Capital District Office

Serving Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga,Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington Counties

        Welcome to the Capital District Office of Parent to Parent of NYS -- aplace where families of individuals with special needs and the professionals who support them can meet and share information.

        Because Parent to Parent of NYS believes in the power of parents helping each other, it is our hope that the information we share here will flow both ways.  If you belong to a group or association that has information of local interest to families in our community, please let us know and we will pass on the word.  Our goal is to provide you with connections, tools and resources to support you in your role.
 

 “Many parents know the challenges and joys of raising a child with a disability, but we often can’t find each other.  Or we assume that everybody else knows what they’re doing, and we are the only ones who are confused and hurt and lonely. Parent to Parent groups help us connect to each other in new ways.  Sharing our experience makes us strong. Together we will bring our children and our families out of the shadows.”  

- Sue Swenson, Commissioner, Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
 

        Welcome to the Capital District Office of Parent to Parent of NYS – a place for us to find each other, a place for us to be made strong.

The Capital District office has six employees to help meet the needs of families in our 11 county area.

Stacia Kooney, Regional Coordinator, has two children with special needs, a daughter who was born with a congenital birth defect and a son with autism. Stacia states," I began volunteering for Parent to Parent in 2002 as a Lay Advocate and have been advocating for and supporting children with special needs and their families ever since.  I love having the opportunity to turn the knowledge that I've gained into a career that helps others meet their children's needs (ask me about my list of "Everything I Wish I Never Needed to Know" sometime.)"   Staciap2p@verizon.net or 381-4350, ext. 25.

Jim Swart, Regional Coordinator, and his wife live in Fulton County with their two daughters Cassie, 13 and Madison, 9.  Madison has Down Syndrome. Jim is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking, an intensive training program for parents and self-advocates that teaches the power of advocacy to change the lives of people with disabilities.  Jim's focus will be on building a "Father's Network" in order to meet the needs of dads of children with special needs.  JMSwart1@verizon.net or 381-4350, ext. 26.

Michele Juda, Program Coordinator of the Family to Family Health Care Information and Education Center, assists families of children with special health care needs in making good health care decisions. She also provides trainings on the use of the Health Care Notebook, an organizational tool to help parents keep track of their child's medical needs.  Michele and her husband are the proud parents of two sons who were born prematurely.  According to Michele, "We experienced the NICU with our oldest son; our youngest son was adopted just shy of his third birthday.  He has had extensive hospitalizations and surgeries and continues to struggle with GI and respiratory issues.  I look forward to sharing experiences with each of you.” F2Fhealthtools@verizon.net or 381-4350, ext. 27. 

Mary Jo Hebert, Regional Coordinator, also connects and supports families of children with special needs and is available to answer questions or provide training on Medicaid Service Coordination and Accessing Services through NYS Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD).   She is available to speak to support groups, conferences or to assist individually by telephone.  Contact Mary Jo at cdp2p@verizon.net or 381-4350, ext. 24.

Special Education Support:  Tina Beauparlant and Holly Bartczak are available to assist with questions related to special education services.  They are available to speak to people individually, to support groups and at parent trainings and conferences to assist people in understanding special education law, transition, impartial hearings, filing complaints, functional behavior assessments and other topics that will help families advocate for children who receive special education services.   

Do you have questions related to special education services?  Would you like to schedule a training in your area about special education services?  Call (518)381-4370 or (800)-305-8817 and ask to speak to Tina Beauparlant (ext. 22) or Holly Bartczak (ext. 23).

We look forward to serving families of children with special needs in the Capital District and the professionals who serve them.

Parent Training & Information Center (PTIC)

 Download Brochure