Programs of PAVE

Parent Training and Information (PTI) helps with your questions about disability-related services for babies, children, and young people, ages 0-26. PTI provides information, training, and resources to help family caregivers, youth, and professionals. For example, we can help you refer a student for an educational evaluation or get ready for a meeting with the school. If you are a parent supporting an infant or toddler, school-aged student, or young adult, PTI has information and resources to empower your family’s journey. If you are a young person with a disability, we can answer questions about your rights and help you participate in meetings about your Individualized Education Program—your IEP—or Section 504 Plan. We help while you are in high school and after you’ve moved on to college, job training, or a vocational program. If you are a professional with questions about the educational rights of students with disabilities, we guide you toward answers. We partner with groups to provide live in-person and virtual trainings. We share articles and videos on PAVE’s website, so information is available whenever you have time to learn. The Learning in School tab on our website is a place to look around for information. Click Get Help to fill out a form and ask for our direct support. We will contact you by phone and/or email to get started in answering your questions.

The Family to Family Health & Information Center (F2FHIC), helps families of children and youth with special health care needs, and the professionals who serve them, to find healthcare funding. Because children with special health care needs issues are chronic and complex, parents and caregivers are often challenged with finding the resources to finance health care for their children. The Family-to-Family Health Information Center understands the issues that families face; they provide advice, offer a multitude of resources, and tap into a network of other families and professionals for support and information. Family Voices, through the National Center for Family / Professional Partnerships, provides technical assistance, training, and connections to other Family-to-Family partnering organizations.

Lifespan Respite WA: Information and Help for Family Caregivers A “family caregiver” can be anyone who gives regular help and support to a child or adult who has a chronic condition or disability. They are often the primary caregiver for the person they help and they may spend large amounts of time giving that care. Respite is when a family caregiver can get a short break. Sometimes family and friends or other volunteers can step in. Sometimes, family caregivers turn to services and programs where paid caregivers provide the break. It can be difficult in the middle of caregiving responsibilities to find respite services, especially respite services a family can afford. Lifespan Respite WA offers information on sources of respite care and programs that pay for respite care (including a Voucher Program where unpaid, unserved family caregivers can apply for a mini-grant to use for short-term respite) as well as non-respite caregiver support.

Person Centered Planning Program (PCP), Focused on Pierce County, this program provides ongoing training for facilitators, as well as support for parents and self-advocate mentors through person centered plans utilizing maps and graphics. We work in partnership with school districts and can contract privately for individual plans.

Pierce County Parent to Parent (P2P), provides support, guidance, and mentorship to parents who are navigating specific challenges or circumstances related to their children’s health, disabilities, or special needs. The goal is to empower and assist parents in better understanding and addressing the unique needs of their children, fostering a sense of camaraderie, and reducing feelings of isolation often associated with parenting challenges.

Specialized Training of Military Parents (STOMP), provides one and two-day in-person workshops and one-hour webinars throughout the United States and overseas for military families and military personnel.  Topics include: Rights and Responsibilities (IDEA, IEP), Advocacy, SSI/Medicaid, TRICARE/ECHO/ABA, WILLs, Guardianships & Special Needs Trusts, Networking, IEP and 504 Breakouts. STOMP training provides families with federal information to gain a a better understanding of how to navigate through educational and medical systems when they have a child who has exceptional/special needs.  STOMP workshops and webinars are funded by the Army, Navy and Air Force who determine the locations and workshop or webinar topics per installation.

Start Now! Life after high school can be challenging, and transitioning to work, college, and
independent living means taking on more responsibilities. Start Now! supports students
with disabilities in middle school, high school, and during high school transition to
envision their life beyond high school. Start Now! invites and offers interactive opportunities for all students with disabilities to explore and imagine what they would want their whole life to look like.