Dominic Good Buffalo (he/him/his) serves as a parent advocate and project coordinator of Pacer Center’s Minnesota State Personnel Development Grant and directly works with American Indian families with children with disabilities. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology (social science) and is currently working on his Master of Arts in leadership at Augsburg University. Before coming to PACER, Dominic worked with children and families in various roles since 2003. His last appointment was with Saint Paul Public Schools serving in the family engagement and community partnerships department. Dominic also sits on the American Indian Parent Advisory Council for Saint Paul Public Schools as the community representative.
PACER Parent Leadership Training
Using your personal story as a catalyst for change
Learn to tell your personal story and influence meaningful change in school, community, and statewide procedures and policy for students with disabilities and mental health needs in Minnesota.
Join us for PACER’s 2025 Parent Leadership Training series!
This training series is thoughtfully designed for Minnesota parents of students with disabilities and mental health needs. If you are a parent from another state seeking leadership training, please reach out to your state's Parent Center: Find Your Parent Center
DATE, TIME AND LOCATION
Training sessions:
- All sessions will be facilitated from 4 – 6 p.m. on Tuesday 2/18/25, Thursday 2/20/25, Tuesday 2/25/25, Thursday 2/27/25, and Tuesday 3/4/25.
- Online, via Zoom
Capstone experience:
- PACER’s Day at the Capitol will be held in March, date and time to be determined.
- This event will be held in person.
Price: Free!
ABOUT THIS EVENT
The theme of PACER’s 2025 Parent Leadership Training series is Using your personal story as a catalyst for change! We invite Minnesota parents of children and youth with disabilities and mental health needs to attend as many of this year's training sessions as you can, based on your availability and the topics that interest you most. Training topics include:
- Historical lessons in parent leadership
- Channeling the intersectionality of parent experience into dialogues that generate change
- Joining your local Special Education Advisory Council and building your SEAC’s capacity to influence district policy
- Impacting mental health systems of care with the power of parent experience
- Raising your voice and changing policy through legislative activism
Energize and empower yourself with the information and tools you need to move beyond advocating for your own child to influencing change at the systems level. There is power in your personal story, discover the opportunities for telling your story in spaces where you intend to work toward change for students with disabilities and mental health needs.
We also encourage you to join us for PACER’s Day at the Capitol, a capstone experience where you can share your story with your legislators face to face.
TRAINING SESSIONS
Minnesota history in progress: Parents leading for change in our schools and institutions
Presenter: Rachel Pearson
Tuesday 2/18/25, 4-6 p.m.
The history of school integration and deinstitutionalization in Minnesota holds a wealth of lessons for parents seeking opportunities to lead for change today. Parents opened the doors of public education to serve all students in this state, and parents closed the doors of state institutions that housed people with disabilities in isolation. We will kick off this training series by looking back in history to discover how parents have been using their personal stories to influence change in Minnesota for decades.
Intersectionality and parent leadership
Presenter: Dominic Good Buffalo
Thursday 2/20/25, 4-6 p.m.
In our society we see many forms of discrimination (ex. micro/macro-aggressions, race, sex, identity, class, etc.). In this session, we will discuss from the parent perspective the complex and cumulative way that discrimination affects our views and bias on marginalized communities (ex. American Indian, African American, Hispanic American, LGBTQA2S+, etc.). What can we do if we are a part of the ‘majority’ community (ex. White or Caucasian descent)? We will also offer leadership skills and tools to have effective dialogue about this ongoing topic in your communities.
Special Education Advisory Councils: Your superpower connection to district-level advocacy
Presenter: Jennie Clare
Tuesday 2/25/25, 4-6 p.m.
The right of parents to inform and advise their local districts on matters related to special education is established and protected under the law. In Minnesota, these advisory groups are called Special Education Advisory Councils (SEAC). In this session, we’ll learn how parents can initiate an effective SEAC in their district or revitalize and empower an existing SEAC. We’ll talk about how to use your personal story to influence meaningful change in your district for students with disabilities.
Children’s mental health: Leadership for change in systems of care
Presenter: Karen Malka
Thursday 2/27/25, 4-6 p.m.
Raising a child with mental health needs can be challenging and navigating the mental health system can be difficult and overwhelming. In this session, we will discuss the different systems of care, recommendations for improving the mental health system, areas for parent leadership opportunities, and how to use the power of your personal story to impact change.
Telling your story to advocate for systems change
Presenter: Laura Jean
Tuesday 3/4/25, 4-6 p.m.
We all have a story to tell. Whether you think of yourself as a storyteller or not, learning to share your story can be a powerful way to positively effect changes in the many systems we navigate in our communities. Learn more about how to tell your story to decision makers to improve the lives of all children with disabilities in Minnesota and beyond.
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE
PACER’s Day at the Capitol
Presenter: Laura Jean
Location: Minnesota State Capitol
March 2025, Date & time TBD
You've learned about how to tell your story to advocate for systems changes. PACER's Day at the Capitol will give you the opportunity to put your skills to work. Meet other parents passionate about advocacy, hear from legislators, and learn more about the legislative process and what laws they are discussing during the 2025 session. Meet with your legislators and share your story.
PRESENTER BIOS
Jennie Clare (she/her/hers) is a Children’s Mental Health advocate who has co-facilitated PACER’s Parent Leadership Training since 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Science in education with a minor in child development and is a graduate of Minnesota Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Fellowship. She is certified as an ACE Interface Presenter, DHS Parent-Peer Support Specialist, and Circle of Parents Facilitator. Prior to working at PACER, Jennie developed programming and presented nationwide to professionals on topics related to serving families experiencing chronic trauma. She is privileged to be the parent of two delightful adult children with disabilities and is enthusiastic about helping families navigate special education.
Karen Malka (she/her/hers) is a parent advocate and the coordinator of PACER Center’s Children’s Mental Health and EBD project. She has a master’s in education and prior to coming to PACER, was an elementary school teacher for 28 years. For many years, Karen navigated the mental health and school systems with her own children who have mental health and learning needs. Karen has played an active role advocating for change in the children’s mental health system through board positions on County Children’s Mental Health Collaboratives and the Disability Law Center’s Parent Advisory Council and is passionate about empowering and helping other families advocate for their children and systems change.
Laura Jean (she/her/hers) is a manager of the Parent Training & Advocacy Department and the public policy coordinator for PACER Center. She has a Bachelor of Science in child psychology from the University of Minnesota and a master’s in public affairs from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. With over 20 years of experience working with children and families from diverse backgrounds around the world, she is passionate about helping children and families navigate special education, training professionals, and addressing public policy issues to improve outcomes for youth.
Rachel Pearson (she/her/hers) is a parent advocate and the parent of two young adults with autism who have taught her everything she understands about the lived experience of disability. She got hooked on the possibility of parents leading for change in her two-year role as Vice President of the Autism Society of America, Northwest Suburban Illinois Chapter 114. In Minnesota, she served a three year term on the state Special Education Advisory Panel and has been involved in facilitating PACER’s Parent Leadership Trainings since 2020. She has a degree in disability studies and social policy and is confident in the power of parents and people with disabilities to change the world by telling their stories.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is the intended audience?
PACER Center is Minnesota’s Parent Training & Information Center. The content of all training sessions in this series and the capstone experience, PACER’s Day at the Capitol, is thoughtfully designed for Minnesota parents of students with disabilities. If you are a parent from another state seeking parent leadership training opportunities, we encourage you to reach out to your state Parent Center. If you’re not familiar with the Parent Center in your state, you can find it on this interactive map: Find Your Parent Center - Center for Parent Information and Resources (parentcenterhub.org)
Is previous parent leadership experience required to participate in this training?
No. All Minnesota parents of children with disabilities and mental health needs are welcome to participate.
If I register for PACER’s Parent Leadership Training series, do I have to attend all five training sessions?
No. When you register, you complete one registration form that gives you access to the whole series. Attend any session or combination of sessions that interests you.
Do I have to attend all five training sessions to participate in PACER’s Day at the Capitol?
No. You are not required to attend any training sessions in order to participate in PACER’s Day at the Capitol.
Will this training be recorded for later viewing?
No. This training is made up of a series of synchronous training sessions, and each session will be facilitated in real time.
What is systems advocacy?
Systems advocacy seeks to make positive changes for a group of people rather than one individual. Getting active in systems advocacy enables you to work toward influencing important changes to policies, rules, and laws that affect children and young adults with disabilities and mental health needs. Sharing your personal story is a powerful strategy to lead systemic change.
What if I have more questions?
If you have questions about the Parent Leadership Training sessions, contact Rachel Pearson at (952) 838-9000 or [email protected].
If you have questions about the capstone experience, PACER’s Day at the Capitol, contact Laura Jean at (952) 838-9000 or [email protected].
ORGANIZED BY: PACER Center