5) Empowering Communities for a Healthy Mississippi Conference – May 21-24, Jackson

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[Familyhealthnotes] Special Edition - Employment Awareness Session, June 20, Jackson

The Mississippi Partnerships for Employment (MSPE) project has a vision that all young people, including those with developmental and intellectual disabilities, have an opportunity for competitive, meaningful employment and productive lives as citizens of Mississippi. The public is welcome to attend an awareness session to review MSPE activities in the state with a focus on Employment First. Employment First is a philosophy/policy which requires all entities that provide services to individuals with disabilities of working age to ensure that competitive employment in integrated settings is always the first priority option considered in providing services. This awareness session, the first of four across the state, will be held on June 20, at 5:30 p.m. in Churchill I and II at the Marriott Jackson at 200 East Amite Street in Jackson.

Three additional awareness sessions will be held across the state in July:

· Greenville - July 9 - William Alexander Percy Memorial Library, 341 Main Street - 5:30–6:30 p.m.

· Long Beach - July 16 - Technology Learning Center on The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park campus, 730 East Beach Boulevard – 5:30-6:30 p.m.

· Starkville - July 23 - Greater Starkville Development Partnership offices, 203 East Main Street – 5:30-6:30 p.m.

For more information about these awareness sessions, email Dr. Jerry Alliston at jerry.alliston@usm.edu.

The Mississippi Partnerships for Employment (MSPE) for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities, Including Intellectual Disabilities project is funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is managed by the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities (MS CDD), Disability Rights Mississippi (DRMS) and The University of Southern Mississippi Institute for Disability Studies (IDS).

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[Familyhealthnotes] Family Health Notes - June 2013

Institute for Disability Studies

Family Health Notes

June 2013

Inside this issue:

1) 2013 Mississippi disAbility MegaConference – June 20-21, Jackson

2) New York City Adopting Updated Symbol

3) Got Transition? Find Resources at the National Health Care Transition Center Website

4) Health Insurance Webinars

1) 2013 Mississippi disAbility MegaConference – June 20-21, Jackson

The second annual Mississippi disAbility MegaConference is scheduled for June 20-21, at the Marriott Jackson. Keynote speakers are Christine Ha, winner of Season 3 of MasterChef, and Serena Lowe, senior policy advisor for the Office of Disability Employment at the U.S. Department of Labor. Ha was the first ever MasterChef contestant who is blind and the author of a new cookbook. Lowe will address employment trends in her session “Rising to the Occasion—Thinking Big About Employment and Socioeconomic Advancement of Citizens with Disabilities.” Expect informative breakout session speakers, exhibits of products and services, and opportunities for networking plus fun and friends. For more information or to register, visit http://msmegaconference.org/.

2) New York City Adopting Updated Symbol

New York City will soon be using a revised version of the historical universally displayed symbol of accessibility. The familiar blue icon, long used to symbolize accessibility on everything from restrooms to parking lots, depicts a person sitting in a wheelchair. The redesigned symbol has been updated to show an individual in motion in the wheelchair. Use of the new icon was spearheaded by a professor at Massachusett’s Gordon College. To learn more about and to view the new icon, visit http://www.accessibleicon.org/.

3) Got Transition? Find Resources at the National Health Care Transition Center Website

Transition is a critical time for young adults as they leave pediatric care and move toward the adult health system. Got Transition is dedicated to improving the process by supporting health providers, young adults and their families with tools and guidance to improve health care transition. The website provides a listing of webinar and radio broadcasts on important topics, for example, medical limitations and travel, six core elements of health care transition, or health insurance 101. For these archived broadcasts and more, visit http://www.gottransition.org/about-us-news/broadcasts.

4) Health Insurance Webinars

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will be hosting webinars on the health insurance marketplace (formally called the exchange) throughout June and July. The webinars are divided into two levels: the basic one-hour Health Insurance Marketplace 101 and the advanced two-hour Understanding the Health Insurance Marketplace. To select the webinar, date and time you want to participate and register, visit http://marketplace.cms.gov/NewsEvents/Webinars/Spring-Summer-2013-Health-Insurance-Marketplace-Training-Schedule.pdf.

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[Familyhealthnotes] Family Health Notes - May 2013

Institute for Disability Studies

Family Health Notes

May 2013

Inside this issue:

1) Learn More About Mississippi’s Health Insurance Exchange – May 13, Jackson

2) Toolkit on Creating Patient and Family Advisory Councils

3) New Web Tool for Educators and Medical Professionals

4) Family Voices of Mississippi Board to Meet – May 30, Jackson

5) Voice4Hope Provides Resources for Teens with Mental Health Conditions

6) Mississippi disAbility MegaConference – June 20-21, Jackson

1) Learn More About Mississippi’s Health Insurance Exchange

Under federal law, all health insurance exchanges, which are a set of standardized healthcare plans from which individuals may purchase health insurance and are eligible for federal subsidies, must be fully certified and operational by Jan. 1, 2014. Learn more about what this means for Mississippi on Mon., May 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. during a discussion in the third floor community meeting room, Suite 3536, at the Jackson Medical Mall. Aaron Sisk, senior attorney, Mississippi Department of Insurance, will provide information about the state’s Health Insurance Exchange. Lunch will be provided. To attend, please contact Kim Robinson at krobinson@childrensdefense.org or 601.321.1966.

2) Toolkit on Creating Patient and Family Advisory Councils

The National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) has created a toolkit for pediatric providers on how to effectively engage family perspectives by creating patient and family advisory councils. Practices that encourage, value and utilize family perspectives in planning for high-quality medical care can accelerate their path toward becoming truly patient- and family-centered. For more information, visit http://www.nichq.org/resources/PFAC-toolkit-landingpage.html.

3) New Web Tool for Educators and Medical Professionals

Genetics Education Materials for School Success (GEMSS) is a new website featuring information that schools and medical professionals can use to support students who have genetic conditions. The aim of GEMSS is to assure all children with genetic health conditions succeed in school-life. Children who have genetic conditions are members of neighborhood schools across the country. In fact, it is estimated that about 1 in 20 children have a genetic condition. For more information, visit http://www.gemssforschools.org/.

4) Family Voices of Mississippi Board to Meet – May 30, Jackson

Family Voices aims to achieve family-centered care for all children and youth with special health care needs or disabilities. The board of Mississippi’s Family Voices state affiliate, Family Voices of Mississippi, will meet Thurs., May 30, from 10 a.m. until noon in Room 108 of the IHL Building at 3825 Ridgewood Road in Jackson. For more information about Family Voices of Mississippi, call Cookie Smith at the Institute for Disability Studies at 1.888.671.0051.

5) Voice4Hope Provides Resources for Teens with Mental Health Conditions

Voices4Hope is a place for teenagers and young adults with mental health conditions to find resources and stigma busting information that can help them lead happy and independent lives. This website was created and is maintained by four young adults with mental health conditions at the Transitions Research and Training Center (RTC). Voices4Hope has launched three new webpages on eating disorders, young adult parenting, and bullying. These pages offer young adults information about conditions or circumstances that can affect them, recovery stories to read, and resources to help them make the best of their lives. http://www.voices4hope.net/

6) Mississippi disAbility MegaConference – June 20-21, Jackson

Mark your calendars now for the second annual Mississippi disAbility MegaConference scheduled for June 20-21, at the Marriott Jackson. Expect interesting speakers, important information, exhibits of products and services, opportunities for networking and fun and friends. Family stipends are available. For more information or to register, visit http://msmegaconference.org/.

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[Familyhealthnotes] Family Health Notes - April 2013

Institute for Disability Studies

Family Health Notes

April 2013

Inside this issue:

1) Tips for Communicating with KIDS of All Ages

2) Medical Homes@Work

3) Family-to-Family Health Information Centers Activities Report

4) Healthy Weight Collaborative Action Kit

5) My Great Story Video Project

6) Learning Plan Guide Focused on High School Years

1) Tips for Communicating with Kids of All Ages

The art of communication is one of the most important skills babies learn. Babies, in fact, learn more than vocabulary—they learn how to have a conversation. Parents learn as well, and as their children grow, abilities and ideas change. It’s kind of like learning to dance. The PBS Parents website has helpful hints on how children communicate at different ages and tips on how parents can best talk to their children. For more information on talking with kids, visit http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids/agebyage.html.

2) Medical Homes@Work

The March 2013 issue of “Spotlight on Child Health Issues: Cultural Effectiveness and the Medical Home” focuses on the medical and oral health disparities that exist for children of diverse races and ethnicities. Promising practices as well as resources for providers, children, youth and families are included. View the issue at http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org/about/newsletter/spotlight_issues/culturalcompetency.aspx.

3) Family-to-Family Health Information Centers Activities Report

Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs) like Mississippi’s own Family 2 Family Health Education and Information Center assist families of children and youth with special health care needs and the professionals who serve them. A new two-page report of data reported by the F2F HICs from June 2011 through May 2012 provides highlights and demonstrates the value and impact of helping families. For a copy of the report, visit http://www.fv-ncfpp.org/files/3713/6036/1083/11-12DataReport_Final-r.pdf.

4) Healthy Weight Collaborative Action Kit

This action kit from the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) is designed to help spread lessons learned from the Healthy Weight Collaborative to those interested in making changes in their communities. There are six strategies, videos, recordings and other resources. For more information and resources, visit http://www.collaborateforhealthyweight.org/Resources/Action-Kit.aspx.

5) My Great Story Video Project

The National Down Syndrome Society's (NDSS) My Great Video Project features 10 short videos based on submitted stories to the NDSS My Great Story public awareness campaign. The goal of the My Great Story campaign is to ignite a way of thinking about people with Down Syndrome by sharing stories written by and about them. Follow the link to see more: http://www.ndss.org/storiesvideoproject.

6) Learning Plan Guide Focused on High School Years

The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) has released an updated version of the online how-to guide, "Promoting Quality Individualized Learning Plans: A ‘How to Guide’ Focused on the High School Years." This guide is designed for schools, educators and other professionals who assist youth with college and career readiness and transition planning. This guide was developed in response to feedback from schools indicating a need for activities, lesson plans, and school-wide individualized learning plans (ILPs) implementation strategies. A key goal of the guide is to help schools develop a bridge between college and career readiness efforts through the use of ILPs. The career development activities and resources in this guide are also useful for youth service professionals in the workforce development system. NCWD/Youth will also release a new policy brief on individualized learning plans in the coming weeks. For a copy of the guide, visit http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/how-to-guide.

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[Familyhealthnotes] Family Health Notes - March 2013

Institute for Disability Studies

Family Health Notes

March 2013

Institute for Disability Studies

Family Health Notes

March 2013

Inside this issue:

1) March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

2) Tips for Families Series

3) DREDF Releases New Healthcare Stories

4) New Transition Website Debuts

5) Traveling with Special Needs Children

6) TravelChair Makes Airline Flight Easier for Children with Disabilities

1) March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed March as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Since that time, many chapters of The Arc as well as state and local governments annually encourage citizens to think about their family members and neighbors with developmental disabilities in March and recognize and protect their rights as individuals. For more information on National Disability Awareness Month, visit the The Arc of San Diego http://www.arc-sd.com/nationaldisabilityawarenessmonth.

2) Tips for Families Series

The Office of Head Start, National Center on Health has published a new series of tip sheets, Tips for Families Series (February 2013), which provide important information to families about how to strengthen the health and wellness of young children. These fact sheets serve as tools to help Head Start health managers provide important information to families about National Center on Health priorities. Some of the topics addressed include: active play, health literacy, healthy breathing, healthy eating, mental health, oral health, safety and injury prevention. To download tip sheets, visit http://1.usa.gov/VNqTWM.

3) DREDF Releases New Healthcare Stories

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) announced the release of new Healthcare Stories that illustrate the obstacles and barriers that stand in the way of getting appropriate, effective healthcare for many people with developmental disabilities. These short video stories feature people with developmental disabilities and their families and an heroic primary healthcare provider who has defined the field of developmental medicine. To read stories and view videos, visit http://www.dredf.org/healthcare-stories/.

4) New Transition Website Debuts

The OSERS Transition Steering Committee, comprised of representatives from all three program offices of OSERS, launched a new webpage for the Year of College and Career for Youth with Disabilities Initiative (YCC). This transition-oriented webpage features news and resources for youth with disabilities, their families, and the educators and employment professionals who support them. For more information, visit http://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/ycc/index.html.

5) Traveling with Special Needs Children

Spring break is just around the corner, and families will begin making travel plans and trips that will continue through the summer. Helpful tips for traveling with children can be found on online on websites and blogs. The following links address general travel families, grandparents traveling with special needs grandchildren, and airplane travel: http://momaboard.com/general-travel-tips/special-consideration/five-tips-for-traveling-with-special-needs-kids/, http://www.grandparents.com/food-and-leisure/travel/grandchildren-special-needs-travel-tips, and http://www.disabled-world.com/travel/airlines/flying-with-children.php.

6) TravelChair Makes Airline Flight Easier for Children with Disabilities

MERU, a UK-based charity that designs and manufactures specialized equipment for children and young people with disabilities, has launched a new and improved TravelChair for aircraft. The TravelChair offers various adjustable features to ensure that children with disabilities between the ages of 3 to 11 years (depending on weight and height) are supported and comfortable, even on long-haul flights. For more information, visit http://blog.apex.aero/inflight-services-2/travel-chair-disabled-children-gains-traction-airline-industry/.

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