Parent Training and Information: Arkansas Support Network is a
collaborative partner in the Arkansas Parent Training and
Information Network (PTI). The network, funded through a grant from
the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS),
offers information, training, and support to parents of children
with disabilities throughout the state. Our partner agencies are the
Arkansas Disability Coalition and Focus, Inc.
Family Support Program
Jones Family Resource Center, Suite 219
614 E Emma
Springdale, AR 72764
(479) 927-1004
1-800-748-9768
Fax: (479) 927-1373
For more information on our Family Support program, contact
Lynn Donald.
Community Living Services
Since September, 1989, Arkansas
Support Network has offered Community Living Services. Until
recently, individuals who experienced a developmental disability
(mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism, or epilepsy) and could
not live within their homes or communities without specialized
services or supports often found that the only available choice was
institutionalization. The CLS program is designed to ensure that
institutionalization is never the only option. Through the use of
paid staff and natural supports, we provide individualized services
which make it possible for individuals with severe disabilities to
thrive in the community. Our CLS staff are recognized statewide for
their expertise and dedication.
Services and programs include:
-
Supported Employment: Provides
job development and on-site assistance (job coaches) for
individuals who desire competitive employment as an alternative
to sheltered workshop placement. Contact
Denna Staton for more
information.
-
Supported Living: Provides a
range of services, from minimal assistance to full-time live in
support, which assist individuals in living in their own homes
and communities. Contact Dana Posey.
-
Personal Care: Provides services
which enable individuals who need assistance with activities of
daily living to continue to reside in their own homes or with
their families. Contact Linda Michaels.
-
Case Management: Provides
assistance with coordination of services and community
resources, advocacy, planning, and monitoring and evaluation of
services provided. Contact Dana Posey.
Affordable Housing
Our Affordable Housing program, established in 1991, assists
individuals in locating affordable housing with an emphasis on
homeownership. Since its inception, the program has assisted
seventeen individuals who have disabilities in becoming homeowners.
Major Accomplishments:
-
Operated a self-help housing
program funded through a grant from the Rural Economic Community
Development Services. This was the first Self-Help program in
the nation to include persons with developmental disabilities.
-
Collaborated in the
"Homeownership Opportunities Today" project funded in 1992
through a grant from the Arkansas Governor's Developmental
Disabilities Council. Our partner agencies in this project were
The Supported Housing Office of Arkansas Rehabilitation
Services, Focus, Inc., and Integrity Services, Inc. ASN was
responsible for assisting 12 of the more than 40 individuals
with disabilities who became homeowners during the period of
this grant.
-
Received a grant from the Federal
Home Loan Bank in 1994 to provide financial assistance to twenty
low income families and individuals with disabilities to assist
with homeownership. Our partner in this project is the First
National Bank of Siloam Springs.
-
Received the Maxwell Award of
Excellence from the Fannie Mae Foundation in 1996. This award,
one of eight made in the nation, was in recognition of our work
to create homeownership opportunities for individuals with
disabilities.
-
Appointed as Arkansas' state
contact for the National Home of Your Own Alliance. The Alliance
is made up of coalitions in twenty three states dedicated to
providing homeownership opportunities for individuals with
disabilities.
-
Received a grant from the F.B.
Heron Foundation in 2000 to assist homeowners with disabilities
in emergency maintenance and repair needs.
-
In 2003, participated in a
national survey conducted by Temple University addressing
homeownership issues facing individuals with disabilities.
For more information on our
Affordable Housing program, please contact
Denna Staton.
Some of our training staff at work: from left, CEO Keith Vire,
Director of Case Management Services Hershel West, Director of
Special Projects Jim Mather, Supported Living Services Program
Manager Linda Andrews, Family Support Coordinator Irene Clark
Conference and Training
Opportunities
At Arkansas Support Network, we provide opportunities for training
and skill development for our own staff as well as for individuals
with disabilities and their families, and for staff from other
agencies in the state. These opportunities are made available in the
following ways:
-
The Learning Market: A series of
quarterly training sessions planned and presented by and for ASN
staff. The Learning Market is generally composed of four
concurrent tracks, some of which include required training. The
remaining sessions are elective in nature and focus on subjects
identified by staff as areas of interest. Although the Learning
Market is designed primarily for our own staff, others are
invited to attend particular sessions of interest for a small
fee. Our Learning Markets are held at the Jones Center for
Families in Springdale. For dates and schedules, contact
Syard Evans.
-
Training Conferences and
Seminars: Regular training conferences sponsored by ASN and open
to the general public. These conferences offer first rate
speakers and trainers from across the nation, and are generally
designed around a specific subject. Some of our recent
conferences featured experts on Supported Employment and
Facilitated Communication. For more information, contact
Syard Evans.
-
Parent Training and Information:
One-to-one or small group training for parents of children with
disabilities concerning rights and responsibilities under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504,
and other issues of interest. Our Family Support Coordinators
provide direct assistance and support to families in locating
the specific training they need. For more information, contact
Lynn Donald.
-
Nonprofit Administration and
Management Training: Includes on-site training and technical
assistance for nonprofit organizations in the areas of board
development, fund- raising, fund accounting, and staff
management. These sessions may be provided specifically for your
organization or in larger groups. For more information, contact
Keith Vire.
Our staff is available to work with
organizations and individuals in a variety of ways. We provide
on-going technical assistance as well as one-time training
conferences. If you have a need or would like to discuss our
training capabilities further, please give us a call.
  
In 1997, Arkansas Support Network
started a four-week, half-day summer camp for kids with disabilities
ages ten through seventeen. Since 2000 we’ve provided this service,
which we call KidsClub, in partnership with the Fayetteville Boys
and Girls Club. Since that time we have continued to work hard to
make KidsClub available and accessible to more families in Northwest
Arkansas. In the past, families traveled from Rogers, Springdale,
and Siloam Springs to bring their children to the Fayetteville Boys
and Girls Club. This was more than an inconvenience for families—it
also meant that these kids weren’t able to spend summers with kids
from their own neighborhoods and schools. To offer improved
availability and accessibility to families in the region, we
currently operate KidsClub in partnership with The Jones Center for
Families in Springdale, the Rogers Activity Center, and the Siloam
Springs Boys and Girls Club. In these four locations, our most
recent KidsClub had a total enrollment of over 55 kids.
Our purpose is two-fold: First, we want to provide an enriching and
fun environment for children who would otherwise spend their summers
at home, often without contact with other children. Our second goal
is to provide much needed support to working families who, because
of a lack of child care, are unable to work during the summer
months. It’s difficult to find child care for any child who has
severe disabilities—when that child reaches the age where most
children stop going to child care, it becomes virtually impossible.
We know many hard working families who are placed in serious
financial jeopardy each summer as they struggle to provide support
and supervision for their children while maintaining employment.
Our program has been successful in meeting the first goal—our
partnerships with the activity centers in our partner communities
have provided opportunities for kids with severe disabilities to
take part in all kinds of activities with other kids their own age.
It’s proven to be a great learning experience for the kids with
disabilities and for the other kids who attend KidsClub.
In an effort to better meet our second goal, assisting working
families with much needed child care, we expanded our camp to a full
nine weeks in 2002. We continue that trend, and hope to eventually
expand our scope and operate the camp during the Christmas break and
spring break in the future. We are determined to make it possible
for working parents to keep their jobs when school is not in
session.
For more information on the KidsClub, contact
Lynn Donald.
Scholarships
The Pam Biesiot Memorial Scholarship
This award is meant to honor the life and work of Pam Biesiot who
dedicated her life to assisting individuals with disabilities. Pam
was one of the “founding mothers” of Arkansas Support Network, and
without her hard work and dedication, we would not be here today.
Our goal is to find others who believe passionately that no one
should live in an institution.
We will award at least one annual scholarship to assist with any
eligible educational endeavor, whether it is college tuition and
fees or a one day conference. The funds may be used for any and all
costs, including travel, meals, or related expenses associated with
training or educational activities which will further Pam’s vision
of an inclusive world.
Eligible persons include:
All employees of Arkansas Support Network, Inc and their immediate
families
All individuals served by Arkansas Support Network, Inc. and their
immediate families.
Applications will be accepted year round and will be awarded at
Arkansas Support Network’s Honors Luncheon each July. For further
information or questions about the scholarship please contact
Keith or complete the
Scholarship
Application and mail to
Arkansas Support Network, Inc.
ATTN: Pam Biesiot Memorial Scholarship
6836 Isaac's Orchard Road
Springdale, AR 72762
Applications must be received by June 30th to be considered for
current year funding.
Our 2007 Winners of the Pam Biesiot Memorial Scholarship:
Terri Pegue, Trina Pulse, and Mary Marston
Pam’s Legacy
“Sometimes I ask myself, ‘What do I want to leave here when I
go?’ Well, I want to prove beyond a doubt that no one needs to be in
an institution, and that all kids can survive in a family. I want to
show that we can help anyone who wants to live in the community. I
want to leave a legacy that can’t be successfully challenged by
anyone that says: ‘people can live in the community.’”
Pam Biesiot
|
