guaranteed medical coverage through TRICARE, the military health care system and its range of special programs. On the other, there are distinct limits to coverage and programs which may leave military families without some essential supports and services. Medicaid can be an option for some military families which they may not have considered, and which Parent Center staff can help them explore.

Continue reading “Medicaid: Referring Military Families to Supports and Services”

Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)

The Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) is a program offered through TRICARE, the military health care system.

ECHO may help some military families who have a family member with special needs. ECHO focuses on integrated sets of services and supplies beyond those available through TRICARE programs. Services are intended to reduce the disabling effects of a beneficiary’s condition. ECHO is only available as a supplement to TRICARE programs. If services or supplies are available through a beneficiary’s TRICARE plan, they won’t be covered under ECHO.

Continue reading “Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)”