Parent to Parent
Parent to Parent is an organization that matches you with an experienced support parent who can provide emotional support and assist you in finding resources and information. A mentor who has lived through similar experiences can, for some, be more helpful than a therapist.
Nancy’s House
Nancy’s House is a different kind of support group. It is a respite house in Pennsylvania where caregivers can come for relaxation, counseling, meditation, and therapy. There are one and three-day retreats. Payment is on a sliding scale.
The Arc
The Arc is an advocacy organization, and their mission is to “promote and protect the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively support their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetime.”
This organization is not just for the parents and family members of special needs children and adults. This organization is meant for everyone. You can donate, volunteer, or join via their website. Going to a local chapter website or location will give you even more resources, event.
The Caregiver Action Network
Joining the Caregiver Action Network (CAN) is free and gives you access to forums, information, and a large community of caregivers. CAN is a non-profit organization devoted to providing support to families and caregivers at no cost.
There is a forum for caregivers, a blog of caregiving stories, and a list of organizations and foundations to strengthen the support to caregivers of all kinds. You will also have access to local volunteers who can provide education about diagnosis and advocacy training. These volunteers are or were caregivers themselves, so they can relate to the stresses you are working to overcome.
