LaCAN Action Alerts Meeting

Action Alert? What is that?

Join Nicole Williams of Families Helping Families NOLA and formerly of LaCAN Region 1 on Monday, April 19, at 6:30 PM to talk about Action Alerts: what they are, what to do when you receive one of them, and other advocacy topics.

About Families Helping Families NOLA

Families Helping Families NOLA’s (FHF NOLA) mission is to educate and empower individuals with disabilities, their families, and the community by providing programming, resources, training, and family-to-family support.

About LaCAN

LaCAN (Louisiana Council’s Advocacy Network) is the grassroots arm of the Louisiana Deveopmental Disabilities Council. LaCAN furthers the Council’s mission by advocating for policies and systems that support inclusion everywhere people learn, work, live, and play.  LaCAN advocates for service systems that support children and adults with disabilities to live in their own homes and be fully-included and participating members of their local schools and communities.

LaCAN provides information and support to individuals wishing to effectively advocate for systems change in the areas of home and community-based services, education, and employment.  Regional LaCAN teams include individuals with disabilities, their family members, and professionals.  These members are notified by email or phone when communication with state agency officials, legislators or the Governor is necessary.

About the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council

The Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council is made up of people from every region of the state who are appointed by the Governor to develop and implement a five year plan to address needed changes in the service delivery system for persons with developmental disabilities. Membership includes persons with developmental disabilities, parents, advocates, and representatives from public and private agencies. Several members rotate off the Council each year and applications for new members are always welcomed.

Developmental Disabilities Councils were founded in 1970 as a result of the passage of the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. The Louisiana Council was established in 1971.  Councils were created to engage in advocacy, capacity building and systems change activities and contribute to a coordinated, consumer- and family-centered, and consumer- and family-directed comprehensive system of community services, individualized supports, and other forms of assistance that enable individuals with developmental disabilities to exercise self-determination, be independent, productive, and integrated and included in all facets of community life.

Council’s Mission

The Council’s mission is to increase independence, self-determination, productivity, integration, and inclusion for Louisianans with developmental disabilities by engaging in advocacy, capacity building, and systems change.