Contact Information
Grace Sisco
(704) 892-1321 Ext. 11
gsisco@ecacmail.org
Victoria "Sam" Bowman
(336) 386-9144
vbowman@triad.rr.com
Wendy Ward
(704) 892-1321
hic@ecacmail.org
Shanna Capps
(919) 963-2445
shannacapps@netzero.com
Family Voices of North Carolina (FV of NC)
is a
program of the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center
(ECAC). FV of NC is a “beacon” for families of CYSHCN
offering support and information, including conferences,
listservs, newsletters, direct one-on-one support, work
shops and training, and lending library. Funding for these
activities has come from a CMS Family-to-Family grant
and will continue with a grant from MCHB, ECAC’s
discretionary funds, and training contracts with the Children
and Youth Branch NC State Division of Health (Title V).
HIGHLIGHT: Family-to-Family Health Information & Support With the goal of increasing family members’ ability to partner in decision-making around health care for their CYSHCN, FV of NC hired a full-time Lead Parent Educator in 2006. This effort has resulted in:
- Six new information packets for families:
- Public Health Programs 1 (Medicaid, Medicare, EPSDT, SSI, )
- Public Health Programs 2 (Local Health Department Clinics and programs),
- Health Consumer Rights and Related Laws,
- Private Health Insurance
- Patient Assistance Programs
- Medical Home Training
- Two Project brochures (also in Spanish)
- Development of Training Teams of community agencies across the state
- Increased participation in agency and parent networks
- Electronic newsletter, “The Beacon”, and articles in ECAC’s “Newsline”
Last year, FV of NC:
- Assisted families and professionals in response to nearly 8,000 requests
- Distributed 103,000 newsletters
- Informed over 3,600 families and professionals by participating in 191 meetings
- Distributed 2,138 family-friendly materials
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS: Focus on Family Leadership
FV of NC participates in a variety of activities to promote family leadership:
- State Title V Family Council
- Title V Block Grant Review
- Title V Needs Assessment
- Medical Home Initiative Work Group
- Transition Work Group for the Office of Health and Disability
- Kindergarten Health Assessment Work Group
Useful Links
- N. C. Health Choice for Children
- The Brenner Children's Hospital
- Women's and Children's Health
- Children and Youth Branch
- North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services
- Check-It-Out: North Carolina Network of Assistive Technology Loan Programs
- The Technology Exchange Post
- Division of Medical Assistance
- Community Alternatives Program
- Family Support Network of North Carolina
- The Exceptional Children's Assistance Center
- North Carolina Council on Development Disabilities
- Governor's Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities (GACPD)
- North Carolina Public Health
- Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
- North Carolina Assistive Technology Project
- North Carolina Department of Insurance
- Clinical Center for the Study of Development and Learning
- The Arc of North Carolina
- Autism Society of North Carolina
- North Carolina Alliance for the Mentally Ill
- North Carolina Dept. of Health and Human Services
- North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind
- North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Life Plan Trust, Inc. Home Page
- Partnerships in Assistive Technology (PAT)
- Spina Bifida Association of North Carolina
