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Resources for Battered
Women Bilingual Domestic Violence Project 215-739-9999 Lutheran Settlement House Espanol 215-235-9992 Latina Domestic Violence Program 215-978-1174 Women Against Abuse (Shelter) 215-386-7777 tty 215-386-1359 National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233 Legal Help Lines Women Against Abuse Legal Center 215-686-7082 tty 215-686-7083 Women’s Law Project 215-928-9801 Philadelphia Legal Assistance 215-981-3800 Judicare (Elderly) 215-238-6390 Abuse Assistance Unit Family Court 215-686-3511 Battered Women SEWAA (Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India) 215-627-3922 PetNet - SPCA X244 215-426-6300 Elderly Older Adult Protective Services 215-765-9033 Youth Child Protective Services 215-686-6100 Voyage House 215-545-2910 Youth Emergency Services 800-371-7233 Sexual Assault Mental Health Suicide Hotline 215-686-4420 Help for Batterers Project RAP 215-629-3990 Men’s Resource Center 610-971-9310 Resources from Women in Transition, Inc. This list was edited for space. There is more information on their list, which is on a tab card that is easy to give out. Call 215-564-5301 x130 for information and the cards. |
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Out with the Old -- In with the New As of September, 2001, there will be ten Academic Area Offices (AAO) that will replace the School District Cluster Offices. Contact the number listed for your former Cluster for full information. South Area Office, 23rd & Moore Street, 19145, Arthur Rubin, 215-271-3220. For Audenreid, South Phila and Furness Clusters South West Area Office, 49th & Chestnut Sts., 19139; Gaeton Zorzi, 215-471-8334. For Bartram and West Phila Clusters Central Area Office, Wanamaker Middle School, 11th & Cecil B. Moore, 19122, Michael Clayton, 215-684-8487. For Franklin and Penn Clusters West Area Office, 49th & Chestnut Sts, 19139, Janet Samuels, 215-471-2271. For University City and Overbrook Clusters Central North Area Office, Strawberry Mansion Bldg, 32nd & Ridge, 19121; Ed Williams, 215-684-8980. For Gratz & Strawberry Mansion Clusters North West Area Office, Leeds Middle School, Mt. Pleasant & Woolston, 19150, Linda Silverberg and Dr. George Schuler, 215-248-6684. For Germantown, King and Roxborough Clusters Central East Area Office, Rivera Building, 2603 N. 5th St, 19133, Nilsa Gonzalez, 215-291-5680. For Edison and Kensington Clusters North Area Office, Grover Washington Middle School, B & Olney, 19120, Jan Gillespie, 215-456-0998. For Fels and Olney Clusters East Area Office, Swenson Skills Center, 2740 Red Lion Road, 19114, Mary Louise DeNicola, 215-961-2066. For Frankford and Lincoln Clusters North East Area Office, Knights Rd & Chalfont, 19154, Harris Lewin, 215-281-5903. For Northeast & Washington Clusters |
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How My Mom Helped Me to Graduate. An Essay by Danny My mom dressed me every day for school. I would try to show my willingness to walk there by standing up every time she tried to strap me in my wheelchair but somehow she would not hear of it. My mom made sure my wheelchair fit right even if the wheelchair man had to take it back 20 times. My mom took an axe and gun to all IEP and CER meetings to cut through red tape and shoot down stupid ideas. My mom took those same things to doctors evaluations of all kinds too, but she did not say why. My mom made sure I got all the therapy I needed. She even got my therapist to come to the house although her Nick-Nack cabinet may never be the same. Some people graduate Summa Cum Laude, some graduate Cum Laude, and some graduate Thank you Laud, But I graduated thank you Mom, which is the highest honor of them all. |
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Did you know? http://best.ssa.gov has developed a benefits eligibility screening tool (BEST) designed to help people identify any benefits to which they might be entitled. The questionnaire is private; no identifying information is requested. Upon exiting the screening tool, all information is erased. Visitors to the site can provide comments to SSA on how well the screening tool works. Did you know? The Breast Cancer site needs people to click on it daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an woman with low-income. It takes less than a minute to go to their site to click on donating a mammogram for free. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate a mammogram in exchange for advertising. Did you know? The Arc-US and the National Endowment for Financial Education have collaborated on a free new workbook called Making the Most of Your Money! Learning to Successfully Spend and Save Your Dollars. The free workbook describes financial concepts in easy-to-understand language. Good management strategies are described for a variety of situations: managing checking and savings accounts, paying bills, being careful with money, understanding contracts, home renting or buying, and other financial matters. The book is available under New Items. Did you know? Your quick, once-a-day look at disability rights, self-determination, and the movement toward full community inclusion around the world. This site prints summaries of news articles about people with disabilities and references the site to see the entire article. You can also join a discussion group about the news stories. Did you know? The American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR), in collaboration with The Lewin Group, has launched the RADAR project on the Internet. RADAR personnel will summarize the general news media and specific publications related to developmental disabilities on key issues such as abuse, aging, employment, housing, and transportation. Click on the RADAR icon at the AAMR’s site. Source: A Slice of Pie May, 2001. Did you know? and its free monthly email newsletter, IDEAnews, are designed to provide useful and timely information and resources to help professionals and families understand and implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). For telephone information, call the Families and Advocates Partnership for Education, 888-248-0822. Did you know? National Transition Alliance for Youth with Disabilities www.dsc.org National Transition Network www.ici.coled.umn.edu Transition Research Institute www.ed.uiuc.edu Common Sense (The Self-Determination Bulletin) www.self-determination.org |
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Thumbs up for the Governor & Our Legislators In June, Pennsylvania adopted the Commonwealth budget for FY 2001-2002, which is $700 million more than last year’s and the rate of state spending increased by 3.6%. Specific allocations of direct impact on the MR community include Community MR Services of $647,227 million; State Centers for the Mentally Retarded of $113,921 million; ICFs/MR of $104,809 million; Early Intervention of $58,154 million; and Pennhurst Dispersal of $3,102 million. For the Waiting List Initiative, as was first proposed and approved in FY2000-2001, the Governor and the General Assembly continue to approve funding in this budget for the Governor’s five-year initiative addressing the waiting list. The Governor’s Direct Care Recruitment and Retention Initiative includes the $17.5 million initiative for direct care recruitment and retention as he proposed in February. This is not one time money. |
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“Mom” Wanted for Mary Mature, nurturing woman wanted to spend 20 hours per month with Mary, a mature woman with a disability. Mary was separated from her own mother at a young age and, many years later, longs for a motherly relationship with another woman. Mary lives in her own home, but would like a “foster mom” to take her out and talk with in person and on the phone. Prefer individual with own car to transport Mary when going out. South Philadelphia area. No set schedule. $10 per hour with mileage reimbursement. For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Barbara Prince at 215-917-1847. |
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Oaktree HMA will discontinue service on August 31. For help with the transition process, contact Benova at 800-440-3989. To choose a new insurance plan, call the HealthChoices hotline at 877-709-2142. |
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Congratulations to Sheila Bradley a worker at PEP, who received the 2001 Nettie Mann Achievement Award at Pennsylvania Industries for the Blind and Handicapped. The award, sponsored by the Harrisburg-based, nonprofit disabled-services provider, honors the top disabled Pennsylvania worker. It is named for Nettie Mann, the 1993 award recipient (then called the Pennsylvania Handicapped Worker of the Year) who died in a car accident weeks after receiving the award. Sheila is employed by Programs Employing People and has worked as a janitor at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Center for two years. There were almost 100 other applicants in competition for the award. |
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Changes in the High School Life Skills Support Program The goal of the Life Skills Support Program is to prepare each student for the challenges of adult life. Research indicates that the critical characteristics of an appropriate program for educating students with moderate to severe disabilities are a functional curriculum, with placement in regular neighborhood schools, and community-based service delivery. Ideally, vocational training should occur primarily in natural environments where students can learn and practice their skills in real-life situations. To fully implement these programs elements the School District will make several changes in programming for students in Life Skills Support classes at the high school level next year. Currently, the School District of Philadelphia provides classroom-based vocational programming to approximately 450 students in the Life Skills Support Program. Many of these students are bussed to Swenson Skills Center, Randolph Skills Center, Edison/Fareira Skills Center, and Bok AVTS. The students receive their vocational training on an alternating week basis at these locations. The students will now be assigned to their home schools on a full time basis. The teachers and assistants who currently work with the students at the Vocational/Technical Schools will be assigned to the home schools to coach students and provide vocational training at community-based sites. The new structure will allow more opportunities for community-based instruction. For students whose needs cannot be met with community-based training, classroom based vocational training will still be available at Swenson Skills Center, Edison/Fareira Skills Center, and the Randolph campus of Dobbins AVTS. Source: Claude Schrader, School District of Philadelphia |
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Only the Shadow Knows . . .By L. Dennis Oswald, M.Ed. DD Director/MR Services, CATCH, Inc. Anybody out there old enough to remember a post WWII radio program called The Shadow? It was a great murder mystery you know, one of those who done it? mysteries. Each week, the suspense grew, the listening audience had an ear glued to the radio while they tried to figure out was it the butler, was it the . . .? The broadcast concluded each week in the deep, deep baritone of the announcer . . .Only The Shadow Knows! I’m writing to let you know the Shadow is back! Remember the PUNS Prioritization of Urgency for Need for Service? The State, DPW/OMR contracted with Temple University to develop a method to determine how many persons with mental retardation are waiting for service. Temple University (via the PUNS) determined that about 15,000 Pennsylvania citizens with MR are waiting for service. (Philadelphia has about 3,000.) Then, Temple did something very interesting. They suggested the PUNS only told half the story. They said that for every person (all 15,000) identified by the PUNS as waiting for service, there is another person with mental retardation who is unregistered, unknown to the MR system, but eligible for service. That doubles the size of the Waiting List! By the way, Temple refers to these unregistered, yet eligible for MR service, folks as members of the Shadow Waiting List. Who are these Shadow Waiting List people?. Where are they? Why haven’t the Shadow Waiting List members registered for MR services? Nobody knows that’s why they are the Shadow Waiting List members. I would guess a large number have mild to borderline MR and have been assimilated into the mainstream of life and benefit from having developed generic community supports. Others are still in school, and their families haven’t thought about life after high school! I’m not the Shadow, but I do know the location of some others they’re in State and County institutions! The April 2001 MR Bulletin lists 1,969 persons (269 from Philadelphia) with mental retardation residing in State Facilities. Dr. Fred Maue, Medical Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, estimates that approximately 650 to 700 inmates in Pennsylvania State Prisons have mental retardation. However, only 20 to 25% of all persons in prison are housed in State prisons. The other 75 to 80% of inmates are housed in County prisons/jails. That means about 2,500 persons in County jails have mental retardation. Dr. Jack Gerber, Chief Psychologist for the Philadelphia County Prison System, estimates that about 100 inmates in the Philadelphia County Prison have mental retardation. For a person with mental retardation, prison or jail is a terrible facility in which to receive services! How many persons with mental retardation still reside in State or County Facilities? Only the Shadow knows! But I bet the number of persons with mental retardation in State Facilities is much greater then the 1,969 mentioned in the April 2001 Pennsylvania MR Bulletin! |
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SSA Website Provides Disabilities Help Have Disability and Work Concerns? If you have a disability and you’re working or looking for a job, you’ll want to take a look at the new ADA guide on the Social Security Administration website. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) sets guidelines to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities in the workforce. This new guide-put together by Social Security, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Justice-explains the rights of those with disabilities who are working or trying to get a job. It even goes into detail about reasonable accommodations, how to request them and what to do if you think your rights under the ADA have been violated. Packed with great info, it’s an easy read. http://www.ssa.gov/work/workta2. html |
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Voter Accessibility The HalfthePlanet web site www.halftheplanet.org has recently launched a new Voter Accessibility Department. Be sure to read a new report from The National Voter Independence Project, Voters Denied Equal Access at the Polls, which assesses the status of polling place accessibility in the United States based on surveys conducted during the 1998 Presidential election, the 2000 Presidential primary election, and the 2000 Presidential election. |
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Drop a Dime on Over the past several years, disability advocates have made significant progress in advocating that every polling place be physically accessible for persons with disabilities and that every polling place have accessible voting methods (such as accessible ballots, machines, or other voting equipment). The 1984 Voting Accessibility Act says that all polling places are required to be physically accessible. If it isnt, it should be moved. Yet, many election officials have ignored these requirements. There are over 1600 polling places in Philadelphia and only 46 are accessible to people with disabilities! If people with disabilities voted at the same rate as the rest of America, there would have been at least 5 million more votes cast in the 1996 presidential election. The National Voter Independence Project needs your help on election day. Get a copy of the Survey Form and go to your local polling place on election day and look it over. Fill out the form and return it. Your information will be compiled with others and will be sent to Congress. For the form and more information, call Jim McIntire, Center for Spirituality and Disability, 267-257-9541, j_mcintire@msn.com. |
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NO Excuse Get Registered to Vote The School District of Philadelphia has developed a procedure to provide voting assistance and information to students with disabilities 17 years of age or older. When an IEP team meets for a student who is 17 or older, the team should discuss voter registration. Registration can be accomplished at the school and designated school officials will be made available during the school day to assist in filling out the forms. Forms can be mailed from the school at no cost to the student. School-to-Career Transition Coordinators have supplies of Voter Registration Forms and act as the contact person for providing assistance in this process. For individuals who are receiving services in day programs in Philadelphia, the program specialist will help complete the form. Voter Registration Forms are given to all applicants for these programs and a supply of the forms is to be available. There is no excuse for not being registered to vote. While the battle wages over accessible voting places, if your location is not available to you, vote by absentee ballot. |
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Preguntas Importantes: mo estla relacin con tu pareja? Es que tu pareja... *Te avergenza con insultos y humillaciones? *Acta o te mira de maneras que te causan miedo? *Controla lo que haces, con qui n sales, qu ropa te pones, o a d nde vas? *No te permite hablar o visitar parientes y/oamistades? *No te permite solicitar, conseguir,y/o mantener un trabajo? *Te quita tu dinero, te hace pedirle dinero o se niega a darte dinero? *Te dice que eres mala persona y te amenaza conquitarte a tus hijos? *Te amenaza con lastimarte y/o matarte a ti y a tus hijos? *Te amenaza con suicidarse si lo dejas? Si tu respuesta es s a una de estas preguntas, posiblemente est s en una relaci n abusiva. Llama a nuestra l nea confidencial - 215-978-1174. Programa de Violencia Domstica Para Latinas. |
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Vision for Equality recently had a workshop from AWARE, a project of Women’s Anti-Violence Education. They provide insight and practical tips about women’s self defense and how not to be a victim. For information, call 215-241-5720, or aware1@afsc.org. |
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Census Data New Census Bureau estimates show that half the adult Americans with disabilities have jobs, and that those employed typically earn less than the average American. The disparity is worse among those people whose disabilities are considered severe according to the Census Bureau report. Overall, 20 percent of Americans in 1997, or 52.6 million people, said they had disabilities. Of that total, 33 million said their disability was severe. The data, based on a survey separate from the 2000 census, were the latest available. Of the 27.8 million people age 21 to 64 with disabilities, half worked in 1997, with average earnings of $23,373 per year, the report said. Of those with severe disabilities in the same age category, 31 percent had a job, with average earnings of $18,631 per year. By comparison, 78 percent of all Americans age 21 to 64 worked, averaging $30,155 a year. The study also found that 28 percent of those age 25 and over with severe disabilities lived in poverty, compared with ten percent of those with disabilities considered not severe and eight percent of people with no disability. While 82% of 25 to 64 year olds with no disability receive health coverage, only 48% of those in the same age group with severe disabilities have coverage. More information is available on the net for the Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov. Source: A Slice of Pie May, 2001 |
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Counseling Sessions about Working & Benefits If you are interested in going to work, but have concerns about your SSI or SSDI benefits, sign up for free individual counseling, offered every other Wednesday, at Liberty Resources. The Workplace Technology Training Academy, in conjunction with the new Transition to Employment Program administered by the Pennsylvania Protection Agency, is offering this benefits/planning assistance to people with disabilities who fear losing current benefits if they work. During a private, 45-minute meeting, a counselor will explain the incentives and benefits of being employed. Information/appointment, call Dave Lerch, 800-692-7443, ext. 309. |
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Did you know? The Northwest Interfaith Movement has a 2001 edition of Resources for Older Adults in Northwest Philadelphia. Call Lois Gaskins, 215-843-5600, ext. 207. They also request more information for another edition so be sure to call them with resources that you know about in Northwest Philadelphia that aren’t in the directory. Did you know? Philadelphia VIP (Volunteers for Indigent Program) has prepared a 12-page brochure Representing Yourself In A Custody Dispute. It explains what is a custody order; how to file for custody; how does the court decide custody; what happens in court; how to prepare for court; where to turn for legal assistance in a custody dispute. Also, Philadelphia VIP holds workshops for people who want advice on how to represent themselves in a custody case. The workshop includes a 40 minute presentation, a short video, and a brief time for questions. The workshop is intended to provide information only. VIP cannot guarantee they will be able to provide clients with an attorney. For a copy of the brochure or workshop information, call 215-523-9550. Did you know? The network of over 1,000 Realtors offer special programs for access/modification, low interest loans, special federal and state programs for people with disabilities, special programs for families with disabled children and special programs for care givers of elderly relatives. This service is available to relocation companies, corporate clients, individuals and non-profit organizations. Call 610-691-6100 or 800-293-3005. Did you know? The Kennedy Krieger Institute, in Baltimore, MD, is recruiting adults with Down Syndrome (ages 18-35 ), in general good health, to participate in a pharmaceutical funded study to examine whether treatment with an investigational medication improves cognition and function in young adults with Down syndrome. Persons with any current psychiatric or neurologic diagnosis other than Down syndrome cannot be included. The research will take place over a 16-week period and will entail four visits to the Institute. Visits will consist of medical and neurologic exams, functional, cognitive and language testing. Contact Meira Meltzer, research coordinator, 410-502-9691 or meltzer@kennedykrieger.org. Did you know? To obtain a free copy of the new Pennsylvania State Regulations call CONNECT information service at 800-692-7288 TTY: 800-654-5984. CONNECT is the hotline for information and literature about resources and services available in Pennsylvania for exceptional children and their families. Questions? Contact the Special Education ConsultLine at 800-879-2301 for information regarding Special Education Regulations and the Complaint System. Did you know? Legislation signed into law by President Bush increases from $6,000 to $10,000 the income tax credit for families for qualifying adoption expenses for a child with special needs. The Hope for Children Act (H.R. 622), also increases the tax credit from $5,000 to the actual cost of adopting any child; doubles the income ceiling for qualifying for the full credit to $150,000; and permanently authorizes the tax credit. Did you know? Is a guide to choosing supports and services. It is useful for individuals and for family members and others who will assist people they care about to have the life they want. Contact Contract Consultants, Inc., at 717-731-6770. Did you know? To choose a new insurance plan, call the HealthChoices hotline at 877-709-2142. |
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Call the Governor’s Info # 800-932-0784 to leave a short message to thank him for the Waiting List funding. Also call your local Legislators. If you don’t know their numbers, call the League of Women Voters at 800-682-7281. |
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Robert Remembers A while ago Emily Kahn-Freedman, M.S.Ed, shared poems written by adults with developmental disabilities in sessions she facilitates. Emily can be reached at 610-626-8085, or freedmans@juno.com. Here is another of the poems. This poem was written by Robert Delagol. I remember the rainbow. It looked nice and bright! I remember the sound of a dog barking -ruff ruff! It was loud and friendly. I remember my father’s aftershave lotion -it smelled spicy and cool. I remember eating taffies -they tasted sugary and sticky and sweet. I remember riding on a tractor when I was a little boy. It felt hard and big and smooth! |
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Do YOU have a PUNS? By Helga Krauss, Manager, Individual Supports Unit Mental Retardation Services In response to years of advocacy, the Commonwealth has begun to make money available to the counties in Pennsylvania for people with mental retardation who need services. How does the Commonwealth know who these people are, what they need, and how urgent that need is? How does it know how much money to make available to each of the counties? The answer is the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services list, or PUNS. The PUNS is now the waiting list. When the Commonwealth plans to give counties money to assist people on the waiting list, they review the PUNS data for that county. What this means for people with mental retardation in Philadelphia is that each person in need must be represented by a PUNS form. Without PUNS, Philadelphia cannot make its case for new money to help people waiting for services. The PUNS is filled out by the family and the person with mental retardation with the help of the case manager. You need to have a PUNS to get services. The case manager sends the PUNS to Philadelphia Mental Retardation Services (MRS), which coordinates entering the information into a database forwarded to the Commonwealth. As of May 2001, Philadelphia’s PUNS data looked like this: Emergency Need: there were 218 people in crisis who needed immediate assistance. Critical Need: there were 842 people who, while not in crisis, needed help as soon as possible within the coming year.
Planning Need: there were 1,964 people who needed help within the next five years. We all know that these 3,024 people are just a fraction of those in need. There are, after all, close to 12,000 people registered in Philadelphia. Of this number, 2,741have no service other than case management and 1,575 receive only Family Driven Support Services. It is vital that we give our state government as accurate a picture as possible of Philadelphia’s real need for services and supports. Without the evidence of our needs as shown in the PUNS, the Commonwealth will never adequately fund Philadelphia to assist people with mental retardation. I urge everyone who either needs a service or who needs more service, to make an appointment with their case manager and fill out a PUNS that shows your real need for support. I also urge you to reach out to your friends and neighbors who are supporting people with mental retardation. Ask if they are registered at a Base Service Unit. Encourage these folks to get their family member registered and fill out the PUNS form. MRS will make them part of Philadelphia’s request to state government. Only in this way will Philadelphia have a chance to receive the funding that will give care givers the relief they need and give MRS the opportunity to enrich the lives of people with mental retardation. Will Philadelphia receive all the money it needs to support every person in need? Will it happen soon? The answer is, probably not. But Philadelphia will certainly receive more money if it can demonstrate its real level of need. The Common- wealth wants to assist families supporting people with mental retardation. PUNS data will help the Legislature justify funding for Philadelphia families. Things are slowly getting better. The PUNS data are also needed to explain how and why money is spent on services for people throughout the year. MRS routinely supplies the Commonwealth with the names of people from the PUNS Emergency and Critical list who have been served with waiting list money. When MRS asks the Commonwealth for money on behalf of a person in need, one of the Common- wealth’s first responses is to look at the PUNS. If the PUNS does not list the person in the Emergency or Critical Need category, the Commonwealth questions Philadelphia’s request. This makes it absolutely necessary that the PUNS be updated whenever a person’s circumstances become more urgent. It is vital that people keep in close contact with the case manager so that the PUNS is updated as needs change. To sum up: the PUNS data show the Commonwealth how many Philadelphians with mental retardation are in need of service, what those services are, and how soon they are needed. It’s the way Philadelphia gets money for people waiting for services. Help your case manager keep the PUNS updated to show what you need now! If you have questions, call your case manager, or your MRS program analysts, Deborah Groom (215-685-4794) or Sharon Young (215-685-5495). |
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New Special Ed Regs Adopted New special education regulations, known as Chapter 14, will be final this summer. The new regs do not include class size controls that exist in current standards, even though many advocates fought against the change. The new regulations do keep protections for special educations students who are suspended for more than ten days at a time, or fifteen days in a school year. Prohibitions on the use of aversive techniques were also maintained. The due process procedures were not changed, and all timelines in the process have been kept, including the requirement that a student’s IEP be implemented within ten days. Special education classes will continue to be governed by age appropriate rules. The PA Department of Education is putting together a side-by-side version of the new state regulations and corresponding federal (IDEA) requirements to help in understanding the new regs. To receive a copy of this comparison, contact ConsultLine at 800-879-2301. The Right to Special Education in Pennsylvania - A Guide for Parents will be revised during the summer by Pennsylvania Protection & Advocacy (PP&A)’s Children’s Project and the Education Law Center to reflect the changes in the law. Call 215-238-6970 for a copy. (Source: PP&A Spring newsletter) |
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TRANSITION CHECKLIST The Pennsylvania Waiting List Campaign has published this Transition Check List. This simple one-page checklist is easy to understand and use. It walks people through the system from transition planning to the adult system. For more copies, e-mail sstasko@msn.com or call toll-free 877-372-WAIT. Strategies to have in place prior to the IEP and Transition Planning My initial planning formally begins at my 14th birthday I’ve had vocational testing to determine strengths and likes I’ve had a variety of job and community options that allowed me to explore what I really like to do I have the required evaluations, assessments and reports needed by other agencies upon graduation I have a real life goal upon graduation People who need to be at the IEP meeting Myself My parents or family members My teacher My school representative My MH/MR Service Coordinator or Case Manager My Work Experience Coordinator The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor An Advocate or friend who can assist in planning Registrations and Applications that must be completed I’ve contacted my local community MH/MR and registered for services I’ve filled out a PUNS form with my Support Coordinator or Case Manager and I know my category I’ve filled out the Waiver Application form I’ve contacted my local community Center for Independent Living to find out about other supports I’ve requested services from the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation I’m maintaining contact with the agencies, especially during the last year of school. Person Centered Planning or Circles of Support I’ve set a date for our first meeting I’ve contacted the important people in my son or daughters life to be there The Circle of Support spent time talking and dreaming about what my son/daughter would like to do upon graduation and what other services or supports they need in order to have a fulfilled life Our Circle explored other creative community resources and job options (generic). The Circle of Support set goals The Circle of Support looked at what was needed to make these goals and plans happen Each individual member of the Circle took responsibility for their part of the goal or plan We incorporated the Circle of Support Plan into the IEP The Circle of Support gathers four times a year (or more or less, as needed) and make changes when necessary. Remember, the Plan changes, because our life changes. Legislative Information This is the name and number of my State Representative This is the name and number of my State Senator I have made legislative contact
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s current population survey, adults with disabilities are somewhat less likely to be registered to vote than are adults without disabilities. Six our of ten (62%) adults with disabilities were registered to vote in the 1996 presidential election, compared with almost 78% non-disabled adults, representing a gap of 16 percentage points. |
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Did you know? MRS DisAbility Resource Directory www.philaguide.org s in development. Check it out now to find information, services, and supports to help people with mental retardation be full contributing members of their communities. Let us know what you think. Email familyforum@phila.gov. |
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Work Incentives Assistance Pennsylvania Protection & Advocacy, Inc., (PP&A) has information and referral services concerning work incentives, vocational programs, employment, and services necessary to support a client’s transition to the workplace through the Protection and Advocacy for Vocational and Employment Services (PAVES) project. Project staff at the Disabilities Law Project will provide information and technical assistance on work incentives to attorneys, service providers, advocacy organizations and governmental agencies to facilitate the training and employment of individuals with disabilities. Call 800-692-7443. (Source: PP&A newsletter) |
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