GREAT FALLS — The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act paved the way for 100 parent training and information centers across the country, with at least one in each state catering to families and parents of kids with special needs. In Montana, it's the Montana Empowerment Center located in Great Falls.
Tim McGonigal reports - watch the video:
"I think that people with disabilities are teaching all of us what their abilities are," said Heidi Gibson, executive director of the Montana Empowerment Center.
Gibson leads the Treasure State's parent training and information center, which serves a critical role for families navigating complex special education systems.
"Our mission is to help parents with children with disabilities ages 0 to 26, to help them navigate the special education process," Gibson said.
The center serves all 56 counties and thousands of families, providing guidance on topics including special education rights, Individualized Education Programs or IEPs, and the transition from high school to adulthood.
"We help families put together a plan about where they're going to live and where they're going to work and what their adult life is going to look like," Gibson said.
Free services with personal experience
The center's services are free and confidential and funded partially through federal dollars along with foundation grants and donations.
"We're not trying to sell a product. We just want to be able to support a caregiver, a parent, on how to best help support their child, their student, and work with the schools to be the best partners they can for the most success for their child," said Jean Schroder, program coordinator.
One thing that sets the center apart is that staff and supporters have firsthand experience with the mission.
"We're actually required under our federal funding to have a board that the majority are parents with children under the age of 26 with a disability," Gibson said.
Schroder can relate personally. Her son Jordan may be best known as being the face behind Pumpkins for a Cause. She says the center can help parents of kids with disabilities alleviate the anxiety and burden of finding help.
"To be able to know that there are people out there that can help you get started on, okay, there are supports available for you. This is how you connect to them, is really helpful," Schroder said.
Statewide reach and resources
The center may be housed in a small office in Great Falls, but it has a big statewide impact.
"We've been to all the reservations in Montana. So just want to put things in people's hands. And we have an 800 number. We've got a very active Facebook page. Our website has many things on it, including all of our resources as well as we've got over 40 on-demand webinars. Many of them are less than 10 minutes that break all these things up into little pieces," Schroder said.
It's important to know the center works closely with students facing disabilities that don't stand out on the surface.
"So we want to bring light to the fact that not all disabilities are visible, but they can impact their lives just as much," Gibson said.
Gibson and Schroder say there's no manual for parents of kids with disabilities, making an organization like the Montana Empowerment Center invaluable.
"Having a group like this that can bring other parents together and to be able to share experiences and being coached and encouraged by someone who has been through that journey, I think that's our real strength," Gibson said.
"Our kids are way more alike than they are different. We all learn differently. All of us learn differently. And we want to find the right fit for them and the supports, because they can achieve whatever they want as well," Schroder said.
Upcoming workshops
The Montana Empowerment Center has several IEP workshops coming up, starting this Saturday at the Great Falls Public Library.
A session for professionals who work with families takes place September 18 at the Alliance for Youth. And a session for parents with a focus on transition to adulthood takes place October 2 at Alliance for Youth.
"IEP boot camp gives the 30,000-foot view of what an IEP is, what it looks like under the law, how it's implemented and the voice that the parent has at the IEP team table. And many times parents aren't sure if they have an equal voice at the table. And we're here to coach them through the process to ensure them that they do," Gibson said.
"There are about 21,000 students with IEPs across Montana, and that doesn't include those that are covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1975, section 504. So those students also are entitled to having protections under the 504. And when families come to us, they are looking for information and tools to navigate that system. So we really help them through that to know that they're not alone," Gibson said.
