FASD Hope is a podcast series about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), through the lens of parent advocates with over nineteen years of lived experience.
Episode 84 is an INSPIRATION-FILLED Episode with Melissa Jacobus. Melissa Jacobus has been advocating for her adopted children and the rights of all individuals with FASD since 1998. At the national level, she is a parent advocate and member of the Justice Task Force for the National Organization Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS), serves on the Advisory Committee for FASD Communities and served as a member of the Speakers Bureau for the Centers for Disease Control's FASD Southeast Regional Training Center. In 2019, Ms. Jacobus was inducted into the NOFAS' Tom and Linda Daschle FASD Hall of Fame. Melissa is also active at the state in Georgia. Among her accomplishments, in 2012, she presented at the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Suicide Prevention Program and the Supreme Court of Georgia's Committee on Justice for Children. In 2013, her work led Governor Deal to designate September 9th as FASD Awareness Day, which has continued under the current governor, Brian Kemp. Melissa co-led the 2018 Atlanta Training on FASD at the State Bar of Georgia. In May 2021, she published a book about FASD advocacy titled, The Accomplice. Melissa received a Bachelor of Science in Broadcasting from the University of Florida. She worked for the Tribune Broadcasting Company and she was awarded the company's highest honor for customer service before resigning in 1997, to devote herself fulltime to raising awareness and understanding FASD. She resides in Atlanta, GA.
In this HOPE-FILLED episode, Melissa explores the following topics: her family's journey, early advocacy efforts, when she shifted from local FASD parent advocate to regional / national advocate, her involvement in the FASD justice conferences, what led her to write her book The Accomplice, the importance of her faith, the living angels in her life and what she hopes readers can take away from her book.
"Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness." - Psalm 143:10
CLARIFICATION MESSAGE FROM EPISODE GUEST -
"Guest Melissa Jacobus inadvertently mentioned that she presented with Billy Edwards in Missouri and New Orleans, when in actuality, she presented with Billy Edwards in Mississippi and New Orleans."
EPISODE RESOURCES -
You can contact Melissa through the NOFAS website
https://nofas.org/
The Accomplice by Melissa Jacobus
https://www.amazon.com/Accomplice-Melissa-Jacobus/dp/1665300035/ref=sr_1_1?crid=14TED630GN1J9&dchild=1&keywords=the+accomplice+melissa+jacobus&qid=1632106013&sprefix=The+Accomplice+by+Meli%2Caps%2C178&sr=8-1
FASD HOPE RESOURCES -
https://www.fasdhope.com/
natalie@fasdhope.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fasdhope/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fasdhope1
Twitter - https://twitter.com/fasdhope
LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-vecchione-17212160/
Clubhouse - @natalievecc
Check out our new book “Blazing New Homeschool Trails: Educating and Launching Teens with Developmental Disabilities” by Natalie Vecchione & Cindy LaJoy BUY IT NOW!
59 - We Wrote a Book! Blazing New Homeschool Trails by Natalie Vecchione and Cindy LaJoy
58 - Orphans No More - A Conversation with Sandra Flach
57 - A Conversation with Hawaii FASD Action Group
56 - Hope in the Solutions: A Conversation with Ashley DePaso
55 - A Big Brother Speaks / FASD Across America: A Conversation with Emmaus Holder
54 - A Heart for Advocacy: A Conversation with Jessica Belle
53 - Five Thoughts About Foster Care: The Mom and Dadcast
52 - FASD Legislation Update: A Conversation with Susan Shepard Carlson and Jenn Wisdahl
51 - Finding the Right Specialist: A Conversation with Gene Carroccia, Psy.D.
50 - Our 50th Episode with John and Natalie Vecchione
49 - Mocktails and More: A Conversation with Kerry Benson
48 - Sensory Strategies for Learning: A Conversation with Jennifer Donaldson
47 - FASD Family Life: A Conversation with Robbie Seale
46 -Proof Alliance Virtual Benefit 2021
45 - Adjusting the Legacy: The Dadcast
44 - SPED Homeschool: A Conversation with Peggy Ployhar
43 - Looking Forward One Step At A Time: A Conversation with Sara Swan
42 - Amazing Grace Advocacy: A Conversation with Gwen Bartley
41 - A Call to Action: A Conversation with Jen Parke
40 - Not Exactly As Planned: A Conversation with Linda Rosenbaum
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