Parent Advocacy

The commission staff includes family consultants who can help families find resources, facilitate communication with other staff members and help support parents as they seek services for their children. The family consultants are parents of special needs children and provide the parent perspective in the commission office and works to connect the commission with other agencies that serve children and families.

Resources available to parents include a computer available at each commission clinic site for their use for research and advocacy. KY-SPIN and ARC of Kentucky representatives are also present in some clinics.

Parents of commission patients are becoming involved in:

• the commission's Needs Assessment planning for all Kentucky children with special health care needs;
• the agency policy and procedure committee; and,
• the evaluation of the commission's ability to encourage family participation.

Goals to expand parent participation include:

• regular presence of a parent consultant in each commission office;
• expanded resource libraries; and,
• creation of a Parent Advisory Board.

In addition to the needs assessment, we have the goal to identify and develop family leaders for ongoing participation and partnership. mentoring for families who wish to become active leaders will be provided through partnership with organizations such as KY-SPIN and the Parent Resource Centers.

Best practices that guide the commission for children with Special Health Care Needs in serving the families of children with special health care needs are:

1. Families of children and youth with special health care needs partner in decision-making and are satisfied with the services they receive.
2. Community-based service systems are organized so families can use them easily.

Parent Advisory Council (PAC) members are parents of children with special needs that are served or have been served  by the Commission. Your child does not have to be a commission patient to talk with a PAC member. Contact any of your PAC members at the following email address:

CCSHCN_PAC@yahoogroups.com

You can reach the following Parent Advocacy & Involvement staff by phone at (502) 595-4459, or (800) 232-1160:
Linda Miller,  ext. 304
Debbie Gilbert, ext. 279
Lee Gordon, ext. 268

You can reach the following Parent Advocacy and Involvement staff by phone at (270) 687-7038, or (877) 687-7038:
Sondra Gilbert, ext. 2123