Contact Information
Gina Pola-Money
(801) 584-8236
801-808-4220
utahfamilyvoices@juno.com
Utah Family Voices (UT FV), through the Family-to-Family Health Information, Education and Support Center, provides a broad range of assistance to families and professionals. This includes individualized information and referral, focus and support groups, parent matching, training, topical calls, conferences, care notebook and resource guides, listserv, surveys, website, and a newsletter. These activities are supported with funding from CMS (F2F grant), The Utah Parent Center, Title V/Children with Special Health Care Needs Bureau, Utah State University (LEND grant), Utah Regional Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, and Utah Integrated Services Project.
HIGHLIGHT: Early Intervention
Utah Family Voices has been very involved with Early
Intervention. Through this partnership they have helped to
coordinate efforts of families, educating policy-makers
through their personal family stories, and emphasizing the
importance of the vital services of Early Intervention
services statewide. Through these efforts families have
made their voices heard and emphasized sustaining funding
as a top priority.
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS: Developing Family Leadership
Through efforts of the Utah Family Voices Health Information Center, the Utah
Regional Leadership Education in Neurodevelopment Disabilities project and the
Utah Collaborative Medical Home Project, the number of families who are equal
partners in activities and who are compensated for their expertise and experience has
increased.
“ I had been struggling to get a therapy through Medicaid that was denied. After talking with Utah Family Voices I was able to appeal and learn about EPSDT and medical necessity. Utah Family Voices provided information on medical necessity that my providers were able to use and get the therapy approved. I feel more at ease knowing that getting a denial is not the end, there is a way to get them to look at what my child needs.” - a parent
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS: Families and Policymakers
Utah Family Voices has been added
to the on-going curriculum of the
University of Utah School of Medicine,
Department of Pediatrics, the School
of Physical Therapy and the School of
Nursing to present on the family
perspective and family-centered care.
Through these efforts and partnerships
they are able to expand the
philosophy of true family professional
partnerships and Medical Home. Utah
Family Voices and the Utah Parent
Center provide examples of care
notebooks, emergency information
forms and disability resources books
that can be used to highlight family
roles and expand family expertise.
Useful Links
- Access Utah - Information
- Allies with Families
- ARC of Utah
- Autism Society of Utah
- Center for Persons with Disabilities
- CHADD of Utah
- Children's Health Insurance Program
- Division of Services for People with Disabilities
- Information and Referral 211
- Learning Disabilities Association of Utah
- Legislative Coalition for People with Disabilities
- Medicaid
- Primary Care Network
- Primary Children's Medical Center
- Shriners Hospital
- Special Olympics Utah
- UCP of Utah
- Utah Assistive Technology Program
- Utah Center for Assistive Technology
- Utah Children
- Utah Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN), Utah Department of Health, Division of Community and Family Health Services (state Maternal Child Health (Title V, MCH) agency for Utah)
- Utah Disability Law Center
- Utah Down SyndromeFoundation
- Utah Governor's Council for People with Disabilities
- Utah Independent Living Centers
- Utah Issues
- Utah Medical Home Portal
- Utah Parent Center, Parent Training and Information
- Utah Special Education Services
- Utah Spina Bifida Outreach
- Utah State Baby Watch Early Intervention
- Utah State Family Council
- Utah State Office of Rehabilitation
