The Family to Family Network of Virginia, or F2F Network, an initiative of the Center for Family Involvement at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Partnership for People with Disabilities, has grown from one statewide Family to Family Health Information and Education Center begun in 2005 to a six regional office Family to Family Network where family members of culturally and linguistically diverse children and adults with disabilities (of all ages) have people in their own communities to call upon in their efforts to identify and obtain needed information, services, and community supports.

The Partnership, a university center for excellence in developmental disabilities, receives federal and state funding to implement the F2F Network using a replicable peer support model based on Parent to Parent USA evidenced-based practices in matching families one-to-one using trained, volunteer parents, grandparents, siblings, and self-advocates. The Family to Family Network is P2P USA’s recognized Virginia alliance member.

The local networks provide:

• 1:1 emotional, informational, and disability and community services and systems navigational support
• Family-friendly information and resource referrals on topics such as special education and early intervention services, health care and related financing (such as private insurance, Tricare and Medicaid), home and community-based Medicaid Waiver long-term care services, disability services, and other community resources
• Expertise in military services for military families
• Expertise in autism through partnerships with local autism groups
• Expertise in Hearing Loss through collaboration with EHDI, DOE, and Hands and Voices
• Expertise in mental and behavioral health through collaboration with NAMI
• Leadership development to support families in advocating for and participating in the design of more family-friendly, effective service systems
• Connections to cultural brokers from culturally & linguistically diverse communities

If you need a family navigator application in Spanish or Arabic, please contact Nickie Brandenburger, F2F Network of Virginia director, at (877) 567-1122 or tnbrandenburg@vcu.edu

Family to Family Network of Virginia Brochure

Other Questions? Contact the Family to Family Network at (877) 567-1122 or send an email to the CFI at cfihelpline@vcu.edu or to the the F2F Network director, Nickie Brandenburger at tnbrandenburg@vcu.edu