Transcript The Power of Parents: A Model for Parent Leadership Texas

The Power of Families:
NCDB Family Leadership Training Program
It all begins today!
How We’ll Spend our Time Together
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Getting to know each other
Exploring the meaning of family leadership
& how it applies to each of you
Covering our basic training design for the
year
Beginning to learn new skills
Beginning your leadership plans
What Does Leadership Mean to You?
Think~Pair~Share Activity
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Think of someone who you consider to be a leader
Why do you feel this way?
What qualities or characteristics do they demonstrate?
Share your thoughts with another person
Let’s talk about it!
Common Leadership Qualities
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Wants to learn
Has a vision
Has a story he believes in
Respects others
Good listener
Good communicator
Good delegator
Motivating
Open to ideas
Adapts to change
Willing to pickup what’s not
getting done
Can see the Big Picture
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Positive attitude
Good sense of humor
Can think outside the box
Takes risk for new ideas
Honest
Trustworthy
Organized
Able to admit when wrong or
does not know
Good follower
Humble
Empathetic
Personal Reflection
What leadership qualities do you
see in yourself?
Beliefs in Leadership
Leaders are not born ~ they rise out of a
person’s passion for how they want the
world to be.
Leadership isn’t a gift ~ it’s accessible to
anyone who wants it.
Leadership isn’t a calling ~ it’s a matter of
listening to a question and trying to come
up with an answer.
A leader is anyone who has a very BIG and
COMPELLING story of how it could all turn
out.
Barbara Waugh, HP
What is Family Leadership?
Meaningful family leadership occurs when family members
gain the knowledge and skills to…
…function in meaningful leadership roles and
represent a “family voice” to help shape the
direction of families, programs and communities.
Family leadership is successfully achieved when family
members and professionals build effective partnerships
and share responsibility, expertise and leadership in
decisions being made that affect families and
communities. The family members involved in these
collaborations are called…
…Family Leaders
National Parent Leadership Tool Kit
Who is a Family Leader?
A Family Leader…
Parent
Grandparent
Foster parent
Sibling
Aunt or Uncle
Or….other
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Has a vision
Have personal experience in using resources/services to
strengthen his or her family
Speaks and acts from his or her perspective as a family
member
Is not speaking and acting solely in a staff role for an
organization or institution.
National Parent Leadership Tool Kit
Potential Roles for a Family Leader
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Mentor or Role Model
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Participate in focus groups
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Trainer
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Advisory board member
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Plan family activities
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Write an article for a
newsletter
Member of planning
commission
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Witness at public hearings
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Media interviewee
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Spokesperson for deafblindness
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Advocate for individuals,
families and/or programs
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Public speaker
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Fundraiser
National Parent Leadership Tool Kit
Some Real Life Examples
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TX: Parents helped get two laws enacted in Texas: House
Bill 37, which makes children eligible for the Deafblind
Medicaid Waiver (previously only available for adults) and
House Bill 63, which creates a career ladder for Interveners
WA: Mom started a community swimming program
IL: Parent joined the state school’s advisory board and has
helped other families write letters to increase funding
WA: Parent worked with community college nursing program
to get credit hours for nursing students for providing respite
IL: Parent volunteers to meet with families prior to an IEP
meeting to prepare
WA: Group of family members started a family-to-family
support network
Your Role as a Family Leader
“Where your talents and the
needs of the world cross,
lies your calling.”
Aristotle
Why Help Family Leaders Develop?
BENEFITS TO FAMILIES
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All family members have the
potential to become strong family
leaders
BENEFITS TO SYSTEMS
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Enhance your knowledge and
skills ~ benefits your family and
others
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Bring a parent perspective
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Keep things real
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Chance to act on a vision or
passion
Often children of family leaders
begin to take on leadership roles,
based on their parents modeling
When family leaders gain
knowledge and skills to function
in leadership roles they:
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Improve the quality of
services and supports
Ensure that programs meet
the needs of families and
children
Systems that affect children and
families will achieve more positive
results, utilize resources more
effectively and expand their
ability to create change when they
partner with family leaders
National Parent Leadership Tool Kit
A Model for Family Leadership
NCDB Family Leadership
Training Program
NCDB Family Leadership Goal
As graduates of the NCDB Family Leadership
Training Program, family members will be able
to use knowledge and skills they develop in the
training to impact services and supports for
children with deaf-blindness. This can be within
their own community, at the regional or
statewide level, or even at the national level.
By participating in this yearlong training,
you will:
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Broaden your understanding of deaf-blind issues
beyond what you already know about your own
child and family.
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Increase your knowledge of resources related to
deaf-blindness and family support
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Gain an understanding of leadership opportunities
and how you could contribute to these
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Have the opportunity to develop and work on your
own leadership goal, with lots of support
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Have opportunities to team with other family
leaders to accomplish common goals
Personal Leadership Goal &
Group Leadership Goal
Onsite & Distance Training
Personal Leadership Goal
Based on your interests, passions, talents
Positive results for children and families
Work on it throughout the year
Ongoing Support
Group Leadership Goal
Help plan a family get together
Use your talents and skills on team
Work on it throughout the year
Onsite & Distance Training
Core Areas: Deaf-blindness; Leadership & Advocacy; Communication; Resources; Personal Life Balance
Types of training: face-to-face, online, self-study
Ongoing Support
Supports you as you implement new skills
Supports you as you work on your Personal and Group Leadership Goal
Types of support: Peer support, phone calls, emails, conference calls, face-to-face
What we ask of you…
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Commit to participating in all face-to-face trainings
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Commit to participating in distance activities
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Commit to identifying and carrying out your own
personal leadership activity
Commit to supporting a “buddy” so you each
accomplish your leadership goals
Commit to being part of the team that works on
the group leadership goal
What You’ll Be Doing and Learning
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This Weekend:
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You’ll start to get to know the other participants
You’ll start to understand what we mean by
family leadership & how it relates to you (F02m)
You’ll learn about communication & effective
negotiation strategies (F02a, F02o)
You’ll start to think about strategies to take care
of yourself (F08i)
You’ll identify a personal goal to work on
You’ll create an action plan
Questions &
Discussion Time