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AUCDigest

June 16, 2006 • Volume 6, Number 62


RESOURCES

Network Related Resources

First-Ever Distance Learning Graduate Certificate in Children's Mental Health Offered by Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute (FL UCEDD).   Beginning fall 2006, the University of South Florida (USF) will offer the first-ever distance learning Graduate Certificate in Children's Mental Health to help prepare leaders to develop effective community-based Systems of Care. For all students interested in enrolling in courses for the fall of 2006, enrollment is now open through September 1, 2006. For additional information, visit the Graduate Certificate in Children's Mental Health website.  For more information, contact Dr. Carol MacKinnon-Lewis at 813-974-2075.

Texas Center for Disability Studies Resource Guide: Understanding Family Support and Opening Doors to the Future.  The UCEDD, using funding provided by The Trull Foundation, has developed a new resource guide for parents of children living in institutions in Texas, or children at extreme risk of placement.  The guide is available to families as well as agencies and organizations who provide information or services to families that are seeking placement for their children.  For further information, contact Steve Thomas at 512-232-0772.

Preparing People with Disabilities for Evacuation, Shelter, and Recovery during National Emergencies (Effective Practice).   Knowing how to evacuate during a disaster is critical for the survival of individuals with disabilities. This effective practice from the Institute for Community Inclusion's (MA UCEDD) National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) will assist organizations and individuals with disabilities to develop and implement an accessible emergency preparedness plan. Mike Collins, Executive Director of the California State Independent Living Council, an organization that has several years of experience in disaster planning, compiled these findings from forums the council held with the disability community after the 2003 wildfires in San Diego. The information was adapted by Danielle Dreilinger, ICI Communications Specialist.

Consumer Advisory Committees:  Recommendations for Meaningful Participation of Individuals with Disabilities and Families (Report).  This report was funded by ADD through our technical assistance contract and created by Dr. Joe Caldwell (2005 AUCD Policy Fellow), Sharon Hauss (IN Institute on Disability and Community), Gordon Richins (UT Center for Persons with Disabilities), and Bethany Stark (UCLA Tarjan Center).  The purposes of this project were to: Identify supports that enhance the meaningful participation and effectiveness of Consumer Advisory Committees (CACs); Develop case studies on innovative or best practices in CACs; Provide recommendations concerning the assessment of CACs; and Provide recommendations of possible areas to consider during the future reauthorization of The DD Act.

New Products and Resources from WY UCEDD's Victims of Crime with Disabilities Resource Guide:  Every month, new products and services are added to the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (UCEDD) Resources Database.  Conduct a quick search and review the following resources:

  • Boundaries - Implementation Tips
  • Care Planning and Delivery in Intellectual Disabilities Nursing
  • Privacy of Personal Care - Implementation Tips 
  • Interviewing Skills to Use with Abuse Victims Who Have Developmental Disabilities

Maternal and Child Health Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) Knowledge Path.   Produced by the MCH Library, this new edition is an electronic guide to recent, high-quality resources that cover the frequency, timing, and content of health promotion and disease prevention services for infants, children, and adolescents. 

Resources from NCSET Partners/ Institute on Community Integration (MN UCEDD)

  • What does Health Have to Do with Transition? Everything! (NCSET Parent Brief).  This brief provides information on the benefits of and strategies for including health in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process.
  • Online Survey on Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners with Disabilities (NCEO Report).  This is a report explaining a study conducted to verify consensus on the importance and use of certain strategies and practices when instructing English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities across grade levels. Despite limitations in the number and breadth of representation of educators, the nationwide study found a pattern of higher-rated and lower-rated strategies in common across educators and grade levels served.

Research Based Studies

Accessibility of Pennsylvania's Victim Assistance Programs.  Beverly Frantz, Allison Carey, and Diane Bryen in Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 16 (2006).  Authors are members of the Institute on Disabilities (Temple - PA UCEDD).   The prevalence of sexual abuse and domestic violence among women with disabilities is at least as high as the rates experienced by women without disabilities. However, according to anecdotal accounts and preliminary research, many victim service agencies are inaccessible and do not provide appropriate support and services for people with disabilities. This study examined the physical and programmatic accessibility of 55 rape crisis, sexual assault, and domestic violence agencies throughout Pennsylvania. Findings suggest that most programs had several accessibility structures in place, such as ramps and accessible restrooms. However, fewer programs had less well-known physical and programmatic accessibility features in place to ensure equal access to services. Recommendations focus on cross-system collaboration to provide access to victim services by all victims, including those with disabilities.

Reducing the Risk of Sexual Abuse for People Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication.  Barbara Collier, Donna McGhie-Richmond, Fran Odette, and Jake Pyne in Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 22 (2006).  To date little attention has been focused on the sexual abuse experiences of people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and on addressing ways to reduce their risk for this type of abuse. This paper describes the results of a 3-year project that suggested the majority of participants in this project have experienced a range of abuses including sexual abuse, lack information about healthy and abusive relationships, have no way of communicating about sexuality and abuse, and lack supports in their personal lives and from within the community-at-large that are necessary to cope with relationship difficulties and specifically problems associated with abuse and justice system services.  These findings and implications are shared with the intent of highlighting the need for more research and attention to the issue of abuse prevention for people who use AAC.

Other Resources

New EEOC Publication Addresses Reasonable Accommodation for Attorneys with Disabilities.  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a new fact sheet addressing the application of the reasonable accommodation obligation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to attorneys with disabilities and their employers.  This ADA fact sheet aims to dispel myths and enhance diversity in the legal profession.

The Science of Mental Illness (Education Curriculum).  A new, free NIH-sponsored curriculum supplement for middle school, The Science of Mental Illness, has been released.  The six lesson unit is designed to complement existing life science curricula and is consistent with the National Science Education Standards.  The structure of the unit enables teachers to effectively facilitate learning and stimulate student interest by applying scientific concepts to real-life scenarios.

2006 Disability Employment Poster.  ODEP's Assistant Secretary Roy Grizzard has announced that the 2006 poster for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is now available to the public. This year's theme, Americans with Disabilities: Ready for the Global Workforce, was announced by USDOL Secretary Elaine L. Chao in May. Congress enacted Public Law 176 in 1945 establishing October as the month to recognize the contributions Americans with disabilities are making in the workplace.

Social Security Administration Resources.  On May 30, 2006 the Social Security Administration's Office of Policy has released the following documents on its website:

  • Income of the Population 55 or Older, 2004 - This biennial report includes more than 70 statistical tables with data on the major sources and amounts of income for people aged 55 or older and their total income and poverty status.
  • SSI Disabled Recipients Who Work, 2005 - This report presents data on all SSI disabled recipients who work, Section 1619 participants, and recipients who benefit from other work incentive programs.
  • Social Security Administration's 2006 Red Book - The Red Book serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income Programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities.

CDC Report Reveals Latest Autism Numbers in the United States.  Results from two national surveys where parents were asked if their child had ever received a diagnosis of autism suggest that in 2003-2004, autism has been diagnosed in at least 300,000 children aged 4-17 years in the United States. The National Health Interview Survey and the National Survey of Children's Health studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveal that on an average, 5.5-5.7 out of every 1,000 children are diagnosed with autism.

Autism Speaks Commercials.  The Ad Council has produced three awareness commercials for the Autism Speaks organization.  The goal is to increase awareness that "autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the US" and thereby increase early diagnosis and interventions of autism and autism spectrum disorder.  On the same webpage are also radio, newspaper and interactive ads. 

New Publications from AAMR - Download a full AAMR publications catalog here.

  • Clinical Judgment (Robert L. Schalock and Ruth Luckasson): This best practices guide-the only one of its kind-offers step-by-step guidelines on how to integrate clinical judgment into professional decisions while working with persons with intellectual disabilities. Six case studies demonstrate how to use clinical judgment to facilitate diagnosis, classification, and supports planning.
  • National Goals for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Edited by K. Charlie Lakin and Ann P. Turnbull):  National Goals is America's first effort to assess the status of the nation with regards to its fulfillment of goals for persons with intellectual disabilities in areas such as education, positive behavior support, biomedical research, technology, transition planning, health supports, employment, self advocacy, aging, and community supports.
  • Health Promotion for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: The State of Scientific Evidence (Edited by Wendy M. Nehring):  Based on a national conference conducted by AAMR, this report summarizes current research on 14 topics that affect the health and well being of persons with intellectual disabilities in the hope of informing research, policy, clinical, and health care initiatives and eliminating health disparities among persons with intellectual disabilities.
  • Supports Intensity Scale Electronic Scoring Program on CD-ROM (James Thompson et al):  The Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) electronic scoring program (ESP) on CD-ROM is a stand-alone application that automates the scoring and reporting of SIS, a planning tool for professionals in intellectual disabilities. The SIS ESP uses raw scores gleaned from SIS interviews and automatically converts them into an individualized Supports Needs Index, confidence interval, graph, and a complete report for each person.

Reports, Guides, Fact Sheets & Briefs

  • More Than 50 Million Americans Report Some Level of Disability (Census Report).  About 18 percent of Americans in 2002 said they had a disability, and 12 percent had a severe disability, according to a publication released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Americans with Disabilities: 2002 report, compiled from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, stated that approximately 51.2 million people said they had a disability; for 32.5 million of them, the disability was severe.
  • Your Medicare Rights and Protections (CMS Guide).  This guide provides Medicare beneficiaries and their advocates with important information about their rights to file a complaint, to get the health care services they need, to have their health information kept private, and to know where they can get help with their questions.  
  • Assisting People with Disabilities in a Disaster (Fact Sheet).  This resource is from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding how to assist people with disabilities during a disaster.
  • Medicaid Eligibility Access for People with Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias (Public Policy Brief).  This public policy issue brief from the Alzheimer's Association describes functional eligibility issues for people with dementia and discusses how six states determine eligibility for Medicaid-funded long-term care services.  The paper makes recommendations for appropriately assessing the long-term care needs of people with dementia, and for setting level-of-care criteria that treat people with physical and cognitive impairments equitably.
  • Consumer-Directed Home and Community-Based Services (AARP Fact Sheet).  The growing trend toward consumer direction in the delivery of home and community-based long-term care services is described in this resource. Examining the program's use among older people with disabilities, the report identifies issues policymakers should consider as its use continues to grow.
  • Funding Tips (JAN Fact Sheet).  This publication summarizes funding search tips and describes some of the most frequent types of organizations and groups that provide funding.  Tax incentives are available to employers of individuals with disabilities. These tax incentives help cover the cost of accommodations for employees and equipment to make businesses accessible.
  • Family Caregiver Support: State Facts at a Glance (Report).  The National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) in collaboration with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and funded by the Administration on Aging, has just released a report that provides information by state about family caregivers, the state-level programs that serve them, and legislation introduced and enacted. 
  • Ahead of the Curve: Emerging Trends and Practices in Family Caregiver Support (Report).  Some states incorporate caregiver support services into their programs that serve older people or adults with disabilities; in other states, it is separate with distinct eligibility criteria.  Because many states are increasing HCBS funding, policymakers and administrators have a strong interest in emerging trends. This report highlights three: caregiver assessment, consumer direction in family caregiver support services, and collaborations between the aging network and the health care system.

Various Resources

  • Teaching & Assessing Students with Disabilities (Tool Kit).  The U.S. Department of Education strives to achieve excellence in education for students with disabilities, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings launched an initiative focused on improving teaching, learning, and assessing by increasing states' capacity to provide rigorous assessment, instruction, and accountability for these students. The keys to this effort are instruction and assessment, relying on the most current and accurate information on how students with disabilities learn while also measuring student performance to ensure continuous growth and progress.
  • New Online Database on Research in Assistive Technology & Cognitive Disability.  A new assistive technology database by the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities at the University of Colorado allows users to search over 600 citations of research pertaining to technologies used by persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities by keyword, author name, journal, category of assistive technology, and other fields.
  • RESNA:  Alternative Financing Technical Assistance Project.  The Alternative Financing Technical Assistance Project is a sponsored by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA).  This includes Alternative Financing Programs funded under Title III of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-394) and Access to Telework Loan programs funded under the New Freedom Initiative.  Alternative Financing Programs offer more than affordable access to assistive technology for people with disabilities. These federal-state loan programs open doorways to enhanced participation in family and community life, education, employment and health care for individuals with disabilities by expanding options for obtaining and, ultimately, using assistive technology. 
  • Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) May Newsletter.  The FCTD May issue features an interview with Dr. Mary Beth Doyle, author of The Paraprofessional's Guide to the Inclusive Classroom: Working as a Team. Dr. Doyle joins FCTD as we examine the changing role of paras in the nation's schools, and the influence of assistive technology in refitting the pieces of the paraprofessional puzzle. 
  • Disability-Competent Health Systems (Article).  This article draws on the best practices of consumer-driven health programs for people with disabilities and offers a Disability-Competent Health System model. The model integrates health and social services to maximize opportunities for independent living and person-centered care. This interdisciplinary approach is a promising framework and an opportunity for the independent living movement to address health-related issues without subscribing to the medical model.
  • Experience of Medicaid Managed Care Programs for People with Disabilities (Paper).  One of the greatest challenges facing every state Medicaid program is devising an effective delivery system for its most resource-intensive beneficiaries.  Several pilot programs called Disability Care Coordination Organizations are taking the best attributes of managed care and reconfiguring them to improve the lives of Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities. This paper synthesizes the programs' key components and describes the challenges they face.
  • 2006 CMS Systems Change Conference: Access to Community Living.  Conference materials are now available on-line.
  • A Case for Inclusion - An Analysis of Medicaid and Americans with Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (UCP Study).  United Cerebral Palsy conducted a holistic analysis to chart each state's ranking and progress in creating a quality, meaningful and community-inclusive life for those Americans with mental retardation and developmental disabilities served by that state's Medicaid program. This is part of a three-phase process that also will study top-performing states and then create state-specific action plans on how their state can improve.
  • Advising High School Students with Disabilities on Postsecondary Options (Guidance & Counselors' Toolkit).  Developed by the George Washington University Heath Resource Center.   This Toolkit is intended to help guidance and career counselors to better assist high school students with disabilities in accomplishing transitions into postsecondary education and employment.

New Websites

HRSA Cultural Competence Resources for Health Care Providers.  The United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration has developed this webpage for health providers.

UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration.  The UPenn Collaborative on Community Integration is the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) promoting community integration of individuals with psychiatric disabilities.  To achieve its long-term objectives and lead the field in advancing Community Integration knowledge and technology, UPenn Collaborators work together to create new, informative materials on Community Integration topics to aid consumers, social service providers, administrators and advocates across the country.

Raw Beauty.  Uncensored Life: Raw Beauty is an innovative visual arts project designed to inspire the public to create new perceptions, transform stereotypes and breakthrough personal obstacles by expanding awareness of women with physical challenges.

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH).  CCPH is a nonprofit organization that promotes health through partnerships between communities and higher educational institutions. Founded in 1996, we are a growing network of over 1000 communities and campuses throughout the United States and increasingly the world that are collaborating to promote health through service-learning, community-based participatory research, broad-based coalitions and other partnership strategies.

 

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