New Mexico Early Childhood

Transition Initiative

Mentor Tool Kit

Mentor Guide Welcome to the Early Childhood Transition Team. This tool kit was developed as a resource to assist you in your role as a mentor to a new family advisor. The tool kit is divided into the following sections:

I. The New Mexico Early Childhood Transition Initiative

a) Why Have a Family Member on the Team?

II. Who’s Who on the Team?

a) Team Roles and Responsibilities

III. Tips for Recruiting

a) What They Will Do

b) Investing In Others

IV. Tips for Mentoring New Families

V. Acronyms

VI. Resources

VII. References & Miscellaneous

In order to be an effective mentor you will be responsible in making the connection to the new family advisor and offering them the support needed to be

successful in their new role. This requires a commitment of time on your part.

Your role as a mentor will make a difference!

Developed by the Center for Development and Disability Early CHILDHOOD Transition Leadership Project in collaboration with Parents Reaching Out (PRO) and Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs (EPICS). Funded in part by a grant from the New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC)

Why Have Family Members on the Early Childhood Transition Team?

In New Mexico families are joining early childhood transition teams and realizing the impact and influence they can have in shaping policies and programs. Providers are recognizing that family involvement is integral to designing a service system that is responsive and welcoming.

When parents lend their voices to the team, they are ensuring that other families will have more positive experiences in the early child hood transition process in the future. Because families see things through fresh eyes, they may see problems or inconsistencies to which professionals have become accustomed. They also often see solutions that may have eluded the rest of the team. The involvement of families also helps to ensure that the design of programs and the implementation of the process really meet family needs. When families are participants in planning and decision making, the likelihood of developing effective responsive services is greatly increased. In order to be an effective team member, a commitment of time is important. If possible, it is recommended you remain on the team while your child is in the preschool years.

Developed by the Center for Development and Disability Early CHILDHOOD Transition Leadership Project in collaboration with Parents Reaching Out (PRO) and Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs (EPICS). Funded in part by a grant from the New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC)

Who’s Who on the Team?

Early Intervention Coordinator (FIT Provider) — is usually the team leader Public schools representatives — is usually the Special Education Director or Early Childhood Coordinator Head Start — is usually the Disabilities Coordinator from area Head Starts Representatives from the following MAY attend: New Mexico School for the Deaf/Step Hi New Mexico School for the Blind & Visually Impaired Children’s Medical Services (CMS) Medically Fragile Program Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD) Parents Reaching Out Family Leader Community child care/preschool providers TTAP-Inclusion Specialist Regional Education Cooperative

Adapted from Special Quest 4/09/09

TEAM ROLES

ROLE TEAM MEMBER(S) Team Coach

-Technical Assistance -Team process support

Team Leader - Schedule team meetings - Coordinate logistics - Develop & send out agenda - Coordinate communication - Foster family involvement

Facilitator -Facilitate meetings -Support family voice

Note Taker - Maintain written record of meetings - Disseminate to team members

Time Keeper -Support team in starting and ending on time -Support facilitator in tracking time in relation to agenda

Mentor(s) Family Mentor New Agency Mentor Support new members onto the team

Other

Developed by the Center for Development and Disability Early CHILDHOOD Transition Leadership Project in collaboration with Parents Reaching Out (PRO) and Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs (EPICS). Funded in part by a grant the New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC)

Tips for Recruiting Families

♦ Believe family participation is essential ♦ Ask other families who are already involved if they have a

friend who might be interested in participating o Remember: It may take time to establish trust and understanding

♦ Ask providers to identify families o When you hear a parent make a great comment at a meeting or in

conversation – TELL THEM. Plant the seed; mention the possibility of them joining the team.

♦ Contact local or statewide parent-to-parent organizations, Parents Reaching Out (PRO), Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs (EPICS)

♦ Use “key informants”- people in the community who are knowledgeable about children with disabilities and are a link to other families and family groups

♦ Locate parent groups focusing on disabilities in your community ♦ Post notices on bulletin boards at educational, recreational, and social service

programs serving children and families Qualities to look for in a Family Leader:

♦ Ideally a parent or a family member of a child with a disability between the ages of 3-8 who have experienced the transition process

♦ Strong interpersonal skills ♦ Experience interacting with other parents of

children with disabilities Working knowledge of committees and organizations

♦ Familiarity of informal peer support ♦ Knowledge of family centered philosophy ♦ Ability to communicate needs of represented community ♦ Skilled at problem solving ♦ Organizational skills ♦ Ability to build relationships ♦ Available to come to meetings

Family Leaders Will Become Actively Involved When They: Remember: This is an opportunity to help a young family develop leadership in their community…You are perhaps the first mentor along this path!

◊ Know it is part of something successful ◊ See that they can make a difference in children’s lives ◊ Feel supported, respected and acknowledged for their time and

efforts ◊ Receive hands on training guidance – who will be their mentor?

Remember: If a parent is interested in becoming a member of the team… view this is as an opportunity. It

may not matter whether this is a veteran parent

or one receiving services. This offers a different perspective. It

is about their willingness to be an active member

on the team.

Developed by the Center for Development and Disability Early CHILDHOOD Transition Leadership Project in collaboration with Parents Reaching Out (PRO) and Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs (EPICS). Funded in part by a grant from the New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC)

WHAT THEY WILL DO:

SKILLS/ABILITIES/PREFERENCES:

o Represent families’ needs in your community o Share the family’s perspective o Educate transition teams about family culture and beliefs o Identify transition process issues o Identify problems in the transition process o Recommend solutions to resolving problems

o Identify other family leaders with children who have disabilities

as potential team advisors

o Be a family member of a child with a disability between the ages of 3-8

o Have good people skills to function as a member of interdisciplinary

professional teams and to effectively collaborate with families and community members

o Have the ability to communicate needs of represented community

o Be skilled at conflict-resolution and problem solving

o Be committed to family-centered philosophy

o Have the ability to build relationships

Investing in Others Are you ready to make the commitment? Are you willing to invest time and effort in helping another person? Mentoring requires going above and beyond. It is a relationship in which a person with greater experience, expertise, and wisdom counsels, teaches, guides and helps another person to develop both personally and professionally to meet exceptional standards of performance. Mentoring can mean substantial personal change - perhaps a willingness to listen more and talk less, for example. If you are ready, the personal satisfaction may be well worth the time and effort expended. What You Can Do to Help Family Advisors

o Help build self-confidence o Encourage professional behavior

o Offer challenging ideas o Confront negative behaviors and attitudes

o Teach by example

o Provide growth experiences

o Explain how things work

o Stand by their mentees in critical situations

o Share critical knowledge

o Offer encouragement

o Offer wise counsel Mentors believe in the value of their work without worrying about returned favors. If you have, or can develop, a freely giving nature, you probably will mentor all though your life - probably without thinking much about it.

This material was created by Gordon F. Shea , How to Develop Successful Mentor Behaviors, 3rd edition © 2002 Axzo Press LLC. Permission to use this material was granted by Axzo Press which reserves all rights to this material.

Developed by the Center for Development and Disability Early CHILDHOOD Transition Leadership Project in collaboration with Parents Reaching Out (PRO) and Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs (EPICS). Funded in part by a grant the New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC)

Tips for Mentoring a New Family

Mentoring a new team member to the team table is rewarding!

THINGS TO DO: Share team culture and norms:

Examples: o What people wear o Meetings start on time o Minutes and agenda practices, o Communication – is it through email?

Share the history of the team (How long has the team been meeting?)

Share the team process Make introductions: encourage sharing Meet with the new member for a few minutes before

and after the meeting—until comfortable with the team! Make a commitment to support for as long as is needed Share expertise, knowledge and resources Encourage full involvement!

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs CMS Children’s Medical Services CYFD Children Youth & Families DD Developmental Disability or Developmental Delay DOH Department of Health EI Early Intervention FAPE Free Appropriate Public Education FERPA Family Education Rights & Privacy Act HS Head Start IDEA Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act***Federal regulations that guide special

education process

IEP Individual Education Plan (special education)

IFSP Infant & Family Service Plan LEA Local Education Agency (school district) LRE Least Restrictive Environment MDT Multi-Disciplinary Team OSEP Office of Special Education Programs OT Occupational Therapist PED Public Education Department Part B Public schools special education Part C Early Intervention programs, also known as FIT PT Physical Therapist PWN Prior Written Notice SLP Speech Language Pathologist

List of Acronyms

Contact:

EPICS Project E-mail: JeanetteT@EpicsProject.org

EPICS - Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs

The EPICS Project is a community parent resource center for American

Indian families who live in New Mexico and who have children with special needs.

EPICS' mission is to assist American Indian parents by providing information and training that helps them fully participate in their children's educational and school programs. Our "no-cost to parents" services are aimed at Indian parents whose children are ages birth to 26 and:

• have disabilities or special needs; • live in New Mexico; • attend public schools, BIA schools, or are enrolled in the state's birth-three Family-Infant-Toddler program.

EPICS provides opportunities for:

• meeting, sharing and networking with other American Indian parents whose children have disabilities;

• learning how disability laws, i.e. IDEA, ADA Section 504, can help their children;

• developing communication and advocacy skills that help their children get the services they need.

Goals of the EPICS Project:

• To provide training and information directly to American Indian parents.

• To support educational and health care professionals to involve American Indian parents.

Resources ARC of New Mexico 3655 Carlisle NE Albuquerque, NM 87110-1644 505-883-4630 or 1-800-358-6493 Web Address: http://www.arcnm.org/index.php Center for Development and Disability 2300 Menaul Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87107 Voice: 505-272-3000 or 1-800-472-3235 Web Address: http://cdd.unm.edu Cerebral Palsy Parent Association 1127 University Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87102-1715 505-272-5296 or 1-800-472-3235 Council for Exceptional Children 1110 North Glebe Road #300 Arlington VA 22201 Voice: 800-224-6830 Web Address: www.cec.sped.org EPICS Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs E-mail: JeanetteT@EpicsProject.org Family Village http://familyvillage.wisc.edu/ Family Voices, Inc. 2340 Alamo SE, Suite 102 Albuquerque, NM 87106 Voice: 505-872-4774 or 888-835-5669 Fax: 505-872-4780 Web Address: www.familyvoices.org 35 Information Center for New Mexicans with Disabilities Disability Related Information and Referral 2300 Menaul NE , Albuquerque, NM 87107 Email: infonet@unm.edu Web address: http://cdd.unm.edu//linc/babynet

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHY) 1825 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 700 Washington DC 20009 Voice: 800-695-0285 TTY: 202-884-8200 Web address: www.nichcy.org New Mexico Autism Society P.O. Box 30955 Albuquerque, NM 87190 505-332-0306 Email: nmautism@nmautismsociety.org. Web address: www.nmaustismsociety.org Department of Health - Family Infant Toddler Program (FIT) 1190 St. Francis Drive P.O. Box 26110 Santa Fe, NM 87502-6110 1-877-696-1472 Web Address: http://nmfit.org National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education http://www.ncpie.org/DevelopingPartnerships NM Developmental Disabilities Planning Council 435 St. Michael’s Dr. Bldg. D Santa Fe, NM 87505 505-827-7596 or 505-827-7589 New Mexico School for the Deaf Albuquerque Preschool/Kindergarten 3802 Hermosa Dr. NE Albuquerque, NM 87110 Phone: 505-800-0345 (TTY/Voice) NM School for the Visually Handicapped Early Childhood Programs 230 Truman NE Albuquerque, NM 87108 NM State Department of Education 300 Don Gaspar Santa Fe, NM 87501-2786 505-827-6541 Web address: www.ped.state.nm.us/

PACER Center, Inc. 8161 Normandale Boulevard Minneapolis MN 55437 Voice: 952-838-9000 TTY: 952-838-0190 Web Address: www.pacer.org Parents for Behaviorally Different Children 1101 Cardenas Road NE, # 202 Albuquerque, NM 87110 Voice: 505-265-0430 or Parent Line: 800-273-PBDC (7232) Web Address: www.pbdc.org Parents Reaching Out 1920B Columbia Drive SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 505-247-0192 or 1-800 524-5176 Web address: www.parentsreachingout.org Protection and Advocacy System 1720 Louisiana Blvd. NE Suite 204 Albuquerque, NM 87110 505-256-3100 or toll free in NM 1-800-432-4682 Web address: www.nmpanda.org

This packet was developed by the Center for Development and Disability Early Childhood Transition Leadership Project in collaboration with Parents Reaching Out (PRO) and Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs (EPICS). Funded in part by a grant from the New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) Some of the information in this packet has been collected and adapted from the following sources: References: Gordon F. Shea, How to Develop Successful Mentor Behaviors, 3rd edition © 2002 Axzo Press LLC. Permission to use this material was granted by Axzo Press which reserves all rights to this material. Elizabeth S. Jeppson, Josie Thomas, Institute of Family-Centered Care Essential Allies with support from Maternal & Child Health Bureau U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Thomas, J. & Jeppson, E.S. (1997), Words of Advice: A guidebook for families serving as advisors. Bethesda, MD: Institute for Family-Centered Care (p. 38,45) Mimi Hunt, Pam Cornelius, Patti Leventhal, Peggy Miller, Tina Murray, Georgie Stoner, 1996, Into Our Lives, Acron, OH. Children’s Hospital Medical Center, The Family Information Network, Issue 4, (p. 9,10) Center for Development & Disabilities ABOUT THE NEW MEXICO EARLY CHILDHOOD TRANSITION INITIATIVE http://cdd.unm.edu/ecspd/Transition