<< BACK TO POSTERS

ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Title: 'Honoring Parental Empowerment through an Informed Choice Framework: The HoPE Parent Partnership Program ℠' Track: 7 - Family Perspectives and Support Keyword(s): evidence-based, informed choice, family support, loss to follow-up/documentation Learning Objectives: Identify how professionals, parents and community partnerships support relevant understanding of: • critical issues that may contribute to poor follow-up rates • why we’ve identified an informed choice framework as such a relevant family support model for EHDI follow-up efforts and what it means to provide services through this framework • quality improvement measures and opportunities within the EHDI system • Learn how targeted parent/professional partnerships can be achieved to improve follow-up outcomes for families navigating the EHDI process • Develop strategies for leveraging evidence-based data to create a relevant family support model that brings about systemic improvement Abstract: Family support is widely known to be an essential component of a successful early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) system. Texas has faced a tremendous struggle to address loss to follow-up/documentation since the inception of UNHS in the early 2000’s. To better understand the barriers and realities families faced navigating the complex system of care, the Texas Education Agency funded several improvement activities from 2006 – 2011, enlisting families’ direct participation in the improvement process at both state and local levels. One significant improvement activity was the development of the Texas EHDI Family Support Network, which served as a component of the Texas EHDI Pilot (2008 – 2011). The Network’s establishment began with a core development team which included parents of children with hearing loss and representatives from the deaf community, medical home, and infant mental health. The core team was charged with developing a family-to-family support model specifically designed to directly assist families whose child was suspected or had recently been diagnosed with hearing loss in connecting with EHDI services, resources and support. The team conducted targeted activities in select communities in Texas as part of the Texas EHDI Pilot (2008 – 2011), and leveraged this evidence-based data to define programmatic goals, components, infrastructure, and process/service points. In early 2012, the Texas Education Agency funded the initial launch of this new program, called the HoPE Parent Partnership Program?. This session will outline the purpose, design and implementation efforts of the HoPE Parent Partnership Program?, whose mission is to empower families and educate professionals to work in a collaborative, culturally sensitive, respectful partnership to promote informed choice for families navigating the EHDI system in Texas. Potential applications for states working in a similar direction will be discussed. Presentation: This presentation has not yet been uploaded or the speaker has opted not to make the presentation available online. Handouts: Handout is not Available
PRESENTER(S) / AUTHOR(S) INFORMATION
Alicia Favila - POC,Primary Presenter,Author ESC State Leadership Office for DHH Services: Birth - 5, Region 10 Education Service Center      Credentials: M.Ed. Educational Administration and Supervision; B.S. Communication Sciences and Disorders, Deaf Education Teacher Certification       Alicia M. Favila, M. Ed., provides leadership, staff development, consultation and technical assistance in the development and implementation of comprehensive early intervention services for families of infants and toddlers with hearing loss in Texas. Ms. Favila facilitates the Texas Deaf and Hard of Hearing Leadership Council: Birth – 3, on behalf of the Texas Education Agency, which serves as an action-oriented advisory committee designed to improve the state’s EHDI system of care. Her expertise is in promoting practices, protocols and personnel preparation to support a comprehensive coordinated statewide seamless system of services so that no child/family is lost to follow-up. Ms. Favila directs the HoPE Parent Partnership Program?, oversees the National Early Childhood Assessment Project for the state of Texas and serves as a core team member for the Texas NICHQ Project. Ms. Favila provides consultation to other states and stakeholders involved in EHDI system improvement efforts.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - Receives Salary,Intellectual property rights for Employment,Management position,Teaching and speaking,Consulting from Region 10 Education Service Center/Texas Education Agency.   Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist. Shayne Brown - Co-Presenter HoPE Parent Partnership Program      Credentials: Parent       Shayne Brown, Program Coordinator, is the parent of three handsome sons, one of which has a profound hearing loss due to chemotherapy he received earlier in his childhood. Through her son’s hearing loss experience, she knows just how important early identification and early intervention is to promote children’s linguistic, academic and social-emotional development. From utilizing services in both the public and private sector, her son is now mainstreamed in his local elementary school where she enjoy a workable relationship with their home school district to best meet her son’s educational needs. He is now bi-module, wearing both a hearing aid and a cochlear implant, and he has progressed wonderfully! Shayne embraces the opportunity the HoPE Parent Partnership Program? gives her in serving to educate EHDI providers and empower parents as they begin this journey.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - Receives Consulting fee for Independent contractor from HoPE Parent Partnership Program.   Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist. Barbara Moss - Co-Presenter HoPE Parent Partnership Program      Credentials: M.S., CCC-SLP/A, IMH Mentor 4      Other Affiliations: TAIMH, ASHA, TSHA       Barbara Moss, Consulting Partner, brings over 40 years of experience in supporting staff serving in early intervention settings. Barbara’s initial training in serving infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families concentrated on the physical; speech, language and other developmental domains. However, professional development opportunities in infant mental health taught Barbara just how critical social-emotional development and relationships were to the developing child. That understanding, and her journey studying infant mental health, led her to serve to address statewide improvement in the early hearing detection and intervention system of care. Barbara’s expertise in the fields of early intervention and infant mental health has been instrumental in the establishment of the Texas EHDI Family Support Network and the development of the HoPE Parent Partnership Program?. Her leadership and dedication in supporting parents as professional partners is vital to the Program’s work.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - Receives Consulting fee for Consulting from Region 10 ESC .   Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.