Professional Resources

For more detailed information on many medical and psychological issues and disorders, for academic or for personal reasons, please consult the following list. It includes organizations that offer information, counseling, or other help. Of course, it is not all-inclusive; there are many other organizations in addition to those listed here.

If a topic in which you are interested is not included, look in your local telephone directory under"Associations,""Social Service Organizations," or"Human Services Organizations." You may also use various search engines on the Internet to assist you in locating contact information for these organizations.

Telephone numbers, and addresses listed here are subject to change without notice; the same is true for fax numbers, email addresses, and website address.

Adoptive and Stepfamilies

Adoptive Families of America
2309 Como Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55108
Phone (612) 535-4829
www.healthshare.org/data/serv10.html
Umbrella organization for adoptive parent support groups; offers information and support in adoption and adoptive family problems.

Step Family Foundation
333 West End Avenue
New York, NY 10023
Phone (212) 877-3244
Fax (212) 362-7030
www.stepfamily.org
Counseling; information packets; seminars for social workers and medical personnel; cable shoe"Family Matters" in Manhattan.

Aging

AARP (American Association of Retired Persons)
601 E Street NE
Washington, DC 20049
1 800 424-3410
www.aarp.org
Publication that gives information on AARP programs and publications to support caregivers; free.

Lifespan Resources Library
1212 Roosevelt
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone (313) 971-2191
Designs, implements, and develops innovations for programs involving youth and senior citizens, emphasizing mentoring.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters
1600 Corporate Pkwy
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
Phone (757) 563-1600
Fax (757) 563-1655
Toll-free 888-4AL-ANON
www.al-anon.alateen.org
Offers information and help to family and friends of people with drinking and drug problems.

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Box 459 Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163
Phone (212) 870-3400
Fax (212) 871-3003
www.aa.org
The largest and most successful organization in the world for recovery from alcoholism, through meetings and peer support. All services are free.

Center for Substance Abuse and Treatment
1-800-662-HELP
A 24-hour hotline sponsored by the federal government and affiliated with the National Institute for Drug Abuse.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Association
1-800-272-3900
www.alz.org
Main national organization providing support and information for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families.

American Health Assistance Foundation
1-800-437-2423
Provides $500 grants to people with less than $10,000 in assets; publishes pamphlets on Alzheimer’s disease and its effect on caregivers.

Birth Defects and Diseases
National Down Syndrome Society
666 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
Phone (212) 460-9330
www.ndss.org
Clearinghouse for information on Down Syndrome.

National Muscular Dystrophy Association
3300 East Sunrise Drive
Tucson, AZ 85718
Phone (520) 529-2000
Fax (520) 529-9898
http://www.mdausa.org/
Supplies general information about the disease and services offered.

Spina Bifida Association of America
4590 MacArthur Blvd NW, Ste. 250
Washington, DC 20007
Phone (202) 944-3285
Provides general information and referrals.

Cancer

American Cancer Society
1599 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
1-800-ACS-2345
www.cancer.org
For free information on almost any concern about cancer.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Hospital phone: (212) 639-2000
Dept. of Affairs phone: (212) 639-3573
www.mskcc.org
The Center offers a number of counseling services, including physician referral, clinical genetics service, prevention programs, a post-treatment resource program, and a cancer information service at 1-800-4CANCER.

Child Abuse and Advocacy

Child Help USA
1345 N. El Centro Avenue, suite 630
Los Angeles, CA 90028-8213
Phone (323) 465-4016
www.charities.org/childhelp.html
Dedicated to treatment and prevention of child abuse; operates residential centers, recovery programs, referral services.

Death and Dying

Choice in Dying
National Office
1035 30^th Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
Phone (202) 338-9790
www.choices.org andwww.partnershipforcaring.org/HomePage/
A national nonprofit organization that advocates the rights of dying patients through professional and public education. Choice in Dying distributes, free of charge, state-specific forms for medical power of attorney or executing a living will.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
1700 Diagonal Road
Suite 300
Alexandra, VA 22314
Phone (703) 837-1500
http://www.nhpco.org/
Source of information on developments in hospice care and changing attitudes toward death and dying.

Disabilities

Center on Human Policy
805 S. Crouse Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2280
Phone (315) 443-3851
Fax (315) 443-4338
1 800 894-0426
thechp@sued.syr.edu
http://soeweb.syr.edu/thechp/
Disseminates information on laws, regulations and programs affecting those with disabilities, especially developmental disabilities.

Disability Resources
4 Glatter Lane
Centereach, NY 11720-1032
Phone (631) 585-0290
Email:Info@disabilityresources.org
http://www.disabilityresources.org/
Provides information to help those with disabilities to live independently.

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
PO Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013-1492
www.nichcy.org
Email:nichcy@aed.org
Provides information to parents, educators, caregivers, and advocates to help children and youth with disabilities participate at home, in school, in the community.

Divorce/Custody

Father’s Rights and Equality Exchange
701 Welch Road, suite 323
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone (415) 853-6877
Email:FREE@VIX.com
http://dadsrights.org/
Offers educational programs, referrals, and support for non-custodial divorced fathers.

Joint Custody Association
10606 Wilkins Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Phone (310) 475-5352
Fax (310) 474-4859
www.jointcustody.org/
Disseminates information on joint custody for children of divorce; assists children, parents, attorneys, and jurists.

Education and Childcare

Childcare Action Campaign
330 Seventh Avenue, 17^th floor
New York, NY 10001
Phone (212) 239-0138
Fax (212) 268-6515
www.childcareaction.org
National coalition of leaders from various institutions and organizations serves as an advocacy group offering information on many aspects of childcare through individual information sheets, a bimonthly newsletter, and audio training tapes for family daycare providers.

National Association for the Education of Young Children
1509 16^th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036-1426
1 800 424-2460
Fax (202) 328-1846
http://www.naeyc.org/
Email:Naeyc@naeyc.org
Professional association that accredits child-care centers and preschools around the country, holds regional meetings, and distributes publications for both professionals and parents.

Family Support

Alternative Family Project
PO Box 16631
San Francisco, CA 94116
Phone (415) 566-5683
www.queer.org/afp
Provides affordable therapy for nontraditional families.

Family Research Council
801 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone (202) 393-2100
Fax (202) 393-2134
www.frc.org
Email:corrdept@frc.org
Provides expertise and information on issues such as impact of parental absence, community support for single parents, adolescent pregnancy, and teen suicide.

Parents Without Partners
401 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611-4267
Phone (312) 644-6610
Fax (312) 321-6869
1 800 637-7974
www.parentswithoutpartners.org
Provides information on problems of single parents.

Grandparenting

Foster Parents Program
1100 Vermont Avenue NW, room 6100
Washington, DC 50525
1 800 424-8867
Phone (202) 606-4849
www.seniorcorp.org
Offers information and counseling for those who wish to participate in foster grandparent programs.

Grandparents’-Children’s Rights, Inc.
5728 Bayonne Avenue
Haslett, MI 48840
Phone (517) 339-8663
Information and counseling for grandparents whose relationships with grandchildren is changed or broken by divorce; problems with custodial grandparenting, visitation rights, stepgrandchildren, other issues.

The Foundation for Grandparenting
108 Farnham Road
Ojai, CA 93023
www.grandparenting.org

Infant Mortality

Compassionate Friends, Inc.
PO Box 3696
Oak Brook, IL 60522-3696
Phone (603) 990-0010
www.compassionatefriends.org
Offers support to bereaved parents and siblings of infants and older children through 660 chapters in the United States.

National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Resource Center
2070 Chain Bridge Road
Suite 450
Vienna, VA 22182
Phone (703) 821-8955
www.circsol.com/SIDS/
Provides resources and information.

Mental Health

National Institute of Mental Health
NIMH Public Inquiries
6001 Executive Blvd. Room 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone (301) 443-4513
www.nimh.nih.gov/
Federally sponsored agency that answers questions about depression and other psychological disorders.

Missing and Runaway Children

Child Find
PO Box 277
New Paltz, NY 12561
1 800 I AM LOST
www.childfindofamerica.org
Email:childfindamerica@aol.com
Fax (914) 255-5706
Hotline to report disappearances or sightings.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
2101 Wilson Blvd, suite 550
Arlington, VA 22201
www.missingkids.org
Hotline to report disappearances or sightings.

***National Runaway Switchboard
3080 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
Phone (773) 880-9860
Fax (773) 924-5150
1 800 621-4000
http://www.nrscrisisline.org/
Confidential crisis intervention and referral for runaway homeless youth and their families, and youth in crisis throughout the country.

Pregnancy and Childbirth

Center for the Study of Multiple Births
333 East Superior Street, suite 464
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone (312) 908-7532
Fax (312) 908-8500
www.multiplebirth.com
Disseminates information on the risks of multiple births; resource center for media and the public.

International Childbirth Education Association
PO Box 20048
Minneapolis, MN 55420
1 800 624-4934
Phone (612) 854-8660>
Fax (612) 854-8772
www.icea.org
Email:info@icea.org
Offers a free catalog of materials on pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare.

Resolve
1310 Broadway
Somerville, MA 02144-1731
Phone (617) 623-0744
Fax (617) 623-0252
www.resolve.org
Email:resolve@aol.com
National non-profit organization that offers counseling services to infertile couples.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS

American Foundation for the Prevention of Venereal Diseases
799 Broadway, suite 638
New York, NY 10003
Phone (212) 759-2069
Publishes a booklet and other educational materials on sexually transmitted diseases.

AIDS Hotline
1 800 342 AIDS
http://www.ashastd.org/nah/index.html
Run by the Centers for Disease Control, this 24-hour hotline provides basic information on AIDS, HIV testing, prevention, and referral to treatment centers.