FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: June 14, 2012 Becca Mandeville 972.437.9950 bmandeville@JFSdallas.org

Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas Receives Grant to Create Inclusive Faith-Based Communities Symposia

Led by local faith leaders, new programming will create opportunities to empower

individuals with disabilities to reach their highest potential in the community.

Dallas, TX, June 14, 2012 — Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas (JFS) is pleased to announce the organization was awarded a grant from the Texas Council on Developmental Disabilities to create a series of inclusive, faith-based communities symposia in an effort to share successful strategies to fully embrace individuals with disabilities, and their families, throughout the community. Tentatively scheduled for February 2013, the first of two symposia will include opportunities for spiritual leaders and lay leaders from a cross-section of faith communities in the four-country region, including Dallas, Rockwall, Collin and Denton counties. Faith leaders will collaborate to create opportunities that empower an individual or family with a disability to reach their highest potential in the community, whether it is a social, emotional, behavioral, academic or spiritual need. A 12-member project advisory committee comprised of influential community leaders was assembled to focus on studying successful models within the Greater Dallas community and regions across the state and around the country. The research and study of successful inclusion programs, as well as a community consumer survey, will help to identify the crucial needs of the special needs population and their families to plan and implement strategies for broader inclusive programming. “With the growing numbers of kids and adults being identified with special needs coupled with the challenge of federal and state budget cuts for services to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the need for coordinated, community-wide services though a network of faith-based communities is imperative,” said Teri Kachur, Project Director at JFS. “There are a number of successful faith-based programs in the greater Dallas community and we look forward to collaborating and sharing ideas to continue to meet the growing needs of our community.” For more than 60 years, JFS has been providing mental-health and social services to the community. Accredited by the Council on Accreditation, JFS serves children, adults and the elderly through mental-health assessment and counseling, family violence intervention, gerontology programming, special needs assessment and intervention, emergency assistance

and employment programs. An open door to anyone in need regardless of age, race, religion or ability to pay, JFS provides comprehensive services to more than 10,000 clients each year. “Our recent efforts in developing a special needs resource team, ongoing collaborative work through the Jewish community’s Special Needs Partnership and our experience working with many Dallas community organizations positioned us to eagerly pursue this grant,” said Michael Fleisher, Chief Executive Officer of JFS. “With the insight and experience of the project advisory committee coupled with our special needs expertise and experience planning and hosting successful, educational conferences, I am confident this effort will have a significant impact on the Greater Dallas community. We look forward to the opportunity to lead this new project.” Members of the project advisory committee for the inclusive faith-based communities symposia project Include:

Reverend Kenny Dickson, Pastor, Christ United Methodist Church, Farmers Branch Witek Nowosiad, M. Div., Manager, Department of Pastoral Care and Supervisor, ACPE,

Inc., Children’s Medical Center at Legacy

Nathan Cagle, Self Advocate

Smita Mehta, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Special Education, Department of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas

Clay Boatright, Community Advocate, Board President of the Arc of Texas

Archana Dhurka, Community Advocate, National Autism Association – N. Texas Chapter

Fern Gimenez, IDD Director, LifePath Systems of Collin County

Louis Zweig, Co-Founder and Chair of the Golman-Dallen Special Needs Fund

Hind Jarrah, Ph. D., Executive Director, Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation

Dilshad Deyani, President, WE WILL Global Council Network of Coaching and Consulting LLC

Susan Bland, Community Advocate, Past President, for the Miracle League of Frisco.

Dr. Terry J. Flowers, Executive Director / Headmaster, St. Phillips School and Community Center

About Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas Founded in 1950, Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas (JFS) provides a wide range of wrap-around mental-health and social services to thousands of individuals each year—to anyone in need without regard to religion, race, ethnicity or ability to pay. JFS mission: “Inspired by the values of social responsibility, Jewish Family Service promotes emotional health and self-sufficiency for anyone in need throughout the Greater Dallas area by providing effective and affordable mental-health and social services.” More information at www.JFSdallas.org.

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