Supporting Families – Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Presentation

The DDA’s Deputy Secretary Bernard Simons and Director of Family Supports Mary Anne Kane Breschi presented at the MSDE, Division of Special Education, for the Early Intervention Services Family Support State Professional Development Conference on Maryland’s Community of Practice (CoP) and Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) Framework May 8, 2018.

Deputy Secretary Simons provided the history, overview, and significance of the National CoP for Supporting Families across the lifespan. He described how the principles of CtLC Framework inform the work of the DDA and are embedded throughout its programs.

Mary Anne outlined the structure of the MD CoP, its partners, goals and accomplishments, such as the development of a CoP Resource Folder, the inception of its website (supportingfamiliesmd.com) and the launch of seven communities of practices in Baltimore, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Montgomery and Washington Counties and the Lower Eastern Shore Region.

The MSDE Family Support Services Specialists attending the conference were invited to join their local CoP and to assist the MD CoP Statewide Leadership Team to establish new CoPs in counties where there are none. She introduced the principles and tools of the CtLC framework and its capacity to empower systems with policies, regulations, programs and practices to better serve and support people with developmental disabilities and their families.

The conference culminated with Jamie Stoner and Kelly Meissner sharing how their organizations are successfully implementing CtLC to better support families and their family members with developmental disabilities across the lifespan.

For more information, you can view the presentation HERE.