Family to Family Inc.

Family Voices Indiana strives to achieve the following:

• Disseminate complex information from state and federal agencies regarding programs, policy changes, or service delivery to families and professionals in an understandable manner.
• Families and professionals will access information quickly through their preferred mechanisms via various technologies, including telephone, the Family Voices Indiana website, electronic newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and blogs.
• Families, including those from underrepresented and diverse communities, and professionals will gain competence and confidence to engage a complex and hard-to-navigate system of health care and resources through training that enhances their leadership skills.
• Agencies, programs and organizations will utilize Family Voices Indiana information and resources to assist families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN).
• Families of CYSHCN who speak Spanish or have other cultural or linguistic needs will be able to access the information they need through Family Voices Indiana Health Information Specialists and other media.
• Families and youth will be knowledgeable about transitioning to adult health care services and community living based on information and training supplied by Family Voices Indiana.
• Children and youth with special health care needs will have an increased likelihood of receiving care from a medical home as the result of heightened awareness and education provided to their families, parent leaders and service providers.

Family Voices Indiana will employ the following strategies to reach its goals.
• Assist families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) in making informed choices about health care in order to promote good treatment decisions, cost effectiveness and improved health outcomes.
• Provide information regarding the health care needs of, and resources available to, CYSHCN.
• Identify successful health care delivery models for CYSHCN;
• Develop a model for collaboration between families of CYSHCN and health professionals.
• Provide training and guidance regarding the care of CYSHCN.
• Conduct outreach activities to families of CYSHCN, health professionals, schools and other appropriate entities and individuals.
• Staff centers with families of CYSHCN who have expertise in federal and state public and private health care systems, and with health professionals.

Family Voices Indiana is operated by trained parents of children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities (CYSHCN). Staff works in their home communities across Indiana and the organization operates as a virtual center which reflects its mission to serve families in the community to maximize efficiency and reach.

We have the technological capacity to reach families with information in a timely manner and the ability to mobilize families when needed through a comprehensive electronic and social media presence.

Family Voices Indiana has established relationships with professionals who value partnership with families in guiding policies and programs. These include various state agencies, institutions of higher learning and organizations that serve CYSHCN and their families.

In 2018, Family Voices Indiana served 2,353 families of children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities, and 609 professionals who serve them. We reached 15,337 families and 3,991 professionals through training and outreach campaigns. The combined reach of our social media platforms, newsletter and blog was 9.8 million.

FV Indiana is the state affiliate of Family Voices, a national advocacy organization, and has been designated as Indiana’s Family-to-Family Health Information Center by the Health Resources and Services Administration since 2011. In 2014 Covering Kids & Families of Indiana presented FVIN with the Community Leadership Award for its excellence in advocacy, support and collaborative efforts to improve access to health coverage for Hoosier families.