Hello, and welcome to the sibling Leadership Network. And welcome to this special introductory interview with the SLN's Executive Director Katie Arnold to get to know the SLN a little bit better. Hi, Katie. Thank you for joining us today.

Yes, thanks for having me.

Can you tell us what the SLN's mission statement is and what that means?

Yeah, the SLN is a national nonprofit with steep chapters. And our mission is to provide siblings of individuals with disabilities, the information, support and tools to advocate with our brothers and sisters, and promote issues important to us and our entire families. So this really means our focus is on the experiences and needs of siblings of people with disabilities across the lifespan at different ages and different stages.

Why is the SLN work so important?

Yeah, you know, there's a lot of organizations that focus on parents as well as people with disabilities, which is very important. However, siblings are often overlooked and sometimes forgotten. Sometimes siblings go 20 3040 plus years without connecting with another sip. And can you imagine if parents waited that long to meet another parent, so connecting with other siblings can, who can really understand from a peer perspective is so important to realize that we're not alone, that there are supports and resources for us that there are people who really get it and that we can learn from and share with. Also, when siblings get support, I really believe that often we are more able to provide support better support for our brothers and sisters with disabilities. So this is why the SLN is so important.

Who is considered a sibling and who is welcomed at the SLN

Yeah, we welcome siblings of people with any type of disability though we tend to draw the most members as siblings of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We have a very open definition of sibling and a lot of it is how the person defines it. There are many sibling like relationships among cousins are friends. And all of these people are welcome to our network. We have many members who are people with disabilities after all people with disabilities are siblings to Additionally many siblings of people with disabilities also have disabilities themselves. And sibling supporters are an important part of our network, and they participate in the work that we do. Sibling supporters are considered parents, professionals, and really anyone who believes it's important to support siblings.

How does the SLN engage the sibling community? And what resources does it offer?

Yeah, at the SLN, we are creating a community of support and caring. And we have three focus areas, or we often say the three legs on the stool that hold the FLN up. First is research. We're working to get more and better research on siblings. And we're trying to share information about sibling research in a way that's useful to siblings and families so that they can advocate for their needs. Second, policy and advocacy. Were working to get the sibling voice at the policy table. Many family support policies leave out siblings. Part of our work is also helping siblings advocate for their own needs, the needs of their sibling with disabilities and their whole family, as well as really coming together so that we can create a stronger collective voice for power and numbers to really build awareness of the sibling experience and perspectives. And then our third focus area is support and information. We have a lot of resources for siblings across the lifespan and we do things like hold a national conference that brings together siblings for peer support and to get information that they need. Our state sibling chapters are where more of the personal contact happens, and people can get more local resources and information and connections.

Finally, how can siblings and family members get involved in the SLN? 

I want to invite all siblings and sibling supporters to get involved in the SLN. The number one thing that I hope everyone does is if you haven't already Connect with us online, by signing up for our mailing list or connecting with us on social media. You know, by connecting with our network, you'll become part of a larger the larger sibling movement that's happening across the country. You'll help strengthen the sibling voice so together we can affect even more change. And you'll also be able to learn more about the supports and resources for siblings as well as the research and the advocacy efforts happening nationally. You can also become a paid member of the SLN and get access to exciting membership benefits. And you can connect with a chapter in your state or start a chapter if your state doesn't have one. Also, you can build your leadership experience and skills by joining The SLM board or a committee This is a great opportunity to work with some amazing people dedicated to a common purpose. And we're always looking for great people to be part of the leadership of the organization to help us get to the next level in our work. So I hope you'll join us.

Awesome. Thank you so much for taking the time to help us get acquainted with the SLN. Thanks, Chris. Find resources, tools and information about the sibling experience on sibling leadership.org. The sibling Leadership Network is a nonprofit and we rely on support from our audience. Find the donation button on our homepage and contribute to the ever growing sibling movement.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai