|
Start a group
To get a new TOUGHLOVE®
Parent
Support
Group started, you'll need about five parents
willing to help get the
group going and prepared to stay with the group
for at least three
months. Fortunately, the five parents will
not have to "wing it".
You will have the support of both the service
centre and
a local TOUGHLOVE Representative, if one
is available. TOUGHLOVE
Representatives are pretty dedicated, so even if
you live a distance
from the nearest region, you may still find
support.
The best thing to do is contact the service
centre
of your nearest
TOUGHLOVE parent support group
to see who they have that might be able to assist
you. If no
Representative is near, we will help you get your
group started. We
have a booklet on starting a Parent Support Group.
The next thing you do with these parents is to
locate a
meeting place. Get in touch with your
Representative for ideas on what
sort of place to look for. Items to consider when
locating a meeting place include:
- Easily accessible location keeping physically
disabled persons in mind.
- Rent-free (since you are providing a service
to the
community).
- A large enough room with sufficient space for
several
circles
of chairs with 5 to 8 chairs in each
circle. This will allow for
extra
room when the group begins to grow.
- Audio visual equipment should be available.
- Facilities should be available.
- Hospitals are not recommended. Meeting in a
hospital
(especially a mental health institution) could
be a conflict of
interest. Some parents may find it
uncomfortable.
- Schools might be willing to assist as TOUGHLOVE helps
students
and parents. However, schools sometimes do
not provide
keys and tend to close at odd times.
- You need complete access to your meeting
place. TOUGHLOVE
Parent Support Groups meet once a week every
week of the year.
Don't be afraid to ask for help from your
Representative. That's
what they're there for. They will be there to
train you for the first
few weeks as your group forms.
Learn more
|