Apply for Partners in Policymaking!

DON’T DELAY—APPLY NOW

Change your Life with SD Partners in Policymaking

We don’t want you to miss out on this fabulous FREE training. You are provided lodging and meals, reimbursed for mileage, and portions of child/att’d care.

Applications for South Dakota Partners in Policymaking, a leadership training program for self-advocates and parents of children with disabilities, are now ready for Year 30. Partners in Policymaking provides state-of-the-art knowledge about disability issues and builds the competencies necessary to become advocates who can effectively influence system change. THIS TRAINING WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Applications are due September 25, 2021.

Disability Rights South Dakota (DRSD) is currently seeking applications from interested people who have disabilities or who are parents of children with disabilities to participate in Partners in Policymaking. Applications for Year 30 can be obtained by contacting Sandy Hook, Disability Rights South Dakota, 2520 E. Franklin St, Pierre, SD 57501 or by calling 1-800-658-4782. Applications are also available on the DRSD website at www.drsdlaw.org/partners or by emailing sandy.hook@drsdlaw.org.

The training program is designed to provide information, training, and skill building so those who participate may obtain the most appropriate state-of-the-art services for themselves and others.

Here is what graduate Meghan Bonin of Wessington has to say:

Why I joined: While I've always considered myself a good advocate for my son, whose attribute is Autism, I will never turn away an opportunity to better my advocacy skills and/or an opportunity to better my son's quality of life.

Biggest Impact from Partners: This has always been the toughest question to answer because there are multiple answers! But if I had to pinpoint it down to just one, I would say Person Centered Thinking. As a mother to a child with autism, I always felt I knew what was best for him and that I would do all the talking for him and making the decisions for him. But Partners opened me up to a whole new way of thinking and that was to basically to live a day in my son’s shoes. I completely changed the way I spoke when talking about him.

Why should someone else join: Whether you are an individual with a disability or a family member, Partners will completely change your life! You will gain the skills to be able to advocate for yourself or your family member. You will be opened up to a world of resources and outlets where you will always know you have someone in your corner. You will meet some of the most amazing people and will become lifelong friends with them. The reasons why are endless, and the reasons not to are… well there aren't any!

This training initiative is funded in part by grants from the SD Council on Developmental Disabilities, Center for Disabilities at Sanford School of Medicine at USD, and SD Parent Connection. The program is facilitated by Disability Rights South Dakota.