Ensuring that all children, youth, and adults with disabilities, and those receiving educational supports, are valued by and contribute to their communities of choice. |
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Autism: Recognizing Signs, Connecting Resources
A monthly professional development series helping early childhood and other professionals sharpen their skills in identifying signs of autism and other developmental delays is drawing more than 500 participants per session, an indicator of the need for information and resources to help families who may lack access to critical services.
The Minnesota Department of Health, along with the Minnesota Act Early Project and Follow Along Program, are presenting the series. Minnesota Act Early is a project of the Institute on Community Integration funded by the CDC’s Learn the Signs, Act Early project.
"This series has been really well received and has been a great partnership between ICI and the Department of Health," said Jennifer Hall-Lande (pictured in 2022 at CDC headquarters in Atlanta), who leads the MN Act Early Project.
"The theme running through the entire series is early identification and connecting communities to resources. We know that about one in four children are at risk for a developmental delay, so the fact that it is so common makes it imperative that we provide knowledge and resources to professionals working directly with children."
Children and youth with disabilities are at risk of having adverse childhood experiences, but early intervention is critical in helping mitigate the risk, said Michele Kvikstad, early identification and intervention coordinator for the Health Department’s Follow Along Program.
Read more about early intervention for children with autism. |
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New Frontline Initiative: DSPs Speak Up!
The new issue of Frontline Initiative urges direct support professionals to speak up for themselves with elected officials, to exercise their voting rights, and to help the people they support do that, too.
Co-published by the Institute on Community Integration and the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, the Advocacy and Voting issue sets the stage for the NADSP Advocacy Symposium April 30 and May 1. DSPs from around the country will meet virtually with Congressional leaders and staff about establishing a Standard Occupational Classification for their profession and about other legislative priorities.
"If you look at just about every profession in this country, especially professions that employ primarily females, it took workers advocating for themselves to create needed change in their profession," ICI Director Amy Hewitt writes in the new issue. "As a DSP, you provide critical support that allows people with disabilities and their family members to work and be valued members of their communities."
Along with the newsletter, new podcast episodes of A Closer Look are available now and include interviews with FI authors by host Chet Tschetter. Listeners can set up an alert to be notified about upcoming episodes wherever they get their podcasts.
"This issue is probably the most important we have ever done," Tschetter said. "It gives DSPs the tools to know what they can do on their own and to encourage their fellow DSPs to do the same."
Learn more about advocacy and voting. |
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Connected to Something Bigger
How did a consortium of support services providers cut its turnover rate to 7 percent, in a field with an average rate of 41 percent? As with many successes, it began with education and training.
Using the College of Direct Support (CDS), an online curriculum developed at ICI, the group built a training program for direct support professionals (DSPs) and frontline supervisors that is viewed as a benefit, not simply a task.
“Our relationship with DSPs is based on the idea that everyone in the organization should have access to workforce development tools, including me,” said Karen Lee, director of SEEC (Seeking Employment Equality and Community), the Silver Spring, Maryland service provider that led the consortium. “The College of Direct Support is a critical component of our career pathway work.”
Every day, more than 5,000 professionals access DirectCourse lessons. DirectCourse is a collaboration between ICI and Elsevier. It includes CDS which is for DSPs supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and several other curricula.
ICI has been a leader in competency-based workforce development options for DSPs for nearly three decades. CDS was built as a best practice training solution around nationally validated competency sets and offers entry-level, intermediate, advanced, and specialty training. Each lesson is crafted using plain language and developed through a person-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive lens, said Susan O’Nell, director of DirectCourse UMN curricula.
“When implemented properly, this training will give you good outcomes,” she said. “Competencies are at the core of quality. If you don’t have clarity about what professionals need to do, then you’re training for… what? When you connect competencies to the role and build on them, you are getting at what you truly need to in training. With this content, DSPs and others have a tremendous amount of support to help them apply best practices in their roles.”
Learn more about how ICI helps train the direct support workforce. |
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Sinking Sub-Minimum Wages
As disability rights advocates work to end sub-minimum wages, service providers are transforming how they assist people with disabilities to find meaningful work and participate in their communities.
In March, the Institute on Community Integration completed a statewide training program to help eight Minnesota organizations transition away from special certificates that allowed them to pay workers with disabilities below the minimum wage.
As part of the work, ICI’s communications team produced a series of Success Stories featuring Minnesota providers that have transformed their service models.
PHASE-Industries, one of the featured Minnesota providers, gave up its minimum-wage exemption in August.
The exemption typically allows service providers to create workshops that provide products sold to businesses and consumers. Originally designed as a way to provide some income to people who otherwise would not be hired in the competitive job market, today advocates say that advances in training and support services have made it possible for people with disabilities to pursue careers of their own choosing based on their skills and interests.
The organizations can opt to continue to receive technical assistance from ICI as they work to implement the new service models, which involve training staff how to prepare people with disabilities for competitive integrated employment, said ICI’s Danielle Mahoehney.
“Different providers are at different stages in this process, but it’s gratifying to see progress from each of them in the kind of transformational change that is required to go from sheltered workshops to competitive jobs,” she said.
PHASE has applied for a new grant that would help the organization hire highly skilled mentors to help further the training it has already provided.
“This is going to be a multi-year project, but it is working, and we’re moving forward with some next phases,” said Tim Schmutzer, chief executive at PHASE. “It took more than a year, but competitive integrated employment is now the core of what we do.”
Learn more about ending sub-minimum wages in Minnesota. |
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Anna Krahn is aiming for the stars. This fall, she will travel to college from her home in far northern Minnesota. "I want to live independently, have a roommate, and have lots of friends." https://z.umn.edu/9gyv |
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Impact, The Conversation
Presenter: Janet K Stewart
A new ICI podcast series that takes a deep dive into the latest research, practices, and insights moving the inclusion of people with intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities forward. Each episode brings to life voices from a recent issue of Impact, ICI’s long-running magazine. Co-hosts and guests are Impact
issue editors and authors with and without lived experience of disability from around the field and the globe. They will not use the word impact as a verb and they do not hope to inspire you, but they may make you think differently about disability. Five podcasts have been released. |
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MIDAS Project Reports
A new report series
for the Making Improved Decisions for Students on the Cusp of Alternate Assessment Participation Using Multiple Measures of Academic Achievement from Multiple Sources (MIDAS) Project. The goal of the MIDAS Project is to increase the capacity of state education agencies to provide technical assistance to local education agencies on using multiple measures of academic achievement to improve instructional practices for students with disabilities who move from the alternate assessment to the general assessment. The project is also to increase the capacity of teachers to successfully instruct these students. Co-published by the MIDAS Project and ICI’s National Center on Educational Outcomes. The first issue has been released. |
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A Closer Look
This podcast series is for direct support professionals and frontline supervisors who want to learn more about best practices for supporting people with intellectual disability. The series explores the most current and relevant issues covered in Frontline Initiative. Produced by ICI and the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, Frontline Initiative
is a bi-annual online magazine that promotes and elevates the role of the direct support workforce. Two episodes were recently released.
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RISP Data Byte: Caseloads versus People Receiving Services
Authors: Jon Neidorf, Brian C Begin, and Sheryl A Larson
This Data Byte looks at the number of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) known to state agencies versus the number of people who actually receive services. The number of people known to state IDD agencies and the number receiving services increased 21% from 2013 to 2020. In 2020, 85% of the people known to state IDD agencies got one or more services besides case management. Some people who are known to state IDD agencies and not receiving services may be waiting for services. States should make sure people get the services they need. Published by ICI’s Residential Information Systems Project (RISP). |
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Policy Forum: The Employment Impacts of Being a Family Caregiver
This Policy Forum, held on March 22, 2024, discusses the recent Policy Research Brief titled, The Employment Impacts of Being a Family Caregiver.
Discussants in this webinar included Lynda Lahti Anderson; Meghan Burke, Professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt University; and Alyssa Ware, Executive Director of Family Voices. Julie Bershadsky facilitated the discussion. |
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Edited Book Published
Budnyk, O., & Sydoriv, S.* (Eds.). (2024). The space of inclusive education: Voices from Ukraine and beyond. Brill. https://brill.com/display/title/69456 [*Sergiy Sydoriv is an education professor in Ukraine who is still in regular contact with ICI since his fellowship in Minnesota in 2017.] |
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A Day of Hope
April 21
1–3 p.m. Central Time
Landmark Center
F. K. Weyerhaeuser Auditorium
75 5th Street West, St. Paul
A Day of Hope will be a celebration of diversity and community inclusion. The highlight of the event is "Light in the Well," an hour-long, multisensory performance directed by ICI’s Yue Wu that weaves symphonic movements with the real-life stories of people with disabilities. Following the performance, visitors can tour the art gallery, which features the theme "Hope," showcasing the talents of artists of all abilities. The event is intended to build connections and understanding between individuals with and without disabilities, celebrating the narratives of people with disabilities and their families. The event is free, but registration is encouraged.
https://www.lightinthewell.com/ |
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Using Charting the LifeCourse to Support Out-of-School Programs
May 22
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Central Time
Summer is coming. And that means summer camp, after-school sports or clubs, and community education. These out-of-school programs can be fun opportunities to grow and experience new things. Charting the LifeCourse helps you plan a good life with your child or young adult and develop supports that help them live the life they want. In this free Zoom session, learn how to use Charting the LifeCourse tools to make these opportunities a great experience for all. Learn more about Charting the LifeCourse and register. |
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Reinventing Quality Conference 2024
September 15–17
Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel
Baltimore, Maryland
Registration for the 2024 Reinventing Quality conference is now open. Established in 1991 and co-hosted by ICI’s Research and Training Center on Community Living, Reinventing Quality is a biennial conference showcasing best practices in person-centered supports from across the nation. The conference has an average attendance of 700 participants, representing a wide spectrum of human service professionals, policymakers, self-advocates, family members, direct support professionals, and advocates from all over the U.S. Participants represent a variety of organizations, including service providers, advocacy, and county, state, and federal government.
Read more about the conference and register. |
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Jennifer Hall-Lande. On March 4, Hall-Lande
co-presented the webinar "Early Developmental Monitoring and ASD Intro." On March 13, she presented "MN Act Early Special Projects and Outreach work" in person to the director, division directors, staff, and Act Early Ambassadors of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). |
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National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO). On March 13–16, numerous NCEO staff members presented at the Council for Exceptional Children Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Staff presenters included NCEO director
Sheryl Lazarus (pictured), Jessica Bowman, Kascinda Fleming,
Charity Funfe Tatah Mentan, Linda Goldstone, Andrew Hinkle,
Kristin Liu, Darrell Peterson, Mari Quanbeck,
Martha Thurlow, and Yi-Chen Wu. |
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Sarah Hall. On March 14, Hall gave a virtual presentation to the Minnesota 4-H Disability Champions Group titled "Disability Language, Etiquette, and Conversations." |
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Mary Hauff. On March 14 and 21, Hauff
(pictured testifying before the Minnesota Senate in 2022) testified for the Minnesota Respond, Innovate, Succeed and Empower (RISE) Act in the House and Senate Higher Education Committees. She was part of a coalition of organizations led by the Minnesota Council on Disability and included the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Undergraduate Student Government. Hauff also submitted written testimony for a hearing on March 19. The proposed legislation breaks down barriers that college students with disabilities face by making institution policy and processes more accessible, eliminating unnecessary documentation requirements, and expanding what is considered acceptable documentation during the interactive process, and determining a student's reasonable accommodations. |
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Jessica Simacek, Jennifer Hall-Lande, and Andrea Castillo. On March 19, Simacek (pictured),
Hall-Lande, and Castillo
presented "Improving Access to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Interventions: Empowering Latine Caregivers and Cultivating Cultural Competence" to the El Consorcio professional group. Simacek, Hall-Lande, and Castillo shared research information from the MN-ADDM network. They also explained access modalities that the TeleOutreach Center uses to enhance interventions for waitlisted children with autism, with an emphasis on Latine family barriers, experiences, and next steps for community implementation. The presentation was a hybrid event, based at ICI’s location in MIDB. El Consorcio is an interdisciplinary group of service professionals and behavioral health clinicians serving the Latine community. In a separate event, Castillo presented "Let's Talk About Autism, Early Signs and Access to Supports" to Latine caregivers from the Hennepin County parent support group. |
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Heather Barcikowski, Chet Tschetter, and Sandra Pettingell. On March 26, Barcikowski (pictured),
Tschetter, and Pettingell hosted the first virtual Rhode Island Data Community of Practice meeting for human resources/administration staff from Rhode Island agencies that provide support and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. |
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Doctor’s Orders
Building on her passion for using the natural world as a child development tool, Mollika Sajady (MNLEND 2018–19), is writing nature prescriptions.
After working with the Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Task Force on ways to provide equitable access to outdoor activities for children, Sajady, now a developmental pediatrician at Children’s Minnesota, recently collaborated on a pilot project with the Minnesota Zoo to hand out free zoo passes to pediatricians and mental health providers, who in turn could hand them out to their patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, or other conditions.
As a parent of two young children, Sajady often takes her family on walks along the Mississippi River, picking up trash and talking about the importance of preserving the nature around them. An avid hiker herself, she’s a believer in the healing power of getting away from phones and experiencing the natural world. She also researched nature interventions during her developmental pediatrics fellowship at the University of Minnesota.
“The LEND experience really built a foundation of person-centered thinking that I use every day in clinical settings,” she said. “When parents or caregivers talk about their concerns, we try to also step back and ask, ‘What do they love and what are their strengths?’ It helps build their story and it’s nice to put that in a chart so others can see a fuller identity of a child.”
Grateful for the support Children’s provides for her outreach work, Sajady said it has made her a more effective physician as she helps families navigate the frustratingly complex world of services for children with complex needs.
“I learned a lot during my training, but a lot of what I’ve learned, and my best teachers, came from connecting with families,” she said.
Read more about Sajady. |
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The University of Minnesota stands on Miní Sóta Makhóčhe, the rightful homelands of the Dakhóta Oyáte. ICI recognizes that the U.S. did not uphold its end of these land treaties. It is the current and continued displacement of the Dakhóta Oyáte
that allows the University to remain today. At ICI, we affirm our commitment to address systemic racism, ableism and all other inequalities and forms of oppression to ensure inclusive communities. |
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