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Finding Common Ground

Finding Common Ground

De: ROC Vox Podcast Network
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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.Copyright ROC Vox Podcast Network Higiene y Vida Saludable Psicología Psicología y Salud Mental
Episodios
  • 🎧 From Isolation to Impact: Alexandra Fernandez’s Quest to Bring Her Twins Safely Home

    🎧 From Isolation to Impact: Alexandra Fernandez’s Quest to Bring Her Twins Safely Home
    Jul 17 2025
    In this powerful episode of Finding Common Ground with Heather & Steve, we sit down with Alexandra Fernandez, a devoted mother of 10-year-old twins with profound autism. Alexandra bravely shares what it’s like to care for children with such intensive needs—and what happens when the right supports simply don’t exist.After speaking up at OPWDD’s first Listening Tour session in Central New York, Alexandra's heartfelt testimony caught the attention of Commissioner Willow Baer. The result? Real action—and real change. Her twins will soon be coming home! While it’s a dream come true, Alexandra knows that the challenges that existed before their hospital stay haven’t magically disappeared. More work is needed to ensure that this time is different—that the family is truly wrapped in the supports and safety nets they need to make this a lasting, sustainable solution.This conversation reminds us that advocacy works, that one voice can ripple outward, and that sometimes the win we desperately need is closer than we think. A few highlights:
    • What makes profound autism different—and why the system isn’t built to support it
    • Alexandra’s practical solutions: from in-home potty training programs to behavioral crisis lines
    • A behind-the-scenes look at the Center for Discovery’s new specialty hospital
    "To have the opportunity to tell our story is rare—and when you’re caring for someone with profound autism, the isolation can be overwhelming. The level of care required, the services that are missing, the boundaries we’re not allowed to cross—these are things most people don’t see, but they define our everyday." – AlexandraIf you've ever wondered whether your voice matters, this episode proves it does. This podcast is a personal mission. We’re not funded by big sponsors—we grow through shares, likes, comments, and subscriptions. Help us spread stories that make a difference:
    • Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform
    • Like, comment, and follow us on YouTube
    • Share this episode with someone who needs a little hope today


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support.
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    1 h y 5 m
  • From Parent to Policy Shaper: Nick Cappelletti’s Vision for a Better IDD System

    From Parent to Policy Shaper: Nick Cappelletti’s Vision for a Better IDD System
    Jul 10 2025
    What happens when someone who lives the challenges of the IDD system also leads efforts to change it? You get a conversation like this.In this powerful episode, Heather and Steve sit down with Nick Cappelletti, CEO of Life Plan and ACA—two organizations serving over 47,000 families across New York State.

    But Nick isn’t just an executive—he’s a dad who gets it. His personal connection to disability services brings a rare and refreshing blend of empathy, insight, and urgency to the table.Together, we explore the shift from Medicaid Service Coordination to Care Coordination Organizations (CCOs), the growing importance of integrated healthcare, and how the Whole Person Supports Coalition is reimagining what care could and should look like.

    Nick doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff—funding inequities, staffing struggles, and overly rigid regulations—but he also leaves us with a sense of possibility and purpose. Quote Worth Sharing:

    “If a child with autism can’t find a psychiatrist, a behavioralist, or even just basic health care—then no amount of IDD services will matter. That person won't fully benefit unless we treat the whole person.” — Nick Cappelletti

    Another Mic-Drop Moment:“We have to ask: Are we really spending our money wisely? Or is there a better way to allocate resources, assess need, and give people more options, more choices?”If you care about improving systems for people with disabilities—or if you just want to hear from a leader who actually listens—this episode is for you. Tune in for:
    • The backstory of how care coordination evolved in NY
    • How pandemic-era disruptions still ripple through the system
    • Why Nick believes regulation must balance risk with quality of life
    • The inside scoop on what the Whole Person Supports Coalition is working toward
    • A heartfelt discussion on parenting, partnerships, and the path forward
    This one’s equal parts policy deep-dive and heart-centered advocacy. We left inspired—and you will too.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support.
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    55 m
  • 🎙️ Medicaid Musical Chairs: What Happens When the Music Stops?

    🎙️ Medicaid Musical Chairs: What Happens When the Music Stops?
    Jun 19 2025
    Guest: Karen Korotzer, CEO of ARC Oneida-Lewis

    At Finding Common Ground, CDPAP was a spark—but not the full story. That crisis reminded us how fragile our systems really are. What brought people to our platform wasn’t just one bad policy, it was the toxic mindset behind it, and the fear that mindset would spread. Families needed a safe space to process how it was affecting them. Together, we created that space—a community where people uplift one another, even if their views don’t always align, because we know how to find our common ground and honor where our values overlap.

    We are carrying that same energy, strategy, and determination into every system that touches our lives. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on Medicaid’s shifting foundation and what happens when the music stops for those who rely on it most.

    Special guest Karen Korotzer, CEO of ARC Oneida-Lewis, joins Heather and Steve for a candid, eye-opening conversation about how disability services have survived—not because of strong systems, but often in spite of them. With federal Medicaid reforms looming and New York’s long history of budget manipulation, this episode breaks down what’s really happening behind the scenes and why families should never be gaslit into silence.

    We asked families: “What keeps you up at night?” The answer echoed loudly: caregivers. Whether it’s a professional who chose this work or an unpaid family member doing it out of love, caregivers are undervalued, unsupported, and trapped in a system that labels them essential while treating them as expendable. It’s time we call caregiving what it is: a profession that deserves Department of Labor recognition, an occupational code, and real protections that reflect real respect for this honorable career.

    Karen doesn’t just describe the problem—she shares real examples of what’s working, what’s broken, and what comes next:
    • Why Medicaid “reform” always sounds better on paper
    • How the disability sector survives on budget scraps and why that must change
    • What really keeps DSPs in the field (hint: it’s not just the paycheck)
    • Why exhausted parents often make the most powerful advocates
    • What you can do right now to shape what happens next
    If you’ve ever found out about a major policy shift after it was already decided—without your input—this episode is for you.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support.
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    44 m
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