CHADD|
Grand Rapids CHADD
Local Coordinators: Linda
Phone: 616-874-5662
National News
Welcome!
WELCOME TO THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA CHADD SUPPORT GROUP INFORMATION PAGE! Please Visit Our Website!
or Visit our BLOG
Please read below to find out more about our meetings and programs!
When people think of CHADD, they usually associate it with a phone number to call, a meeting, a magazine, a website, a national conference, or a parenting class. CHADD does not just help those who seek us, however! CHADD works to improve the lives of ALL individuals affected by AD/HD, across the lifespan.
During this past year, CHADD of Grand Rapids has joined with a number of other agencies and organizations to plan five major events in conjunction with the West Michigan Mental Health Parity Discussion Group. It is a bipartisan coalition that believes there should not be less coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment than for medical treatment. In October, we provided an outreach to youth, at Rosa Parks Circle. Members of the Grand Rapids Hip Hop Coalition provided the entertainment, at no cost. Several personal stories were shared, to let youth know that getting help for mental health or an addiction is not a sign of weakness. The life of a young hip hop artist was honored, who had been battling schizophrenia and bipolar disorder when he died in July. Local CHADD members donated money to provide tee shirts to those who volunteered at the event. Extra tee shirts were sold at the end of the event and since the event. $250 was recently donated to the young man's mother toward the care of his two children.
CHADD provides input to those making policy decisions at local, state, and federal levels. Along with CHADD National, our chapter also recently provided "comment" on the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act. We recommended that the amendments to the ADA should include AD/HD as a disability. We want to ensure that people with AD/HD can be provided accommodations, (such as extended time on a licensing exam), so they can demonstrate what they are truly capable of. More recently we recommended that AD/HD be listed as a potentially qualifying disability with the Social Security Administration, as already is the case for children with AD/HD.
CHADD seeks opportunities to disseminate up-to-date, accurate information about AD/HD, so that affected individuals aren't blamed instead of helped. If someone has a "hidden disability," it can be understandable that an employer might assume that when they ask for an accommodation, such as a checklist or template to follow, that they may be "expecting special treatment." By creating awareness, however, we want to make it more likely that when somebody with AD/HD asks for help, that "somebody will want to hear it!" (as one young man worded it!)
Most individuals with AD/HD have the potential to become contributing, tax paying citizens. However, for those who are most seriously affected, they may do something impulsive that can change the entire trajectory of their futures, sometimes within weeks after running out of medication after aging out of their parents' health insurance. Then it isn't just their disability that they must deal with, but the lifelong consequences of a momentary decision. CHADD is working to prevent youth from falling through the cracks at a time when they are taking on adult responsibilities with adult consequences and can no longer have their parents advocate for them.
CHADD is not only a first call for help, but sometimes a last. Donations to CHADD have never been more important than they are right now.
By joining CHADD you will get information and support, while supporting a national organization working to help individuals with AD/HD reach their inherent potential.
We are funded by individual donations and partial membership reimbursements. Please write in CHADD of Grand Rapids if you donate through United Way!
PROGRAMS:
CHADD of Grand Rapids offers two monthly meetings, free and open to all interested. One group is for Parents and other caregivers, and one is for Adults with AD/HD and those who care about them. There is no cost or pre-registration required to attend our monthly meetings, nor is a formal diagnosis required. Membership is not required to attend, but is encouraged. One year membership scholarships are available through CHADD National, for those who qualify, though there is presently a waiting list and limited funds. We also teach an AD/HD parenting class each spring, which is described in more detail below.
* Our Adult Group meets on first Tuesdays, from 7-9 p.m., at Calvin College, at the corner of Burton and the E. Beltline, in the Meeter Center Lecture Hall, to the right of the fireplace off of the library lobby.
* Our Parent Group meets on third Tuesdays, from 7-9 p.m., at St. Luke's Lutheran Church, at the corner of 4 Mile and the E. Beltline, downstairs, if you come in the door with the ramp off of the parking lot. We don't meet in December due to the holidays.
Membership is encouraged but not required to attend. Membership information is available at our meetings. Monthly meetings are open to all interested.
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Check out the website at
http://www.chaddgr.com to learn about upcoming meetings, speakers, and topics, links to state and international AD/HD CHADD conferences, and to compare candidates in the upcoming elections!
or Visit our BLOG and let us hear from you!
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ANNUAL AD/HD PARENTING CLASS: "Parent to Parent " was developed by CHADD National, with the collaborative efforts of professionals and parents. "Parent to Parent" was recommended in the Harvard Mental Health Newsletter. It is described as being accurate, research-based, and up-to -date. Call Linda Brauer, who is trained and certified by CHADD to teach the class, at 616-874-5662, for more information or to register. The first session of the class met on April 1st. There is no meeting on the 8th due to spring vacation. There are still several seats available, but call first to register before coming, when class resumes on April 15th. We meet at KEC Mayfield Middle School near Fuller and Michigan. Included in the program is information about AD/HD and its diagnosis and treatment, common misunderstandings about AD/HD, parenting skills that avoid power struggles and strengthen family relationships, information on how to help your child succeed in school, and about AD/HD across the lifespan. We want to help parents become their own best experts. The cost is $100 per family for CHADD members. The price includes a manual, additional materials, and access to a lending library. There are scholarships and a sliding fee scale available for those experiencing financial hardship.
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CHADD OF GRAND RAPIDS LOSES A GOOD FRIEND
We were saddened to lose our good friend, Mr. Charles Myron Gates, Jr., of Grand Rapids, who passed away on Wednesday, June 18th, 2008, at age 88. He was a kind, gracious, unassuming man who always had a twinkle in his eye. He valued people as individuals. No matter what he was dealing with, personally, he was always more concerned about others than himself. He believed in and strongly supported our mission. Always the consummate gentleman, at my last visit, he was alert, conversational, and wore a neatly pressed, long-sleeved white shirt. I had no idea it would be our last visit a few weeks later. Mr. Gates was a gift that kept on giving. He will be deeply missed, but will always be fondly remembered.
Why CHADD?
We believe that no one should have to travel the path alone. We have witnessed the tremendous resource that people can be for each other, often just by sharing their stories. We are continually amazed at what we have seen people with AD/HD overcome, despite the odds. We have also been told that sometimes CHADD made all of the difference!
CHADD has been serving the greater Grand Rapids area since 1989. We look forward to meeting you!
CHADD does not endorse any specific services, medications, professional, programs, or treatments.
What CHADD provides should not be used as a substitute for professional advice.
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July, 2009 -May 2010: Archive of Previous Parent Group Meetings
The Parent Group meets on third Tuesdays, from 7-9 pm,(except in December, due to the holidays), at St. Luke's Lutheran Church, at the corner of 4 Mile and the E. Beltline, at 3215 Four Mile Rd. NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49505. We usually meet downstairs, unless CHADD signs are posted, indicating otherwise. (If you come in the door with the ramp off of the parking lot, the stairs will be to your left and an elevator is straight ahead.)July 21st, 2009: Interactive Discussion regarding upcoming mental health legislation in Michigan, and other topics that best meet the needs of the group.
August 18th, 2009, AD/HD in the News: Controversial Issues and other issues of interest to those who attend.
September 15th, 2009, Building a Winning Team for Your Child at School. Wanda Joseph, Outreach Representative for the Michigan Special Education Mediation Program and the Dispute Resolution Center, will be traveling from Ludington to help parents communicate in behalf of their child at school, and learn what options are available.
October 20, 2009, Meeting the Needs of Siblings of Children with Disabilities, Does your child with AD/HD feel like the family project, while their sibling wonders why the kid who keeps getting in trouble gets all of the attention? Kim Gleason, Life Coach, former high school English teacher, and mother of 5, ages 2-16, three with disabilities, will present!
November 17, 2009, Is AD/HD the Whole Story? Mary Rozendal, Ph. D., from the EnCourage Institute, will discuss educational testing, how AD/HD and learning disabilities can manifest themselves, and what can help.
There is no Parent Group meeting in December, due to the holidays.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Call Linda Brauer at 616-874-5662, or send us an e-mail at grand-rapids@chadd.net, or at lindakbrauer@gmail.com, to get more information. Please call if you would like to present at a meeting--including telling your story, or if you would like to volunteer.
This information was last updated on: 07/31/2010
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