In an effort to continue to keep individuals, families, and staff safe, the St. Louis Arc’s Family Workshop series will continue to be held in a virtual format this fall. The Family Support team continues to expand the topics offered through these workshops based on feedback from families and staff.
Register and Watch Later
The Arc encourages individuals to register for workshops even if they are unable to attend the webinar at the scheduled date and time. Registering for a webinar allows individuals to receive a follow-up email which includes a link to the recording of the workshop as well as any handouts or resources shared during the presentation.
Additionally, every Tuesday at 3 p.m., Sharon Spurlock, Senior Director of Family Support, hosts a weekly Question & Answer (Q&A) Session to share relevant information, tips, and resources from St. Louis Arc professionals, Arc families, and community experts. The full calendar of workshops and weekly Q&A sessions can be found on the Arc’s website or if you would like to be reminded about our upcoming events, you can click here to register for our weekly e-newsletters.
Workshops On Demand
In an effort to make the workshops and Q&A sessions convenient and accessible for families, recorded sessions are added to the Arc’s Facebook page or YouTube channel. The YouTube recordings include timestamps, to easily access specific topics of interest or review a missed section. To view the timestamps, click the down arrow by the video title (mobile viewers) or “SHOW MORE” under the description (desktop viewers). Then just click on the blue numerical timestamp to jump to that section. You can subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive an alert when a new video has been uploaded.
New Workshops for Fall 2021
The Arc is excited to announce four new workshop topics for the Fall 2021 session.
Virtual Workshop: Social Security: Avoiding the Pitfalls
Wednesday, October 6, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Social Security is a huge system that is hard to navigate! This session will talk about handling the application process, which will include how to present your information to the eligibility worker. The speakers will explain how certain situations can be handled to assure success when Social Security makes inquiries about the recipient’s assets, work, etc. We will also touch on the difference between a parent applying for their minor child vs. applying for their child over 18, the appeal process, how to handle an overpayment notice, and how a child accrues the necessary work history to get SSDI on their own record between the ages of 21 and 32.
Presenters:
Martha Brown, Certified Elder Law Attorney, Mitchell, Brown & Associates, LLC
T. Nikki Mitchell, Certified Elder Law Attorney, Mitchell, Brown & Associates, LLC
Click here to register for this webinar.
Home and Community Based (HCBS) Waivers and Medicaid: What You Need to Know to Access Services
Wednesday, October 13, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
In this workshop we will cover the four main Home and Community Based (HCBS) or Medicaid waivers. We will also discuss who is eligible for them, how to apply for them and what they fund. You will learn the steps needed to receive a Support Coordinator through the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and what the wait list means to you.
Presenters:
Ann Mangelsdorf, Assistant Director Family Support and Advocacy, St. Louis Arc
Kristen Rusbarsky, Consumer and Benefits Coordinator, St. Louis Arc
Click here to register for this webinar.
Navigating Boundaries and Building Villages
Wednesday, October 20, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
We will provide a brave space to ask questions about how to teach and support an individual in their sexual lives. Topics that will be covered are boundaries, consent, pleasure, and abuse prevention. Parents and their children (ages 16 and up) are both welcome to attend this workshop.
Presenters:
Jessica Naslund, Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, CSE, AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator Supervisor, adjunct professor in the UMSL SUCCEED program
Madeline Webster, Transition Navigator, St. Louis Arc
Click here to register for this webinar.
If you missed our first workshop on Tuesday, September 21 “Virtual Transition FAQ with Madeline” you can watch the recording of the workshop through our Facebook Live recordings by clicking here.
View All Workshops
Download the complete Fall 2021 Family Workshop Series list and register for upcoming sessions. Please feel free to contact Brianne Smith or 314-817-2216 with questions or if you are having trouble registering.