Programs

Parent to Parent Program
Our Parent-to-Parent Program was created to provide parents with a supportive network of peers. This program offers parents an opportunity to develop leadership skills and offer parents in similar situations with support. Peer supporters are provided a comprehensive six-week training that focuses on educational advocacy, the laws supporting special education and related services, and leadership training.


Parent Training and Information Center
The Parent Training and Information Center is a comprehensive resource library and training center. The Center offers parents information on the laws of special education, specific disabilities, the latest research on treatment and interventions, and adaptive technology. This resource center is especially critical to our work, as it is located in a low-income community that traditionally would not have had access to this information. Our training and advocacy sessions are specifically designed to: clarify legal obligations and rights; assist parents and advocates in the preparing for educational meetings and conferences; and to orient the individual on the various services available for children with special needs.

Direct Services/Individual Advocacy
Unlike other organizations in the community, AJE. provides direct services to parents in the form of individual representation in situations when the intervention of third party is necessary to ensure that appropriate services are being made available to a family in need.

Community Education
Parents of children with special needs have a desire to know more about their child's disability, its impact on their family, and the support that is necessary for the child to thrive and grow - physically and intellectually. We provide community education through our workshops and seminars which are free to the families we serve.

DCPIN
Under a grant from the D.C. Department of Health’s (DOH), Community Health Administration (CHA), AJE is to develop and implement a District of Columbia Parent Information Network (DC PIN). DC PIN is to provide area residents with special health care needs information on family navigation; care coordination; community education; and individual advocacy.  DC PIN will serve all families and children ages 0 to 21 within the District of Columbia.

TAP
The Transition Advocacy Project provides youth ages 13-22 and their families with support, advocacy, information, and training in order to improve their involvement in their educational planning.  We provide students with support, training, and guidance in an effort to effect school reform and secure appropriate transition services.

Dear Parents and Guardians of Transition Aged Youth!
Advocates for Justice and Education, Inc. (AJE) proudly announces its partnership with the HSC Foundation in providing appropriate transition related services and products to our transition aged clients. AJE was recently invited to participate in HSC Foundation’s Life Enrichment Awards Program (LEAP) whose purpose is to enrich the lives of youth and young adults with disabilities and chronic illnesses in the D.C. area. Through the LEAP, AJE will be able to offer awards to youth related to their transition needs!

The LEAP provides awards in the form of goods and services* that are directly linked to youth transition planning and implementation that are usually not available from public service and government agencies. Additionally, the awards (goods and services) cannot be covered by Medicaid or private insurance and cannot be “medically necessary” (e.g. goods and services provided for the diagnosis or direct care of the medical condition).

Eligibility:
To be eligible for this program:
· The youth must be between 13-26 years of age and have special needs.

· The youth must be actively engaged in a transition process and their requested good or service must be directly linked to transition planning and implementation.

· Eligible youth must complete the attached application for consideration.

· Youth must also attend AJE’s Youth2Youth meeting held on the first Monday of the month (May 3rd, June 7th, and July 5th) from 5:30pm to 7pm.

*Examples of some awards are:
Youth interested in attending art school after graduation could receive professional art supplies.

Youth interested in the construction field could receive professional grade construction tools.

Youth who want to pursue a musical career could receive an instrument.

We are hoping to distribute 8 to 10 awards valued anywhere from $100 to $1500 each.

To learn more about the LEAP Program and AJE’s Transition Advocacy Project, please contact Ms. Sylvia Gravitt at (202) 265-1432.