Louisiana Organizations and Resources
Church Training Resources – Joni and Friends provides training resources to equip the church and with practical tools for including people of all abilities into the life and ministry of the church, helping people with disabilities find their place in the body of Christ.
Luke 5 Adventures Baton Rouge -Luke 5 Adventures goes hiking with those who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to hike alone.
Young Life Capernaum – Capernaum is about creating ministry spaces where teens and young adults with disabilities can meet Jesus and grow in their faith.
Epilepsy Alliance Louisiana – EAL offers community services, seizure first aid and safety training, and education events for individuals living with epilepsy across the state.
Down Syndrome Awareness Group of Baton Rouge – DSAG provides community-wide parent support.
Brain Injury Association of Louisiana – A statewide resource for those impacted by brain and/or spinal cord injury.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Louisiana Chapter – Works to improve the quality of life for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis
Easter Seals – Service locations across the state of Louisiana.
United Cerebral Palsy of Greater New Orleans– A resource for individuals with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, their families, and their communities. UPC of Greater New Orleans serves Southeast Louisiana.
Families Helping Families – This link shows the Families Helping Families Network in Louisiana. Links are provided to each independent regional network center. Each center is staffed with parents of or individuals with disabilities or special health care needs.
Autism Society Greater Baton Rouge – Assists families in access services through advocacy and support efforts, hosting family activities, and educational opportunities
ILRU – (Independent Living Research Utilization) program is a national center for information, training, research, and technical assistance in independent living. This link connects to their Centers for Independent Living program, offering locations throughout Louisiana.
Exceptional Lives – Works to bridge the gap between families and schools to give students the opportunity to thrive. Provides services to help families navigate the school system.
Louisiana Department of Health
Louisiana Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities
National Organizations
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – NAMI envisions a world where all people affected by mental illness live healthy, fulfilling lives supported by a community that cares. They provide advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. 1-800-950-6264
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) – a Federal advisory committee that coordinates Federal efforts and provides advice to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on issues related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A broad resource list of organizations and agencies is available on the website.
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) – exists to take the world a better place for people living with ADHD. The National Resource Center on ADHD (NRC), a program of CHADD, was established to be the national clearinghouse for the latest evidence-based information on ADHD.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – This Disability and Health Promotion website provides direct access to important health and safety topics, scientific articles, data and statistics, and tools and resources.
A Mother’s Rest – improves the emotional and physical health of caregivers through proactive, affordable, restorative respite opportunities.
Equipping Minds – works with children and adults to increase their cognitive abilities and decrease learning, emotional, and social challenges.
Nathaniel’s Hope – Nathaniel’s Hope is dedicated to celebrating kids with special needs (VIPs) as well as educating and equipping communities and churches to provide programs and assistance for VIP families.