Sibshops Conference

Presented by Don Meyer, Director, Sibling Support Project

Sibshops reflect a belief that our communities need to acknowledge brothers and sisters of children with special needs and provide them with the opportunity to connect with each other in the same way that many parents of children with special needs have benefitted from sharing their experiences.

Open to interested participants across New England including adult siblings, parents, grandparents, and family members of children/teens as well as professionals, organizational staff who wish to facilitate a Sibshop in their local community, and social workers who work with families that have siblings as part of the family.

A Sibling's Perspective: Interviews with Don Meyer and Seven Young Siblings

The primary goal of this workshop is to train new Sibshops facilitators and administrators as well as adult siblings, service providers, and parents. During the two days of the Sibshop training, these participants will learn about sibs’ lifelong concerns, find out how to organize a local Sibshop, and experience what a Sibshop is as they join Don and local young brothers and sisters for a four-hour demonstration sibshop. Trainees who would like to become a Sibshops facilitator must attend both days of the Sibshops training. Upon completion of the two-day training, they may (upon registration) start their own local Sibshop.

The secondary goal of this workshop is to educate parents, service providers, and others about sibs’ ever-changing issues across the lifespan. This is an audience interested in sibling issues but not necessarily interested in how to run a Sibshop. This audience attends the first day of the two-day training.

View a typical two-day Sibshops training schedule.

If you are interested in your typically developing sibling participating in the demonstration sibshop coordinated by Don Meyer during the conference, sign up to participate.

When: Thursday, April 4, 2013, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Friday, April 5, 2013, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Where: JF&CS Headquarters
1430 Main Street, Waltham MA

Cost:
Day 1 Only:
Early Bird Rate (until March 15, 2013): Parents/Students - $75, Professionals - $125
After March 15, 2013: Parents/Students - $100, Professionals - $150

Day 1 & 2:
Early Bird Rate (until March 15, 2013): Parents/Students - $130, Professionals - $155
After March 15, 2013: Parents/Students - $155, Professionals - $185

9.5 CEUs are available.

Please contact Doreen Cummings at dcummings@jfcsboston.org for all other questions.

Offered by Jewish Family & Children's Service Yesodot Family Support Program in collaboration with Combined Jewish Philanthropies and the Massachusetts Sibling Support Network.