Organization: FAMILY AND COMMUNITY TOGETHER
Mission: EMPOWER OREGON FAMILIES EXPERIENCING DISABILITY IN THEIR PURSUIT OF A WHOLE LIFE BY EXPANDING AWARENESS, GROWING COMMUNITY, AND EQUIPPING FAMILIES.
Activities: THE MISSION OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY TOGETHER (FACT OREGON), HEREAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE ORGANIZATION, IS TO EMPOWER OREGON FAMILIES EXPERIENCING DISABILITY IN THEIR PURSUIT OF A WHOLE LIFE. WE DO THIS WITH FOCUSED WORK IN THREE INTERCONNECTED AREAS: EXPANDING AWARENESS, GROWING COMMUNITY, AND EQUIPPING FAMILIES. GUIDED BY PRINCIPLES OF HIGH EXPECTATIONS, SELF-DETERMINATION, EQUITABLE ACCESS, FAMILY EMPOWERMENT, RESPECTING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES, AND THE BELIEF THAT DISABILITY IS NATURAL, FACT OREGON IS LED BY PARENTS OF YOUTH EXPERIENCING DISABILITY. WE RECOGNIZE THE COMPLEXITY OF RAISING A CHILD EXPERIENCING DISABILITY, AND WE OFFER PEER-DELIVERED SUPPORT THAT IS GENUINE, EMPATHETIC, AND EDUCATIONAL, WHILE HONORING PARENTS AS EXPERTS ON THEIR CHILDREN. (CONTINUED ON SCH O)OREGONIANS WITH DISABILITIES ROUTINELY EXPERIENCE SEGREGATION AND DISCRIMINATION, WITH INEQUITABLE ACCESS TO EDUCATION, COMMUNITY, EMPLOYMENT, AND RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING. THIS LEADS TO LIVES OF LIMITED GROWTH, SOCIAL ISOLATION, LONELINESS, POOR HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. FAMILIES ARE HUNGRY FOR SUPPORT, RESOURCES, AND ACTION TO CHANGE THESE OUTCOMES. THROUGH SERVICES CREATED BY FAMILIES FOR FAMILIES, THE ORGANIZATION HELPS FAMILIES NAVIGATE SPECIAL EDUCATION AND DISABILITY SYSTEMS, CENTER FAMILY AND INDIVIDUAL SELF-DETERMINATION, ACCESS COMMUNITY, AND BRING FAMILY VOICE TO POLICY AND SYSTEMS CHANGE WORK. THE ORGANIZATION HOLDS CONTRACTS AS OREGON'S PARENT & TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION CENTER FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ASSIST FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION RELATED CONCERNS. IN ADDITION, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES SUPPORT AND TRAININGS COVERING A RANGE OF OTHER ISSUES THAT IMPACT OUR FAMILIES, INCLUDING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, INCLUSIVE RECREATION, DISABILITY AWARENESS, NAVIGATING SERVICE SYSTEMS, PERSON-CENTERED PLANNING, TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD, AND MORE. COMMUNITY-BUILDING INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE ALL ABILITY TRI4YOUTH, FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENTS, AND DISABILITY AWARENESS PROGRAMS FURTHER OUR GOAL TO HELP FAMILIES PURSUE WHOLE LIVES IN THEIR NATURAL COMMUNITIES 2019-20 WAS BOTH A RECORD-BREAKING, NEW-INITIATIVE-GENERATING, AND THEN EXTREMELY CHALLENGING YEAR. FROM JULY 2019 THROUGH MID-MARCH 2020, CALL LINE VOLUME CONTINUED ITS UPWARD TREND OF THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WITH MORE CALLS THAN EVER EACH MONTH AS COMPARED TO THE YEAR PRIOR. BY MID-MARCH, JUST AS WE WERE ABOUT TO ENTER INTO THE BUSY SPRING IEP MEETING SEASON, WE HAD ALREADY HAD 7,495 CONTACTS WITH 1,260 FAMILIES, PUTTING US AT A PACE TO SERVE AT LEAST 1,700 FAMILIES. TRAININGS AND EVENTS, REACHED 1,774 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH MARCH 15, 2020. WE INTENTIONALLY FOCUSED ON PROVIDING DAY-LONG SERIES OF TRAININGS THROUGHOUT THE STATE (REGIONAL LEARNING SUMMITS) TO MORE DEEPLY ENGAGE AND IMPACT ATTENDEES WITH A WIDE ARRAY OF TOPICS, INFORMATION, AND TOOLS. THESE WERE VERY WELL RECEIVED, WITH 100% OF ATTENDEES REPORTING GAINS IN KNOWLEDGE/CONFIDENCE IN ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS: THEIR ROLE IN THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION; WORKING WITH THEIR CHILD'S SCHOOL; AND UNDERSTANDING OF SELF-DETERMINATION, ONE-PAGE PROFILES, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAJECTORY IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.WITH THE START OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ALL IN-PERSON TRAININGS AND EVENTS THAT WERE ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR THE SPRING, INCLUDING THOSE IN COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WERE ABRUPTLY CANCELLED TO COMPLY WITH THE GOVERNOR'S STAY HOME ORDER. TO BE RESPONSIVE TO FAMILIES' NEEDS DURING THE CRISIS, WE PIVOTED TO PROVIDING WEBINAR-BASED TRAININGS THAT WAS COVID-19 AND DISTANCE LEARNING RELATED. THESE WEBINAR TRAININGS REACHED MORE THAN 1,400 ATTENDEES FROM MID-MARCH THROUGH JUNE 2020. THE SUPPORT LINE SLOWED DOWN SIGNIFICANT, DUE IN LARGE PART TO DISTRICTS PUSHING BACK IEP MEETINGS AND FAMILIES NOT HAVING WAYS OR ENERGY TO ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH DISTRICTS REGARDING THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. EVEN SO, WE STILL HAD 1,471 UNIQUE FAMILIES CONTACT US OVER THE COURSE OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, YIELDING 8,908 TOTAL CONTACTS.THE ORGANIZATION CURRENTLY SERVES 12,500 FAMILIES, IN ADDITION TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND PROFESSIONALS, REPRESENTING A WIDE RANGE OF DISABILITIES INCLUDING COGNITIVE, BEHAVIORAL, PHYSICAL, NEUROLOGICAL, AND MENTAL HEALTH. 32% ARE FROM COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, INCLUDING 18% WHO IDENTIFY AS LATINO/HISPANIC. 68% HAVE SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN; 23% HAVE YOUNG ADULTS 18-26; 9% HAVE KIDS FIVE AND UNDER. 31% OF FAMILIES ARE LOW-INCOME. 10% REQUIRE SUPPORT IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH. THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES DIRECT SUPPORT IN SPANISH AND COLLABORATES WITH THE LANGUAGE LINE TO SUPPORT FAMILIES SPEAKING OTHER LANGUAGES. THE ORGANIZATION IS REPRESENTED ON MANY STAKEHOLDERS' GROUPS AND COMMITTEES, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR'S EQUITY STAKEHOLDERS GROUP, THE OREGON COMPLETE COUNT CENSUS GROUP, SUSTAINING FAMILIES WORKGROUP, ODE DISPUTE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE, STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION, STATE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL, GOVERNOR'S EMPLOYMENT FIRST POLICY COMMITTEE, THE STATE REHABILITATION COUNCIL, SEVERAL OREGON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ADVISORY GROUPS, THE OREGON PEDIATRIC IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP ADVISORY BOARD, INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT PLAN STAKEHOLDER GROUP, THE SUPPORTED DECISION-MAKING COMMITTEE, SEVERAL EARLY LEARNING HUBS, AND MORE. IN JUNE 2020, THE ORGANIZATION PRESENTED TO THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION ON THE IMPACT OF DISTANCE LEARNING ON FAMILIES EXPERIENCING DISABILITY IN OREGON.
NTEE category: Human Services
Secondary category: Community Improvement & Capacity Building