Focus Group Frenzy

The Benefits of Focus Groups

Team Daniel serves individuals with developmentally disabilities across the state of North Carolina. The best way to collect community information is to go visit the community and speak with its members in a facilitated group discussion. You learn a lot through these discussions about the unique needs of the community. For instance, we have found that families we serve in the Charlotte and Lenoir area, have a difficult time finding local dentists who specialize in serving people with developmental disabilities. Many of these families travel 30 miles or more to have their child seen by a specialty dentist who will meet the needs of their child or loved one.

In the most recent issue of EMPOWERED (Fall 2009), we featured an article on Special Care Dentistry. Access Dental is a non-profit mobile dentistry unit that provides dental services to older adults in long-term care settings and individuals with developmental disabilities. They serve several counties within central North Carolina and we need more services like this throughout our state. Communities should come together so that we have enough mobile units to cover all 100 of North Carolina's counties!

Each focus group gives those in attendance a chance to discuss specific needs of the community and share available resources that families may not know exist. These meetings are rich with dialogue and those who come, share their own knowledge and/or learn something they didn't know before.

Where We've Been in 2009

This year we began our focus group tour in Fayetteville, NC. We then visited Lumberton, Raleigh, Charlotte and Lenoir. Our final stop this year will be in Asheville, NC. In 2010, we plan to start the tour all over again.

Let's Catch Up

Well it's been two weeks since we last posted, so let's catch up! Team Daniel Foundation has released the Fall 2009 issue of EMPOWERED! This quarterly publication provides current information for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

Does EMPOWERED feel slightly heavier than the last issue? Well it should, because we added eight additional pages of information! Our goal is to keep you informed about topics that impact individuals with developmental disabilities and it's great to be able to do so with more pages.

Please check out the Fall 2009 contents page at www.teamdaniel.info/magazine_events.html and if you don't have a subscription, order one today!