Finding Common Ground

ROC Vox Podcast Network
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Many families feel like they're treading water, especially those living with autism and other developmental differences. As your hosts, we get it, and we know this frustration all too well. In response, we've created tried-and-true strategies that help everyday people achieve extraordinary things. Even those who might have doubted themselves can borrow our confidence, follow one of our "blueprints," and with a supportive community cheering them on, make the impossible happen. Each success inspires those coming up behind us, creating a ripple effect of positive change—Which is why we'll never run out of content!Our podcast tackles tough issues head-on with unfiltered conversations focused on solutions. We won't avoid "the elephant in the room"—in fact, we'll invite it to dinner! Our unique format appeals to people from across the globe, offering strategies that turn efforts for one into advocacy for the greater good. We breakdown topics like innovative housing, effective self-advocacy, and healthcare complexities, guided by our audience on what to cover next. Each episode offers fresh perspectives, featuring many guests you won't find on mainstream platforms. We intentionally invite differing viewpoints because finding common ground with those we see as obstacles is the surest way to create new and innovative solutions.  Join our Supporter's Club and check out our merch. Let’s ensure the A/I/DD community's voice is heard. If you want to dig deeper, schedule a session with us. We happily work one-on-one, develop trainings, and offer public speaking engagements to assist individuals and organizations in promoting things like inclusivity and equity. Join our community, plant seeds of positive change, and before you know it, you'll be moving mountains with us! Want to support our mission and access exclusive content? Join our Supporter's Club and check out our merch. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support.

  1. Can the System Catch Up Before Parent Shot Clocks Run Out?

    1D AGO

    Can the System Catch Up Before Parent Shot Clocks Run Out?

    Families are often expected to hold everything together, yet too often they are treated like outsiders instead of experts. In this episode of Finding Common Ground, Steve sits down with OPWDD Commissioner Willow Baer for an honest conversation about what happens when families are carrying modern challenges inside a service system still shaped by outdated rules. One of the most powerful moments in the conversation comes when Willow reflects on the role families have always played in driving change: “Families are the largest unpaid workforce in the disability service system.” Steve presses on the urgency many parents feel every day, asking the question that sits in the back of so many families’ minds: “What happens to our kids when we’re not around anymore?” Together they explore the tension families face every day. Housing uncertainty, healthcare access, dual diagnoses, and the challenge of building flexible supports in a system that was never designed for today’s level of need. At the center of the conversation is a bigger truth. Families are already doing the work. The real question is whether systems can evolve quickly enough to meet them where they are. If you have ever felt like families are carrying the system while waiting for it to evolve, this episode will resonate. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support. Recorded at ROC Vox Recording & Production Studios in Rochester, NY. Learn more at rocvox.com.

    42 min
  2. Building Safety When the System Fails (Part 2)

    FEB 27

    Building Safety When the System Fails (Part 2)

    If you suspect abuse, what do you do first, and how do you prove it? Part 2 shifts from systems analysis to step-by-step strategy. This is a must-listen for any family navigating OPWDD services, residential care, or crisis supports.Anil breaks down the practical actions parents can take immediately: • How to document concerns so they hold up legally • Why organization, timelines, and written notice matter • When to speak publicly and when to wait • How criminal cases and civil cases intersect • What “zealous advocacy” actually looks like in practiceWe discuss New York’s one-party consent law, evidence collection, and how to avoid unintentionally damaging your own case while trying to protect your child.We also explore: • The role of the IDDO Ombuds program and other state resources • How to support good DSPs while removing harmful ones • Burnout, staffing realities, and why calling is not enough without support • Parent-led housing models, economies of scale, and the funding inequities between self-direction and certified settings • The vision for Safe Care homes and a Foundation for Hope to close funding gaps for families without financial meansThis episode brings us back to the question every family carries: What happens to our children when we are no longer here?The answer isn’t waiting for the system to fix itself. It’s building structures, communities, and safeguards now.We close with a reminder that defines this entire series: No one is coming to save us. We are the cavalry. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support. Recorded at ROC Vox Recording & Production Studios in Rochester, NY. Learn more at rocvox.com.

    19 min
  3. Building Safety When the System Fails (Part 1)

    FEB 27

    Building Safety When the System Fails (Part 1)

    “If the system only works when parents are silent, it was never built to protect our kids.” What happens after the headlines fade, but the fear doesn’t? Anil Babbar returns to FCG and we move beyond the shock and into what families are actually forced to do to keep their children safe. This is not about outrage. It is about strategy. We talk about why parents end up thinking like investigators, how documentation becomes protection, and why the words you choose in an email can matter more than the emotions you feel in the moment. Anger might be justified, but evidence wins cases. This episode is a roadmap: • What to do when something feels off • How to document without escalating risk • How to protect your child and your case at the same time • When to put people on notice and how to do it effectively Then we zoom out to the bigger question. What would real safety look like if families helped design the system? We dig into parent-led housing, funding structures, and the economics that keep better models out of reach. Anil shares the vision behind SafeCare, a framework built on transparency, accountability, and partnership with caregivers and DSPs who want to do this work the right way. We also name the tension that often gets ignored. Good DSPs are working inside broken structures. Real reform has to protect them too, not just the people they support. “We are not just fighting for services. We are fighting for proof that our children are safe when we are not in the room.” This is a conversation about courage, but also about the long game. Building systems that will still be standing when families are no longer there to oversee them. “This isn’t advocacy for today. This is survival planning for the day we’re gone.” Connect with Anil: SafeCare: www.safecarecs.com Additional Media coverage: NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/nyregion/anderson-autism-center-suit.html FOX 5 investigation: https://www.fox5ny.com/news/autism-facility-faces-abuse-allegations-after-shocking-video-surfaces Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support. Recorded at ROC Vox Recording & Production Studios in Rochester, NY. Learn more at rocvox.com.

    31 min
  4. Making It Right When Transition Feels Wrong

    FEB 19

    Making It Right When Transition Feels Wrong

    If you have ever walked into a CSE meeting and thought, I don’t even know what to ask for, this episode is for you. Heather and Steve are joined by Sara DeFazio, a Transition Specialist with New York State’s Central Region Partnership Center, and she keeps it real. This is a fast, practical conversation about what happens when transition plans look fine on paper but miss the mark in real life. Sara names the patterns families recognize immediately. People get underestimated. Teams default to familiar vocational paths. Parents sense something is off, but are unsure how to stop the momentum. We break down what transition planning is actually supposed to do, why it starts at age 12, and how to use the process as a tool instead of letting it become paperwork. We also talk about why so-called unrealistic goals are often clues, not problems, and how asking better questions can open real paths forward. This episode also includes a real-world scenario families and districts may be grappling with: What happens when a nonspeaking student who has begun spelling wants to use transition time to practice typing, so she can communicate in real time? What happens when the goal is to build age‑level academic skills and reach for something bigger, like earning a GED? Our conversation digs into what happens when teams feel unsure how to support goals like these, worry about what is allowed, or default to safer, more familiar vocational options instead. Sara helps unpack how schools can honor ambitious goals without breaking rules, and why uncertainty should never automatically lead to underestimation. This episode will help you walk into your next meeting clearer, more confident, and better prepared to advocate. Find your New York State Partnership Center and resource map: https://map.osepartnership.org Learn more about NYS Regional Partnership Centers and Family and Community Engagement Centers: https://osepartnership.org/about Learn more about the Finding Common Ground (FCG) platform at https://www.fcgadvocacy.org. FCG is more than a podcast. We are changing the way advocacy is done by showing families, professionals, and policymakers how finding common ground is how we find what’s worth doing. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support. Recorded at ROC Vox Recording & Production Studios in Rochester, NY. Learn more at rocvox.com.

    48 min
  5. Teaching Independence Without Throwing Graduates Off "The Cliff"

    FEB 12

    Teaching Independence Without Throwing Graduates Off "The Cliff"

    When school ends, the bus stops coming, and traditional transition options do not feel like the right fit, what comes next? In this episode of Finding Common Ground, Heather and Steve talk with Brad Herron-Valenzuela from First Place Phoenix about what it really takes to build independence without “sink or swim” thinking, and the importance of not underestimating people. Brad shares what has worked, what has changed, and why true independence is not an event but a process of teaching, practicing, and supporting growth over time. Marking the 10-year anniversary of the First Place Transition Academy program, he describes “how many firsts” their graduates experience, first paycheck, first time riding the bus or light rail, first time living away from home, even first time missing a stop or losing a backpack, and why those real-world mistakes are essential to learning. Brad also explains how a program that once required families to pay fully out of pocket began to shift when outcomes were measured and tracked over time. As data showed meaningful progress, including long-term gains in independence and quality of life, insurance coverage for clinical components became possible. It was not because of marketing, but because evidence changed the conversation. This episode is not about promoting a single program or suggesting there is one solution that fits every person. It is about noticing what works, understanding the underlying formula, and recognizing that some tools already exist. Learn4Independence®, a core component of the First Place Transition Academy, is a 32-course curriculum developed for adults with autism that focuses on independent living skills and career readiness. Unique curriculum elements accommodate various learning differences and incorporate universally designed instruction adaptable to community and cultural needs. We talk openly about the emotional weight families carry, the feeling of the clock ticking, and why simply placing someone in an apartment or program is not enough. Skills have to be taught, practiced, and reinforced in real life. Independence is not an event, it is a process. Learn4Independence is a certified, evidence-informed curriculum that states and school districts can explore, adapt, and implement. With that context, the episode asks a powerful question: Now that you know approaches like this exist, what might you advocate for in your own state, region, or community? Families should not have to invent the future from scratch. Sometimes the work is recognizing proven ideas, adapting them locally, and pushing systems to invest in what truly moves people forward. 🔗 Links Referenced in This Episode First Place Transition Academy: https://firstplaceaz.org/transition-academy/ Transition Academy Discover Day Guide: https://firstplaceaz.org/transition-academy/discover-day-guide/ Learn4Independence Life Skills Curriculum: https://firstplaceglobal.org/employment/learn4independence/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support. Recorded at ROC Vox Recording & Production Studios in Rochester, NY. Learn more at rocvox.com.

    43 min

  6. FEB 5

    When Your Parents Foster Nearly 200 Kids...

    This episode is the first one of our new FCG spin-off series called, The Mother Load and we started out with a bang! Heather sits with her co-host Steve’s daughter, Rachel, and digs into what it was really like growing up in a home where her parents fostered nearly 200 children. She speaks candidly about the chaos, the compassion, and the moments that tested everything, answering the question many people quietly wonder:  How do parents open their home to nearly 200 children and still make sure their own kids feel seen, secure, and deeply loved? Rachel grew up sharing her parents, her space, and her childhood with hundreds of children who arrived carrying trauma, fear, and hope. Some stayed briefly. Others became family forever. In this conversation, Rachel reflects on what it meant to move from “the baby” to “the big sister,” the times generosity stretched a household thin, and how understanding trauma reshaped the way she saw anger, fairness, and belonging. This episode isn’t about foster care from the system’s point of view. It’s about life inside the home, and how intentional parenting, communication, and love make it possible to expand care without losing connection. The Mother Load is a Finding Common Ground spin-off for caregivers, daughters, and the people carrying the unseen emotional load. This is where those stories finally get airtime. Come Tired. Leave Empowered.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support. Recorded at ROC Vox Recording & Production Studios in Rochester, NY. Learn more at rocvox.com.

    38 min

  7. JAN 29

    Was Heather Always This Strong? The Backstory of an Unlikely Advocate

    TAKEOVER EPISODE with Guest Host Jackie Bartell. Have you ever looked at someone and assumed they were just born strong, that they have “always done the hard thing,” and were simply made for advocacy? In this special takeover episode, retired special education teacher and longtime friend Jackie Bartell slides into the guest host chair and turns the mic on Heather, asking the questions most people never hear. Heather goes back to the years when she was painfully shy, stuck in “fix it” mode, and living in a home where hostility was breaking more than the furniture. You will hear the moment embarrassment became fuel, the night she changed the locks and chose her daughters over the life she thought she was supposed to fix, and how saying yes to help, and fundraising for Devyn’s 120-pound service dog Hannah, became the turning point. Along the way, Jackie and Heather revisit the little girl with the big dog, the preschool classroom where Devyn and Hannah became rock stars, and the shift from trying to “fix” problems to building relationships and changing systems. This episode also offers an early peek into the advocacy framework Heather and Steve are shaping in an upcoming book, the mindset shift that moves people from feeling frozen and inadequate to finding their voice, building unlikely coalitions, and holding systems accountable without losing their humanity. If you have ever wondered whether you “have what it takes” to speak up, let this conversation be your reminder. Strength is built, not assigned, and sometimes you become an advocate the day you decide you just cannot stay quiet anymore. Learn more and join the movement at www.FCGadvocacy.org Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support. Recorded at ROC Vox Recording & Production Studios in Rochester, NY. Learn more at rocvox.com.

    45 min
  8. When Parents Stop Asking for Permission & Start Leading

    JAN 22

    When Parents Stop Asking for Permission & Start Leading

    What if the hardest part of advocating for your child isn’t the system, but unlearning the way you’ve been taught to think about it? What if you keep doing the same things because they feel safe, even when they stopped working a long time ago? What if the mindset that got you through the early years is now the very thing holding you back? In this episode of Finding Common Ground, Heather and Steve sit down with Lynda Allen, career educator, advocate, and TEDx speaker, for a conversation that rewrites what most of us were taught about special education, labels, and empowerment. Lynda honors how exhausting and heartbreaking the day to day can be, while insisting on this truth, there is nothing broken about your child, and nothing defective about you as a parent. From that starting point, she invites parents to stop waiting for the system to get fixed and start seeing themselves as decision making partners in every service, support, and opportunity their child receives. “Being empowered means becoming a decision making partner in your child’s education and life, not doing it alone, and not giving your power away.” — Lynda Allen This isn’t about fighting harder. It is about thinking differently so you can build the education and the life your child deserves. We talk about: How labels can cloud the way we see our kids, and how to take that power back Why dream first matters, especially when it feels impossible Lynda’s four step framework for moving from survival to leadership as an empowered parent Building a village so you are not doing this alone, and how empowered parents change systems from the ground up If you’re tired of proving your child’s worth and ready to try a different way forward, this episode is for you. Come tired, leave empowered, and before the episode ends, write down your child’s dream role and one bold step you will take as their partner this week.  Lynda’s book: https://a.co/d/h5h7CeR  Learn more and connect: https://makeyourmarkinlife.org/empoweredparentsbee Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support. Recorded at ROC Vox Recording & Production Studios in Rochester, NY. Learn more at rocvox.com.

    48 min
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About

Many families feel like they're treading water, especially those living with autism and other developmental differences. As your hosts, we get it, and we know this frustration all too well. In response, we've created tried-and-true strategies that help everyday people achieve extraordinary things. Even those who might have doubted themselves can borrow our confidence, follow one of our "blueprints," and with a supportive community cheering them on, make the impossible happen. Each success inspires those coming up behind us, creating a ripple effect of positive change—Which is why we'll never run out of content!Our podcast tackles tough issues head-on with unfiltered conversations focused on solutions. We won't avoid "the elephant in the room"—in fact, we'll invite it to dinner! Our unique format appeals to people from across the globe, offering strategies that turn efforts for one into advocacy for the greater good. We breakdown topics like innovative housing, effective self-advocacy, and healthcare complexities, guided by our audience on what to cover next. Each episode offers fresh perspectives, featuring many guests you won't find on mainstream platforms. We intentionally invite differing viewpoints because finding common ground with those we see as obstacles is the surest way to create new and innovative solutions.  Join our Supporter's Club and check out our merch. Let’s ensure the A/I/DD community's voice is heard. If you want to dig deeper, schedule a session with us. We happily work one-on-one, develop trainings, and offer public speaking engagements to assist individuals and organizations in promoting things like inclusivity and equity. Join our community, plant seeds of positive change, and before you know it, you'll be moving mountains with us! Want to support our mission and access exclusive content? Join our Supporter's Club and check out our merch. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support.

Information

  • Creator
    ROC Vox Podcast Network
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    52
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2026 ROC Vox Recording & Production
  • Show Website
    Finding Common Ground