Community Connections: October 2005 newsletter

The Community Connections Communicator October 2005

In this Issue:

The theme of this month’s issue is Future Planning. There is a lot to consider when raising children of all abilities. We want to ensure that they are safe, happy, and well cared for. We often think about their futures and what they would need to be successful. This is all relative depending on your family’s values. So to help you determine what will best empower your child’s life, this newsletter will lay out various items to consider in planning for our child’s future.

Also, in light of the recent tragedies of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the tsunami, and other life altering events, this newsletter will also provide information on planning for disasters. A number of organizations have put together survival plans and tips for families, which we have linked to our newsletter. In addition, there are ideas on how to talk to children about disasters and how to help them cope with their feelings.

Take a look inside this newsletter and hopefully it will help you to continue to prepare for your child’s future.

	Tip Sheet: Twelve Things You Can Do to Plan for Your Child's Future Today

	Provided by the Texas School for the Blind Outreach Department http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/archive/twelve.html
	Additional Tip Sheet: Plan for the Future - Planning Checklist
	Provided by the Minnesota Board on Aging http://www.mnaging.org/future/
	Articles:
	Future Planning Articles:
	Future Planning for Children with Disabilities: Parents Make Provisions for the Years after their Own Passing – provided by the Father’s Network of Seattle, Washington http://www.fathersnetwork.org/864.html
	Future Planning for Parents of a Child with a Disability – provided by the New York State Commission on Quality of Care http://www.cqc.state.ny.us/hottopics/futphot.htm
	Planning for a Disabled Child’s Future – provided by Bridges 4 Kids http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/9-03/SeattlePI9-1-03.html
	*Emergency Planning Articles:*
	Preparing for Emergencies – provided by the Muscular Dystrophy Association http://www.mdausa.org/publications/prepemer.html
	Emergency Planning for People with Disabilities – provided by the Ohio Legal Rights Service http://olrs.ohio.gov/ASP/olrs_MedicalEmerg.asp
	Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities – provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) http://www.fema.gov/library/disprepf.shtm
	*Child Specific Resources:*
	Coloring books for kids regarding natural disasters – provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/color.pdf
	Resources for Kids – provided by Kings County Emergency Services http://metrokc.gov/prepare/preparerespond/kids.aspx
	Spotlights of the Month:
	Family Leadership Institute 2006 Session
	The ArcShops Transition Series in 2006
	Recommended Websites:
	http://www.family-networks.org
	http://www.dmoz.org/society/disabled/family_resources/future_planning/
	http://www.floortime.org
	Special Mentions
	Announcing the Launch of Community Connections’ On-Line Training Modules!
	Community Connections “Community Inclusion” Contest
	Youth Empowerment (YEA) Mini-Grants
	Navigating the Road from School to Careers for All Youth with Disabilities
	Prince George’s County Emergency Preparedness Forum for Individuals with Disabilities
	Spotlight a Welcoming Business:
	Community Connections would like to “Spotlight” businesses who are welcoming to children with disabilities and their families. If you would like to spotlight a business, please click on this link and we will post it free of charge on our website. Thank you.

Tip Sheet:

The tip sheets provided in this section provide helpful ideas on planning for a great future. Information regarding planning for savings, obtaining appropriate health care, eating healthy, and creating a trust is included in the following tip sheets. Take a look at each of these links in full for further information.

Twelve Things You Can Do to Plan for Your Child's Future Today – provided by the Texas School for the Blind Outreach Department http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/archive/twelve.html

Additional Tip Sheet:

Plan for the Future - Planning Checklist - provided by the Minnesota Board on Aging
http://www.mnaging.org/future/

Articles:

The following articles are very enlightening. You will find information on how to plan for your child’s financial future. In addition, you will find information on how to help your children cope with devastating natural disasters. You will also find information to help you plan for any type of unexpected emergency. There is even information regarding how to plan for school violence and attacks in school buildings. Each of the articles is outlined in the sections below. Please view the entire articles in full by clicking on the link.

Future Planning Articles:

Future Planning for Children with Disabilities: Parents Make Provisions for the Years after their Own Passing – provided by the Father’s Network of Seattle, Washington
http://www.fathersnetwork.org/864.html

Future Planning for Parents of a Child with a Disability – provided by the New York State Commission on Quality of Care
http://www.cqc.state.ny.us/hottopics/futphot.htm

Planning for a Disabled Child’s Future – provided by Bridges 4 Kids
http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/9-03/SeattlePI9-1-03.html

Emergency Planning Articles:

Preparing for Emergencies – provided by the Muscular Dystrophy Association http://www.mdausa.org/publications/prepemer.html

Emergency Planning for People with Disabilities – provided by the Ohio Legal Rights Service
http://olrs.ohio.gov/ASP/olrs_MedicalEmerg.asp

Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities – provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
http://www.fema.gov/library/disprepf.shtm

Child Specific Resources:

Coloring books for kids regarding natural disasters – provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/color.pdf

Resources for Kids – provided by Kings County Emergency Services
http://metrokc.gov/prepare/preparerespond/kids.aspx

Spotlights of the Month!

Family Leadership Institute 2006 session

The Family Leadership Institute is continuing to look for candidates for its upcoming Institute beginning in January 2006.

The Family Leadership Institute is a six month training course for families of children with mental health needs who want to build their skills to be better advocates for ALL of Maryland's children with mental health needs.

At this point, the focus for recruitment is families from the following counties:
Allegany, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Frederick, Garrett, Howard, Kent, Prince Georges, Talbot, St. Mary’s, Queen Anne, Washington

Applications will still be considered from Baltimore City, Baltimore, Montgomery and Harford counties; however they will give special consideration from the other counties listed above. For those of you in the lower shore (Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset), there is an abbreviated (two weekend) FLI course to be held one weekend in November and one weekend in January.

For further information, please contact Stephanie Kirby, FLI Facilitator, at 410-628-0245 or 410-252-4700 ext 265. She can also be reached at MDFLICoalition@aol.com. For information regarding the lower shore, please contact Wicomico Partnership for Families & Children at 410-546-5400 x:110 or via email: kestep@wicomicocounty.org.

The ArcShops Transition Series in 2006

Upcoming transition workshops presented by the Arc of Prince George’s County will include topics in Medicaid/health insurance, sexuality, recreation & leisure, and guardianship. For further information about these upcoming workshops, please contact the Arc at (301) 925-7050, ext. 260.

Recommended Websites

http://www.family-networks.org
This is a great website for national, state, and local resources. You can download a great guide entitled Planning Now: A Guide for Parents of Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities. You may also contact the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council for further information at (410) 767-3670.

http://www.dmoz.org/society/disabled/family_resources/future_planning/
This website contains a Long Term Planning for Special Needs Children Open Directory. This directory has a lot of worthy links regarding future planning.

http://www.floortime.org
This website contains a web-based radio show hosted by Stanley Greenspan, M.D. Check out the discussions featuring information on raising children with special needs. Click on the web radio link.

Special Mentions

Announcing the Launch of Community Connections’
On-Line Training Modules!

Are you interested in gaining the knowledge and skills needed to help your organization build a welcoming, inclusive environment for children with disabilities? If so, are you worried that you don’t have time to attend a training session in person? Then, the Community Connections on-line training modules are perfect for you!

The modules are available via an interactive, web-based course sponsored by the University of Maryland at College Park. For a limited time, we are waiving all registration costs. That’s right—the training is free! But, act fast! Free registration will end on December 15, 2005.

Available Training Modules:

Creating an Inclusive Environment
Making Accommodations
Working with Families
Teaching Kids About Kids with Disabilities

*You can choose to complete any single module, combination of modules, or the whole course!

*Contact Amy Nicholas at anichola@umd.edu for registration information

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Community Connections is redesigning our
website, and we want to include you!

Children and families are invited to submit pictures, photographs, essays, quotes, and success stories related to including children with special needs in community settings.

We will thank you for your participation by featuring your entries on our brand new homepage!

The entry that best fits the theme of “community inclusion” will be rewarded with a gift certificate to Toys-R-Us!

Please submit all entries to:
Asha Dobbs
Department of Special Education
University of Maryland
Benjamin Building Room 1308
College Park, MD 20742
Office Phone: 301.405.6477
Office Fax: 301.314.9158
aldobbs@umd.edu

visit www.communityconnections.umd.edu for information on Community Connections

Deadline for submission: December 15!

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Youth Empowerment (YEA) Mini-Grants

The Youth Empowerment (YEA), a project of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council, will award mini-grants, of up to $5,000, to groups, organizations, and leadership programs that serve youth and/or young adults to include youth and young people with developmental disabilities in their programs. Is there a youth group or leadership program in your community that, teens or young adults with developmental disabilities would like to be involved with? Does the group or program need some training, resources, or support to increase their capacity to include youth or young adults with developmental disabilities? If so, make them aware of the YEA’s "Inclusion Grant Opportunity." For further information about the proposal requirements, please contact the Ms. Ann Marie Lane, YEA Project Director, at 410-767-3670 or 800-305-6441.

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Navigating the Road from School to Careers for All Youth with Disabilities

An Annual Collaborative Training Event

Highlighting Maryland’s High School/High Tech Programs

For: Parents, advocacy groups, students, educators, professionals with an interest in children with disabilities
When: Thursday, December 1, 2005
Where: BWI Marriott Hotel

Highlights include:

Sharing the practical implications of current federal legislation --- including Workforce Investment Act(WIA) and Vocational Rehabilitation; Individuals w/Disabilities Education Act, Higher Education and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

Showcasing Maryland’s High School/High Tech Website and Programs

Opportunity to participate in Maryland’s first focus group on Resource Mapping on Transition – A Maryland Interagency Transition Council for Youth with Disabilities project

Sharing best and promising practices on youth development and leadership, career assessment and work based activities, and connecting activities in transition.
Sponsored by the Maryland State Department of Education, Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and TransCen, Inc.

For further information, please contact click on the following link:
http://www.mdworkforcepromise.org/docs/Calendar/...

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Prince George’s County
Emergency Preparedness Forum For Individuals With Disabilities

Saturday, November 19, 2005
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Harriet Hunter Building
6420 Allentown Road
Camp Springs, Maryland 20748

Presentation on:
Emergency Preparedness by
Prince George’s County Office of Homeland Security

Panel Discussion:
Prince George’s County Departments of Fire, Police and Health and the Office of Homeland Security

For accommodations call 301-985-3800/Maryland Relay 711

Sign language interpreters will be provided

Sponsored by:
Prince George’s County Department of Family Services; Mental Health and Disabilities Administration; Commission For Individuals With Disabilities; and, Prince George’s County Office of Homeland Security

Another Livable Communities Initiative

Free Registration online at www.MDdisabilitypreparedness.org

We currently offer training and technical consultation to businesses, churches, and other community organizations to help make them more welcoming to families and children with special needs. If you know of a business or other organization that would like to take advantage of these services, please e-mail us at: communityconnections@umd.edu
OR
If you know of a business that is already welcoming to children with special needs and their families and you would like to share this information with other families and professionals, please send us your name as well as the name and contact information for the business with a brief description of why you believe they are welcoming to families. If appropriate, we will post the business on our website and we may even feature it as a 'Spotlight if the Month'. E-mail your submissions to: communityconnections@umd.edu

*Questions or Suggestions about our newsletter? Have an idea you would like to submit? Please feel free to contact us at communityconnections@umd.edu

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Disclaimer
Unless otherwise noted, all referenced articles are available at no charge to you. Community Connections provides this for informational purposes only and cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by linked sites. The opinions and views expressed at these web sites do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Community Connections. Any personal information requested by any of the web sites will be governed by the privacy policy at the site, and any questions you have related to the sites' use of information should be directed there. The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to make any offer or commitment to purchase, subscribe to, provide or sell any service or product or to provide any recommendations on which readers should rely.

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Helping to Facilitate the Participation of Children with Disabilities in Community Settings

The Community Connections Communicator October 2005

In this Issue:

Tip Sheet:

Additional Tip Sheet:

Articles:

Spotlights of the Month!

The ArcShops Transition Series in 2006

Recommended Websites

Special Mentions