Are you a family member of a young adult with a disability who's currently or recently enrolled in a postsecondary education program (e.g., certificate, apprenticeship, community college, college or university)? The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) wants your input, and requests your participation in an upcoming online dialogue, “Connecting Families: Supporting Postsecondary Success of Young Adults with Disabilities.” Through this "virtual town hall," you'll be able to share your ideas and insights on ways that postsecondary institutions and other providers can better assist you in supporting your student’s educational and employment success. The Connecting Families online dialogue will take place from January 26 - February 6, 2015.  Please join this important conversation and spread the word to other potential participants.

The New York State Office of Adult Career and Continuing Education Services--Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR), with the State Rehabilitation Council, is developing the State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation and Supported Employment Services for Federal Fiscal Year 2016 (beginning October 1, 2015). To assist in the development of the State Plan, individuals with disabilities, their families, advocates, employers, and service providers are invited to attend public meetings to provide comments on the provision of vocational rehabilitation services. The public comment period extends from January 26, 2015 through February 23, 2015. View the announcement.

A notice from the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health:

The most important people in the life of children are the parents. Parents play an important role in securing the safety and welfare of their children. This often includes seeking good medical treatment. In the world of medicine, parents are given countless treatment options to combat illnesses ranging from the common cold to severe chronic illnesses. We want to know  if this holds true in the mental health treatment field. The National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health (FFCMH), together with the REACH Institute, would like to know more about your experience as the parent of a child who has received mental health services. We want to know if you are given a full range of treatment options and if you know what type of treatment your child is receiving.

Please take 10 minutes to complete this anonymous survey. We will use the information we gather to develop strategies for helping families get the best mental health treatment for their children. We believe that parents need to be fully informed about the type of treatment their child is receiving so that they can make informed decisions on the effectiveness of that treatment.