Mississippi Families As Allies Inc

TO MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES ARE PARTNERS IN THEIR CHILDREN'S CARE.

SUPPORTING FAMILIES:IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING DIRECT SUPPORT TO OVER 300 FAMILIES OF CHILDREN AND PROVIDING VIRTUAL RESOURCES TO ABOUT 3,000 FAMILY MEMBERS, WE EXPANDED THE POPULATIONS OF FAMILIES WE SERVE AND THE SETTINGS IN WHICH WE WORK WITH FAMILIES AND PARTNERS. WE WORKED WITH THE MISSISSISSIPPI STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION PROGRAM TO ADAPT OUR PARENT PEER SUPPORT CURRICULUM FOR FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING. WE THEN TRAINED PARENTS FROM THIS POPULATION TO HELP OTHER PARENTS WHO HAVE JUST LEARNED THEIR BABIES HAVE A HEARING LOSS. WE WERE AWARDED A SUB-GRANT THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER'S PROJECT AWARE GRANT (FUNDED THROUGH THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION) TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO STAFF AND FAMILIES IN MISSISSIPPI'S ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE DELTA. NOT ONLY WILL THIS GRANT HELP US ENSURE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN AS OTHER STUDENTS, IT LIKELY WILL ALSO HELP US EXPAND OUR MODEL OF PARENT-TO-PARENT PEER SUPPORT INTO SCHOOL SETTINGS AND MAKE GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW ALL SCHOOLS CAN ENSURE THAT CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN.

SUPPORTING COMMUNITY:WE TRAINED 35 PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS TO PROVIDE PARENT TO PARENT PEER SUPPORT IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. WE ALSO BECAME A COVERAGE CHAMPION WITH THE MISSISSIPPI DIVISION OF MEDICAID AND A MEMBER OF AN ADVOCACY COALITION TO ASSIST FAMILIES WHOSE CHILDREN LOST MEDICAID COVERAGE DUE TO PROCEDURAL CHANGES POST COVID. THIS LED TO US RECEIVING A GRANT FROM THE LUCILLE PACKARD FOUNDATION TO EXPAND THIS WORK ACROSS THE STATE. WE SERVED ON A STATEWIDE GRASSROOTS COALITION TO END CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN MISSISSIPPI SCHOOLS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT ON CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES. THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ASKED US TO PRESENT NATIONALLY ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT FAMILY-DRIVEN MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICES AND TO SERVE ON A NATIONAL WORKGROUP TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW PSYCHIATRISTS CAN COORDINATE MORE CLOSELY WITH PEER SUPPORT.

SUPPORTING POSITIVE CHANGE:WE WORKED ON SEVERAL STATE AND NATIONAL INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE WERE A SUB-GRANTEE FOR A GRANT THAT THE FAMILY RUN EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ASSOCIATION (FREDLA) WAS AWARDED BY THE PATIENT CENTERED OUTCOME RESEARCH INSTITUTE (PCORI) TO CONDUCT NATIONWIDE FOCUS GROUP WITH FAMILIES AND YOUTH TO DETERMINE MAKES MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES MOST HELPFUL TO THEM. WE ASSISTED FREDLA IN CONDUCTING SIX FOCUS GROUPS IN MISSISSIPPI. WE HELPED THE JOINT BEHAVIORAL PLANNING COUNCIL CREATE AND IMPLEMENT A FEDERALLY MANDATED STATEWIDE NEEDS ASSESSMENT ABOUT UNMET NEEDS IN MISSISSIPPI'S MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. THE SURVEY WAS COMPLETED BY 365 PEOPLE AND WILL BE USED TO INFORM BLOCK GRANT SPENDING AND POTENTIALLY IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN MISSISSIPPI. IT LED TO A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDING EXPANDING AND ENHANCING PEER SUPPORT, BETTER COORDINATION OF MENTAL HEALTH AND EDUCATION SERVICES, AND ENSURING THE QUALITY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. JOY HOGGE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MISSISSIPPI FAMILIES AS ALLIES, WAS ASKED TO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF CHOICES COORDINATED CARE AS WELL AS A RESEARCH ADVISORY GROUP FOR THE FEDERAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA) AND HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING MAKING SURE RESEARCH AND SERVICES ARE FULLY INCLUSIVE OF THE PEOPLE THEY ARE ABOUT.