Institute for Disability Studies
Family Health Notes
July 2015
Inside this issue:
1) ADA Celebration – July 10, Jackson
2) The Power of ME! Conference – July 14-15, Brandon
3) Transportation Coordination Summit – July 16, Jackson
4) Work Incentives Webinar – July 28, 1 p.m.
5) Medical Home Provides Partnership for Families
6) July Is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
7) Video Illustrates Importance of Inclusion for All Children
8) Journey to Life After High School
9) Hearings Scheduled Statewide on School Funding Initiatives – August and September
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1) ADA Celebration – July 10, Jackson
July marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). LIFE of Mississippi is hosting an anniversary celebration on July 10, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the LIFE office at 1304 Vine Street in Jackson. Enjoy food, games, speakers and fellowship. For more information, call LIFE at 601.969.4009.
2) The Power of ME! Conference – July 14-15, Brandon
The Power of ME! Unlocking the Power Within Conference will be held July 14–15, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Brandon High School in Brandon. Sponsored by the Rankin County School District’s Special Education Department and parents together with the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center (MSPTI), the conference is open to all parents, educators and advocates of special education throughout the state. The conference is offering exciting sessions covering a wide-range of topics. Dr. Jeri LaVigne of Atlanta, creator of The Efficient Brain Series, is the keynote speaker. CEUs will be offered. For more information, visit http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event;jsessionid=D7A21F5A59684246D58805F5EAC587DE.worker_registrant?llr=julfnscab&oeidk=a07eb1a8bmp4e4cbcd4 or call Holladay Burnham with the Rankin County School District at 601.825.5590. To register for the free conference, visit https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07eb1a8bmp4e4cbcd4&oseq=&c=069f6b80-20b4-11e3-a14a-d4ae5275dbc8&ch=06ed3d60-20b4-11e3-a196-d4ae5275dbc8.
3) Transportation Coordination Summit – July 16, Jackson
The Mississippi Department of Transportation is holding the Statewide Transportation Coordination Summit 2015 on July 16, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Marriot Downtown in Jackson. The goal of the summit is to retool regional transportation efforts through the development of an educational and awareness campaign targeted to local public and private organizations and consumers. For information on the summit or to register, visit https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/default.aspx?EventID=1711169.
4) Work Incentives Webinar – July 28, 1 p.m.
The Mississippi Partners for Informed Choice Program is a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) project which is 100% federally funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA). This project serves beneficiaries with disabilities between the ages of 14 to 64 with an employment goal. There are nine Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWICs) and one Project Coordinator that provide direct benefits counseling and assistance to eligible beneficiaries receiving SSDI or SSI throughout Mississippi. The CWICs help beneficiaries understand how work may affect their benefits and understand the work incentives that are available for those beneficiaries wanting to transition to work. During this webinar, participants will learn about Age 18 Redetermination, how work may or may not impact SSDI or SSI benefits, and what work incentives are available. This webinar is cosponsored by the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment (MSPE) project at the Institute for Disability Studies at The University of Southern Mississippi and the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center (MSPTI). To register, visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8021752430103030018.
5) Medical Home Provides Partnership for Families
The family-centered partnership is the cornerstone to medical home; it is the trusting, collaborative, working partnership between providers and families, respecting diversity and recognizing that families are the constant in a child’s life. Want to learn more about establishing a medical home for your family? For more information, visit http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org/for_families/partner_with_physician.aspx. In Mississippi, email Shawn Smith with Mississippi’s Family to Family Health Information and Education Center (MS F2F) at ksmith@ihl.state.ms.us.
6) July Is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
Aiming to improve access to mental health treatment and services for multicultural communities through increased public awareness, the U.S. House of Representatives proclaimed July National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in 2008. For more information about minority mental health in America, visit http://www.psychiatry.org/practice/professional-interests/diversity/diversity-month/fact-sheets-on-disparities.
7) Video Illustrates Importance of Inclusion for All Children
A new video on early childhood inclusion has been posted to California's Desired Results Access Project Video Library. The video illustrates how essential early childhood inclusion is for all children, including those who cannot be in close proximity to other children because of health concerns. In “Getty's Window to Inclusion: The Chance To Be Just Like Any Other Kid” (runtime 14:55 minutes), Kate Mathany describes how her daughter Getty virtually attends a typical preschool classroom every day using a device called a VGo. Getty’s mother and a preschool teacher illustrate how her school day works from both home and classroom perspectives. They discuss preschool inclusion, parent leadership, the use of adaptations, collaboration, teamwork, and the benefits of inclusion for all children, families, and teachers. The video can be viewed online and downloaded at no cost for use in educational and professional development activities. To view, go to https://vimeo.com/128526973.
8) Journey to Life After High School
AbilityPath, in partnership with Best Buddies and Special Olympics, has published “The Journey to Life After High School: A Road Map for Parents of Children with Special Needs.” This comprehensive guide examines the laws that impact a child with special needs, the importance of the individualized education plan, and the different paths a child can take as they transition to adulthood. The guide includes a national directory of state agencies that assist families to find the support services they need. For more information, visit http://www.abilitypath.org/areas-of-development/transition-to-adulthood/life-after-high-school/.
9) Hearings Scheduled Statewide on School Funding Initiatives – August and September
Mississippians can express their opinions about proposed school funding initiatives during a series of public hearings in late summer. The hearings, announced by Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, will run from Aug. 11 through Sept. 8. The initiatives will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. Initiative 42 would require lawmakers to fund “an adequate and efficient system of free public schools.” Initiative 42-A says lawmakers must fund “an effective system of free public schools.”
The hearings, each starting at 5:30 p.m., will be held:
» Aug. 11 at the Jackson State University e-Center in Jackson
» Aug. 13 at the Gale Center in Hernando
» Aug. 17 at the Link Centre in Tupelo
» Aug. 20 at Temple Theater in Meridian
» Aug. 27 at Delta State University’s Bologna Performing Arts Center in Cleveland
» Sept. 1 at the Jackie Dole Sherrill Community Center in Hattiesburg
» Sept. 3 at Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Biloxi
» Sept. 8 at the Mississippi School for the Arts auditorium in Brookhaven
For more information, visit http://www.sos.ms.gov/About/Pages/Press-Release.aspx?pr=610.
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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 http://www.usm.edu/disability-studies or call 1.888.671.0051 (TTY). To make a tax-deductible gift to IDS, visit http://www.usm.edu/disability-studies/support-ids.
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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