Family Advocacy

RIPIN helps Rhode Islanders of all ages and abilities access health care, health insurance coverage, education services and supports, care management, and more.

• Live answer call center Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM. After hours calls returned within two business days
• Care coordination and service linkage for families with children with special health care needs
• Help health care and health insurance, including Healthsource RI, Medicaid, Medicare, and more, regardless of your coverage status
• Help accessing and navigating special education
• Help navigating transition to adult services for young adults with special needs
• Support groups for parents and caregivers

RIPIN uses a peer support model, meaning our team of Certified Community Health Workers are themselves parents or caregivers to a loved one with special needs. Our Peer Professionals’ lived experience helps them better understand you and your family’s needs.

Services Provided:
• Technical assistance and training in the areas of Early Intervention, infant mental health and trauma-based care practices, inclusive practices in schools, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports in schools, learners with low incidence disabilities (vision, hearing, deaf-blindness) dual sensory, transition from high school, and community-based employment strategies for youth and adults.
• Services include:
o Instruction and mobility services to children who are blind or visually impaired.
o Educational Advocates for students with disabilities who are in state care.
o Benefits counseling and assistance for Social Security beneficiaries.
o Family support and navigation of services.
o Support group for self-directed support users (DDD)
o Plan writing for self-directed support users (DDD).
o Support for parents with intellectual disabilities.
o Support to students in post-secondary education.

Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities, founded at Rhode Island College in 1993, is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). UCEDDs are evidence driven and designed to advance policies, practices, and research that improve the health, education, social, and economic well-being of people with disabilities, their families, and their communities. There are 67 UCEDD programs in the United States. This national network is administered through the United States Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Developmental Disabilities.
The Sherlock Center partners with state and national agencies, schools, institutions of higher education and community providers to implement its core functions: preservice preparation, services (including technical assistance, community education, and direct services), research, and information dissemination. As of 2016, the Sherlock Center is a LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) Program.
Areas of Emphasis:
Early Childhood and Education
Inclusion and Community Membership
Low Incidence Disabilities
Self-Determination
Transition, Employment and Adult Life
Workforce and Professional Development

• Professional Training Program, classroom and individual consultation
• Parent Education Series and Support
• Grandparent Support Groups
• Social Skill Groups
• Respite Information
• Summer Camp WANNAGOAGAIN
• Advocacy

The Autism Project is a ‘Hub of Hope’ that connects people—with a spectrum of needs—to the available resources and education that support independent and purposeful lives.
Autism Project
1516 Atwood Avenue
Johnston, RI 02919

A Cedar Family Center is a site that provides evolving, family centered, intensive care management and coordination in order to assist families in reaching their full potential and thrive in their own communities.

link

Our mission is to assist individuals, parents, families, and children to achieve their goals for health, education, and socio-economic well-being by providing information, training, education, support and advocacy for person/family centered care and system change.

Circles of Connection program which helps combat social isolation, build interest-based support networks, and nurture advocacy skills link

Rhode Island Advocacy for Children special education advocacy support services link 

The Arc Rhode Island Family Advocacy Network leads state-level public policy activities as well as provides training, public awareness and education, and grassroots advocacy building to protect the rights of Rhode Islanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

The Arc has tapped Joanna Scocchi, founder of Rhode Island Advocacy for Children, as the Director of The Arc Rhode Island Family Advocacy Network. The Arc Rhode Island Family Advocacy Network FAN joins a network of more than 620 state and local chapters that provide direct support services and advocate for the rights of people with I/DD around the country.

To provide siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support, and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote the issues important to them and their entire families. Resources for siblings across the lifespan.

Chapter development inquiries: chapter.inquiries@siblingleadership.org

National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) provides resources for advocacy and research as well a sresources for professionals, caregivers, and others.