Author: Melissa Derflinger

SUPPORTING AN AGING LOVED ONE Many of us understand and accept that, as we age, we will likely need support to stay independent in our homes. The first people who will see that we need help will likely be our loved ones. A spouse, a child, or a sibling may be the first partners helping […]

Many of us are never really ready to plan or make preparations for the additional support we will require as we age. Throughout our lives, we look forward to adolescence, adulthood, the years of family and careers, and retirement, but we certainly don’t look forward to those final years when our health is declining. Things […]

Finding reliable and useful resources for the challenges you or your loved ones face can be a daunting feat. When you do start to find services or supports that fit, you then must make sure the sources you’ve found are reliable, hope the information is current and accurate, and that it applies to you. Next, […]

Gracie is a bright and beautiful 4-year-old girl that is likely using her charm to hide a multitude of hidden plans to take over the world. She lives with her parents and 3 of her siblings in a small rural town in north-central Indiana. Her mother, Sara, has worked in social services for about 15 […]

Updated January 12, 2023 Advocacy Links offers Child Mental Health Wraparound Support Services in northern Indiana to both CMHI (Children’s Mental Health Initiative) and CMHW (Children’s Mental Health Wraparound) eligible youth. Children’s Mental Health Wraparound Support provides resources, support, and guidance to children, youth, and their families/caregivers in difficult situations. Wraparound brings together a committed […]

Purposeful Life And Community Engagement Building a rewarding life with meaningful, accessible, and engaging activities is difficult for everyone. Advocacy Links is proud to share that we are now offering P.L.A.C.E. (Purposeful Life And Community Engagement) Events and Activities to help answer this need. These events will offer an inclusive space where everyone belongs and […]

Despite the strides and awareness that have been brought to mental health issues over the years, stigma still exists. We live in an era that is often blind to misinformation and focused on projecting images of positivity. For people who are struggling with mental health concerns, openly discussing their challenges can easily lead to unsolicited […]

Our organization and staff have worked in social services for long enough that we understand that one-size-fits-all support services don’t always fit into an individual’s needs. That’s why we are proud to share that we are now offering a way to answer those needs, with Resource Connections. Though incredibly important and valuable, state and federal […]

Seeking an Autism diagnosis for your child can be overwhelming. Getting a diagnosis can be a long and complicated process for parents between the initial identification of symptoms, voicing their suspicions to medical professionals, and then finding the right services and supports. Often parents find themselves navigating new services to find the right supports for […]

People with developmental disabilities have existed in society since the beginning of time, but they have rarely been given the opportunity to showcase their strengths and successes in conjunction with their challenges and diagnoses. The remarkable people highlighted here will show that limitation is not an inherent part of a developmental disability diagnosis. There are […]

Why is developmental disability awareness so important? It’s a vital step towards equity, inclusion, and representation. In this post we are taking a brief look at the long history of the mistreatment of people with disabilities BEFORE awareness and advocacy were “a thing”. WHAT IS A DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY? Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions […]