Contact Information
Susan Badeau
(215) 844-6641
sbadeau@aol.com
Sheila Donnelly
(570) 836-7319
sheilaamandad@yahoo.com
Family Voices of Pennsylvania (FV PA) shares resources with families of CYSHCN through a variety of activities including one-to-one contacts with family members, focus groups, conferences and listservs. FV PA works with other organizations to ensure that parents have information on family and youth leadership, legislative advocacy, special education, Medical Home, mental health, cultural competence, foster care services, transition to adult care and vocational rehabilitation.
HIGHLIGHT: Impact of Trauma
FV PA has been active in an initiative to help parents and practitioners (medical, social
work, mental health and others) understand the impact of trauma on children's
development, and how to best intervene with children who have special needs AND
have been impacted by trauma as a result of abuse, neglect, or other circumstances.
FV PA has also worked to address transition needs and services for youth with special
health care needs transitioning into adulthood, particularly youth who also have other
challenges such as foster care placement.
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS: Special Needs Task Force
FV PA continues to provide the family perspective while serving as a parent
representative on the PA Department of Public Health Special Needs Task Force, a
group that counts among its membership representatives of the state Medicaid agency,
SCHIP program, Title V agency, private hospitals, medical practices and insurers,
advocacy organizations, schools and other stakeholders. As a member of this task
force, FV PA has led workshops and training sessions for social workers, program
executives, medical practitioners and parents.
ADVOCACY IN ACTION: Leadership Training
Last year, FV PA participated in the
Parents with Special Needs Committee
to provide resources, training and
other supports for parents with special
needs who are parenting children with
special needs.
