Northern Virginia Non-Profit Groups
The Arc of Northern Virginia, 2755 Harland Road, Suite 200, Falls Church, Virginia 22043, serves a number of roles. The Arc offers direct support to parents through its workshops and offering opportunities to meet with staff and professional volunteers at their Lunch Bunch held on alternating Tuesdays from 12-2 (reservations are required) and the Generated Parent Support/s the first Wednesday of every month (7 p.m.). Discussion topics may include federal and state financial support (Medicaid and disability), Medicaid waivers for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, guardianship issues for those who may not be independent as adults, as well as information about various human services supports, special education issues and private providers. The Arc is also an advocacy group, is the state designated guardian of last resort, and runs a pooled special needs trust program. For more information call 703-209-1119 or visit the Arc of Northern Virginia website.
The Autism Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV), 10467 White Granite Dr #324, Oakton, VA 22124, is an advocacy group for all those affected by autism addressing a broad range of needs for the community, including issues relating to care management, self-advocacy and autonomy in adulthood. ASNV makes referrals to local support groups and professionals and manages an online support group at AS-NV@yahoogroups.com . ASNV also offers direct mini-grants to families to help defray costs of treating children on the autism spectrum. More information is available on the Autism Society of Northern Virginia website or contact the Executive Director at director@asnv.org or 703-495-8444.
The Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia operates a list serve and has an extensive website. Visit the website at www.dsanv.org or contact Heather Trammell for additional information at 703-621-7129. To subscribe to the email list send a message to DSANV-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA), 8900 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22031, is a regional non-profit organization open to all with services. JSSA offers support to those with special needs through the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia (JCCNV) located at. JSSA operates social skills groups for children, teens and young adults as well as some evaluation services and hosting of support groups. JSSA also provides a Special Needs Parent and Caregiver Support Group which meets the first Wednesday of each month from 7:30-9 at JCCNV. There is a $15 charge per meeting to cover the costs of the facilitator, a licensed clinical social worker. To participate, email MelissaH@jccnv.org .
The National Alliance on Mental Illness-Northern Virginia (NAMI-NOVA) is a chapter of the national NAMI organization which has a mission to serve both adults and children with mental health needs. NAMI-NOVA operates an email list and offers parent support meetings. To subscribe to the NAMI-NOVA list, contact Naomi Verdugo at verdugo.naomi@gmail.com . The national organization has a help line that is open from 10-6 (ET) Monday through Friday. For those in crisis, the 24-hour toll free and confidential National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
The Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC), 100 N. Washington Street, Suite 234, Falls Church, VA, is the parent information and training center serving families and professionals of children with disabilities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Those living in Northern Virginia are lucky to have them located in Northern Virginia. They can be reached by telephone at 703-923-0010. PEATC has an incredible website and offers free webinars.
Parents of Autistic Children of Northern Virginia (POAC-NoVa) is a non-profit run entirely by volunteers through which families to help families, with a focus on providing a online community and addressing the educational needs of children who have an autism spectrum disorder. It operates a list serve, holds membership meetings, and also offers parent support meetings (check their calendar for details). POAC-NoVa is based in Fairfax County but is a resource for families across Northern Virginia. The POAC-NoVa list serve is an excellent resource for information exchange and referrals to specialists. The POAC-Nova website is particularly helpful for learning about free events related to autism spectrum disorders. POAC-Nova maintains an extensive calendar of events throughout the metro area that relate to autism spectrum disorders. To join the support group, contact Nicole Zupan at nicizupan@verizon.net. Support group meetings are typically held on Saturdays in the library at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, 6304 Lee Chapel Rd., Burke, VA 22015.
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