I'm a Professional

Why do professionals refer parents of children with disabilities to Raising Special Kids?

Parents are served free of charge, with reliable information that is family-friendly, and confidentiality is protected.
Parents are contacted within 48 hours of your referral.
Parents are connected to trained and experienced parent mentors.
Parent to Parent Support is an evidence-based practice to assist families by matching them with a unique source of expertise: other families who have children with similar needs, concerns, and challenges.
Open access: No eligibility determinations are required, any parent of a child with a disability may be referred, and information and services are provided in Spanish and English
Parents receive training and information to increase their knowledge about the health and educational implications of their child’s condition.
Parents learn advocacy skills to assist them in accessing public programs and obtaining appropriate services, and knowing how to partner with professionals in decision-making
You build a stronger network of key community resources to support your efforts to serve parents of children with special health needs. Referring families can help expand your knowledge about the realities and challenges families face in raising a child with special needs.
To create opportunities for partnerships in devising innovative strategies that implement family-centered values and practices and better support the families and children we serve.

Please check our list of links for professionals

How Do I Refer Families to Raising Special Kids?

1) Use the referral form, /Common/Files/Family WaiverNewAddress.pdf Family Waiver.pdf

or in Spanish: /Common/Files/FamilyWaiver-Spanish.pdf FamilyWaiver-Spanish.pdf

Download and print the waiver/release pdf or copy and paste the text below into your word processor, and print.

2) Be sure to obtain the parent's signature (required).

3) Fax completed form to (602) 242-4306.

Family Waiver/Release of Information

Raising Special Kids provides support, information, resources, training and assistance to families of children with disabilities or special health care needs in Arizona. All programs and services are offered free of charge in both English and Spanish, at all ages and stages of a child’s development.

By providing the following information, you are giving Raising Special Kids permission to initiate contact with the family you are referring for services. Upon receiving your referral, the family will be contacted within 48 hours in most cases, or immediately for urgent matters. All information is treated as confidential and will not be released to outside organizations or individuals. Raising Special Kids conducts 100% follow-ups on all referrals to ensure each family’s needs have been met.

I, ____________________________________am referring the following family to Raising Special Kids for support and services for their Child:

Signature:____________________________________________

Printed Name_________________________________________

Agency / Org.:________________________________________

Phone:_______________________ Best time to call_________

Family Information (please print)

Name:_______________________________________________

Phone:_______________________________________________

Address:_____________________________________________

City / Zip Code________________________________________

Child’s Name:_________________________________________

Date of Birth:__________________________________________

Child’s Diagnosis/Special Needs:_______________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Family Waiver / Release of Information

I hereby give permission to my care provider to release information to Raising Special Kids. I understand I can expect a phone call within a few days of receipt of this referral.

Signature of Parent/Guardian:__________________________________

Date:___________________________________

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After I send the referral, what can a family expect?

All Services and programs are provided to families at no charge
Contact is made with the family within 24-48 hours after receiving the referral
Confidentiality is valued. Information about the family is never released without their prior written permission
Information and assistance is available in English and Spanish
100% Follow-up on Parent-to-Parent Support

Training

A Physician Residency Training program which includes a visit to the home of a child with a disability through our trained Volunteer Family Faculty network
A Student Nursing Program offering education and training to pre-service nursing students
A program designed for pre-service teachers in regular and special education related to special education services, Individual Education Plans (IEP's) and Section 504's.
In Service Training for educational, medical or social service professionals on issues related to disabilities and special education

Other Workshops - for Professionals or Parent Groups

Systems Overview - Obtaining services from DDD, CRS, AzEIP, and the Behavioral Health System
Parent/Professional Collaboration
What Do You Say When... ? - Responding to questions About Your Child's Disability
Humor and Beyond - The Value of Humor in Caring for a Child with Disabilities
Caring for the Caregiver - Managing Stress

Parent/Professional Collaboration – training for education, medical and social work professionals on how to understand the family prospective and build partnerships with families. (We also provide training for families on working with professionals, preparing for meetings, record-keeping, etc.)

All of these workshops are available in combinations (i.e. IEP/504), or as they relate to specific disabilities (i.e. 504 Plans for Children with Learning Disabilities). All workshops are available in English or Spanish, and may be presented at your site or at our office. For more information contact Kim at 602-242-4366 or email info@raisingspecialkids.org