Families Helping Families director briefs St. Mary Parish advisory committee on free services, advocacy and upcoming events

Jackie Pierce, executive director of Bayou Land Families Helping Families, told the St. Mary Parish Special Education Advisory Committee on Feb. 2 that the nonprofit operates nine regional centers in Louisiana offering peer support, education, training and advocacy for people with disabilities and their families. "We are a 1 stop shop for disability information," Pierce said, adding that all services are provided free of charge.

Pierce said the centers are family-directed and independently governed, and she listed primary funders as the Louisiana Department of Education, the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council, the Louisiana Department of Health, the South Central Louisiana Human Service Authority and a federal HRSA grant. She described the organization’s role linking families with legislators and other decision makers so they can testify about how policy changes affect people with disabilities.

Pierce reviewed how Families Helping Families assists parents with special education procedures: explaining IEP rights, helping initiate evaluations or review meetings, acting as an advocate in meetings, and advising families on documentation and timelines. She urged parents to keep dated written records of communications and removals and told members that dispute-resolution options include informal mediation, facilitation and, when necessary, formal state complaints or due-process hearings.

On common problems, Pierce said some schools were removing accommodations or excluding students without formal meetings and that parents often face communication gaps with school staff. She emphasized that evaluation decisions require a full team and that Response to Intervention (RTI) cannot be used to indefinitely delay a special-education evaluation.

Pierce also listed upcoming programs and outreach opportunities: a "Preparing for Work" webinar (next day), a Mardi Gras masquerade social event, an "Understanding Individualized Health Plans" session, a youth leadership forum on Feb. 20, a parent support group (Feb. 18), the LECAN Region 3 roundtable on Feb. 26, and a hybrid continuing-education webinar on March 6 at the Eastbank Regional Library in Harahan that offers CEUs for nurses and social workers. She noted the organization recently received a $1,000 community grant to buy location devices to address elopement risk.

Committee members said they would place Pierce’s brochures in local schools and add links and materials to the committee web page. Pierce offered to provide PDF flyers and to add committee members’ addresses to her mailing list. The committee did not take formal action on program funding or policy during the meeting.

The advisory committee will continue to post event information and resources on its webpage and in local schools so families in St. Mary Parish can access support.