Family and Individual Resource and Support
Team (FIRST)

Overview

"A Family is Any and All Individuals Who are the Constant in a Person's Life"

Mission Statement

The Indiana Institute's Family and Individual Resource and Support Team (FIRST) promotes and enhances the perspectives of families and persons with disabilities throughout the entire Institute and serves as a resource to communities in Indiana.

FIRST membership includes Institute employees with a strong interest in ensuring that the voice of individuals with disabilities and their families is heard both within the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community and across Indiana. The majority of FIRST members are parents, family members, or individuals with disabilities. Those calling for assistance are paired with a FIRST member that most closely matches the expressed area of interest or concern. An interdisciplinary life span approach is embraced by the team, with representation from each of the eight centers at the Institute. Members bring a unique blend of personal and professional disability-related expertise to the team process and activities.

FIRST achieves this mission by...

Providing parent-to-parent support, information, and referrals for families who contact The Institute for information;

Assisting in procedures for disseminating information on a regular and timely basis to individuals with disabilities and families; and

Ensuring that individuals with disabilities and their families enhance their knowledge of disability issues by providing opportunities to:

obtain written products available from the Indiana Institute;
provide access to Training Funds; and
conduct trainings/workshops for families and individuals with disabilities.

Responding to state-wide presentation requests on disability issues from...

parent groups;
public/private schools;
community organizations; and
institutions of higher education

on disability issues affecting family members and individuals with disabilities.

Products developed by FIRST include:

Tips to Promote Positive Partnerships Between Families and Schools

This Tips to Promote Positive Partnerships between Families and School folder was designed to help promote positive partnerships between school personnel and families of children with disabilities. The increased frustration over the years, felt by both parties, prompted a statewide survey of families and school personnel. Survey results led to a forum to discuss issues raised. The Family and School Partnership Forum was held in June 2003, where participants were asked to brainstorm ideas that would promote positive partnerships between families and school personnel. Their ideas prompted the development of this folder. The "Tips" folder is available in sets of five. $4.00 for 5 folders; 1st set is free. To order, contact the Publications Department, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, 2853 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN 47408-2696, call (812) 855-6508 or e-mail cedir@indiana.edu . This publication is available for download in PDF format. Download at: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/FolderSide1.ai.pdf.pdf

For addtional family resources, visit http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/ecc/familyinfo.htm.

For more information, contact Sharon Hauss, FIRST Committee Chair, at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail sahauss@indiana.edu.

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This material is available in alternative formats upon request