The Special Needs Family Hour Presents: A Very Special Journey of Grief, Grace, and Gratitude!

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A Very Special Journey of Grief, Grace, and Gratitude

Join us this Sunday afternoon on the Special Needs Family Hour at 1:00 pm!
Bill Carl, the Morning Host for FaithTalk 570 AM & 910 AM will be interviewing Julie Ames. We will be discussing Julie’s new book A Very Special Journey of Grief, Grace, and Gratitude – No They are not Okay…but It’s Okay! Raising Special Needs Kids.

A Very Special Journey is more than a memoir. It is a story that provides guidance, hope, and education to parents and professionals who have or work with special needs children. Julie gives her readers the guidance they need to navigate their own way through the educational, medical, and legal waters that special needs families find themselves drowning in.

Julie throws a lifeline to other moms and dads facing the same challenges.  Conversely, by presenting the parents’ perspective, professionals working in these fields will gain a greater understanding and ability to provide services in a way that is truly helpful.

Every parent has to know how to be their own child’s strongest advocate. They need to know what questions to ask, when to demand answers, and when to walk away from advice they don’t trust. A Special Journey will provide these tools.

Julie’s story is about more than a mother and two challenged daughters. It is about more than autism. This story is about love, faith, and family. It is about learning to accept something that cannot be changed and to embrace the gifts we are given, despite perceived imperfections. We cry. We adapt. We reflect. We rejoice. Most importantly, we continue to live, love, and grow together every day. It is indeed a special journey.

Pictured: Julie Ames and Bill Carl, Morning Host for FaithTalk 570 AM
& 910 AM

Dear Friends,

This past Mother’s Day we celebrated our 5th Anniversary. This will be our last show for a while. This is not goodbye but a pause on our current format.

  • Our website will continue to be a resource for parents and caregivers who are caring for individuals with special needs.
  • Our newsletter will continue to provide you with up to date information.

 
The Special Needs Family Hour and I are evolving.

  • I am completing my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through Liberty University’s accredited program, to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. 
  • My book, A Very Special Journey of Grief, Grace, and Gratitude, will be coming out in the next few months. 
  • It is an exciting time with many things happening to include upcoming speaking engagements. 

We appreciate our listeners, our guests who are making a positive difference in the world, our awesome sponsors, and our friends at Salem Media Group.

Julie Ames

The Special Needs Family Hour Presents: Keeping Your Child Safe!

by Posted in Child Safety, Podcasts & Show Resources Tagged , ,

Keeping Your Child Safe

Join us Sunday afternoon on the Special Needs Family Hour at 1:00 pm!
Our guest is Christopher Heaverin, Detective from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division Internet Predator Unit.

Detective Christopher Heaverin and Julie Ames, SNFH

We will be discussing the Internet and Technology, The Sexual Predator/Offender, Victimology, and Child Pornography. These are difficult subjects to discuss but important when it comes to keeping our children safe.

The Special Needs Family Hour Presents: Mary Lee’s House!

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Mary Lee’s House

Pictured: Brenda Kocher, Tibet, Kim Miller and Julie Ames, SNFH

Pictured: Brenda Kocher, Tibet, Kim Miller and Julie Ames, SNFH

Our guests are Kim Miller, the Executive Director of Mary Lee’s House and a special guest, Brenda Kocher and her dog Tibet.
Mary Lee’s House is a state of the Art Child Protection and Advocacy Center. It is one of a kind 33,000 square foot facility with five organizations working together for the prevention, intervention, and the treatment of child abuse.

Some Organizations That Provide Services at Mary Lee’ House:
At the USF Child Protection Team, physical and sexual abuse exams are performed to determine maltreatment. Family history and triggers which may lead to child abuse and neglect are also discussed during risk assessments. www.health.usf.edu

The Children’s Advocacy Center provides various services including live closed-circuit testimony so children do not have to face their alleged perpetrator in court. This 13th Judicial Circuit, Administrative Office of the Courts program is also where recorded forensic interviews take place to decrease how often child victims must repeat their story. www.fljud13.org

The Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County improves the health and well-being of pregnant women, children and families through the following programs: Healthy Start, Healthy Families, Mom Care, Children’s Board Family Resource Centers, Zero Exposure Project, Black Infant Health Practice Initiative, Safe Baby, Safe Baby Plus, Fetal Infant Mortality Review, Strong Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Beds 4 Babies. www.healthystartcoalition.org

Success 4 Kids & Families “Healthy Start” team provides in-home education and support programs to pregnant women and families with infants, serving as an important partner in building a better community. www.s4kf.org

The Corbett Trauma Center, a division of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, provides support for children and families through evidence-based treatment and nationally recognized counseling programs. www.corbetttrauma.com

Team Tibet:
Brenda Kocher, a Guardian ad Litem and Tibet (together known as Team Tibet) have been working at the Hillsborough County Courthouse and at Mary Lee’s House since February of 2014. Brenda and Tibet volunteer three days per week, dividing their time between the courthouse and Mary Lee’s House. “No two work days are the same,” says Brenda. “We go where we are most needed on any given day.”
Tibet has had the same breeding, extensive socialization, and expert training as service dogs, but has been specially selected and trained to work alongside a victim advocate, forensic interviewer, detective, medical provider or other professionals to enhance the services that person provides. Read more at: bit.ly/TeamTibet