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Home My WebLink About201603_DDAB MinutesAlways working for a safer and healthier community 615 Sheridan Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 www.JeffersonCountyPublicHealth.org Community Health Environmental Health Developmental Disabilities Water Quality 360-385-9400 360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f) (f) 360-379-4487 Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board (DDAB) M I N U T E S March, 2016 DRAFT Board Attendees: Carl Hanson (Co-Chair), David Sullivan, Claudia Edmondson, Kim Rafferty, Patrick Kane, Leesa Monroe Absent: Pamela Adams Guests: Vicki Shaver, Case Resource Manager, DDA Iris Wehrle, DVR Staff: Anna McEnery CALL TO ORDER Co-Chair Hanson called the meeting to order at 3:20 p.m. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Member Rafferty moved to approve the agenda with the change noted: Vicki Shaver is taking the place of Catie Morton under the Agenda item “Old Business”. The motion was seconded by member Edmondson. The motion passed unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM November 17, 2015 Member Rafferty moved to approve the minutes as written. The motion was seconded by member Monroe. The motion passed unanimously. It was agreed Carl Hanson would chair the current DDAB meeting and Leesa Monroe will chair the next DDAB meeting. PUBLIC COMMENTS There were no public comments. NEW BUSINESS AND PRESENTATIONS  Presentation and discussion on new WIOA Rehab Act Led by Iris Wehrle, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, DVR Ms. Wehrle overviewed how the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), originated after World War I as a Federal agency in order to help veterans access and keep employment upon returning from the war. DVR, has an Agency in every state, has since expanded to help all people with disabilities who want to be employed. While some services such as training are limited to a needs-based scenario (that considers parental income), there are no needs-based requirements for services in support of participants accessing employment services. These services are available to individuals who are clean and sober, those with mental health issues, Always working for a safer and healthier community Developmental Disability Advisory Board - Minutes 03/22/2016 Page 2 of 5 Community Health Environmental Health Developmental Disabilities Water Quality 360-385-9400 360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f) (f) 360-379-4487 physical or developmental disabilities, individuals with learning disabilities – or any other condition that limits an individual from entering the workforce equally. Ms. Wehrle’s presentation covered the new Workforce Investment Act (WIOA) which passed in 2015. WIOA was passed to facilitate various agencies, including WorkSource, Employment Security Dept., Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Labor and Industries, etc. – to work more collaboratively. A new program called Pre Employment Transition Services (PETS) will be under WIOA. DVR will contract with The Center for Change/Transition, based out of Seattle University. The Center for Change will work with each of the 14 Educational Service Districts (ESDs) to develop and implement transition curriculums/ideas/activities while providing group services to both DVR clients and other students with barriers to work at the Middle School and High School level. PETS will focus on integrating services with the school’s transition services and may include career explorations, field trips to local colleges, job shadows with local businesses – anything that will convey the idea of what work is at an earlier age to students. The PETS program will follow participants from Middle to High School, which is a marked improvement over starting with a student at age 19. DVR will be able to integrate this early approach to educate kids on careers and employment. Member Kane noted Jefferson, Quilcene, and Chimacum Special Education Directors are discussing putting forth a grant to fund a pilot program connected to WIOA in 2017. Update on Fort Worden Transition Project/Anna McEnery/Kim Rafferty Ms. McEnery reported she and Member Rafferty had a meeting with Todd Gubler, Dave Robison and Jennifer White to discuss a prospective offsite Transition Project at Fort Worden. This program has the potential to transition student interns to permanent hires. Ms. White and Ms. McEnery will be meeting with other employers next week to explain the Transition Project. They hope to convey why it makes good business sense to take on a young student as an intern. The goal is to have this (off school campus) Transition Project up and running with 3-4 student participants by the fall 2016. Ms. White and Ms. McEnery will also meet with Patrick Kane and Principal Carrie Ehrhardt. The School District will need to decide how many hours a week they will fund a job coach/developer at Fort Worden. The District will also need to decide who will perform that service on behalf of the School District. Ms. McEnery handed out a sample brochure focused on the 2016 Transition Workshop Series. Always working for a safer and healthier community Developmental Disability Advisory Board - Minutes 03/22/2016 Page 3 of 5 Community Health Environmental Health Developmental Disabilities Water Quality 360-385-9400 360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f) (f) 360-379-4487 Presentation on DDA Jefferson County Service Information Forms This item was not completed at the November Meeting due to a power outage. Ms. McEnery explained these forms reflect goals and updated projections and are sent to DDA on a yearly basis. Highlights include: - Under Child Development, it was noted Port Townsend gets the majority of a $15k earmarked for this category because they have a high participant count. At this point in time, Jefferson County has 17 kids who are accessing birth to three services. - Community Information Activities include the Transition workshops provided by a grant from the DDC, which has about a dozen families signed up so far. The Community Inclusion for Everyone Project is also under this category. - PAVE from Tacoma is interested in providing a workshop on Individual Educational Plans during High School Transition. - The DD Board Manual needs to be updated - We will continue to staff the Transition Network Meetings, (Board members are invited to the next meeting scheduled on April 12th). - The Advisor of People First has retired, so another advisor is needed. Donations from the October Movie that were intended for People First members to attend the yearly People First Convention will be redirected until People First gets its momentum back; - Individual Support Employment has the highest rate of people employed in the County. - DDA still wants Employment Providers to find jobs with a minimum of 20 hours, which is a challenge; and - Group Supported Employment includes four people on maintenance tasks at the recycling center. Draft DD Advisory Board Calendar for 2016 The new DD Advisory Board Calendar has been updated to reflect no January meeting and two new members, Pamela Adams, City Council and David Sullivan, County Commissioner who have joined the Board. OLD BUSINESS, NEW UPDATES / INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND FUTURE MEETINGS Updates/Informational Items Ms. Mc Enery shared that the Jefferson County Accessible Communities Advisory Committee, representing people with disabilities in our community, reports receipt of a $24,000 grant. The Governor’s Committee on Disability Employment has a fund from Accessible Parking ticket fines; various counties can apply for a grant. The purpose of this grant is to educate the community and raise awareness on disability and accessibility. A portion of the grant was used to procure a beach wheelchair and walker for Fort Worden, available for check out through The Canteen on Memorial Day weekend. Funds for an additional wheelchair are available if we can show there is a need. Always working for a safer and healthier community Developmental Disability Advisory Board - Minutes 03/22/2016 Page 4 of 5 Community Health Environmental Health Developmental Disabilities Water Quality 360-385-9400 360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f) (f) 360-379-4487 The DASH group is using $6000 of this grant to update the accessibility guides for Jefferson County Restaurants, Jefferson County Cultural Venues, and a map of Port Townsend, as well as updating their website. Other projects funded include: - a brochure aimed at heightening awareness and reporting of fragile community members called, - a brochure on the difference between Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals, - a brochure on Emergency Preparedness for the Medically Fragile created by the DEM. - ACAC collaborated with the PT Film Festival to sponsor the documentary called Becoming Bulletproof, - a Meet and Greet at the Film Festival, and - a showing of the movie Where’s Molly. Ms. McEnery will send out a notice for the next meeting, April 5 at 2pm, and encourages it be forwarded to others in pursuit of recruiting new committee members.  Update on the Community Inclusion for Everyone Meeting held March 21, 2016 Ms. McEnery handed out a brochure and shared the meeting’s highlights. The agenda focused on the Vision of including people from our community in a “side-by-side” manner. Some ideas centered on using technology to facilitate connecting up for activities, movies at the dock, etc. – ideas focus on natural friendships and connections, rather than on disability.  Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) Update – Vicki Shaver Ms. Shaver passed out a flyer about Mariners game on Sunday May 1st is a “We are Family” Game Day, with special tickets at $29 for main level, $12 for the main level. April 29th is the final day to get tickets. A second flyer was handed out announcing enrollment openings for Individual and Family Services (IFS) where family income is not considered. The target is to enroll 6,500 clients by June of 2017.  Future Meetings  1st Transition Workshop-March 24th 2016-6:30pm to 8:30pm- PT School District Library/Enclosure  Accessibility Community Act Project – (Governor’s Committee on Disability Grant) -MTG-April 5th -2pm @ Public Health/ Main Conference Room  Jefferson County Transition Network MTG-April 12th 2016 3:45 to 5pm @ Public Health/Main Conference Room Always working for a safer and healthier community Developmental Disability Advisory Board - Minutes 03/22/2016 Page 5 of 5 Community Health Environmental Health Developmental Disabilities Water Quality 360-385-9400 360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f) (f) 360-379-4487 Public Comments Ms. McEnery announced Member Rafferty received a micro grant from the Washington Community Integration & Innovation fund. The micro-grants will support eight participants in a spin class down at the Downtown Gym. Camp Beausite NW will be doing a fund-raising effort on May 3rd. Information about this will go out on social media, on their website, radio show interviews, etc. Agenda planning Please let Ms. McEnery know anything you would like to add to the next meeting’s agenda. Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 24, 2016