Collaborative Partnerships

This section lists a variety of state, regional, and federal agencies and organizations that constitute PaTTAN's Partners. These organizations are valuable resources that provide a wealth of information on both general and special education issues.

ConsultLine
The toll-free help line to assist parents of children with disabilities with questions concerning their children’s special education program.

https://odr-pa.org/parents/consultline/

Corrections Education
This team provides support and technical assistance to educators that service publicly placed students with disabilities in county detention, county prison, partial hospitals, private residential rehabilitative institutes, residential treatment facilities, state juvenile and state correctional facilities.

Department of Human Services
This Pennsylvania department supports low income Pennsylvanians, and provides a broad range of early intervention services for children with disabilities

https://www.dhs.pa.gov

Educational Resources for Children with Hearing Loss (ERCHL)
This committee is an advisory committee to the Bureau of Special Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education. Members are appointed by the Director of the Bureau of Special Education. Please see the ERCHL brochure for a description of responsibilities and a listing of current members.

Hispanos Unidos Para Nino’s Excepcionales (HUNE)
HUNE is an organization that empowers parents of exceptional children to obtain a Free and Appropriate Public Education. It offers bilingual training and technical assistance on all aspects of special education and supports. In addition HUNE provides a Special Education Helpline which gives bilingual English and Spanish information and referrals to parents and professionals on all aspects of special education. HUNE partners with PATTAN on the Special Education Parent Training Grant.

http://www.huneinc.org

Office for Dispute Resolution (ODR)
The organization that coordinates the special education mediation and due process hearing systems on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.

http://odr-pa.org

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
The office within the US Department of Education that is responsible for improving education results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities, from birth through age 21.

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
This Pennsylvania office, which is part of the Department of Labor & Industry, helps Pennsylvanians with disabilities secure employment and maintain their independence.

https://www.dli.pa.gov/Individuals/Disability-Services/ovr/Pages/default.aspx

Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center
The PEAL Center is an organization of parents of children with disabilities reaching out to assist other parents and professionals. The PEAL Center provides workshops, training, and information about early intervention, special education, and inclusive education to the western and central regions of Pennsylvania. Parent advisors assist families with information about the special education process and problem-solving strategies. The PEAL Center partners with PaTTAN on the State Improvement Grant.

http://www.pealcenter.org

Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania
Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania links families of children and adults with disabilities or special needs to a volunteer peer support parent for the purposes of support and information.

http://www.parenttoparent.org

Pennsylvania Advisory Committee for the Education of Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

https://www.pattan.net/Disabilities/Blind-Visual-Impairment/PACES-BVI

Penn Data
Penn Data provides stats for Pennsylvania school district special education programs.

http://penndata.hbg.psu.edu/

Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU)
The PAIU serves intermediate unit board members, staff and constituents by providing a network to share and collaborate on effective teaching practices, professional development for general and special education and cost-saving measures for school districts. The PAIU sponsors a spring conference each year featuring presenters from the field of educational service agencies.

http://www.paiu.org/

State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC)
The Pennsylvania State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) is a 15-member advisory board of parents, Department of Education, Human Services, and Health professionals, and others who are appointed by the governor. The SICC advises the departments on the Pennsylvania Early Intervention System.

State Task Force
This link will provide information on the State Task Force, as well as, assistance finding your Local Task Force.

The Pennsylvania Advisory Committee for the Education of Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired 
The Pennsylvania Advisory Committee on Education of Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired (PACES-BVI) advises the Bureau of Special Education (BSE) and responds to requests from BSE on information, current issues, and preferred practices pertaining to the unique educational needs of students who are blind or visually impaired. PACES-BVI’s mission is to promote excellence in the provision of educational programs and services to Pennsylvania students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf-blind, and blind or visually impaired with additional disabilities. Their vision is for all students who are blind or visually impaired to have access to the resources necessary to achieve their full potential.

The Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP)
The Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP) is a panel that works to improve special education in Pennsylvania.