Family TIES is a project of the Federation for Children with Special Needs, in collaboration with and funded by the MA Department of Public Health, Bureau of Family Health & Nutrition, Division for Children and Youth with Special Health Needs. Federation for Children with Special Needs Massachusetts Department of Public Health The Schrafft Center 250 Washington Street, 5th Floor 529 Main Street, Suite 1M3 Boston, MA 02108 Boston, MA 02129 Phone: 617-624-6060 or 800-882-1435 Phone: 617-236-7210 TTY: 617-624-5992 TTY: 800-331-0688 Fax: 617-624-5990 Fax: 617-241-0330 www.mass.gov/dph/specialhealthneeds www.fcsn.org 1 Family TIES of Massachusetts provides information and training for families of children with special health needs or disability and their professional partners. We are a primary source for information about Early Inter- vention (EI) and maintain a complete listing of EI programs in MA. Driven and staffed by parents of children with special needs, we offer a unique type of emotional and practical support to families with similar life experiences. OUR STAFF The Parent-to-Parent Coordinator, Regional Coordinators and Project Director of Family TIES are all parents of children with special health needs. Staff is located at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Regional Offices. For more information call your Regional Coordinator or the TOLL-FREE LINE: 800-905-TIES (8437). Pat Cameron – Family TIES Director Luanne Pike – Metrowest Region MA Department of Public Health DPH Canton Office th 250 Washington Street, 5 floor Donovan Health Building, Boston, MA 02108 3rd Floor 5 Randolph Street Phone 617-624-5563 Canton, MA 02021 TTY 978-851-3829 Phone 781-774-6736 Fax 617-241-0330 TTY 781-774-6619 [email protected] Fax 781-774-6618 [email protected] REGIONAL COORDINATORS Linda Surprenant – Western Region Sara Asmerom – Greater Boston Region DPH Northampton Office MA Department of Public Health 23 Service Center Road Northampton, MA 01060 250 Washington Street, 5th Floor Boston, MA 02108 Phone 413-586-7525, x3178 Phone 617-624-6089 TTY 800-769-9991 TTY 617-624-5992 Fax 413-784-1037 Fax 617-624-6062 [email protected] [email protected] Pauline Menchin – Central Region Sarah Jefferson - Southeast Region DPH Marlborough Office 67 Forest Street DPH Canton Office Marlborough, MA 01752 Donovan Health Building Phone 617-695-7426 5 Randolph Street, 3rd Floor Canton, MA 02021 Fax 617-695-7801 Phone: 781-774-6602 [email protected] TTY: 781-774-6619 Bonnie Thompson – Northeast Region Fax: 781-774-6618 DPH Tewksbury Office [email protected] Tewksbury Hospital, Saunders Building 365 East Street PARENT-TO-PARENT COORDINATOR Tewksbury, MA 01876 Phone 978-851-7261, x4018 Gloria Klaesges TTY 978-851-3829 DPH Marlborough Office Fax 978-640-1027 67 Forest Street [email protected] Marlborough, MA 01752 Phone: 617-695-7423 Fax: 617-695-7801 [email protected] Interpreter Support Phone 800-905-8437 Interprete (en español) Apoyo interpretativo (em português) Nguoi phien dich Viet nam (trong tieng Vietnam) 2 DIR_ResourcesForFamily_0220.indd 2 2/3/2020 2:08:38 PM Family TIES Services and Programs INFORMATION AND REFERRAL • Call the toll-free, state-wide phone line 800-905-TIES or contact a Parent Regional Coordinator directly at re- gional DPH offices. • Refer to map and list of cities and towns on the following pages to determine your region • Information on a wide variety of topics, including community resources and services, programs for children and youth with special health needs, public benefits and support groups • Connect with a Parent Coordinator who has life experience parenting a child with a special health need. EARLY INTERVENTION • Family TIES maintains the Central Directory of Early Intervention (EI) programs in the state of Massachusetts. • Contact information for EI referrals is available by phone and electronically on our website, • www.massfamilyties.org • Regional Coordinators can provide information about Early Intervention services and programs. WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS • Call us to schedule a presentation for your group, school or organization. PARENT-TO-PARENT PROGRAM (P2P) – MEMBER AFFILIATE OF P2P USA • P2P Coordinator connects parents who have a child with a disability, chronic illness, or special health needs to a Support Parent with similar life experience who can provide emotional support and practical suggestions. • Support Parents are offered the Listening and Learning training and receive continued support • Parent-to-parent matching is offered by health concern, special need, or area of interest • Call your Regional Coordinator for more information about Parent-to Parent and the Family Advisor Program. SHARE YOUR VOICE, FAMILY ADVISOR PROGRAM • Join the program and share your experience with DPH. Information you provide may be used to improve or develop new programs. • On-line sign-up forms for the Family TIES Advisors Program are available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Looking for assistance? Need emotional support? Call 800-905-TIES (8437) 3 DIR_ResourcesForFamily_0220.indd 3 2/3/2020 2:08:38 PM 4 DIR_ResourcesForFamily_0220.indd 4 2/3/2020 2:08:39 PM 5 DIR_ResourcesForFamily_0220.indd 5 2/3/2020 2:08:39 PM Introduction to the 2020 Edition of the Directory of Resources for Families of Children and Youth with Special Needs This is the 23rd edition of the Directory of Resources.* Family TIES of Massachusetts answers more than 10,000 calls a year from parents and professionals seeking information and services for children and youth with special needs. As parents of children with complex medical needs and other disabilities, we know finding information, services and support can be difficult and emotionally challenging. We hope the infor- mation in this directory makes the task easier for families. The Directory is published annually. A printable version of the directory is available on our website, www. massfamilyties.org. The public is welcome to print and share single or multiple pages of the directory. We love finding new resources and ways to support families. We continue to receive kind comments from people who see this book as an important resource. Thank you and please continue to call us with your suggestions and new resources. Or, use the directory Resource Entry Form at the back of the book. Email the completed form to [email protected] or fax to 617-241-0330. Many people helped develop the directory. We thank you all including our funding agency, the Massachu- setts Department of Public Health, for continuing to support the work of Family TIES on behalf of families of children and youth with special health needs. TIPS FOR USING THE DIRECTORY The directory is a great starting point to look for information and resources! Resources are organized into two sections: Resources by Topic and A-Z Resources. In the A-Z Resources section of the book, each resource has a brief description of the available supports, contact information, the regions it serves, and a category code. All resources are assigned to one or more categories. The categories refer to the topic of the information or type of service provided. When you know the name of the agency, organization or program, look for it in the A-Z Resources sec- tion of the book. If you find the resource you were looking for, be sure to visit their website for specific or additional information. The information in this directory is current through January 2020. The Resources by Topic section is helpful when you know the kind of resource or program you need. The resources in the main categories are listed by the regions served: National – Statewide – Boston – Central – Metrowest – Northeast – Southeast – West The Community Support and Inclusion category and Specific Conditions and Disabilities category are broad. In these main categories, the resources are sorted by specific topics and region. The following page has a list of the topics included in these categories. Although there are many resources listed in this directory, we could not possibly list all of the resources available. If you do not find what you need, please call us! Your Regional Coordinator may know about resources in your community. Family TIES of Massachusetts 800-905-8437 (TIES) * Inclusion of resources in this directory does not represent an endorsement of any program or resource by the Federation for Children with Special Needs or by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. 6 DIR_ResourcesForFamily_0220.indd 6 2/3/2020 2:08:40 PM CATEGORY KEY ACC Accessibility SC Specific Conditions and Disabilities ADV Advocacy – ADD/ADHD ARC Arcs – AIDS & Infectious Blood Disorders AT Assistive Technology and Adaptive Equip- – Amputation/Limb Differences ment – Asthma & Allergies CC Childcare Resources and Referral Networks – Autism Spectrum Disorders Community Support Programs – Autonomic Nervous System & Chronic Fa- tigue – Adoption – Blind & Visual Impairment – Bereavement – Brain Injury – Child Development and Parenting – Cancer – Culturally Diverse Networks – Cerebral Palsy – Family Support – Complex Medical Conditions – General Disability – Connective Tissue Disorders – Parent-to-Parent – Craniofacial Differences – Special Education – Deaf & Hard of Hearing – Wish Granting and Financial Assistance – Deaf-Blind CS&I Community Support & Inclusion – Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities & ED Education Sensory Integration HC Health Care – Diabetes HOUS Housing Assistance – Down Syndrome ILC Independent Living Centers – Eating Disorders I&R Information and Referral Services – Epilepsy