Family Voices of Minnesota
Contact Information
Carolyn Allshouse
(612) 210-5547
carolyn@familyvoicesofminnesota.org
John Hoffman
(763) 315-1094
jhoffman@midwaytraining.com
Ceci Shapland
(651) 482-1811
ceci@familyvoicesofminnesota.org
Family Voices of Minnesota (FV MN) connects families with one another
through trainings, conferences, and focus groups covering a variety of topics
including, but not limited to Medicaid, Medicaid Waivers, Private Insurance/HMOs,
Youth Leadership, and Transition to Adult Care. Likewise, FV MN provides
information and assistance to families of CYSHCN through an e-mail network,
website, printed materials including newsletters and care notebooks, and mailings. FV
MN connects families with local, state and national committees to promote
parent/professional collaboration across all systems. These activities are done though
partnership among the Minnesota Children with Special Health Needs Program,
PACER Center and volunteer families.
HIGHLIGHT: Developing Family Leadership
Through a partnership between the Minnesota Children with Special Health Needs
program (Title V) at the Department of Health, PACER Center’s Family-to-Family
Health Information Center and Early Childhood project, a state wide Family
Leadership Summit was held. This summit brought together parents of
CSHCN and/or disabilities to enhance their leadership skills and to connect family
leaders with one another on a local, regional and state level. Future
Family Leadership Summits are being planned.
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS: Families and Professionals
FV MN has been very involved with other partners in activities that promote and
support family/professional partnerships. The MN Chapter of the Academy of
Pediatrics and the Minnesota Children with Special Health Needs program at the
Department of Health have sponsored the development of a Children's Health Care
Quality Consortium which includes parents from the Family Voices of Minnesota
Network. Minnesota's Medical Home Collaborative currently has 21 teams across the
state; every team includes two parents who have children with special health needs
and/or disabilities.
WORKING TOGETHER FOR CYSHCN:
FV MN is working to create connections with all advocacy organizations in MN
through the development of a Family Voices of MN Network Consortium. The
Consortium will include parent representatives from disability advocacy
organizations from across the state, family advisory committees, parents involved in
systems level advisory committees and parents at large. The goal of bringing
together these representatives is to have a forum that will coordinate and support
family involvement and leadership activities throughout Minnesota.
Useful Links
- North Star - Minnesota State Government Online
- MinnesotaCare
- Children's Hospitals and Clinics
- Gillette Children's Hospital
- Shriner's Twin Cities Hospital
- Minnesota Children with Special Health Needs
- Minnesota Children with Special Health Needs Information and Referral Line
- Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
- Minnesotas Medical Assistance (MA) (Medicaid) Program
- Waiver Programs
- Mental Health Division
- Pacer Center
- Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
- Minnesota Department of Health
- Minnesota Disability Services
- Department of Children, Families and Learning - Special Education
- Insurance Division
- Brain Injury Association of Minnesota
- Partners in Policymaking
