Dear Parents and Community Partners,
Below is a list of our offerings for this week. Please feel free to share as you see fit. If you are interested in attending this workshops or the support groups, or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly (my contact info is below G.E.A.R. Families please note that we are still hosting our weekly Parent Support Groups on the following days:
This is one of my favorite training’s, I highly recommend it. "Parenting with Dignity-Picking up This Ball Is a Victory for All” Facilitated by Jess Hall, Regional Parent Support Coordinator G.E.A.R. Parent Network invites you to pick up the ball and run with it through a multi-part parenting education course developed by Mac Bledsoe, father of a celebrated New England Patriots’ quarterback. Parenting with Dignity helps parents learn effective techniques for raising responsible, independent children. Topics include: Session 1: A Model of Human Performance and Five Rules for Parents – Tuesday, November 3, 2020 from 6-8:30 p.m. Session 2: Discipline, Deciding what you Want - Part 1 and 2 – Thursday, November 5, 2020 from 6-8:30 p.m. Session 3: Sending a Constant Message of Love – Part 1 and 2 – Tuesday, November 10, 2020 from 6-8:30 p.m. Session 4: Teaching Your Values to Your Kids and Goal Setting – Thursday, November 12, 2020from 6-8:30 p.m. Session 5: The Reasons Punishment Doesn’t Work – Tuesday, November 17, 2020 from 6-8:30 p.m. Becca, Rebecca Williamson, CFPS Regional Parent Support Coordinator G.E.A.R Parent Network 10 Caldwell Rd. Augusta, ME. 04332 1-800-264-9224 or cell 207-713-2268 [email protected] Visit us on the web at www.gearparentwork.org Maine Association for Community Service Providers (MACSP)
Fall 2020 Webinar Series Don't Miss Out! Virtual Innovations: Keeping Us Connected During COVID and Beyond Join us to learn from innovative leaders from around the country. They will share their stories, promising practices, and tips for success to continue meaningful supports virtually during this pandemic. Registration Registration FeesSign up for One MACSP Member: $39 Non-MACSP Member: $49 Sign up for all Three MACSP Member: $75 Non-MACSP Member: $100 Thursday, November 5th 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm (EST) Community Supports Innovations Kathy McHale, SPIN’s President & CEO, and SPIN’s Community Support Program (CPS) team will present on strategies and resources they developed and delivered to quickly transition to virtual services when the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world for people. By supporting individuals with technology, and ensuring continued meaningful engagement, the team was able to keep people connected. They will provide a demonstration of their virtual CPS programming, including strategies for the creative use of various technologies from landline telephones to video platforms. Presenters will share how they have used continued partnerships with community and educational partners to enrich their virtual activities and maintain community connections. Attendees will learn about the platforms, techniques, and activity ideas to either refresh or initiate their own virtual programming. There will be time for questions after the presentation. About SPIN: SPIN is a Pennsylvania based provider of high-quality lifespan community services for people with intellectual disability and autism and early childhood education for children with or without a disability. With national, state, and local recognition, awards, and accreditation, SPIN has created a culture of quality and innovation, advancing its mission through a dedicated, cohesive team of leaders and professionals who support over 3,700 children and adults to achieve and enjoy a life of possibilities. Thursday, November 12th 1:00 pm- 2:30 pm (EST) Lessons Learned in Alaska: Creating Capacity for Providing Services Remotely When COVID came smashing in, technology took on new importance in everyone’s lives. Service providers across the country have grappled with an abrupt shift in providing services to people with disabilities. The Alaska DD provider association created the COVID Response Technology Project with the goal of increasing the capacity of providers to use technology to provide distance delivered services. What can Maine learn from Alaska’s experiences? Project coordinator Kim Champney will share emerging best practices, helpful resources, and challenges still on the horizon. About the Presenter: Kim Champney is a consultant based in Juneau, Alaska. She has nearly 24 years in the field of disability services. As a consultant, Kim has been inspired by the opportunities that technology provides to people with disabilities and is the co-founder of Health TIE (Testbed for Innovative Enterprises), an innovation hub focused on bridging promising startups and human service providers. Kim has a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is past president of the Alaska Association on Developmental Disabilities and a graduate of the National Leadership Institute on Developmental Disabilities. Thursday, November 19th 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm (EST) Ready or Not: Gone Virtual Like many organizations, Aspire Living & Learning had begun exploring the power of technology to improve our service delivery before the pandemic. But COVID-19 brought us head-on into the virtual and actual world, none of us expected. Along with the many tasks of keeping everyone in our services safe, we took the opportunity to rethink how we bring people together, provide meaningful community experiences, and engage successfully with our employees. The result is a vibrant community called Aspire Online! along with new onboarding and training methods. This webinar will share the ups and downs of this process, with practical tips direct from individuals, employees, and providers. About the Presenter: Dr. Le’Ann Milinder recently moved from New Hampshire to Maine, where she is the Director of Strategic Communications for Aspire Living & Learning. Aspire is a multi-state non-profit providing residential, day, and ABA services to adults and children with I/DD. During her 30 years in NH, Dr. Milinder was most recently Aspire’s NH State Director from 2015 to 2020. She was formerly President of the Private Provider Network, VP & Conference Chair for the New Hampshire Association of Behavior Analysis, and member of the State Advisory Committee for Children with Disabilities. She holds a doctoral degree in Psychology and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst®. Register Here Thank You to our Sponsor Maine Association for Community Service Providers (MACSP) PO Box 149 Hallowell, ME 04347 (207) 623-5005 www.meacsp.org Executive Director: Laura Cordes [email protected] Introduce Yourself to Your Local Legislative Candidates:
Community Connect Maine is offering easy ways for you to feel comfortable reaching out to your legislators and legislative candidates. Send your local candidates a postcard or an email now right before the election introducing yourself and encouraging them to support disability issues. If you want them to win, wish them good luck. Check out our templates and postcards, and find your legislative candidates’ addresses on our website at:https://communityconnectme.org/ The Arc 2020 National Convention - 10/26-10/28 Learn From The Best in the Disability Community! The Arc’s National Convention is an unmatched opportunity to connect and learn with advocates, professionals, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families. If you are interested in employment, education, advocacy, housing, criminal justice, and more – our sessions are sure to challenge, inspire, and motivate! REGISTER NOW MPF Events for November 2020
November 4 - Family First Prevention Services: Parent Stakeholders How Does the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) Impact Positive change for Families and Youth in Maine? The Family First law works to: Keep children and teens safely with their own family and avoid placement into foster care by providing increased services and supports to families. Improve existing residential services for youth who need this placement. We want to share more information about how this law impacts youth and families in Maine as well as talk with you about how you can help the Office for Child and Family Services (OCFS) to plan for this exciting opportunity to reform child welfare practice in Maine. Join FFPSA Program Manager Christine Theriault, LMSW for an update on the status of OCFS planning for Family First. This is an opportunity for parents to share their thoughts and ideas on FFPSA planning, and have a voice in OCFS policy.We will be holding 2 sessions on Nov 4, 2020. November 4, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpf-6vpzkrEt0C_q-Xqy-kBfpnC3DCU3d0 November 4, 2020 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrd-msqTIjGNZBNlQKSDTRctReJKz99fj_ November 5 - Education is Special Special Education in Maine (or anywhere) can be a complex and confusing system to navigate. Many parents feel overwhelmed by the various rules and regulations, as well as the vocabulary that is used. Maine Parent Federation has developed this virtual workshop as a resource to help explain the process of special education and empower families to be active participants in their children's education. November 5, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_L2I0VhSqTgGsXtJlnCpSEw After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. November 9 - Parent Support Group Join Maine Parent Federation for a Virtual Parent Support Group. These meetings are intended to provide a confidential opportunity to connect parents who have children with special healthcare needs or disabilities. MPF staff will be available to answer your questions, hear your concerns, and provide helpful resources for you and your family. November 9, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqfu6orTsjHdJ5pGW6VUN4xkXBzsC8Qmib After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. November 12 - SMART Goals A well-written goal in your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be SMART. Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Results-oriented. Time-limited. Join MPF staff as we discuss how to write effective and functional IEP goals using the SMART acronym. November 12, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5_WEvi46QcqJackrQMwDNg After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. November 17 - Youth Taking Action Part 3/4 In the third installment of our virtual Youth Taking Action series we will be discussing Action Planning: Putting your words into action. If you were unable to join our previous meetings, no worries! Feel free to attend this session and join our on-going conversation! Together we can be better self-advocates, and youth leaders. This project is a partnership between Maine Parent Federation, Maine Youth Action Network, and Penquis Community Action Program. November 17, 2020 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtdu-gpzstHdylFFetSlavt38z4NqwPx0U After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. November 19 - Parent Support Group Join Maine Parent Federation for a Virtual Parent Support Group. These meetings are intended to provide a confidential opportunity to connect parents who have children with special healthcare needs or disabilities. MPF staff will be available to answer your questions, hear your concerns, and provide helpful resources for you and your family. November 19, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEudeGqqjoiGNd4kRfUtGLnZsBXcypMpdkI After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you have any questions, please contact MPF at 800-870-7746 or e-mail: [email protected]. IMPORTANT NOTICE: Accessible Absentee Voting for People with Print Disabilities in Maine is Available Starting October 2, 2020
What does this news mean? Maine will now offer an accessible, electronically-delivered absentee ballot system for use by Maine voters with print disabilities. What is a print disability? A print disability may include, but it not limited to, vision impairment or blindness; physical dexterity limitations; learning disabilities such as dyslexia; brain injury or cognitive impairment; or dementia, all of which may prevent an individual from independently marking a traditional paper ballot. When does it go into effect? The system is in effect starting Friday, October 2, 2020. How do I access this service to request a ballot? Online at: Absentee Ballot Request Service Telephone: Contact your municipal clerk or the Maine Elections Division at (207) 624-7650 Email: [email protected] How do I learn more? DRM Press Release Questions? Contact John Goetz/Disability Rights Maine at (207) 619-4778 or at [email protected] Contact the Disability Rights Maine Voting Hotline 1-800-452-1948 with questions or concerns regarding voting in Maine Are you using transportation through one or more of the following programs? Do you need transportation to your appointments but sometimes don’t have it?
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is conducting a quality assessment of its transportation programs, including transportation offered through:
Even if you are not currently using a DHHS transportation program, we would like to hear from you so that we can understand how you are getting to appointments or services and why you choose not to use DHHS transportation programs. By participating, you can enter a drawing to win a $50 Walmart gift card! Three winners will be selected! Take the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Maine_DHHS In addition to the survey, we are hosting virtual Listening Sessions in October and November. If you would like to participate in these discussions about improving transportation programs, please let us know by providing your contact information in the survey. We encourage you to join the session intended for your area, but you are welcome at any meeting that fits your schedule. You can find the listening sessions schedule and information online. You do not need to register to participate – you can join a session by clicking on the meeting link or calling in via phone at the time of the meeting. Thank you in advance for your input! If you need the survey in an alternate format or interpreter assistance during the listening sessions, please contact Laura Brown in advance by email at [email protected] or phone at (813) 482-8828. Disability Voters of Maine, in collaboration with Community Connect Maine and other partners, has released their second Maine Disability Campaign Questionnaire. Links to the questionnaire have been emailed to all candidates running for the Maine Legislature (with a few exceptions when email addresses weren’t publicly available), but it’s helpful for candidates to hear from their own constituents as well. If your candidates haven’t submitted a response, you can send them the link and make a personal request.
Here is the link to the questionnaire: https://forms.gle/2JkZK9q2bPc2pAk19 This link will take you to the Facebook page where you’ll find completed responses from candidates: https://www.facebook.com/DisabilityVotersMaine/notes/?view_public_for=447307379007120&ref=page_internal If you see that candidates running in your district have already responded, you can reach out with a word of thanks and/or share their completed answers on your own Facebook timeline with a message about why candidate engagement is meaningful to you/your loved ones. So far this year, responses have been coming in much more quickly than in 2018. It’s clear that candidates in Maine are starting to appreciate that Disability Voters are a large and important constituency, and that all policy decisions have an impact on our community. ****In addition this information, There is a disability voter resource document that includes the above information and lots more! Here's the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O16y3wY8l7S8VPEMeUo2tWvYTKtr52b-l0P_l33Bs3o/edit?usp=sharing October 2020 MPF Events 10/8/20 Support Group Join Maine Parent Federation for a Virtual Parent Support Group. These meetings are intended to provide a confidential opportunity to connect parents who have children with special healthcare needs or disabilities. MPF staff will be available to answer your questions, hear your concerns, and provide helpful resources for you and your family. *We will be joined by Rebecca Williams from Best Buddies, International to talk about peer programs in Maine! To join our Virtual Parent Support Group on October 8th, 2020 @ 12p, please register at the link below. We look forward to seeing you there! https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtduCrrDoiGdFYyRLoC9ec9M3qfFXjsLlK 10/20/20 Webinar Maine Parent Federation teams up with the Division Vocational Rehabilitation to bring you: “Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Increasing Access and Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities In Maine” Join Maine’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired along with special guests as they highlight how Maine is partnering to help youth and young adults with disabilities get started early on the pathway to employment. Learn about new virtual resources, school partnerships, and youth employment success across the state. October 20, 2020 @ 3p Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TNX_aQ5fSoe6BKt6yy9daQ 10/20/20 Youth Group Youth Taking Action Part 2/4: Maine Parent Federation has partnered with Maine Youth Action Network, and Penquis Community Action Agency to create a virtual space for youth and young adults with disabilities (14-26). In this series of training we will discuss topics that are important for individuals to be self-advocates and youth leaders. In Part 1 we discussed the importance of having good values. In Part 2 we will discuss the importance of discerning fact from opinion when making decisions for yourself. We hope to see you there! October 20, 2020 @ 4p Register in advance for this group: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwtfuCvqzsvHtbsmdyjfBms8uKJF6VkZexz 10/21/20 Support Group Join Maine Parent Federation for a Virtual Parent Support Group. These meetings are intended to provide a confidential opportunity to connect parents who have children with special healthcare needs or disabilities. MPF staff will be available to answer your questions, hear your concerns, and provide helpful resources for you and your family. To join our Virtual Parent Support Group on October 21nd, 2020 @ 7p, please register at the link below. We look forward to seeing you there! https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkdOyrrTMoEtSJk8gi8JGcUi1H15zQ5vhJ 10/30/20230 Training Maine Parent Federation in collaboration with NAMI Maine is offering a free training for parents: Virtual Youth Mental Health First Aid Presented by: NAMI Maine Friday, October 30, 2020 @ 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, and caregivers how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders. Pre-registration is required, limited to 20 participants. To register go to: https://www.namimaine.org/events/ymhfampf103020 Register Now! A Virtual Event Celebrating Employment First in Maine October 13, 2020 Dr. Lisa Mills 9:30 – 12:00 noon We are pleased to have Dr. Mills share Maine’s history of supported employment. Join us to look at where we have been, what opportunities we currently have and plans for moving forward to increase access and opportunities for employment for Mainers with disabilities. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER http://employmentfirstmaine.org/ to learn about the Employment First Maine Statute and the work of the Employment First Coalition, including the Recommendations for Maine. Dr. Lisa A. Mills has been a consultant in the field of disability for 29 years with a primary focus on community services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is currently a consultant on Medicaid home and community-based services, long-term care disability policy, managed long-term services and supports and Employment First systems change. She has worked in Maine and twenty other states over the past 14 years on Medicaid waiver renewals, Medicaid 1115 demonstration waivers, policy and rate/reimbursement models, supporting service provider capacity-building and engaging other state systems as critical partners with Medicaid. Dr. Mills was also the Subject Matter Expert on an Office of Disability Policy Technical Assistance Grant on employment in Maine. Brought to you by Maine APSE, Maine DHHS and Maine DOL
in recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2020 |
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