(soft music)
-: Hi, this is Dawn with parent CONNECTORS, how are you?
-: Parent CONNECTORS is a Parent to Parent support program,
for the families of kids with emotional
and behavioral challenges.
-: Well, I wanted to call and check
and see how things were going with the new school
and the new placement.
-: It's really unique because parents work with other parents
that have been there and walked in their shoes,
to really help them understand what schools are expecting,
how to get connected to mental health services,
how to improve the academics for their children.
-: I wanted to check with you to see how the behaviors
with your son has been at home.
-: Another thing that makes parent CONNECTORS different
is that it's delivered entirely via the phone.
So parents find that this works really well
and they enjoy this flexible
way of talking with another parent.
-: Our target population for the parents CONNECTORS program,
of parents of children who are struggling
with some emotional and behavioral challenges at school,
at home and or in the community.
Potential families that we would serve
may have specifically Individualized Education Plans
in the school system.
They may also be struggling with symptoms of ADHD
or have some struggles
with being successful in the classroom.
-: I remember last year
when similar thing happened with my daughter
and she was sent home and I was a mess.
So you are doing awesome good for...
The parent CONNECTORS program is very unique
from other programs,
because all of us parent CONNECTORS
have children with IEPs as well.
So we get to share our own experience
and there's so much power behind our own stories
and the experiences that we have
and what we've been through
and just helping those parents to not feel so isolated
and helping them to see,
"Oh, other people have done this, I can do this too."
-: When my children first came home from school,
and I was told they were put on IEP,
it was a struggle to even figure out, you know,
what is this?
What can I do?
What can't I do?
A lot of parents, they don't know that they have a voice.
parent CONNECTORS breaks down the barriers between
parents and school.
It's very informative, and it's,
it's empowering to the parents
to help them empower their children.
-: Have you reached out to the therapist in regards to,
Parent Connector, it's me.
It's the person who's had experiences in the past.
There are so many parents who
are isolating themselves
and you know, they blame themselves.
I'm one of them.
We blame ourselves for what's going on with our youth.
It's a dream come true for me,
to be able to provide the service
for parents to let them know honey, you're not alone.
You're not by yourself.
I've been there, done that.
It'll help you connect to the school
in a way that you probably never thought that you could.
And I hear the joy in the parents voice
when they are connecting with the school
and things are going well.
And even when they're not going well
they still feel good about the road that they're on.
-: Maybe following up on the mom specifically,
on what is her plan for getting that meeting scheduled.
For me as a clinician who's done family therapy
and worked with adolescents with struggles in school,
in the community and in their families.
This is a piece that's always been missing.
Parent CONNECTORS is a deepening of the learning
that I think is essential for families
to move forward successfully
and for the children to be successful
in their school in their home and in the community.
(upbeat music)