Family to Family: February 2014

[Familyhealthnotes] Family Health Notes - March 2014

Institute for Disability Studies

Family Health Notes

March 2014

Inside this issue:

1) Sonbeams Karaoke Night – Mar. 7, Ridgeland

2) Monroe County Resource Fair – Mar. 22, Becker

3) Parent’s Resource Guide to Social and Emotional Learning

4) Clarification on Autism Tracking Devices

5) Disability Advocacy Through Media Training Course

6) New Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Webpage

7) Two New IDEA Part C Training Modules

8) Tips for Students Needing Testing Accommodations on Standardized Tests Like SAT or GRE

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1) Sonbeams Karaoke Night – Mar. 7, Ridgeland

Get ready to sing some fun tunes at Sonbeams Night Out karaoke event on Fri., Mar. 7, from 6:30 until 9 p.m. at Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church at 750 South Pear Orchard Road in Ridgeland. Sonbeams Night Out is a ministry that provides respite care for parents of special needs children as well as their siblings. Sonbeams also welcomes adults with special needs. To reserve a spot, please RSVP by Mon., Mar. 3, to Martie Kwasny at 601.919.8605.

2) Monroe County Resource Fair – Mar. 22, Becker

Need more resources for a family member or friend with a disability? A Monroe County Resource Fair will be held Sat., Mar. 22, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Advanced Learning Center on Highway 25 South in Becker. Some of the many participants include The Arc of Northeast Mississippi, Parents for Public Schools, the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, the Social Security Administration, Brandi’s Hope and the WIN Job Center. For additional information, call Bill Elam at 662.640.8247.

3) Parent’s Resource Guide to Social and Emotional Learning

Edutopia has published an online curated list of resources for parents and caregivers about fostering kindness, empathy, resilience, perseverance and focus in children. For more information, visit http://www.edutopia.org/SEL-parents-resources.

4) Clarification on Autism Tracking Devices

Federal officials are now offering details to families about how they can apply for new autism tracking devices. Police departments nationwide will be able to make the tracking devices available to the families of children in their communities who are at risk of wandering. Funds are available to police through the Justice Department’s Byrne grant program. For more information, read a Disability Scoop article at http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/02/06/feds-clarify-tracking-devices/19085/.

5) Disability Advocacy Through Media Training Course

This online course introduces advocates to using traditional and online media advocacy techniques to build awareness of disability issues. The course covers the use of social media, videos, websites and blogs. It includes e-lectures, self-teaching assignments and online readings and resources. The course is a collaborative project between the College of Fine Arts and Communication and the Hussman Center for Adults with Autism at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. To learn more about the course, which was designed to be used and shared, visit http://disabilitymediaadvocacy.wordpress.com/.

6) New Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Webpage

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children & Families (ACF) recently launched a new webpage on the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships, an initiative to support states and communities in expanding high quality early learning to infants and toddlers through partnerships between Early Head Start and child care. Through this initiative, Early Head Start grantees will partner with center-based and family child care providers who agree to meet Early Head Start Program Performance Standards and provide comprehensive, full-day, full year high-quality services to infants and toddlers from low-income families. For more information, visit http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/early-head-start-child-care-partnerships.

7) Two New IDEA Part C Training Modules

The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) has released two new training modules, both of which look at what the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C regulations require in terms of transition planning and activities that must occur as toddlers in early intervention approach their third birthday. The new modules are part of NICHCY's Building the Legacy for Our Youngest Children Training Curriculum, which is being developed at the request of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education. The new modules include Module 8: The Transition Process and Lead Agency Notification and Model 9: Development of the Transition Plan. For more information, visit http://nichcy.org/laws/idea/legacy/partc.

8) Tips for Students Needing Testing Accommodations on Standardized Tests Like SAT or GRE

High school students with learning disabilities can be challenged by standardized tests, but individualized accommodations are available. To be eligible for accommodations, students have to demonstrate how their disability affects their test taking and how accommodations will help. For more information, visit an informative Huffington Post article at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joie-jagerhyman/receiving-testing-accommo_b_4740601.html.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Family Health Notes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Family Health Notes is sponsored by the Institute for Disability Studies (IDS), Mississippi’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at The University of Southern Mississippi. IDS provides university training, community service activities, research and information that promote the independence, productivity, and community inclusion of individuals with disabilities and their families. For more information about IDS, visit www.usm/edu/ids or call 1.888.671.0051 (TTY). To make a tax-deductible gift to IDS, visit www.usm.edu/ids/supportus.html.

The Family-to-Family Health Information and Education Center (F2F) is a family-focused, family managed resource center that empowers families of Mississippi children with special health care needs to be partners in the decisions made concerning the health of their children. F2F is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (GR#H84MC07948).

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[Familyhealthnotes] Family Health Notes - February 2014

Institute for Disability Studies

Family Health Notes

February 2014

Inside this issue:

1) Disability Awareness Day at the Capitol – Feb. 13, Jackson

2) 2014 Building Partnerships. . . Working Together Conference – Feb. 13-14, Jackson

3) Masterpiece Ministry – Feb. 14, Jackson

4) Confusion About Purchase of Private Insurance When Children Are on Medicaid

5) Video - Early Childhood Intervention: The Power of Family

6) Save the Date, Mississippi disAbility MegaConference – June 12-13, Jackson

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1) Disability Awareness Day at the Capitol – Feb. 13, Jackson

Disability Awareness Legislative Day at the State Capitol gives people with disabilities, families and advocates a chance to talk with decision makers. Last year 24 organizations participated in the event which is hosted annually by the Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities. To register, call 1.800.721.7255 no later than Feb. 7. Join the group for a Legislative breakfast or a lunch and learn. Plan to visit your state legislators.

2) 2014 Building Partnerships. . . Working Together Conference – Feb. 13-14, Jackson

The 2014 Building Partnerships. . . Working Together Conference for professionals and parents will be held at the Jackson Convention Complex on Feb. 13-14, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Special Education and the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center (MSPTI), the conference will host 500 participants, including parents of students who receive special education services; elementary, middle and high school special education teachers; vocational rehabilitation personnel; principals; and superintendents from all the state’s school districts. For more information or to register, visit http://mspti.org/news.asp?id=9.

3) Masterpiece Ministry – Feb. 14, Jackson

Masterpiece Ministry, a ministry for children with disabilities, will be held Fri., Feb. 14, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Morrison Heights Baptist Church at 3000 Hampstead Boulevard in Clinton. Masterpiece Ministry is providing an evening of activities for special needs children while their parents enjoy a Valentine’s banquet. Both couples and single parents are invited along with their children with disabilities and their siblings. To register, email Kelley Beth Brashier at kbrashier@morrisonheights.org or call 662.523.0435. Please include the number of adults and children who will be attending. Registration deadline is Feb. 7, for families needing an interpreter. Deadline for all other families is Feb. 12.

4) Confusion About Purchase of Private Insurance When Children Are on Medicaid

Individuals with Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) are not eligible for subsidized coverage in the health insurance marketplaces. This includes children covered by the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), TRICARE (with full benefits), and most children covered under Medicaid, including those covered through TEFRA (Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982), home and community-based service waivers (also known as 1915 (c) waivers), and the Family Opportunity Act. Federal policy has not yet been finalized about individuals on Medicaid through a 1115 waiver or a "medically needy" option. For more information, see an article from the Catalyst Center at http://hdwg.org/catalyst/medicaid-and-marketplace or a page of frequently asked questions from the IRS at http://www.irs.gov/uac/Questions-and-Answers-on-the-Individual-Shared-Responsibility-Provision. An article from the Star Tribune newspaper in Minnesota states, however, that some families shopping for subsidized health insurance are told that their Medicaid-covered children cannot be covered under private plans purchased through an Exchange. View this article at http://www.startribune.com/nation/242066931.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue. While there has been confusion about this situation, federal policy is clear. Parents can purchase private insurance for those children, but they cannot receive subsidies for them. View this information at http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-subsidies.php.

5) Video - Early Childhood Intervention: The Power of Family

The Open Society Foundations has published a new video entitled Early Childhood Intervention: The Power of Family (December 2013). This 7:35 minute video features leaders in the field of early childhood development from around the world discussing the benefits of early childhood intervention and the key importance of families to the early intervention process - with input from AUCD network members. To view the video, visit http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/multimedia/early-childhood-intervention-power-family.

6) Save the Date, Mississippi disAbility MegaConference – June 12-13, Jackson

Mark your calendars now for the Mississippi disAbility MegaConference. Each year, the conference brings together hundreds of individuals with disabilities, their families and friends as well as professionals to share knowledge and inspiration surrounding important topics such as employment, education and services. For more information, visit www.msmegaconference.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Family Health Notes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Please visit the IDS Calendar of Events at http://www.usm.edu/ids/calevents/.

Questions may be addressed to

Alma.Ellis@usm.edu

Jerry.Alliston@usm.edu

_______________________________________________

Family Health Notes mailing list

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