Developmental Disability Advocacy Town Hall on March 12th
CONTACT: Vanessa Matheny, Community Mental Health Board
708-358-8855, vmatheny@cmhb-oakpark.org
Amanda Norris, Riveredge Hospital
708-310-8339, Amanda.Norris@uhsinc.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oak Park’s Community Mental Health Board and Riveredge Hospital Partner to Present a Developmental Disability Advocacy Town Hall
The March 12th meeting is open to all parents, guardians, family members and persons with lived experience with an intellectual/developmental disability
Forest Park, Ill. – February 7, 2020 – The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township, along with Riveredge Hospital, invites community members to attend a Town Hall meeting to discuss issues pertinent to the intellectual /developmental disability (I/DD) community. The Town Hall will feature a panel discussion comprised of speakers who are professionals in the field, parents of children with I/DD, and individuals with I/DD acting as self-advocates. Panelists will address topics including funding, facilitating transitions across the lifespan, accessibility to services, and advocacy. The panel will be followed by a question and answer session for audience members. Representatives from local service agencies will be present at informational tables, which attendees can visit before and after the Town Hall.
The Town Hall will be held on March 12, 2020, at Riveredge Hospital, located at 8311 W. Roosevelt Road in Forest Park. Doors open at 6:00, with the forum beginning at 6:30. Free, accessible parking is available, and attendees are encouraged to register for the event at https://riveredgehospital.com/news-events/ . The event will be moderated by Kathy Carmody from The Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities. Featured panelists include Jim Haptonstahl of UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago and the They Deserve More Coalition; Debra Vines of The Answer, Inc.; Rocio Perez of The Arc of Illinois; Parent-advocate Ann Clark, and self-advocates Georgia Hunter and Zoe Phillpotts.
To learn more about the Advocacy Town Hall, please contact Vanessa Matheny, Contracts Manager, Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township, at vmatheny@cmhb-oakpark.org. Please click here for an event flyer.
The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township assists in planning, developing, coordinating, evaluating, and funding mental health, substance use disorder, and intellectual/developmental disability services in Oak Park. The Township’s Community Mental Health Fund provides over $1 million in financial support for programs and services to 22 agencies per year in Oak Park.