Dr. Harry Gewanter has three children with special needs, and he recalls that it greatly affected them in school. “[Navigating the school’s special education system] was the most stressful event in my life,” Gewanter says. “It was more stressful than medical school. It was more stressful than residency. And if it was the most stressful event for me, what the heck is it like for everybody else?”
During his time as a pediatrician at Richmond Pediatric Associates, Gewanter and his colleague Dr. Colleen Kraft saw a distinct need for connection among the parents of children with disabilities — a need to share stories, resources, and support.
Founded in 2001, Medical Home Plus (MHP) works across the Commonwealth providing one-on-one advisory services to students in the special education system, helping to uphold their access to a free and appropriate education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that students with disabilities can get special education services and support in public schools so they have a fair chance to learn and succeed. Under this law, schools must provide Free Appropriate Public Education, which gives students with disabilities the right to an education tailored to their needs at no cost to their family.
At its roots, MHP is about sharing knowledge and resources, so that the caregiving path may be easier for others. They provide webinars for caregivers, connect caregivers to local professionals like lawyers, advocates, estate planners, and therapists, and offer an advisory scholarship program that pays for advocacy within the special education system. MHP aims to connect parents to experts who have walked the road before, making school accommodations easier and government resources more accessible. They’re dedicated to empowering children with special needs and their families by strengthening their pillars of support through education, prevention, resource coordination, and advocacy.
When Monneka Giles and Anthony Duguay’s son Timothy began school, they were also navigating his sickle cell anemia and autism diagnoses. It was important that Timothy receive educational accommodations for physical and developmental delays, but Giles felt as if she and the school were struggling to communicate until MHP stepped in.
“MHP really helped me advocate [for Timothy]. Not only does Timothy need a 504 plan, but he also needs an IEP,” says Giles. “[MHP educated] me on my rights, knowing even if he’s in the hospital for three to six months, he has a right to education.”
Medical Home Plus represents a concept in pediatrics where every practitioner and caregiver affiliated with a child knows the details well enough to have a streamlined conversation about the patient’s nuanced goals and needs. The nonprofit MHP has learned to translate this concept into an advisory service that helps schools and caregivers connect and craft IEP (Individualized Education Program) plans that truly work for the student no matter the illness or disability.
Uniquely, many of the staff members at MHP have experience as caregivers to children who required support for a disability or a long-term illness. MHP believes that this shared experience allows the staff to foster quick connections with other caregivers and helps them lead with true empathy when helping parents navigate complicated healthcare and education systems.
As Giles knows, having an advocate along for the journey can make the climb feel less steep. “I have an elementary schooler, and I now have a young adult. MHP has been a godsend to our family,” she says.
How You Can Support MHP
You can join MHP’s Uncork Hope Gala on November 13 at the Dewey Gottwald Center to help fund advocacy for families navigating the special education system. Learn more at medhomeplus.org.
MHP is also looking to round out its board with parents and caregivers interested in helping guide the organization’s work and mission. Reach out to info@medhomeplus.org to learn more
