ECED2340: Family Dynamics and Community Involvement

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"To reach and teach children in wheelchairs ages three through twenty-two the importance of complete independence in all activities of daily living, which in turn leads to self-esteem, motivation, and a desire to excel. The children are taught The ABLE Way - to Adapt, Believe, Love, and Enjoy life as it pertains to them."

"The Arc Tennessee advocates for the rights and full participation of all people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities."

"The mission of Autism Tennessee is to enrich the lives and experiences of individuals on the autism spectrum, their families, and their surrounding community through support, advocacy, and education."

"Disability Law & Advocacy Center of Tennessee (DLAC) advocates for the rights of Tennesseans with disabilities to ensure they have an equal opportunity to be productive and respected members of our society."

"Family-Voices, Inc., was founded in 1992 by family leaders concerned about the changing health care environment and the implications for our children with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or other special health care needs."

"Started as a dream and launched as a one night a week program - in daylight and good weather only - for 10 students, Saddle Up! is now a year-round program that will serve nearly 180 children/youth in 2012."

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) mission is to facilitate discoveries and best practices that make positive differences in the lives of persons with developmental disabilities and their families.

"PFLAG Nashville provides free support for parents, family, and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. We are here to listen, encourage, guide, and assist you as you work to understand what it means to be LGBT."

The mission of the Metro Public Health Department is to protect and improve the health and well-being of all people in Metropolitan Nashville.

State of Tennessee's unit of Children's Special Services

"CHANT is a voluntary care coordination service through the Local Health Departments to assist families with
coordinating medical and social service needs. Through screening and assessments CHANT determines the needs of families and begins the process of connecting them to resources."

Tennessee's Early Intervention System is a voluntary educational program for families with children birth through age two with disabilities or developmental delays.

Centerstone's mission is to prevent and cure mental illness and addiction.

"NAMI Tennessee is a grassroots, self-help organization dedicated to improving quality of life for individuals with mental illness, their families and communities. Our mission is accomplished through mutual support, education and advocacy."

"It’s a harsh reality. Healthcare is one of the top social and economic problems facing the United States today. The inability to pay for essential medical care isn’t just a significant problem for the uninsured, but also for those with health insurance.
Because of rising deductibles and co-pays, many insured patients with chronic diseases are struggling to pay for the care they need. Those who can’t afford their treatments are often unable to continue compliance or end up refraining from seeking care all together; simply because they don’t have available funds to cover the costs."

Through the Shade Tree Clinic, medical and nursing students from Vanderbilt and Meharry are able to enhance their medical education via practical "hands-on" experience, while simultaneously providing important healthcare and social services to a neighborhood in need.

In 1989, a group of members of Belmont Church in Nashville heard God's calling to find a biblical solution to meet the needs of people with limited resources who were suffering due to a lack of health insurance. From that vision, Siloam Family Health Center was born.

"We are dedicated to helping the hungry, homeless and hurting. Our goal is to restore hope and transform lives."

"Safe Haven has 28 years of experience in the changing field of family homelessness with proactive programs, evidence based practices and trauma informed care. We increasingly play a leadership role in education and advocacy to address this community-wide issue."

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration whose mission is to empower immigrants and refugees throughout Tennessee to develop a unified voice, defend their rights, and create an atmosphere in which they are recognized as positive contributors to the state.

"The Family Center strives to significantly reduce the occurrence and reoccurrence of child maltreatment."

The mission of Family and Children’s Service is to strengthen families, children and individuals to achieve self sufficiency, family preservation & emotional well-being.

"Each year, more and more Americans are being forced to choose between paying for life-saving treatments and paying for basic necessities like food, housing and utilities – decisions no one should have to make. When people in these circumstances need help, many of them turn to the HealthWell Foundation"

"We work to improve the health of babies and support families if something does go wrong."

"The Mental Health Cooperative is a behavioral health agency exclusively serving adults with serious mental illness and children and adolescents with serious emotional disorders through illness management, rehabilitation, and recovery."