Family Voices of Alabama

Family Voices of Alabama
(FV of AL) aims to achieve family-centered care for all children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities.

Through our national network, we provide families tools to make informed decisions, advocate for improved public and private policies, build partnerships among professionals and families, and serve as a trusted resource on health care. 

Family Voices of Alabama was awarded a grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau to increase our services to the families in Alabama by establishing a Family-to-Family Health Information Center (F2F HIC). F2F HICs were established in all States and the District of Columbia by the Family Opportunity Act / Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 extended the F2F HIC Program through fiscal year 2012.

Our Vision

Every child and youth with special needs receives family-centered care.

Contact Us

Family Voices of Alabama
1050 Government Street
Mobile, AL 36604-2402
  
Email: info@familyvoicesal.org

Phone: 877-771-FVOA or
(877-771-3862)

Our Staff

Patricia Switzer - trish@familyvoicesal.org
Susan Colburn - susan@familyvoicesal.org
Gerald Oveson - jerry@familyvoicesal.org

National Family Voices

Web Site: familyvoices.org  
(Link opens in new browser window)

Refresh page for a new tip Download Tip Sheets

Tips for Parents Physical activity is key to good health. Establish family rules for limiting TV and computer time. As a family, brainstorm ways to include walks, bicycle rides and other activities into your family's daily routine.

*** News and Information ***

Our health care notebook is a tool to help families of children with special health care needs maintain an ongoing record of his/her child's care, services, providers, and notes.

Order a care notebook now.

Insurance options are changing:

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and You - How Alabama's Health Insurance Market Place Will Work

What Providers Need to Know About the Health Insurance Market Place (May 2013)

Partners in Care Summit

Visit our Video Training Library to view sessions from our Partners in Care Summit 2011 and 2012. 2013 sessions will be posted soon.

Resources now available in Spanish
See what is available here. If you cannot find what you (or your client needs), please contact us. Limited quantities of our health care notebook are also available. Call to discuss. Voice messages in Spanish will be forwarded to our Spanish-speaking outreach worker. She will return your call. { Los mensajes de voz en español serán enviados a nuestro agente de extensión de habla española. Se le devolverá la llamada. }

Free iPhone app: Polyglot Med Spanish is easy to use and the perfect tool to bridge the communication gap between health care providers and Spanish-speaking patients. Polyglot Med Spanish offers immediate audio translation of over 3,000 common words, phrases and assessment questions from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English.

CDC press release about the flu: Neurologic disorders were reported in nearly two-thirds of pH1N1-associated pediatric deaths with an underlying medical condition. Because of the potential for severe outcomes, children with underlying neurologic disorders should receive influenza vaccine and be treated early and aggressively if they develop influenza-like illness.  Read the CDC press release.

From National Center for Medical Home Implementation learn how a medical home can support transitioning from pediatric to adult care in our medical home interview video series at http://youtu.be/6JfCsjxpLfo

Medical Home for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs – A Review of the Evidence. Click here.

Getting health care funded is no game, but you can test your knowledge of Medicaid and CHIP while having fun
or with this link to a quiz on Medicaid from Kaiser Family Foundation.