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Just a quick update of Sprout’s programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Vacations Most of our July and August trips are filled, however there are a few openings on the following vacations later in the year: Penn Dutch Tuesday September 3 – Friday Sept. 6 Atlantic City Wednesday September 25 – Friday Sept. 27 Williamsburg, VA Monday September 30 – Sunday October 6 Vermont Monday October 21 – Thursday October 24 Philadelphia Tuesday November 19 – Thursday Nov. 21 Mystic, CT Friday November 22 – Sunday Nov. 24 Sprout Film Festival After a summer recess our festivals will start up again this fall with the following: Wednesday, September 18 Jamestown, New York Tuesday, October 8 Klamath Falls, Oregon Saturday, October 19 South Vallejo, California Monday, October 21 North Vallejo, California Sproutflix More and more agencies, schools and training programs are using the films from our catalogue (with over 275 titles) to entertain and enlighten their clientele. For your viewing pleasure here are two shorts recently added to Sproutflix: 100% Myself 6 ½ min. (http://sproutflix.org/all-films/100-myself/) Climbing has helped Georgia, a young woman on the autism spectrum, to confront her issues and realize that, for her, ‘normal’ just isn’t. Wojtek 2 ½ min. (in Polish with English subtitles) (http://sproutflix.org/all-films/wojtek/) Wojtek is a fan of Star Wars with dreams of becoming a pilot. Together with his dad they work hard to achieve what only a few accomplish. Beginning in 2020, Portland Wheelers will be available to help organizations and communities launch ride programs around the state. And, this year, we're offering demo rides to interested leadership.
For more information contact: Doug Malcolm, Portland Wheelers Founder/Director doug@portlandwheelers.org 207-232-7740 www.portlandwheelers.org Hello,
Please read this forwarded message by Disability Rights Maine that gives opportunity to share your family's experience with restraint and seclusion at the state level. If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Dionne, Executive Director, Autism Society of Maine: 1-800-273-5200 or asm@asmonline.org. The Bill is referred to as LD 1376, "An Act To Direct the Department of Education To Amend Its Rules To Ensure That Physical Restraint and Seclusion Policies Are Followed for Special Education Students and Make Biennial Reports on the Use of Physical Restraint and Seclusion." Bill text: https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0997&item=1&snum=129 , also attached. The Bill is scheduled for public hearing on Monday, May 13, 2019 at 1 PM in Augusta at the Cross Building in Room 208. Given your experience with _____ enduring restraint and seclusion in school, I wanted you to be aware of this platform to share, if you are interested. The Bill is designed to add more accountability to school districts in the use of restraint and seclusion. I believe it would be valuable for the members of the Committee On Education and Cultural Affairs to hear your story regardless if you are 'for' or 'neither for nor against' the Bill. We will be there testifying for the Bill and can provide support, if you need. You need to be aware that public hearings are in fact public. Any written testimony provided for the hearing will be placed online on a page associated with the bill and any oral testimony is streamed online and recorded. So you need to take this into account when determining what information to share. Issues that you might highlight: -Experience with restraint and seclusion at a special purpose private school versus a public school, -Special purpose private school's dependence on using the seclusion room for managing behavior, -Overuse of restraint and seclusion, -Inappropriately using restraint or seclusion when there no emergency and the student presented no risk of injury or harm to herself or others, -Not recording as 'seclusion' when the student was alone in the time away room and the doorway was blocked by a staff, -Staff need more training to teach students skills, as opposed to reacting with dangerous restraints or seclusions, -The affects you see on the student from enduring these interventions. Here are some resources to aid you in your testimony: DRM's 2017 Report highlighting the data and flagging issues: https://drme.org/news/2017/chapter-33-report Current resources from MDOE regarding restraint and seclusion: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/restraint Guides on how to testify: https://www.maine.gov/sos/path/exploring/testify.html ,and http://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Documents/Testifying If you are unavailable to attend that day, you can also just submit your comments here: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/ Autism Society of Maine Phone: 1-800-273-5200 or 207-377-9603 Email: info@asmonline.org Legislation: legislation@asmonline.org Fax: 207-377-9434 72 B Main St., Winthrop, ME 04364 Please share with advocates, feel free to redistribute
Dear Friends of Children with Disabilities, LD 632 will have public hearing in the Education Committee Mon at 10 am. It would repeal Kindergarten-CDS choice. Under current law, the IEP Team makes a determination whether it is in the best interests of a child with a disability who has a "late birthday" (July 1 - Oct 15) and who is already receiving CDS services whether to enter kindergarten as one of the youngest children in their class or to stay in CDS for another year. Before about a decade and a half ago, parents of children with late birthdays who didn't have a disability could choose whether their child should enter K as the youngest in their class or whether they should stay out for a year, but parents of children with late birthdays who had a disability didn't have that choice, because they'd lose CDS eligibility as soon as they became *eligible* for kindergarten. But law was changed to allow parents of *all* children with late birthdays to make the choice. A few years ago, the state changed the law from K-CDS *parent* choice to K-CDS *IEP team* choice. Having it be IEP team choice was better than no choice at all, but it would have been better to retain *parent* choice. Now, LD 632 would eliminate choice altogether, returning us to the situation from 15+ years ago, when children with disabilities with late birthdays would be forced into kindergarten as the youngest children in their class. As long as CDS continues to exist, parents of children with disabilities should have the same rights as parents of children without disabilities to choose whether to enter kindergarten as the youngest children in their class. Please contact members of the Education Committee to oppose LD 632. I suggest one of two alternatives: either VOTE AGAINST LD 632 to RETAIN K-CDS CHOICE or AMEND LD 632 to RESTORE PARENT CHOICE. There are three ways you can weigh in:
Hello ABLE supporters and advocates:
My personal apologies for the short notice. As part of our efforts to develop and promote a Maine-based ABLE product, Senator Nate Libby of Lewiston has agreed to sponsor legislation to: 1) prevent Medicaid clawbacks that might deter Mainers from opening and growing ABLE accounts; 2) exempt gains in ABLE accounts from state taxation (as is already true in the federal tax code) and; 3) exempt ABLE accounts from asset tests for other state benefits. Thank you to Senator Libby for sponsoring! LD 1637 An Act To Prevent Medicaid Payment from a Savings Account Established under the Federal ABLE Act - Read the proposed legislation here: http://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/bills_129th/billtexts/SP052601.asp The bill will be heard this Thursday at 1 PM at the Health and Human Services Committee, Room 209 of the Cross Office Building in Augusta. You do not need to attend in person to make a difference but you are welcome to attend. I encourage you to submit testimony online here: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/ Or, you may email me testimony at henry.e.m.beck@maine.gov. Supportive testimony is best when it is concise, personal, and helpful. Something like: “I encourage the Legislature to pass the bill to give certainty to Maine ABLE account holders and encourage savings.” Do not hesitate to share why an ABLE account will make a difference for you or someone you know. Thank you for your patience and support of the ABLE program. Henry E. M. Beck, Esq. | Maine State Treasurer | Office of the State Treasurer 39 State House Station | Augusta, Maine 04333-0039 Burton M. Cross Building, 111 Sewall Street, 3rd Floor p. 207.624.7477 | TTY Maine Relay 711 | henry.e.m.beck@maine.gov www.maine.gov/treasurer | www.maine.gov/upsearch | Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition Meeting (SMACT)
WHEN: FRIDAY, May 3, 2019 TIME: 1:00 – 3:00 Portland Career Center 151 Jetport Boulevard, Portland, Maine Join Us For SMACT’s April Meeting Presentation Maine Apprenticeship Program Joan Dolan, Director of Maine's Apprenticeship Program, will share information about the careers that offer apprenticeships in southern Maine, about the application process and about the benefits of participating in the program. We'll also learn about the Pre-Apprenticeship Program for high school juniors and seniors. *Light Snacks Will Be Provided* Wish to attend but require an interpreter? Please forward your request for an interpreter two weeks prior to the monthly meeting to esmith27@maine.rr.com and one will be provided for your party. Please, feel free to distribute this flyer to anyone interested in joining us and/or receiving these e-mails. You can also now follow us on our Website or Facebook Page! Don’t Miss Our Resources: Website: https://someadvisorycouncilontransiton.blogspot.com/ Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/someadvisorycouncilontransition Thank you all for doing such wonderful work on behalf of students! NAMI Maine and Maine Parent Federation present: Youth Mental Health First Aid Training for Parents4/11/2019
Youth Mental Health First Aid Training for Parents
Presented by: NAMI Maine June 7. 2019 8:00 am - 4:30 pm At NAMI Maine, 52 Water Street in Hallowell, ME Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach adults how to help a youth or teen (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge or crisis. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, and disruptive behavior disorders.This course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan on how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. For parents who are also professionals you will earn 8 continuing education credits and a three-year national certification from NCFBH. This training meets the state mandate for school staff in suicide awareness. This training is offered at no cost to parents. There will be a half hour break for lunch, lunch is not provided so please plan accordingly. To register go to: https://www.namimaine.org/events/register.aspx?id=1224525&itemid=8b2db312-3185-4b7d-a445-bd5ba5bbc219 For more information on this training, please contact Maine Parent Federation: parentconnect@mpf.org, (800) 870-7746 or Libby Wright: libby@namimaine.org, (207) 622-5767 x2320. Please contact Libby for information on other community trainings or to schedule a private training for your agency. |
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