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10/25/2019  |   9:00 AM - 12:00 PM   |  Ventana Ballroom B

Family Engagement and Empowerment in Humanitarian Missions

Hands & Voices has a history of working on projects which support the needs of families living around the globe. This work has expanded our knowledge of supports required by families living in diverse cultural and socio-economic communities. This has included representation and participation of the Family Centered Early Intervention Conference (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018) with participation on the development of the FCEI guiding principles Position Statement for global use. (http://www.fcei.at/unit/fcei/positionstatement) Hands & Voices is also a part of the Global Parents of Deaf/Hard of hearing Children, representing over 20 countries around the world. Audiologic supports and services to families in underserved settings provide unique challenges and opportunities. This session will encourage professionals to expand partnerships with families resulting in increased follow through by families once initial audiologic efforts have been conducted in international efforts. Hands & Voices recently completed a guide funded by Phonak’s Pediatric Division called the "Guide to Parent/Professional Partnerships in the Hearing Healthcare Setting." This guidebook walks hearing care providers (HCP) through the process of creating the essential elements of partnership - from the perspective of families who contributed to the creation of this document. This resource can be used in several different settings. For hearing care providers: • Hearing Care Providers will be able to use the guide as a tool for enriching their individual relationships with families/patients. • Programs may consider implementing practices created from this guidebook for audiological services in clinics, research, training programs, and audiological missions/outreach. This session will include a test of the information from the guidebook to see how applicable it would be to humanitarian projects and a facilitated discussion of what additional considerations need to be included when providing audiological supports during and after humanitarian visits.

• • Hearing healthcare professionals will be able to use the information provided in developing and sustaining effective partnerships with families to ensure effective outcomes for children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
• Hearing healthcare professionals will be able to self-reflect and evaluate the effectiveness of their partnership with each family they serve
• Hearing healthcare professionals who participate in Humanitarian efforts will together discuss the needs of families beyond amplification fitting.

Presentation:
18369_12234LisaKovacs.pdf

Handouts:
18369_12234LisaKovacs.pdf

Lisa Kovacs (POC,Primary Presenter,Co-Presenter), Hands & Voices , lisakovacs@handsandvoices.org;
Lisa Kovacs is one of the founders and Guide By Your Side (GBYS) Coordinator for Indiana Hands & Voices. In 2012 she became the Director of Programs for Hands & Voices Headquarters. In this position, Lisa oversees the implementation and operations of Hands & Voices Programs that include Guide By Your Side, Advocacy Support & Training, and the newest program,Leadership to Leadership. Lisa currently serves on the board of CGHH and is also a member of the Indiana Department of Education Special Education Advisory Council. Lisa lives in Greenwood Indiana with her husband Brian and there 4 children, including their son Anthony, who is deaf/hard of hearing. Lisa’s professional interest include; Parent Advocacy; Implementation of parent participation in systems building in Universal Newborn Hearing Screening; Parent to Parent support; Deaf Education Reform; Parent advocacy in school systems; IDEA, ESSA, Part C and Part B Training to Parents; Medical Home Initiatives.

ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exists. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.

AAA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exists.

Janet DesGeorges (Co-Presenter), Hands & Voices, janet@handsandvoices.org;
Janet DesGeorges lives in Boulder, Colorado and is mom to Sara, who is D/HH. She is a co-founder of Hands & Voices, serving as the Executive Director since September 2011. Janet has presented to groups worldwide about the experiences of families as they journey through life with a child with deafness. Ms. DesGeorges is the author on the chapter for Family Support in the NCHAM e-Book, the co-author of the book Educational Advocacy for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and many other publications. Ms. DesGeorges received a program certificate from the MCH Public Health Leadership Institute in 2011 at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Her areas of interest include Leadership Development for parents; Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Systems; Parent/Professional partnerships in Quality Improvement processes and international parent-to-parent support.

ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exists. Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.

AAA DISCLOSURE: Financial - No relevant financial relationship exists.