Janice Fialka, LMSW, ACSW
Janice Fialka, LMSW, ACSW, is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and social worker with expertise in adolescent health, parent–professional partnerships, inclusion, and disability. Ms. Fialka has directed several teen health centers in Michigan, including the Taylor Teen Health Center, which she co-founded. Currently she is the Special Projects Trainer Michigan’s Part C (of IDEA) Training and Technical Assistance. Ms. Fialka speaks and writes from her dual perspectives as a seasoned social worker and as a mother of two adult children, Micah and Emma, both of whom also present and write on disability issues from their unique perspectives. Micah, who has cognitive disabilities, is a strong advocate and has been fully included in general education and his community. Ms. Fialka and her husband co-produced the award winning DVD, Through the Same Door: Inclusion Includes College, which documents Micah’s experiences as a college student. She has authored three books, various articles, a CD, and several poems. Ms. Fialka’s website www.danceofpartnership.com is a highly regarded comprehensive resource for parents and professionals. She was awarded Social Worker of 2007 by the Michigan chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. In 2009, Ms. Fialka and her family received the Family Voices Lifetime Achievement Award in Washington, D.C.