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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDDAB Minutes FINAL 11-27-181 Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board (DDAB) MINUTES Tuesday, November 27, 2018 FINAL Board Attendees: Carl Hanson (Co-Chair) Kelly Matlock, David Sullivan, Laura Cook, Claudia Edmondson, Pamela Adams, Kim Rafferty (Co-Chair), And Dale Wilson Absent: Guests: Claudia Coppola, Robin Burdick, Deb Fa’aita, Amanda Smith, Taylor Webster, Lani Peterson, Stephanie Brooks, Catie Morton, Megan Mason- Todd Staff: Anna Mc Enery CALL TO ORDER Member Hanson called the meeting to order.. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Member Hanson called for approval November 27, 2018 meeting agenda. Member Adams moved to approve the agenda, Member Edmondson seconded. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM September 25, 2018. Member Hanson called for approval of both September 25, 2018 meeting minutes. Member Wilson moved to approve meeting minutes September 25, 2018, Member Edmondson seconded. INTRODUCTIONS PUBLIC COMMENTS Member Hanson commented that film “Wonder” was well attended by the community and that it supported Special Olympics and JUMP. Member Hanson also commented that Staff Mc Enery received an award from Lulu D. Hadden Foundation. Each year the Board of Directors of the Arc of the Peninsulas honors a dedicated professional who makes a significant and meaningful contributions to our community on behalf of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is awarded for excellence in the honored individual’s chosen field. NEW BUSINESS AND PRESENTATIONS 1. Update from Arc of the Peninsulas/New Parent to Parent Coordinator/Other Activities – Amanda Smith/Arc, Assistant Director Amanda Smith announced the organization changed the name this year to Arc of the Peninsulas because of adding 2 more Counties, (Mason and Clallam) to the current group of Kitsap and Jefferson. Also they have hired, Diane Porter as the Parent to Parent Coordinator. Diane is tasked with spreading the word on Parent to Parent and encouraging parents to attend a new P2P support group. Diane has learned from some veteran Parent to Parent groups how to reframe the format of the support group so that it is focused to parents sharing their issues, 2 obtaining information from other parents on dealing with situations rather than spending the time talking about how their day was in a griping mode. Amanda asked the group to provide Diane with names of parents or caregivers who would benefit from support because Diane is building a database with the information. Amanda is supervisor of Parent to Parent, but is also responsible for a wide range of programs including: an advocacy role, working directly with parents, schools, teachers, to bridge the differences/misunderstandings, etc. A major focus of the Arc is empowering members as adults and focusing on employment in school. Amanda indicated the desire in bringing the Holland training to work with parents who were just informed of their child’s diagnosis; the training goes through all the stages of grief. Amanda is establishing mandatory training for Parent to Parent Coordinators once a quarter. One of the trainings is “Helping Parents”, which trains parents to connect with other parents who have a child with same or similar diagnosis. Amanda recently went to Spokane and learned about their Partnership for Safety Program. She suggested everyone google their website. The Arc feels it is very important to provide information/training about healthy relationships and sexual assault prevention. Amanda said the local Arc is able to provide the training and will be arranging it. It’s crucial for our people to understand these issues and for families/providers to be aware and informed on how to recognize and handle the issues. Please let Amanda know of other topics or concerns that you have so that the Arc can address them. 2. Presentation from Employment /Community Inclusion Providers Skookum/Megan Mason-Todd – Skookum is growing, they added two contractors this year and just bought an aerospace company in Kent. As a growing entity, Skookum is employing lot of people. The Skookum CEO is focusing on providing jobs for individuals with developmental disabilities in all the contracts and has monthly goals. Set aside contracts average 5% of employment for people with developmental disabilities. Megan indicated that although Individual Employment services are only in Kitsap and Jefferson counties, every client with a developmental disability is assigned a vocational specialist. Staff Mc Enery asked about the latest updates for Jefferson County. Megan indicated not much has changed. They have 20 clients in Jefferson County, of which 13 are in Individual Employment and all but one person is employed. Community Inclusion is still serving three clients, and four individuals are working at the recycling center, (three of which work 12 hours a week and one who works eight hours a week). Concerned Citizens – Lani Peterson stated much of the work done this year was to stabilize the organization while matching personnel to programs. Concerned Citizens has five clients in Individual Employment in Jefferson County working 3- 25 hours per week. Four out of the five clients state they are comfortable with the number of the hours working. One is reaching out more hours on his current job, and so they are working on finding additional hours. Two people got new jobs this year. 3 Concerned Citizens has 2 clients in Community Inclusion. One client is working contributing and connecting to his community; he currently volunteers at a store. The other individual in the program is getting close to finding better housing is active in the community. Cascade Community Connections – Taylor Webster introduced Stephanie Brooks as the new Community Services supervisor. Stephanie will be overseeing their Community Guide Program and enrollment. Cascade serves 35 people with developmental disabilities in their Jefferson County Community Guide Program. The goal is to help people engage with the community, find housing, volunteer and give back to the community. Cascade is has a contract with DVR to find job placements, and Pre-Employment transition services. They only have three clients in Individual Employment, 2 are employed and 1 is looking for a job. Staff Mc Enery indicated that Robin Burdick from Skookum provides a quarterly spreadsheet with client acuity levels and hours worked. Each provider should summarize that information to share with the DDAB board at a future meeting. Staff Mc Enery will request this to be a future agenda item. 3. DD Coordinator Update/Anna Mc Enery BoCC Proclamation - Disability Employment Awareness Month This last October, the Board of County Commissioners issued a proclamation to celebrate National Disability Employment month. Staff Mc Enery, Members Hanson and Rafferty, and Lani Peterson attended. Staff Mc Enery listed the businesses who participate in Individual Supported Employment and noted there was an article in the PDN. Next year the County would like to have an employer recognition breakfast event (like we have had in the past) because we have a number of people who are willing to work on organizing the event. The Work with Me breakfast has included a keynote speaker and other employers who shared the benefits of hiring people with developmental disabilities. It would be great to have it at the Maritime Center again. DDAB Legislative Priorities 2019 Staff Mc Enery spoke on the draft of legislative priorities. Arc has more of a presence in Olympia because Amanda Smith goes there weekly and can share these priorities. Staff Mc Enery asked the Board to look at the Jefferson Co Legislative Priorities document and to provide feedback, recommendations by end of December. WA State is 41st for providing funding. (Please see the document.) Alderbrook Employment First Conference/ Staff Mc Enery attended the 2018 conference. She shared the primary goals and objective for Jefferson County:  Start self-advocacy training in schools, similar to SAM (Self-Advocacy in Motion) in Sequim.  Employment Provider Network MTG/Bring Jefferson County Employment Providers together on a quarterly basis to train each other on their different areas of expertise, share new innovative information about employment & have DDA provide in-services.  Work with Me Breakfast Event for employers, (as discussed previously).  Increase the rate of student graduates with jobs (post school outcomes). 4  Increase parent education on effective Transition Services. (We are providing a Transition W orkshop Series.) Other ways to increase parent education: Parent to Parent can help get the word out about resources, acronyms, etc.  Assistive technology Workshop for Providers, Families, DDA, Schools. Focus on video resumes, low tech/high tech, etc.  Self-led IEPs for kids in Special Ed in Middle Schools not just High Schools.  Rural Job Development Workshop w/Deb Mclean in Jefferson County/Invite rural Counties to participate.  Developing County/City jobs, creating social norms around the message that people with disabilities, do work/can work/ and contribute to community.  Have a Forum with rural Counties on how create an effective Transition Programs, (like School to W ork) in smaller counties. OLD BUSINESS-INFORMATIONAL ITEMS & FUTURE MEETINGS A. Old Business 1. Next Steps Goal Setting/2018 Developmental Disability Community Forum/Subcommittee Needed – Carl Hanson, Kelly Matlock and Pamela Adams Member Hanson indicated that a request was made of each Chairs at the Community Forum to decide on three priorities based on their table discussions. Member Hanson was the Chair of the Transition Services group; and he prioritized education and information, which assures that parents are aware of services and where to find them; another was more of an employment focus in transition services and lastly each school district has different plans, connections, etc. and would like to see the plans/opportunities be more seamless between schools. Member Matlock is trying to connect some of the DD Community Forum goals with the Alderbrook Forum. Also, Member Matlock and Member Adams (who oversaw the Employment and Community Integration) said they would like to join the subcommittee to map out the goals and priorities. Member Matlock headed the Transportation and Safety committee. The three priorities were as follows:  There are significant route limitations in Jefferson County and even in Port Townsend. Member Matlock and working with Amanda from the Arc to establish a partnership with public transit.  A need for an increase in positive understanding and relationships between law enforcement and individuals with physical, intellectual and mental health disabilities. Member Matlock has partnered with the ACAC and submitted a proposal for a project called Coffee with a Cop. We are waiting to hear about funding. Member Matlock would like to have three coffee events this next year.  There is significant underutilization of the Travel Trainer Program in Jefferson County. It needs more marketing. No actual plan established, but Member Matlock will network with Jefferson Transit and the Arc. A question was asked if Special Ed Programs access the travel trainer; it appears it’s not currently being used. Member Cook will check into this and get back to us. A discussion ensued about Critical Incident training. Law enforcement has accessed the training, but other organizations like the YMCA could benefit from CIT training. Staff Mc Enery received extra notes from Member Wilson about Housing. He talked about setting up a 44 person housing unit that would designate 20% for people with 5 development disabilities. According to Member Wilson it will be located in Port Townsend. Staff Mc Enery asked Member Wilson to talk about the Medicaid 1115 Waiver and if it will help with housing issues? Member Wilson responded that it is more directed to support people already in housing. Usually high end users of the system, e.g., with mental health issues are who would be receiving assistance from Waiver. OlyCAP will begin to do employment under this Waiver, as of November 1st. Member Edmondson believes that recreation is small portion of focus, but that there is a learning opportunity in most all things/activities. The Lodge at Camp Beausite should be finished by March 2019, which will broaden ability to provide full programs and respite opportunities throughout the year, (mostly weekend camps). B. Informational Items 1. Update from Division of Vocational Rehabilitation/(DVR) Iris Wehrle/Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor – Iris was not available C. Future Meetings/Events 1. Accessibility Community Advisory Committee (ACAC) Regular Mtgs (Grant from Governor’s Committee on Disability) to be held from 1-3pm @ Public Health/Pacific Room (unless otherwise noted) in 2019 on:  January 28  March 25  May 20  July 22 – Coyle Community Center  September 23  November 25 2. Transition Network mtg to be held 3:45 – 5pm @ Site to be determined Staff Mc Enery is working with Port Townsend HS to schedule meeting at that location.  Tuesday, December 11th, to be held @ Quilcene School District PUBLIC COMMENTS/None were made. Future Agenda Items  Mental Health Services for People with Development Disabilities  Able Accounts and DD Endowment Trust Fund  Next Steps /Goal Setting/2018 Developmental Disability Community Forum/DDAB Subcommittee  Jefferson County 2019 Transition Workshop Series 2019 DDAB MEETINGS – from 2:45 pm – 4:30pm @ Public Health in Pacific Conference Room: Tuesday, January 29 (requesting a week later for the next DDAB meeting) Tuesday, March 26 Tuesday, May 28 Tuesday, September 24 Tuesday, November 26 Meeting was adjourned.