Forum educates parents, caregivers of adult children with special needs

Temple Emanu-El, in Providence, in partnership with the Kesher Program of Jewish Family Services, hosted a program on Nov. 4 to help parents and caregivers of adult children with special needs prepare for the future. A panel of three experts in the special-needs community led the discussion: Lawyer Gayle Tarzwell; Joanne Malise, LCSW, director of Living Innovations; and Claire Rosenbaum, the adult supports coordinator at the Paul V. Sherlock Disabilities Center at Rhode Island College.

Tarzwell was the first to address the diverse group of congregants and members from the larger community who gathered for the program. She reviewed pertinent legal topics, specifically guardianships and special needs trusts.

Tarzwell has been practicing law in Rhode Island for 35 years. Her practice is focused on helping clients create and reach individualized estate planning goals. As the mother of a young adult with an intellectual disability, Tarzwell is also well-versed in the legal and day-to-day challenges of parenting a special-needs child into adulthood. She passionately believes that a child with an intellectual or developmental disability should be provided with a reassuring answer to the question, “What will happen to me when you die?”

Malise led a discussion on adult-living options, with a focus on shared living in the Jewish community. Malise has over 30 years of experience working in the field of developmental disabilities and is a strong advocate for personalized supports and community inclusion.

Living Innovations has grown, Malise said, to become the largest shared-living program in Rhode Island. She hopes to expand this model of supportive living in the Jewish community in the years ahead.

Rosenbaum spoke about employment options in the community for individuals with disabilities. She has more than 20 years’ experience helping disabled individuals and their families in learning principles of self-determination, person-centered planning and community membership. Rosenbaum is also the parent of a 32- year-old daughter with significant intellectual disabilities.  

Questions and conversation between the panelists and audience members was lively and engaged, and a follow-up program is being considered.

TARA WATKINS, LICSW, is a Kesher social worker at Jewish Family Service. She facilitated the Nov. 4 conference. For more information on the Kesher Program of Jewish Family Service, call her at 401-527-7772  or email tara@jfsri.org.