-----Original Message-----
From: United Cerebral Palsy [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2005 20:25
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: UCPeople - May 10, 2005
<https://img.getactivehub.com/an2/custom_images/publicpolicy/UCPeople_He
ader.jpg>
May 10, 2005
Volume 2, Issue 19
PBS Frontline Addresses Mental Illness and Criminal Justice Issues
On May 10, PBS will broadcast nationally a documentary on mental illness
filmed inside the Ohio state prison system. The broadcast coincides with
two national conferences being held in Columbus, Ohio on May 11-12 on
mental illness, law enforcement and the criminal justice system,
co-sponsored by the Ohio chapter of the National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill (NAMI).
"The New Asylums" is a thought-provoking film about the shift of the
burden of mental healthcare costs to jails and prisons -- going deep
into Ohio's prison system to explore issues that involve nearly half a
million people with mental illnesses incarcerated nationwide. The film
includes unprecedented access to prison therapy sessions, mental health
treatment meetings, crisis wards, and prison disciplinary tribunals.
For more information, and local air-times, visit the PBS Web site,
<http://ga4.org/ct/S1zgusn14mxm/> www.pbs.org
<http://ga4.org/ct/S1zgusn14mxm/> .
_____
Moving Towards Independence
UCP of Suffolk Named MOVE Model Site 6 Years Straight
By Jim Baker
May 10, 2005
Tyrone, a
student at The Children's Center at United Cerebral Palsy of
Suffolk
<http://img.getactivehub.com/an2/custom_images/publicpolicy/MOVEFinal2.J
PG> For six years, The Children's Center at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP)
of Suffolk has been empowering children and adults with disabilities to
increase their mobility, health, and independence through a program of
empowerment.
The MOVE program, or Mobility Opportunities via Education, was designed
to assist individuals with disabilities improve mobility skill sets
associated with sitting, standing, and walking by embracing a curriculum
of empowerment and reinforcement.
MOVE International, which publishes program training materials, is a
California-based nonprofit organization and is not affiliated with, or
expressly endorsed by, United Cerebral Palsy.
Children with disabilities often need to be empowered to seize their own
independence, says Joy Heinz, UCP of Suffolk Director of Educational
Services.
Parents, families, and direct support staff are often overly involved in
assisting children with disabilities to perform daily tasks. As a
result, individuals are often held back from reaching their individual
potential for independence.
"When you look at the kids who come to UCP of Suffolk, there are gaps in
their developmental progress," says Heinz, "And the philosophy of the
MOVE program tries to fill those gaps by empowering them to take
ownership of their own bodies, to do as much for themselves as
possible."
The early intervention, preschool, and school-age programs at The
Children's Center are designed to meet the physical, cognitive, and
emotional needs of children with disabilities from birth to 21 years of
age. About 60 children and 30 adults participate in the affiliate's
programs that utilize MOVE techniques.
Participants are encouraged to set their own real life goals from
sitting at the dinner table with their family, walking at a relative's
wedding, swinging on a playground swing set, or sitting on a roller
coaster.
UCP of Suffolk staff members then break down each goal into concrete
skill sets with the MOVE curriculum, and assist students to work towards
their goals through daily functional activities, often using assistive
technology.
By setting bench marks for success, the program then strives to build
self-confidence and levels of increased independence for individuals
with significant and multiple disabilities.
For more information on The Children's Center at United Cerebral Palsy
of Suffolk, or the MOVE program, contact Susan Eckert at
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]
News and Notes
Disability Policy Collaboration
Current Action Alerts - Take Action Now!
* <http://ga4.org/campaign/cd_5_09_05/dx76k64y5jw378?> Oppose the
Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act
* <http://ga4.org/campaign/ss_5_5_05/dx76k64y5jw378?> Urge Your
Members to Put People First - Save Social Security
* <http://ga4.org/campaign/vocationalrehab/dx76k64y5jw378?> Call
on Your Representatives to Save Vocational Rehabilitation
* <http://ga4.org/campaign/nuclearoption/dx76k64y5jw378?> Urge
Your Senators to Oppose the Nuclear Option Now
From this week's Capitol Insider:
* House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
announced allocations for eleven appropriations subcommittees, beginning
the Fiscal Year 2006 appropriations process for discretionary spending.
* House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA)
revealed some expansive ideas for Social Security, including his
willingness to consider separating out the disability and survivors
programs, in a May 6 Bloomberg News article.
* The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a
final National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Mobility Assistance
Equipment (MAE) and failed to address Medicare's "in the home"
restriction.
* United Cerebral Palsy, The Arc and 28 national disability
organizations involved in special education sent a strong letter to
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings responding to the Department's
new policy for placing an additional 1.5 million special education
students in alternate assessments under No Child Left Behind.
Read <http://ga4.org/ct/S7zgusn14mxU/> Capitol Insider for a complete
briefing of the week's most important public policy events.
_____
Recommended Articles
Medicaid Fix Could Hurt <http://ga4.org/ct/zpzgusn14mxj/> Most
Vulnerable
By Robert Dodge
The Dallas Morning News (Required free registration)
May 9, 2005
"Aiming to cut the federal deficit, Congress is eying Medicaid, a
state-federal health program for the poor, the elderly, and people with
disabilities..."
_____
News Headlines
Louisiana Governor Gets Committee Approval of In-Home Care Legistation
Several initiatives promoted by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco (D)
to promote the ability of people with disabilities to receive home-based
care have passed state Senate and House health care committees. One key
victory for the Governor included the approval of legislation that will
allow Medicaid-funded direct support professionals to administer routine
medications to their clients at home, despite heavy lobbying by the
state's nursing home industry.
Colorado Man Wins $8 Million Employment Discrimination Suit Against
Echostar
A man who is blind won an $8 million jury verdict against Echostar
Communications last week for employment discrimination. Dale Alton of
Denver, Colorado, applied for a job at Echostar in 1999 and was turned
away because the company said it could not accommodate him. After Alton
filed a discrimination lawsuit, the company called him in for an
interview and administered a Braille test that was more difficult than
those given to people who could see. The U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the suit on Alton's behalf.
Connecticut Advocates Call for Agency for People with Developmental
Disabilities
Family advocates in Connecticut are fighting to force the state to
set-up an agency for people with development disabilities, such as
cerebral palsy and autism. Though the state currently has an agency to
serve people with mental retardation, Connecticut is one of just three
states that has no lead agency to address the needs and concerns of
people with developmental disabilities and their families. Advocates are
pushing state lawmakers to create a pilot program, or to expand the
Department of Mental Retardation to address developmental disabilities.
_____
United Cerebral Palsy 2005 Annual Conference Update
June 23-25, 2005 -- Phoenix, Arizona
Annual Conference News
Hotel space at the Arizona Biltomore is filling quickly, make your
reservations today before the reserved UCP Annual Conference room block
runs out!
United Cerebral Palsy has confirmed our first celebrity guest for the
2005 Annual Conference: actor and singer David Hasselhoff. He has
graciously agreed to co-host the annual UCP awards dinner on Saturday,
June 25.
Approaching Deadlines
* May 25 - Cut-off date for hotel registration
The work sessions on Wednesday, June 22, will include:
* Infinitec Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Loan Program
* Infinitec Early Intervention, Assistive Technology, and
Web-based Training
* Foster Care for Children with Disabilities, in association with
Children Rights
Also, Wednesday's program will kick off with a golf tournament at the
resort. For more information, visit the
<http://ga4.org/ct/Sdzgusn14mxE/> Annual Conference section of the UCP
Web site, or contact Ed Benton at (501) 224-6067 or
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]
Hotel reservations can be made online today, by visiting the
<http://ga4.org/ct/z7zgusn14mxu/> Arizona Biltmore Web site. Use the
code "UNITEDC" to receive the UCP group rate.
Remember, you can <http://ga4.org/ct/Spzgusn14mxy/> register for the
UCP Annual Conference online today.
Stay tuned for an update on 2005 UCP Annual Conference events and
programs in next week's UCPeople.
<http://ga4.org/ct/Sdzgusn14mxE/> Annual Conference Logo
_____
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign
<http://ga4.org/publicpolicy/join.html?r=Kdzgusn1WXMWE> up for UCP
Public Policy Action Center.
This message was sent to [log in to unmask] Visit your subscription
<http://ga4.org/publicpolicy/smp.tcl?nkey=dx76k64y5jw378&> management
page to modify your email communication preferences or update your
personal profile. To stop receiving UCPeople - Weekly Journal for the
UCP community, click to unsubscribe
<http://ga4.org/publicpolicy/remove-domain-direct.tcl?ctx=subscription&n
key=dx76k64y5jw378&> . To stop ALL email from UCP Public Policy Action
Center, click to remove
<http://ga4.org/publicpolicy/remove-domain-direct.tcl?ctx=center&nkey=dx
76k64y5jw378&> yourself from our lists (or reply via email with
"remove" in the subject line).
<http://www.getactive.com>
<http://ga4.org/nlor/dx76k64y5jw378>
|
