Institute for Disability Studies
Family Health Notes
February 2017
Inside this issue:
1) Health and Education Family Empowerment Day – February 24, Belzoni
2) Epilepsy Foundation of Mississippi Webinar – February 9, 12 p.m.
3) Mississippi Early Childhood Inclusion Center (MECIC)
4) Save the Date – 2017 Mississippi disAbility MegaConference –June 15-16
5) Mississippi Sickle Cell Foundation/Iyer-Smith Scholarship
6) National Center for Medical Home Implementation Resources
7) U.S. Department of Education Releases New Guidance on Civil Rights of Students with Disabilities
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1) Health and Education Family Empowerment Day – February 24, Belzoni
Are you the parent of a child with a disability or special health care need? Learn how to be a more effective partner in your child’s health care and education. Attend the Health Care and Education Empowerment Day for Families of Children with Disabilities on Fri., Feb. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Belzoni Multipurpose Building at 417 Silver City Road in Belzoni. Topics include care coordination and medical home, extended school year services, procedural safeguards, People First language and disability etiquette, advocacy and communication, Medicaid waivers and bullying. Join the Mississippi Family to Family Health Information and Education Center, The Arc of Mississippi and LIFE of Mississippi for this free event with expert speakers. Parents, advocates, educators, medical professionals and others can benefit from this training. Educator CEUs will be available. For more information, contact Keishawna Smith at 601.432.6929 or ksmith@ihl.state.ms.us. Register online at https://www.usm.edu/disability-studies/family-2-family-educational.
2) Epilepsy Foundation of Mississippi Webinar – February 9, 12 p.m.
Every four minutes someone has a seizure. The Epilepsy Foundation of Mississippi leads the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and to accelerate therapies to stop seizures, find cures and save lives. Learn about prevention and education programs available throughout the state of Mississippi. Get access to Medical Alert bracelets and toolkits for newly diagnosed patients. Utilize services including the FREE Alvin P. Flannes Summer Camp for children with epilepsy. Join the webinar on Tues., Feb. 9, from 12 to 1 p.m. CST. This webinar is held in conjunction with the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center (MSPTI). To register, visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7544602879548032771.
3) Mississippi Early Childhood Inclusion Center (MECIC)
Early childhood inclusion ensures young children with disabilities have access to the learning environment, participation in all learning activities, and appropriate support for children, teachers, and families. The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) has contracted with The University of Southern Mississippi Institute for Disability Studies (IDS) for the Mississippi Early Childhood Inclusion Center (MECIC). The MECIC is a statewide program that will provide quality training and technical assistance to early childhood educators who teach infant, toddler, and preschoolers and serve young children with disabilities in their childcare centers and preschool programs. The MECIC will conduct two special needs credentials throughout the year. The credential is a 40-hour certificate program designated for preschool teachers and an additional credential designed specifically for infant and toddler teachers. Further, MECIC will provide a program exclusively for early childhood directors that will teach directors how to establish an on-going monitoring and developmental screening program in the early childhood environment. MECIC will serve parents and children by conducting developmental and Autism-specific screenings and providing on-going support to families through family navigation. Family navigation supports families who have developmental concerns for their child and are seeking support. To learn more about MECIC and to request services, please call 1.888.671.0051.
4) Save the Date – 2017 Mississippi disAbility MegaConference –June 15-16
Mark your calendars for the 2017 Mississippi disability Megaconference scheduled for June 15 and 16 at the Downtown Jackson Marriott in Jackson. Dream Night at the Jackson Zoo is set for June 14. Get nomination forms for the MegaConference Awards (Champions of the ADA and Champions of IDEA) on the website. Registration and stipends coming soon. See the website for sponsorship and vendor information, www.msmegaconference.org, or contact the MS F2F Family Coordinator at ksmith@ihl.state.ms.us.
5) Mississippi Sickle Cell Foundation/Iyer-Smith Scholarship
Do you know anyone with Hemoglobin SS, Hemoglobin SC or Sickle Beta Thalassemia who is a high school senior? Three scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors who meet the eligibility requirements listed in application. The first place awardee will receive a $3,000 scholarship, second place will receive a $2,000 scholarship and third place will received a $1,000 scholarship. This is an amazing opportunity for eligible high school seniors. The deadline for returning the application packet is June 30, 2017. For more information or an application packet, contact Jennifer Smith at 601.984.1257 or the MS F2F Parent Coordinator at 601.432.6929.
6) National Center for Medical Home Implementation Resources
Only 43% of children and youth with special health care need in the United States receive high quality primary care. The National Center for Medical Home Implementation, a cooperative agreement between the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the American Academy of Pediatrics, offers pediatric medical home implementation tools and resources for families and health care providers. Additionally, there is information on state initiatives and promising practices. Find facts sheets, state specific data and more at https://medicalhomeinfo.aap.org/about/Pages/default.aspx.
7) U.S. Department of Education Releases New Guidance on Civil Rights of Students with Disabilities
On December 28, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education released a new guidance on how the Department interprets and enforces federal civil rights laws protecting the rights of students with disabilities. These guidance documents clarify the rights of students with disabilities and the responsibilities of educational institutions to ensure all students have the opportunity to learn. The guidance released includes a:
• Parent and educator resource guide,
• Dear colleague letter on the rights of students with
disabilities and their families,
• Question and answer document on the use of restraint
and seclusion in public schools, and
• Dear colleague letter and question and answer document
on the rights of students with disabilities in public charter
schools.
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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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