Institute for Disability Studies
Family Health Notes
October 2017
Inside this issue:
1) Chronic Illness and Disability Conference Broadcast: Transition from Pediatric to Adult-Based Care – Oct. 5-6, Jackson and Hattiesburg
2) Building Partnerships. . . Working Together: 9th Annual Special Education Conference for Parents and Professionals – Oct. 19-20, Jackson
3) New Diploma Options Begin in 2018-19 for 9th Graders
4) Health Literacy Month: “Be a Health Literacy Hero”
5) Eat Better, Eat Together Awareness Month
6) Guide on Supporting Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Youth in Transition
7) Effective Family Engagement for Boosting School Readiness
8) Updated Disability Resources on Emergency Preparedness and Response
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1) Chronic Illness and Disability Conference Broadcast: Transition from Pediatric to Adult-Based Care – Oct. 5-6, Jackson and Hattiesburg
Less than 50% of families nationwide indicate their children with special health care needs have received the services necessary to make appropriate transitions to adult health care, work, and independence. Preparation and planning for health care transition is inadequate. Because of increased awareness of transitioning to adult-based care, clinicians are required to update their knowledge of the changing strategies for integrating emerging adult-based care into practice. Join the Mississippi Family2Family Health and Information Center for the 18th Annual Chronic Illness and Disability Conference on Oct. 5-6, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Technology Room in the basement of the IHL Building at 3825 Ridgewood Road in Jackson or in the library at the Institute for Disability Studies on the fourth floor of Bond Hall on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. The target audience is physicians in internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics, psychiatry, and physiatry; other health care providers including psychologists, social workers, nurses, dieticians, case managers, counselors, and primary care providers; youth and young adults who have chronic illness or disability and their parents or guardians. Continuing Education Credits are available. For more conference information, visit http://www.baylorcme.org/pdfs/1546%20-%20Chronic%202017_Brochure_Final_v9.pdf. To register or for additional information about local sites, contact Shawn Smith at 601.432.6929 or ksmith@ihl.state.ms.us in Jackson or Dr. Jerry R. Alliston at jerry.alliston@usm.edu or 601.266.5979 in Hattiesburg.
2) Building Partnerships. . . Working Together: 9th Annual Special Education Conference for Parents and Professionals - Oct. 19-20, Jackson
The 2017 Building Partnerships...Working Together Conference is educational, enlightening and informative for parents, special education professionals and advocates. The conference will be held Thurs., Oct. 19 and Fri., Oct. 20, at the Jackson Convention Center at 105 East Pascagoula Street. The conference is a great networking and relationship building opportunity for those interested in improving outcomes for students with disabilities in Mississippi. Keynote speakers include Ronnie Sydney, LCSW, a father, therapist, author, app developer, professional speaker and entrepreneur, and Dr. Rosemarie Allen, a national expert on implicit bias and culturally responsive practices. Topics covered during the conference include parent and family engagement, dyslexia, transition from school to post school, behavior, advocacy and self-advocacy, universal design for learning, Section 504, mental illness, emergency preparedness and incorporating technology in learning. The conference is hosted by the Mississippi Department of Education and the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center. Registration is $35. For more information and to register, visit http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07eefmjnxy47d7a5e8&llr=julfnscab&showPage=true.
3) New Diploma Options Begin in 2018-19 for 9th Graders
The Mississippi State Board of Education on Sept. 14, approved a new set of graduation options beginning with 9th graders in the 2018-2019 school year. The new diploma options will give students the opportunity to earn an endorsement with their high school diploma and will provide students with disabilities to earn a traditional diploma. The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) will offer diploma endorsements in academic, distinguished academic and career and technical categories. The state currently has five diploma options for students including career pathway, district option, early exit exam, traditional pathway and the Mississippi Occupation Diploma option, only available for students with special needs. To read the MDE press release, visit http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/TD/news/2017/09/14/mississippi-state-board-of-education-approves-new-diploma-options-to-expand-college-and-career-opportunities-for-all-students. For more information about diploma options, visit http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/docs/secondary-education/mississippi-diploma-options.pdf?sfvrsn=2.
4) Health Literacy Month: “Be a Health Literacy Hero”
Health literacy is the ability to read, understand and act upon health information. It’s about taking action and finding ways to improve health communication. A significant gap exists between the way health care issues are communicated and the ability of most people to understand them. All people, and not just those with limited reading skills or people for whom English is a second language, are affected by limited health literacy. According to the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, nearly 9 out of 10 adults have difficulty using routine health information. When people struggle with understanding how to prevent and manage health conditions, they are more likely to skip necessary medical tests, have a harder time with their diabetes or high blood pressure and visit the emergency room more often. They also tend to make mistakes with their medications, and fail to understand nutrition labels. Here are some helpful tips to improve your health literacy:
1. Improve communication with your doctors and other health professionals
· Before you leave for your appointment make a list of your symptoms and when they started. Bring a list of your current medications, write down your questions, and bring paper to take notes.
· Ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to use familiar language and write down their information.
· Ask questions if something is not clear. Let the health care person know if what they are telling you is confusing in any way. Ask for written materials written in plain language.
· Make sure you know whom to call with any questions you may have after you get home.
2. Take action within your community:
· Ask your librarian how to find clearly written and relevant health information. Take classes offered by librarians on Internet and social media tools.
· Attend health education programs at your public or hospital libraries, community centers, or faith-based organizations. Request these programs if they aren’t offered.
· Request that local schools teach kids about health education and deliver clear health messages to kids, like proper hand washing techniques.
For more tips on how to improve your health literacy, contact the MS Family2Family Parent Coordinator at 601.432.6929 or at ksmith@ihl.state.ms.us
5) Eat Better, Eat Together Awareness Month
Eating healthy is important, as is spending quality time with family. Eat Better, Eat Together Month encourages families to do both of these things. Here are some helpful tips to eat healthier:
· Cook with your kids. Include your children in the preparation of a meal. It’s a great way to spend time together and children love to eat what they cooked.
· Think fresh! Cooking from a box or can is a time saver but there are so many preservatives in processed food. Take your children to the farmers market or local grocery store and plan a meal with fresh veggies and proteins. It may take a few moments longer to walk through the store but it is well worth it.
For more healthy eating tips and creative ways to include the entire family, contact MS Family2Family Parent Coordinator Keishawna A. Smith, at ksmith@ihl.state.ms.us or the IDS Nutrition Ambassador Alma Ellis at aellis@ihl.state.ms.us.
6) Guide on Supporting Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Youth in Transition
A new Quick Guide from the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) describes strategies for supporting culturally and linguistically diverse youth in the transition planning process. NTACT's quick guides address topics relevant to students with disabilities at the secondary level, and walk through key strategies, resources, and tools for different audiences. For a copy of the seven-page guide, visit http://bit.ly/2wbbd4Q.
7) Effective Family Engagement for Boosting School Readiness
The Office of Head Start provides a series of simulations for effectively engaging families from the start. The series explores the practice of everyday strategies to develop Positive Goal-Oriented Relationships with a family. These relationships are key to work with children and families, including the journey toward school readiness. For more information, visit the website at http://bit.ly/2tJKcsP.
8) Updated Disability Resources on Emergency Preparedness and Response
The recent natural disasters affecting thousands of Americans reinforce the need for families, particularly families of individuals with disabilities, to be prepared. What can you do? The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) has an updated list of resources on Emergency Preparedness and Management. The resources that are listed are from federal, state, local and private agencies that facilitate accessible emergency management and support. To view this important list, visit http://www.aucd.org/template/page.cfm?id=544.
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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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