Project Description:
The Center on Disability and Development (CDD) at Texas A&M University submitted an application for the Administration on Community Living's new funding opportunity to expand the public health workforce within the disability networks. The purpose of this project was to increase the health network's capacity to promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work, and play. The proposed work included a variety of services related to public health such as health and wellness education and information, counseling, case management and guidance related to health and social needs, as well as how to access those supports in the local community.
The proposed project was an additional effort to a current project that expands access to COVID-19 vaccine by people with disabilities in Texas. It intended to work with various health care partners to recruit, hire, and train public health workers to respond to the pandemic and prepare for future public health challenges. As outlined by the ACL, the CDD aimed to increase the number of public health professionals within the disability networks to address the unique needs of people with disabilities through the support of wages and benefits for these professionals. Professionals supported through this program may provide a wide range of public health services and supports, including provision of culturally affirmative and linguistically accessible information, access assistance for vaccines and boosters, transition and diversion from high-risk congregate settings to community living, provision and connections to health and wellness programs, activities that address social isolation and social determinants of health, and other activities that support the public health and wellbeing of people with disabilities.
The following activities were conducted:
1. Person-Centered Training Model and Dissemination materials Development, Brazos County Health Department Staff and School of Public Health, Texas A&M University.
A two-day training model focused on the foundation and philosophical person-centered thinking (PCT) framework was developed by UCEDD staff and PCT Mentor Trainer. The training was identified as an activity in order to support the elimination of language and communication barriers between health care professionals at the department and individuals with disabilities in the community, and to help staff in health care settings improve quality, satisfaction, and accessibility for people with disabilities.The training model was developed for the Brazos County Health Department Staff and will be conducted by Aimee, a Person-Centered Trainer from the Center for Disability and Development, Texas A&M University. The training was developed for approximately 25-30 people. PCT training materials have been created and are ready for use. Dissemination materials such as flyers and pamphlets were developed and include information on types of disabilities, barriers to access to health care for individuals with disabilities, and how to communicate with individuals with disabilities including people-first, identify-first, and plain language. Since the grant focuses on expanding the public health workforce within the disability networks through the support of wages and benefits for health care professionals, food and transportation costs will be included in the future trainings at no cost to the public healthcare workers. Now that the training model has been developed and dissemination materials created, the training implementation phase will begin in FY 2024.
2. Sensory Bags Program; collaboration with St. Joesph Hospital
A collaboration between St. Joseph's hospital, Center for Disability and Development at Texas A&M University, and the University Athletics Department and Stacey Sensory Solutions (www.staceyssensorysolultions.com) led to the development of the "Sensory Bags Program." The intended recipients of the program products developed are event attendees with sensory needs who may feel overwhelmed by the environment at sporting and local events in the community. The goal was to promote a more accessible, inclusive, and positive experience at the stadiums for guests and fans with sensory needs. Because the grant focuses on the health and social needs of individuals with disabilities as well as how they can access support in the local community, this work aligned with the ACL grant intended outcomes. The first event in which the sensory bags were disseminate was at the Reed Arena venue, which hosts sporting events and the Texas A&M university graduation ceremonies. Attendees were able to identify designated areas as checkout locations for the sensory bags, which was staffed by staff of the Center for Disability and Development, Texas A&M Events, and St. Joseph. The sensory bag materials, included: Weighted lap pads, Fidgets, Sound reducing headphones, Sensory Aware Cards, and CHI logo bags. We created 30 sensory bags and provided them fully stocked with sensory items. The Sensory Bag program has been set up at graduations at Reed Arena (both high school and TAMU), concerts, and other Reed events since December 2022. These bags are returned by the borrowers after each event. The feedback that we received was very positive and now the university plans to have the sensory bags available at additional events hosted at Reed. They have also posted the sensory bags program on the graduation sites to help advertise its availability at Reed events. The local news station filmed a new story about the Sensory Bag project and the community shared positive feedback regarding this activity.
3. Texas Partners for Inclusive Access (TPIA)
The Texas Partners for Inclusive Access is a statewide partnership of organizations initially created to helping Texans with disabilities have access to the COVID-19 vaccine and other services. The statewide and local agencies include, but not limited to: Disability Rights Texas, Texas Council on Developmental Disabilities, Texas A&M University Center on Disability and Development, and University of Texas at Austin Center for Disability Studies (including the Texas Technology Access Program), Aging, Disability And Transportation Resource Center - El Paso And Far West Texas, Amistad Serving Our Community Since 1976, Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living, Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living, Connect to Care, FEMA, House the Homeless, Inc., Providers Alliance for Community Services of Texas, Rio Grande Aging, Disability and Transportation Resource Center, State Independent Living Council (SILC), Texas Advocates, Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute, Texas Governor's Committee on People with disabilities, Texas Health and Human Services, The Arc of Texas, West Central Texas Aging and Disability Resource Center. Texas Partners for Inclusive Access is a collaboration among Texans with disabilities, state leaders, and community organizations to ensure Texas communities meet the unique needs of individuals with disabilities and their families. Texas Partners for Inclusive Access provides trustworthy information and resources so that Texans with disabilities have fewer barriers to obtain community-based services and supports. The work began with the Texas Vaccine Access Initiative in which we launched a collaborative statewide initiative to provide educational information on the COVID-19 virus and safe practices and to create more equitable access to testing and vaccines. We collaborated with local medical experts and health leaders in communities throughout our state who can answer questions about vaccinations and address concerns that individuals with disabilities, family members, and other direct caregivers may have. Partners also work in local communities across Texas to provide direct assistance to individuals with disabilities to find vaccines, get rides to appointments, arrange for drive thru clinics, or coordinate in-home vaccination options. Similarly, partners collaborate closely with vaccine clinic providers to offer guidance on needed technology, sensory, and communication accommodations. More of this work has been shared in the TPIA Project description and activities.
4. Tips for Working with People with Disabilities: A Resource for Health Care Professionals
The Public Health Project Coordinator developed the "Tips for Working with People with Disabilities: A Resource for Health Care Professionals" as a response to the identified access barriers between people with disabilities and those who support them and health care professionals. The tips can be used by individuals in the healthcare field to communicate and work with people with visible and invisible disabilities. The Resource "Tip Sheet" was developed and uploaded to the CDD's website in June 2023.
+++ FY 2024+++
1. Person-Centered Thinking (PCT) Training.
Aimee Ortiz-Day (Mentor Trainer) provided two PCT trainings for Driscoll Health in Corpus Christie (9/25-26 & 11/20-21). Driscoll heath is a managed care organization and providers of STAR, STAR KIDS and CHIP. She trained 21 health service coordinators who focus on person-centered care planning for children and young adults (up to the age 21.) 50% of the service coordinators, who received the training, were RN's who create plans for children who are medically fragile.
Training objectives:
-Learning to balance what is important TO a person and what is important FOR a person.
-Practicing PCT Discovery Skills that help us better understand a good balance for the person and how to best support them.
-Introducing PCT Everyday Learning Skills to capture ongoing learning and support the person to create a life they envision.
Person Centered Thinking Training is the foundation for meeting the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirement for residential settings and service planning.
Aimee provided training that was focused on specific discovery tools to develop planning based on what is important to and for a person to live a valued community life. This approach is a process that gathers information about the day to day activity in a person's life in an effort to create better lives not just plans focused on health and safety. This shift in thinking helps create a plan which is created WITH the person with a disability rather that a plan created FOR them. It allows for balance between health and what the person needs in their life to live life as they want.
In addition, Laura Buckner (University of Texas Center for Disability Studies), Mentor Trainer, is currently mentoring two Driscoll Health Employees so that they can become certified trainers.
"What was Helpful about the Training"
-I have learned a lot about myself and how to help others in a more meaningful way.
-Using skills in personal & professional aspects
-Learning this process and how it applies to our assessments.
-Learned how to approach my members with an open mind.
-Being more understanding and accommodating and how to work with and problem solve with people who have disabilities.
2. Health Equity Project: Training and Resources.
The goal of this work is to develop a training and support program to improve access to effective health care for people with developmental disabilities (DD) in the Brazos Valley region
Texas A&M University is creating a bilingual English and Spanish training program on health equity for people with DD as well as their families and caregivers. The project serves the Brazos Valley region in Central Texas, which is a rural area with many medically underserved residents with lower incomes. Along with the training program, the project will also create a bilingual resource website.
The goal of the Health Equity Project is to increase knowledge of the lived experience of people with DD and their families and to improve self-direction, accessibility, and effectiveness of treatment and supports for people with DD. These efforts promote statewide capacity building and systems change in educating and training self-advocates, family members, doctors, and other professionals.
Training Courses:
1. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating Mental Health Professionals (in both English and Spanish)
2. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating Primary Care Physicians for Adults with Developmental Disabilities (in English)
3. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating General Pediatricians (in English)
4. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating Early Childhood Intervention (in English)
5. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating Obstetricians/Gynecologists (OB/GYNs; in English)
Training Courses currently in pilot testing:
1. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating Primary Care Physicians for Adults with Developmental Disabilities (in Spanish)
2. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating General Pediatricians (in Spanish)
3. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating Early Childhood Intervention (in Spanish)
4. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating Dentists (in both English and Spanish)
5. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating Eye Doctors (in English)
Training Courses in final stages of development:
1. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating Eye Doctors (in Spanish)
2. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating Obstetricians/Gynecologists (OB/GYNs; in Spanish)
3. Health Insurance and Texas Medicaid Waiver Programs for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (in English and Spanish)
4. Finding, Choosing, and Evaluating Individualized Education Programs (IEP)/Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD; in English and Spanish)
5. Patients' Rights, Advocacy, and Communication (in English and Spanish)
Each training has handouts, a list of local resources, accessible recordings and videos, and pre/post/and 6-month follow-up surveys. In addition, a website has been developed that will direct prospective participants to the training portal.
3. Information Dissemination
Texas Transition Conference Presentations (February-March 2024)
- Tools for Teaching Disability Disclosure
- A Gap in Transition Planning: Focusing on Disaster Preparedness
- Promoting the Mental Well-Being of Transition Age Youth With Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
- 88th Legislative Session and Post-School Transition
- Make It Sustainable! Giving Families and Caregivers the Tools for Life After School
Brazos Valley Disability Conference and Resource Fair Presentations (February 2024)
+ "Social Security Basics: Understand How Work and Earning Money is a GREAT Idea!"
•Examine the different eligibility standards between title 2 and supplemental security income
(SSI);
•Explain the process and impact on SSA benefits when a student turns 18;
•Contrast the differences between Medicare and Medicaid;•Guide the process to utilize SSA work incentives and maximize benefits; and
•Alleviate fears of loss of benefits by clarifying myths and explaining misinformation.
+ "Building Blocks: Strategies for Supporting Special Needs Across the Lifespan"
In this session, attendees received resources to support their child with special needs
throughout various life stages, spanning from infancy to adulthood. The content encompassed
practical checklists, effective best practices, and instructional methods tailored to foster skills in
choice and decision-making, goal setting, self-awareness, and self-determination.
+. "Ability Amplified: Essential Skills for Successful Long-term Employment"
Attendees learned about the process and student/supervisor training that took place at Baylor Scott & White Hospital
where Project Search works closely with hospital staff, mentors, and supervisors to ensure that students are
learning skills.
+ "Oh, the Places You'll Go: Fostering Strength, Confidence and Creativity
with Disabled Youth and Young Adults"
Society seems convinced living life with a disability is tragic, unfulfilling and burden-
some, which can often influence opportunities and expectations for youth and young
adults looking to explore the world and how they will contribute to it. In this talk, Jus-
tin Romack will share how he's worked to reclaim the narrative on disability and use
his blindness as a catalyst for the value he brings to his family, workplace and com-
munity involvement, and the ways he coaches, consults and advises disabled youth
and young adults to understand their disability and the many strengths they possess.
+ Brazos Valley Disability Conference and Resource Fair - Resourse Guide
700 copies of the printed copy of the Disability Resource Guide disseminated.
