May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Congratulations 2022 Graduates!
Graduation Resources
Just because your child has graduated, MPACT services are still available to them, and you, until they are age 26. Transition can be difficult, and many of the transition activities planned for your student may have been disrupted by COVID 19. We can help you with linkages and supports to make the rocky road to independence a little smoother.
The Missouri Graduation Handbook is to inform students, parents, and residents about Missouri’s requirements for earning a high school diploma.
Resources For Life After High School
I want to work after high school, can VR help me?

If you want to work but have a disability that keeps you from finding, keeping, or advancing in a job, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) may be able to help you. VR provides assistance with Transition Services, Supported Employment Services, Rehabilitation Technology Services, and the Ticket to Work Program.
Plan your career at jobs.mo.gov where you can plan and explore careers, research wages and trends, and complete self-assessments.
Missouri Statewide Independent Living Council (MOSILC) envisions a Missouri in which people with disabilities live safely in the environment of their choice, are valued equally, and participate fully. MOSILC advances independent living and the rights (civil and human) of people with disabilities, demanding consumer empowerment, control, equal access, and full integration. Find your Center for Independent Living HERE
The National Resources for Advocacy, Independence, Self
-determination and Employment (RAISE) Technical Assistance Center works with the eight (8) Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA)-funded Parent Training & Information Centers to develop and disseminate information and resources that increase their capacity to serve youth and young adults with disabilities and their families. See how RAISE can help your family HERE.
Post-Secondary Resources
The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development says that a variety of financial aid is available to help students and families pay for college. Grants and scholarships are awarded to students of all ages, and eligibility is based on many different factors including financial need, academic achievement, civic involvement, athletic ability, and other skills and interests. View the Department's webpage titled, Planning and Paying for College.
The U.S. Department of Education urges High School Seniors to complete the FAFSA® today! As students and families prepare for education post-high school, finances and costs are serious considerations. The impact of the COVID-19 emergency makes decisions about higher education even harder.

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is the first step students and families can take to access federal dollars for college or career school. Federal Student Aid reports a decline in the number of high school seniors who have submitted the 2021–22 FAFSA form. States have limited funds, so it’s important for students and families to know their state’s deadline and submit the FAFSA form as early as possible.
Teacher Appreciation Week May 2-6

It's time to show them our love and appreciation so let’s give the teachers in our lives special thanks for all they do during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2-6.

Click HERE to learn more about how to appreciate a Teacher!
Mental Health Awareness

View available Missouri Mental Health resources, including helpful links, helplines, and general information HERE
NAMI Children's Mental Health Week May 4-7
Children’s Mental Health Week (CMHW) is the first full week in May each year. NAMI and partner organizations recognize CMHW with awareness activities in local communities and a virtual Facebook Live bell-ringing event.

On Thursday, May 5, 2022 @ 1:30 pm we’ll be raising awareness for Children’s Mental Health Week by ringing our bells and encouraging our partners across the state to join us in a Facebook Live Event.

For more information on how you can participate click HERE
WAZE to Adulthood
PEATC (Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center)
A Student Profile is a way for you to introduce your child to new teachers, related service providers, administrators, and others with whom she will come into contact. By completing the Student Profile every year, you can provide information about your child’s strengths, challenges, and successes. Click HERE to access the student profile sample.
The VR Summer Work Experience
The VR Summer Work Experience is a work-based learning experience in a competitive integrated setting for students with disabilities. The VR Summer Work Experience is provided in collaboration with approved Missouri VR Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs). Participants must be students entering their final year of high school who have no prior successful paid work experience in a competitive integrated setting.

  • Participants must be potentially eligible for VR services and parents sign a release.
  • The VR Summer Work Experience will consist of a six-week, work-based learning experience.
  • Total weekly hours will be 20 hours per participant. The majority of those hours will be spent engaged in the tasks associated with the job the student was hired to do. Before, during, or after the workday; there will be an expectation that daily discussions occur, highlighting soft skills, such as communication, enthusiasm & attitude, teamwork, networking, problem-solving & critical thinking, and professionalism.
  • Participants will be paid at the rate specified by state or local minimum wage law, up to 20 hours per week, for the duration of the six-week summer work experience. The student will be hired by the CRP as a temporary employee. The CRP will serve the employer of record and will provide liability and worker’s compensation insurance. Contact your local VR office for more information.
Steps Parents Can Take to Improve the School Setting and Educational Outcomes for Youth Involved in Juvenile Justice Education Programs
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Parents' thoughts and recommendations—and those of the youth served by the program or school staff—are very important. Informing the program administrator or school principal that you are interested in helping to make the educational experience better for your child and other students is key to making positive change within juvenile justice educational programs. What Can You Do? Volunteer to participate in system improvement activities Ask facility administrators and school principals to support your involvement on:

  • Governance boards
  • Planning councils
  • Advisory groups
  • Working committees and other volunteer groups

Encourage education administrators to seek family input when developing any
plans to improve the educational program and family involvement in their facility.
Suggest that they download a copy of Working With Families of Children in the
Scholarships for Military Families
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With graduation fast approaching, you may still be able to secure some scholarships as a military family member. Click HERE for more information and resources.
MOSAFE
If you are currently assisting a suicidal youth, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. All calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from Missouri are routed to the call center that covers your school or campus’s area. There are also local crisis services offered through Missouri’s Access Crisis Intervention providers. This information can be found HERE.

The Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting “MOSAFE” to 741741. If you think a youth is at immediate risk of suicide, call 911 immediately for help. Please help ensure the entire school community is aware of these suicide prevention resources. Click HERE for printable posters and more information to display prominently in your schools. Feel free to use and distribute as needed.
SEAP - Special Education Advisory Council

The purpose of the Missouri Special Education Advisory Panel is to provide policy guidance on special education and related services. The panel shall:

  1. Advise the State Education Agency (SEA) of unmet needs within the State in the education of children with disabilities.
  2. Comment publicly on any rules or regulations proposed by the state regarding the education of children with disabilities.
  3. Advise the SEA in developing evaluations and reporting on data to the US Office of Education under Section 618 of the Act.
  4. Advise the SEA in developing corrective action plans to address findings identified in Federal monitoring reports under Part B of the Act; and
  5. Advise the SEA in developing and implementing policies relating to the coordination of services for children with disabilities.
  6. Advise on the education of eligible students with disabilities who have been convicted as adults and incarcerated in adult prisons. 

If you are interested in becoming a member of the SEAP or want more information click HERE to be directed to the website
We're Looking For You, Apply Now!
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MPACT Webinars in May
Click on the links below to register
Bullying Prevention

Positive Behavior Interventions

Positive Behavior Interventions

Disagreement Resolution

*Featured Training of the Month
Register for In-Person Training in May
Bullying Prevention 

Location:
The Library Center
4653 S Campbell Ave, Springfield, MO 65810
View all upcoming MPACT trainings HERE
All MPACT trainings are free of charge! If you would like to schedule any MPACT training in your area or for your organization
please click on the link HERE
Make a Difference in the Lives of
Missouri Families, Join MPACT Today!
What is an MPACT Mentor Volunteer?

Mentors are trained volunteers who, upon request, provide support to families of children with disabilities throughout the special education process. A mentor does not represent or speak for a parent or family member, but a mentor does help empower an individual to become a strong educational advocate for his or her child. MPACT mentors are screened and receive training and supervision from MPACT staff.
MPACT (Missouri Parents Act) is looking for enthusiastic individuals to help develop a diverse community-based board of directors. We seek members with a broad variety of backgrounds, ethnicities and experience, people with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities, people with experience with other children’s issues, people simply interested in child education, people with fundraising expertise, business professionals, and educators.
Shop with MPACT on Amazon Smile :)
Your online shopping can help make a difference, at no additional cost to you!

When you shop at smile.amazon.com, or in the Amazon app with AmazonSmile turned on within Settings, you'll find the same products and same low prices as the Amazon you already know - plus, they donate a portion of your purchases to your chosen charity.

You can select us as your AmazonSmile charity by visiting: smile.amazon.com/ch/43-1460328

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MPACT is funded in part or whole by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs Grant No. H328M090020-10. The contents of the website, however, and any documents cited herein do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S Department of Education.
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