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AUCDigest

December 20, 2006 • Volume 6, Number 68


RESOURCES

Network Related Resources

Maternal and Child Health Report: Pediatric Subspecialty Work Group Identifies Promising State and Regional Approaches to Extend Access to Pediatric Subspecialty Care.  Collaborative opportunities for addressing pediatric subspecialty access problems and fragmentation between primary and specialty care are identified, including early identification and treatment, communication and shared management support, education, quality improvement, financial incentives, and affiliations and partnerships.

Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (UCEDD) Report: No Child Left Behind is Out of Step with Special Education.  The report titled, "Closing the Achievement Gap Series: What is the Impact of NCLB on the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities?", indicates that while efforts to meet NCLB accountability standards have improved short-term student outcomes, the act's narrow assessment criteria creates pressure for schools to reverse inclusion efforts and may contribute to higher drop-out rates among students with disabilities.

Consumer-Directed Supports: Economic, Health, and Social Outcomes for Families (AAMR Journal Article). Dr. Joe Caldwell of the Institute on Disability and Human Development (IL UCEDD) conducted a research study exploring the impact of a consumer-directed support program on family caregivers of adults with developmental disabilities.  Economic, health, and social outcomes were compared between families in the program and families on the waiting list for the program.  Caregivers of adults in the program reported fewer out-of-pocket disability expenses, greater access to health care, engagement in more social activities, and greater leisure satisfaction.  There also appeared to be greater impacts on lower income families; these caregivers reported better mental health and access to health care than did similar caregivers on the waiting list.  Mental Retardation: Vol. 44, No. 6, pp. 405-417; December 2006.

Resources from by the National Center for Cultural Competence, in association with the Georgetown University Center for Child & Human Development (DC UCEDD)

  • Cultural and Linguistic Competence Policy Assessment (CLCPA) Instrument and Guide.    The CLCPA is intended to support health care organizations to: 1) Improve health care access and utilization; 2) Enhance the quality of services within culturally diverse and underserved communities; and 3) Promote cultural and linguistic competence as essential approaches in the elimination of health disparities.  The NCCC has also developed a companion Guide for Using the Cultural and Linguistic Competence Policy Assessment Instrument that provides step-by-step instructions on how to conduct an organizational self-assessment process.
  • NCCC Spanish Portal Undergoing Redesign.  NCCC is in the process of re-designing its Spanish language portal to expand, for ease of access, and to offer other features such as audio/voice narratives.  We are pleased to inform you that the initial phases are complete.  Please visit and share this with others.  Should you have any questions, resources to contribute, and/or recommendations, please contact Wendy Jones, MEd, MSW, or Isabella Lorenzo-Hubert, MEd, at 800-788-2066.
  • Website of Interest -  From Tolerance to Respect: Cultural Competence in Practice.  The Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW (MDAA) and the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) recently invited Tawara Goode, MA, Director of the National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC), to speak at their "From Tolerance to Respect: Cultural Competence in Practice" Conference in Sydney, Australia in September.  The focus of the conference was on practical approaches to working with people from diverse backgrounds by providing local, national and international perspectives on best practice in responding to community diversity and competing needs.  Conference proceedings can be reviewed on the MDAA Website

Resources from the West Virginia Center for Excellence in Disabilities (UCEDD)

  • Emergency Management and People with Disabilities Handbook.   The handbook details community emergency planning, developing communications, evacuation plans, disability etiquette, resources and links, checklists and much more.  Request for copies and information can be received by contacting Rose Vergara at 800-841-8436.
  • WV AgrAbility Projects Featured in National AgrAbility Quarterly.  The fall issue highlighted West Virginia AgrAbility's partnerships and projects.  

Resources from the University of Southern California UCEDD

  • Right Under My Nose: A Book for Children with Spina Bifida is a book to help parents and caregivers explain spina bifida to young children. Right Under My Nose is designed as three inter-related sections: a story, activity pages for children to complete and tips for parents and caregivers. Together, they enhance discussion of key challenges facing children with spina bifida. The book is available as a print version in English and Spanish (please call Ana Quiran at 323-669-7079 to request a copy free of charge) and it is also available online in English and Spanish . At these websites, the book can be downloaded as a PDF file. 
  • National Study Evaluating the Use of Marketing and Communication Principles.  This study was conducted as a Project of National Significance and funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.  The goal of the project was to develop, and widely disseminate, a non-profit organization marketing model to provide agencies serving persons with developmental disabilities with the necessary tools and strategies to integrate marketing throughout the organization; and to ultimately enhance the rapid deployment of information to consumers (parents, individuals with developmental disabilities, providers, policymakers).  The  report was mailed to all UCEDD directors and community education coordinators in November.  A PDF copy of the report can be printed through the University of Southern California UCEDD website by going to Announcements on the home page and click on the link to the PDF.  Kreutzer, CB, Fleming, A, Hsu, E., Schweers, L. (2006).  A National Study Evaluating the use of Marketing and Communication Principles Employed by the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities to Assure the Rapid Dissemination of Information, USC UCEDD, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. 

New Products and Resources from Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (UCEDD)'s Victims of Crime with Disabilities Resource Guide. 

  • National Advisory Committee Presents Report on Courthouse Access.  The Committee's report provides design guidance and best practice recommendations for achieving access in courthouses, including courtrooms.  It also includes outreach and educational strategies for disseminating this information most effectively to various audiences.
  • Violence and Crimes Against People with Disabilities Bibliography.  A comprehensive bibliography focused on violence and crimes against people with disabilities was released this week. The document includes full citations and abstracts for almost 300 peer-reviewed articles, formal reports, books, and editorials all published between 1990 and 2006.
  • Public Policy on Physical Restraint of Children with Disabilities in Public Schools.  The US Constitution, federal and state legislatures, courts, and regulations permit physical restraint for both therapeutic (i.e., behavior change) and risk prevention purposes.  Although most venues limit restraint as punishment, no government entity prohibits use of physical restraint as a response to imminent danger.  This paper provides a comprehensive view of public policy of the most common form of restraint- an educator using his or her body to limit movement of a student so as to reduce risk of harm during an episode of dangerous behavior.  The intent of this paper is to provide a policy framework within which public educators (administrators, teachers and others) may develop specific practices to protect themselves and others from injury and legal action. Discussion concludes with recommendations for policies and procedures.  McAfee, James, Christopher Schwilk, and Megan Mitruski.  Public Policy on Physical Restraint of Children with Disabilities in Public Schools.  Education and Treatment of Children, 29 (2006): 711 - 728.
  • Cases from the Headlines.  To bear witness and most importantly to bring attention to the serious issue of crimes against people with disabilities, the Resource Guide has begun developing an online collection of news stories involving victims with disabilities.  Selected from newspaper and news channel web sites, articles have been abstracted and posted in the Online Discussion section of the Resource Guide website.
  • Recent Products Added to the Search Resources Database
    • Crime Victims with Disabilities: What the Prosecutor Needs to Know About Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation & Traumatic Brain Injury
    • Forgotten Children: A Case for Action for Children and Youth with Disabilities in Foster Care
    • Identifying Children with Developmental Disabilities Receiving Child Protection Services: A National Survey of Child Welfare Administrators
    • Impact: Feature Issue on Children with Disabilities in the Child Welfare System
    • Maltreatment and Disabilities: A Population Based Epidemiological Study

National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) is associated with the Institute on Disability and Human Development (IL UCEDD)

  • Obesity Is a Major Secondary Condition Among People with Mental Illness.  Individuals who have schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, for example, have a significantly higher rate of obesity compared to the general population, which some experts believe is related to the types of medications they are taking along with poor lifestyle choices.  The health risks associated with obesity among people with mental illness lead to higher rates of other health problems such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes, as well as decreased adherence to medication.
  • Accessible Programs Database.   Add your accessible fitness, sport or recreation program to NCPAD's Database. The first step is to fill out the Online Questionnaire with your program's information.  Recognized programs have been entered into a database that will allow individuals to locate what's available in their area.  Consumers can access the database by going to NCPAD Website and searching by state or calling the toll-free hotline at 800-900-8086 and asking what is available in a certain part of the country. Contact Cheeri Ong at 800-900-8086 with questions.
  • NCPAD Personal Trainers Database.  Personal trainers, add your information to the NCPAD database/online survey, which can be great advertising for potential clients before and after the holiday season.
  • Beat Holiday Stress with NCPAD Resources

Resources from the Partners of the Institute on Community Integration (MN UCEDD)

Research to Know

Emerging Evidence in Health and Disability: Individuals with Diabetes and Depression May Need More Support for Exercise.  The study objective was to examine the association between depressive symptoms and exercise-related variables among individuals with type 2 diabetes.  Multiple linear regression was utilized to gauge the associations among the depression and exercise variables.  Results showed that lower use of relapse prevention behavior was significantly associated with higher depression scores in a multivariate model.  Vickers, K. S., Nies, M. A., Patten, C. A., Dierkhising, R., & Smith, S. A. (2006). Patients with diabetes and depression may need more support for exercise.  American Journal of Health Behavior, 30(4), 353-362.

Other Resources

ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments.  The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division issued the first installment of a new technical assistance document designed to assist state and local officials to improve compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The new technical assistance document is entitled The ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments.  The resource is designed to teach state and local government officials how to identify and fix problems that prevent people with disabilities from gaining equal access to state and local government programs, services, and activities.

HRSA Releases New Chartbook on Rural Health.  The Health and Well-Being of Children in Rural Areas: A Portrait of the Nation 2005, based on the National Survey of Children's Health, indicates that children in urban and rural areas are reported to be equally healthy, with about 84 percent in both groups reported in excellent or very good health.  But children living outside urban areas are less likely to be breastfed and more likely to live in households with a smoker, the report says.

State VR Agency Reports.  In order to provide state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, disability advocates, VR consumers and service providers, and other VR stakeholders with information on the performance of the federal and state VR program, OSERS Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) has published the Annual Review Reports for fiscal year 2005 for each of the 80 state VR agencies.  To view the Annual Review Reports online, click on the hyperlink, go and click on the active link "RSA-MIS" at the top of the Web page, then select "Annual Review Reports for FY 2005," scroll to the report you wish to view and click on the word "View."

2006 Disability Program Navigator Leadership Audio Conference Series.  As part of ongoing technical assistance activities, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Social Security Administration (SSA), in cooperation with the Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center (LHPDC) of the University of Iowa's College of Law, hosted a series of leadership audio conferences in 2006 that focused on learning more about and building partnerships with other Department of Labor programs.  Schedule:

Resources from the Community Living Exchange Collaborative.

  • Money Follows the Person Initiatives of the Systems Change Grantees (Final Report).  This report highlights the work of nine CMS Money Follows the Persons Grantees, with a focus on Texas and Wisconsin.  The report describes the initiatives, and discusses policy and design factors states should consider when developing MFP programs, including developing legislation and budget mechanisms for making transfers of funds, assuring availability of services and housing, identifying potential consumers for transition, developing NFT infrastructure, and monitoring and quality assurance. 
  • Money Follows the Person: State Approaches to Cost Effectiveness (Discussion Paper).  This Discussion Paper summarizes selected approaches for analyzing the cost effectiveness of nursing home transition/MFP projects.  It identifies questions that should be asked about the cost effectiveness of nursing home transition projects, discusses each question, identifies available national and state data pertinent to the question, and shows how states have answered these questions. 
  • Making Sure the Money Follows the Person in Your State (Webcast).  ILRU hosted a webcast where Bob Kafka, from ADAPT of Texas and Gwen Gillenwater from the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) offered ideas about how policy planners, agencies, states and advocates can promote Money Follows the Person.  There are a number of elements to consider including systemic issues, service coordination, housing, mental health, consumer involvement, quality and accountability. Listen to the presentation, review the transcript or read the handouts. 

Various Resources

  • American Bar Association National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities Report & Recommendations.  The report from the first ever ABA National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities celebrates an historic event, yet underscores an undeniable reality in our Association and our profession: While we can be proud of the progress made in regards to diversity as it applies to women and racial and ethnic minorities, a noticeable gap remains when it comes to diversity based on disability. 
  • Toy Guide for Differently-abled Kids.  This toy guide is developed in collaboration with the United Parents Syndicate on Disabilities and Toy R Us.
  • They Created Us (Book).  This book is a family's journey through the disability world that begins with their second son's encounter with Hflu meningitis at six months of age.  Through their journey, you will learn the complexities of the bureaucracy along with strategies to maneuver through a sometimes unresponsive system.  Special Education, Medicaid Waivers, EPSDT, and Independent Case Management are all part of a family's world when their child experiences disabilities.  This family's journey uncovers injustices and allows opportunity for basic rights to be realized throughout the systems that were put in place to help children with disabilities.
  • Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN) Fact Sheet: Internship and Employment Opportunities for Students with Disabilities.  EARN has compiled a fact sheet, which provides a list of programs and resources to assist students with disabilities in gaining valuable work experience and refining career choices before graduation. 
  • ediONLINE: Online Professional Development Courses and Certificate Programs in Disability, Workplace, and Employment Support Practice.  Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute's ediONLINE provides high-quality online training to improve and enhance effectiveness in supporting employment outcomes and greater economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.  ediONLINE's courses seek to bridge the gap between policy and practice by providing practical applications, hands-on learning, leading-edge skills, and knowledge that learners can immediately apply to their work.   Registration is required and a registration fee does apply.

New Websites

What a Difference a Friend Makes.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) launched the Mental Health National Anti Stigma Campaign to encourage, educate, and inspire people between 18 and 25 to support their friends who are experiencing mental health problems.  This group has a high potential to minimize future disability if social acceptance is broadened and they receive the right support and services early on.

CMS Patient Assistance Programs.  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have posted updated information on CMS policy with respect to patient assistance programs (PAPs), as well as helpful links to other information contained on the Office of the Inspector General's website.  Pharmaceutical manufacturers may sponsor PAPs that provide financial assistance or free supplies of prescription drugs (through in-kind product donations) to low-income individuals to augment any existing prescription drug coverage.

ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers.  The ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers (also known as Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers or DBTACs) are your comprehensive resource for information on the Americans with Disabilities Act and accessible information technology. Call toll free at 1-800-949-4232 (V/TTY) for the MOST complete and experienced services available to American businesses, government entities and the public.

K-12 Academics.  A webpage on Autism with in depth information on the Neuro-developmental disorder.

 

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