Chesapeake HELPS!
Chesapeake HELPS! serves as a gateway to services with resource and referral information available to all residents of the mid-shore area. Resource specialists provide general information for community members to access a broad array of family and child-focused resources, services, programs and organizations. Community Members can call 1-866-722-HLPS (4577) to find local services in their County for things like crisis assistance, food, housing, addictions, support groups, parks and recreation, education, employment, child care, volunteer opportunities, mental health services and many others. Families that call in and are assessed to have a child with intensive needs are connected with a Family Navigator, who supports the family and helps them access services. Chesapeake HELPS! is funded through a portion of a grant from the Maryland Governor's Office for Children that was received by a County collaborative made up of Local Management Boards in Caroline, Dorcehster, Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot Counties. Resources can also be found online by visiting www.chesapeakehelps.org You may want to log onto the website to make sure your organization is listed or to add it to the database. Resource specialists are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Assistance can also be provided through e-mail, fax and written correspondence. Mailing address: Chesapeake HELPS!, Chesapeake Collge, P.O. Box 8, Wye Mills, MD 21679. E-mail: info@chesapeakehelps.org Fax: 410-827-7121.

Mid-Shore Family Navigators
The Family Navigator Program is linked to Chesapeake HELPS! and is overssen by the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health www.mdcoalition.org. Anyone who needs assistance in obtaining services or supports for their child can contact a Family Navigator. A family Navigator is a parent or caregiver of a child with intensive needs. They are very knowledgeable about how to access State and local resources. Kent and Queen Anne's County share a wonderful Family Navigator, Diane Lane. She is a thoughtful, organized and dependable support to our families and has proven to be an invaluable resource to the LMB and our community. Diane can provide information; referral and linkage to appropriate services for your child; guidance on completing forms and applications for services; support at meetings for your child when possible; education on laws, policies and procedures to access services for your child; workshops to inform you and other families about services and ways to effectively advocate for your family. It is important to know that Family Navigators are not lawyers or therapists and do not provide legal representation or counseling. Navigators do not advise families on decisions pertaining to their children, but they do provide support and information to discuss options with families so they can make the best choices for their children. Diane is now hosting a support group for parents of children with intense emotional needs, mental health issues, challenges behaviors or special needs. Meetings will take place on the first Thursday of every month from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the Kent Family Center, located at 601 High Street in Chestertown. Refreshments will be provided. For more information on Family Navigation services or the parent support group, contact Diane Lane at 443-480-2966 or e-mail her at dlane@mdcoalition.org.

Funding for the Family Navigator Program is provided by the Maryland Governor's Office for Children in partnership with Local Management Boards in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot Counties.