EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MARCH 2-5, 2021
(Virtually the same conference, without elevators, airplane tickets, or hotel room keys)
3/02/2021 | 2:50 PM - 3:35 PM | COVID-19, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Parent Support | Topical Breakout
COVID-19, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Parent Support
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic came many challenges to every aspect of life. Providing support to parents was no exception to this challenge. Panelists from various Hands & Voices chapters representing six states will share their journeys as they navigated a road untraveled with coronavirus. With the purpose of ensuring that parent support continued, these panelists had to determine how to keep families engaged while making them feel supported. Panelists will explain the innovative ways they were able to reach families to engage, educate, and support them on their journey of raising their deaf/hard of hearing children. Panelists will share how the relationships with EHDI stakeholders and the professionals that serve D/HH families were strengthened. Through these innovative projects these panelists have endured the good, the bad, and the ugly to determine the future of parent support.
- Participants will be able to tell the various innovations created by each of the chapters to engage stakeholders and families.
- Participants will describe how we have taken this opportunity to strengthen levels of engagement and collaborations among families, stakeholders and the professionals that serve D/HH children.
- Participants will be able to identify QI strategies involved to determine the strengths and challenges of these new innovations and how to implement learning experiences long term.
Presentation:
23278_13575HeidiKlomhaus.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Heidi Klomhaus
(), Arizona Hands & Voices, executivedirector@azhv.org;
Heidi Klomhaus holds a Certificate in Deaf Studies, an AAS in Sign Language Interpretation and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies-Public Administration. She serves as Executive Director and Guide By Your Side Coordinator of Arizona Hands & Voices. Being Hard of Hearing herself with severe hearing loss led her to attending college and pursuing studies in the Deaf world. During that time, her youngest child was born hard of hearing, giving Heidi a new direction in life. Knowing there were opportunities to make a difference in her own daughter’s journey led her to Arizona Hands & Voices where she is now making a difference in the lives of deaf or hard of hearing children and their families statewide.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Mariana Barquet
(), Indiana Hands & Voices, mbarquet@health.in.gov;
Mariana Barquet was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico. She moved to the US in 2004 and married an Indiana native in 2005. She started working as the Hispanic Parent Guide in Indiana in 2015 and has served in that position since. She spearheaded the efforts to start the Educational Advocacy Program under Hands & Voices, ASTra (Advocacy, Support and Training) and became the ASTra Program Coordinator in April 2019, when the Program officially started to operate. Shortly after, she took over the position of the Guide By Your Side Program coordinator as the previous coordinator stepped down. As the Programs Coordinator she oversees all operations of the ASTra and GBYS Programs that provide Parent to Parent support for all families of newly identified children with hearing differences all the way to exit of High School.
She was awarded the National Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Family Leadership Award for improving the involvement of the Hispanic families with children with hearing difference in the Early Intervention Program by 11% over this population growth in the State of Indiana through the last 4 years grant period under CDC requirements. She has served in the Hands & Voices Latino Council since 2016 and has presented in the EHDI National Conference, Hands & Voices Leadership Conference, and several state conferences in Indiana.
She has a deep passion for supporting families through the different stages of the educational process that often require the parents to become skilled advocates.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Brenda Hommerding
(), MN Hands & Voices/LSS, Brenda.Hommerding@lssmn.org;
Brenda Hommerding lives in Rice, Minnesota with her husband, Lynn. They are parents of adult twin girls. The girls along with Brenda cover the whole spectrum of high frequency sensorineural hearing difference from mild to profound. Brenda comes from an extensive line of family history with hearing differences including her maternal grandparents who were deaf and attended a deaf school in Minnesota. Brenda and Lynn have also been blessed with two grandsons, both who are deaf.
Brenda currently serves in the West Central Region of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Advisory Board. Brenda is the West Central Region representative board member of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing and serves on the Community and Legislative Alliance Committee. Brenda is currently working with the Minnesota Commission serving Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing individuals to evaluate the statewide system of dissemination materials for families with children Grades 5 through 8. Brenda served as a member and then the co-chair of Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Advisory Board (Central Division) for 10 years.
In 2017 Brenda received the Miss Congeniality Award at National Hand & Voices. Her passion to collaborate with community stakeholders has been instrumental in connecting families with their parent guides and deaf/hard of hearing guides.
Brenda has been involved with Minnesota Hands & Voices for many years starting out as the Central Minnesota Parent Guide in 2006 then transitioned into the Lead Outstate Parent Guide and now has been the Guide By Your Side Manager since 2017.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Najwa Ghattas
(), Arizona Hands & Voices, nghattas@azhv.org;
Najwa Ghattas lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband Will and is the mom to three children including Samantha (12) and Matthew (9) both born with a bilateral profound sensioneural hearing loss. Najwa Ghattas holds a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and a Post Baccalaureate in Elementary Education. In 2014, Najwa became the Executive Director and Guide By Your Side Program Coordinator for Arizona Hands & Voices. Her journey led her to the EAR Foundation of Arizona where she spent two years as Lead Follow Up Coordinator for the Newborn Hearing Screening Program on behalf of the Department of Health Services working hard to meet the 1-3-6 EHDI goals. She has now transitioned into a new position as Outreach Specialist focusing her efforts on hospital and provider education. Her passion now lies in improving the messaging and family experience from the beginning, starting with the screening.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Erin F. Wilcox
(), Nevada Hands & Voices, erin@nvhandsandvoices.org;
can edit
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Sarah Roof
(), Kentucky Hands & Voices, sarah@kyhandsandvoices.org;
Sarah Roof is the executive director for Kentucky Hands & Voices. She is passionate about connecting with families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and providing them with the resources they need to help their child reach his/her full potential. Her journey with deafness began when her son, Isaac, was identified at birth. He is now 10.
Sarah also serves on the Kentucky EHDI Advisory Board and the NCHAM Family Advisory Committee. She recently obtained a Master's certificate in the Infant, Toddler, & Family program at Gallaudet University.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Michaela Hamaker
(), Texas Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side, mhamaker@txhv.org;
Michaela Hamaker is a Parent/Professional and Project Manager for Texas Hands & Voices, having served for seven years as the Texas Hands & Voices Guide by Your Side Coordinator. She is passionate about providing families with resources and support so they can help their children thrive, and coaching leadership skills in fellow parents.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -