Milestones Autism Resources Awarded DODD Grant to Collaborate on Ohio Family Network
Posted on 06/19/20 in News by Milestones
Milestones Autism Resources is very excited to have been chosen as a grantee by The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities for the Ohio Family Network (OFN). Milestones is partnering with the Autism Society of Akron, Center for Disability Empowerment (CDE), Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio (DSACO), and The Family Leadership Network to develop the OFN as a pilot project in multiple Ohio counties. Milestones will focus its work in Cuyahoga, Lake and Ashtabula Counties.
The goal of the OFN is to connect people with developmental disabilities and their families to local information and resources within their communities. Access to the OFN will provide tools and local support resources to help enhance leadership and social skills in caregivers and self-advocates. OFN will also offer opportunities for families to connect with other local families and with local non-disability resources.
Milestones will provide resources for people with any developmental disability through this project and looks forward to developing more community partners. Local non-disability based partners will receive training on being more inclusive and accessible for families and self-advocates with developmental disabilities to increase the spaces and support families in each region have outside of the disability community.
Milestones has identified Parent Mentors in each county that will work closely within their own communities to identify needs and possible supports. We are excited to continue to develop the natural leadership of our parents and self-advocates in these counties. We will also use the opportunity to grow our staff and outreach to the Hispanic communities in each of our counties of focus. We are thrilled to be able to expand our Diversity Initiative through this and help connect Spanish-speaking families with more resources.
As a member of the Ohio Family Network, Milestones will provide strategy-based learning sessions to educate families and self-advocates about navigating stress, building social networks to reduce social isolation, engaging people in local projects, and empowering people to develop a vision for a good life.
To learn more about getting connected to OFN activities contact Haley Dunn at hdunn@milestones.org
