NZ Now and Next Alumni peer network formation

The Now and Next Australasian Alumni was launched at the Sydney 2017 International Initiative for Disability Leadership. Program. In 2018 they helped the NZ Alumni start up:

1. March: First Now and Next programs sponsored by CCS Disability Action and ran in partnership with McKenzie Centre in Hamilton. This group launched the NZ Alumni and started acting to spread their learning with other families. At the outset of this group, parents created the Families Empowering Families organisation.

First NZ Alumni meeting

2. April: Hori Barton a father alumni and Peer Worker trainee presented with Trisha Benge, Manager, McKenzie Centre, Early intervention: Barton, H and Benge, T. (2018) Now and Next: A novel partnership between families and professionals. NZDSN Wellington. 

3. September submission to the 2019 ISEI conference

Benge, T. and Herbert, C. (2018) Family-led peer network: Translating knowledge across cultures [https://now-and-next-alumni.blogspot.com/2018/11/collective-capacity-building.html]

4. September: Journal article submitted for peer review:

Janson, A., Mahmic, S., Benge, T. & Herbert, C. (2018) How a transformational Collective Benefit Mindset experience prompted parents raising children with disability to launch a peer network.

5. October: Alumni presentation to practitioners and medical doctors during a study day: Husseini, M., Barton, H and Barton, R. (2018) Now and Next and its alumni, EIAANZ Study day, McKenzie Centre https://now-and-next-alumni.blogspot.com/2018/08/nz-research-launch.html?view=magazine

6. October: Launch of the NZ Peer Workers training program [http://now-and-next-alumni.blogspot.com/2018/11/nz-training-6-peer-facilitators.html]. Six Peer Facilitators in training from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities (CALD), amongst them 2 couples. These trainees will undergo a comprehensive training programme (Pictability visioning and planning, online and face to face facilitation training, participant-observer research introduction, online real time data collection and analysis). Two Peer Workers who contributed by volunteering with the child care crew. We have found that offering childcare for parents to attend the Now and Next program is a critical success element. A couple who had graduated from the first Now and Next program brought their daughter along and joined the crew, along with 2 staff from CCS Disability Action, in addition with the McKenzie staff. Contributing their Saturdays to help other parents benefit from the program is an awesome contribution!

7. November: Pictabilty Training Graduation of a group of 12 professionals and parents at McKenzie Centre [photo above]

7. November: Pecha Kucha presentation: Janson, A., Mahmic, S., Benge, T. and Herbert, C. Positive Parent Education for families raising children with disability: Supporting the emergence of a Collective Benefit Mindset. Presented at the New Zealand Association of Positive Psychology, University of Waikato, Hamilton: [https://now-and-next-alumni.blogspot.com/2018/11/nz-assoc-for-positive-psychology.html]

8. December 2018: The 2nd Now and Next group graduates

9. Feb-March 2019: Now and Next 3rd group

10. CEO IEP 3 meetings - implementing the Now and Next concepts and create new opportunities to build partnerships with professionals.

Last March meeting - participants gave this the highest ratings of all courses!

11. March: Presentation at the Good Start in Life committee 

https://tinyurl.com/NZParents