Indiana
Hands & Voices
"What Works for Your Child is What Makes the Choice Right."
Hands & Voices
Indiana Chapter
Executive Director:
Chairperson:
GUIDE BY YOUR SIDETM Coordinator:
TO CONTACT US:
3100 Meridian Park Dr, Ste N, Box 289
Greenwood, IN 46142
317-605-3885
Board Members:
Tracey Hart
Leslie Hine
Laura Knoke
Deb Rigney
Mark Taylor
GUIDE BY YOUR SIDETM is a program from Hands & Voices that provides emotional support and unbiased information from trained Parent Guides to families of newly identified children who are deaf or hard of hearing and to the systems that serve them.
Key
Elements of the Program:
Provide early support to parents after confirmation of hearing loss
Offer unbiased resource dissemination about hearing loss
Emotional support from another parent who “understands”
Creation of a Guided Family Notebook
Ensure smooth entrance into Early Intervention and services
Opportunity for continued support through Hands & Voices Chapter
Benefits of the Program:
To Families:
Early, local, and unconditional family support by a trained Parent Guide
Statewide parent contacts
Parents will be assured that information is shared in a timely and unbiased manner and is accessible to all
Families will experience a smooth entrance into Early Intervention
Support to help families identify their options and goals for their child
Help for families to discover their strengths and their child’s strengths
Creation of a Guided Family Notebook of resources and information specific to their child
A pool of trained parent leaders
Sustainable capacity to support families statewide
A model for sharing a full continuum of communication options
Improve loss to follow up rates
Improve the gap between diagnosis to intervention
Ability to connect parents to other parents
Guides will be embedded in the rural areas to identify holes where we need to locate resources for families
Parents are begging for timely information – Guides will be available for families immediately after diagnosis.
Parents are being “bogged down” with biased information – All parent guides will be trained through Supporting Families Without Bias.
Parents are reporting feeling overwhelmed – Parent Guides will assist parents with developing the skills they need to feel empowered and confident.
Parents are reporting that their Audiology appointments are feeling rushed – GBYS will utilize the Regional Consultants through the EHDI program for help in supporting the family’s additional Audiology questions. Guides will also work with the families to train them on how to prepare for a visit and how to better work the professionals that are now in their child’s life.
For more information about Guide By Your Side or to refer a family, please contact Lisa Kovacs GUIDE BY YOUR SIDETM Program Coordinator at: 317-233-7686, 888-815-0006, or Email: lkovacs@isdh.in.gov.
GUIDE BY YOUR SIDETM
