Institute for Disability Studies
Family Health Notes
February 2015
Inside this issue:
1) Developmental Screening Days – Feb. 10, Booneville and Gulfport; Feb. 24, Meridian
2) Disability Awareness Day at the Capitol – Feb. 11, Jackson
3) Valentine’s Dance and Social – Feb. 14, Ocean Springs
4) Health Insurance Marketplace 2015 Enrollment Ends Feb. 15
5) Building Partnerships . . . Working Together Conference - Feb. 26-27, Jackson
6) Arbor Day Run/Walk/Roll for Disability Awareness – Feb. 28, Biloxi
7) Start a Parent/Professional Satellite Council
8) Guidance on Meeting the Needs of Students with Hearing, Vision or Speech Disabilities
9) Defeat Monster Mouth
10) Resource of the Month! Partners in Policymaking
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1) Developmental Screening Days – Feb. 10, Booneville and Gulfport; Feb. 24, Meridian
The early years of a child’s development are crucial. If you or your child’s physician, child care provider or pre-K teacher has concerns about your child’s development, plan to attend these free screening events. There will be two screening days on Feb. 10, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.: the first at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Waller Hall, Room 226, at 101 Cunningham Boulevard in Booneville, and the second at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Room L/139 at 2226 Switzer Road in Gulfport. On Feb. 24, a screening day will be held at Meridian Community College in the Reed Building in Room 135 B at 910 Highway 19 North in Meridian. For more information or to register, call Shelley Ezelle, MS, at 601.432.6179 or Leslie LaVergne, PhD at 601.266.6225.
2) Disability Awareness Day at the Capitol – Feb. 11, Jackson
Disability Awareness Day at the State Capitol, hosted annually by the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, gives people with disabilities and advocates a chance to talk with decision makers who can preserve or expand services that make a critical difference in the lives of Mississippians with disabilities. This year’s event, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., also kicks off a yearlong series of celebrations commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 25th anniversary of the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities. For more information or to register, call 601.969.0601 or 1.800.721.7255 or visit http://www.msccd.org/.
3) Valentine’s Dance and Social – Feb. 14, Ocean Springs
A free Valentine’s dance and social will be held for teens and young adults with disabilities ages 12 to 45 on Saturday, Feb. 14, from 5 to 9 p.m. inside the gymnasium at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church on Highway 57 and Highway 90 in Ocean Springs. Dress is semi-formal (carnival ball style). For more information about this community-sponsored event, contact Donna Brewer at 228.326.8587 or donnabrewer72@hotmail.com.
4) Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment Ends Feb. 15
Open enrollment for the 2015 Health Insurance Marketplace began Nov. 15, 2014, and runs through Feb. 15, 2015. Consumers can visit https://www.healthcare.gov/ to review and compare health plan options. Consumers shopping for health insurance coverage should have signed up by Jan. 15, 2015, to have coverage effective on Feb. 1, 2015. If consumers who were automatically reenrolled decide in the coming weeks that a better plan exists for their families, they can make that change at any time before the end of open enrollment on Feb. 15. Consumers can find local help at the healthcare.gov website or call the federally-facilitated Marketplace Call Center at 1.800.318.2596. TTY users should call 1.855.889.4325. Translation services are available. The call is free. A monthly CYSHCN blog produced by Family Voices provides information and resources to help families, family leaders and other stakeholders assist families in understanding and enrolling in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces. Visit the blog and check out the latest tip sheets at http://www.fv-ncfpp.org/blog/.
5) Building Partnerships. . . Working Together Conference - Feb. 26-27, Jackson
The 2015 Building Partnerships. . . Working Together Special Education Conference will be held Thurs., Feb. 26, and Fri., Feb. 27, at the Jackson Convention Center at 105 East Pascagoula Street in Jackson. Topics covered at this conference for parents and professionals include assistive technology, inclusion, dyslexia, bullying, the new standards-based IEP form, procedural safeguards and positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) and much more. Keynote speakers are Dr. Patrick Schwarz, a professor, author and education leader, and Dr. David Hurford, a psychologist and researcher specializing in dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. CEUs and SEMIs will be available. Parent scholarships and stipends are available. For more information or to register, visit http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ea7z6pt241f4daa0&llr=julfnscab&showPage=true.
6) Arbor Day Run/Walk/Roll and Event for Disability Awareness – Feb. 28, Biloxi
The 2015 Arbor Day Run/Walk/Roll for Disability Awareness is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon on the Town Green in Biloxi. The free party-on-the-green event includes music, snacks, sports demonstrations and health and wellness vendors. For more information and to register for the optional Run/Walk/Roll by Feb. 19, visit www.disabilityconnection.org. The fee for the run is $20.
7) Start a Parent/Professional Satellite Council
Start a satellite council so your area and your family can be represented at the Statewide Parent/Professional Advisory Council (SPAC) meetings. The SPAC provides input on improving health care services to children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and offers a network of support and education to parents and caregivers. Organizing a satellite council in your area will help provide your family and others with localized resources and supports. Contact Shawn Smith with the Mississippi F2F at 1.866.883.4474.
8) Guidance on Meeting the Needs of Students with Hearing, Vision or Speech Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has updated their online collection of Memos and Dear Colleague Letters to include guidance dated November 12, 2014, on meeting the communication needs of student with hearing, vision, or speech disabilities. To view the information, visit http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/index.html.
9) Defeat Monster Mouth
Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children to get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums. If your child has Medicaid, they are afforded dental exams and services. For more information about the 2015 campaign, “Defeat Monster Mouth,” and links to resources, visit http://www.ada.org/en/public-programs/national-childrens-dental-health-month/.
10) Resource of the Month! Partners in Policymaking
Partners in Policymaking has online courses in the basic rights for people with disabilities, from living independently to helping make educational decisions for your student with a disability. Find out more at http://mn.gov/mnddc/pipm/online.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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