University of Maine LEND Trainees, Faculty and Training Director Meet with Disability Policy Experts and Maine Congressional Delegation

University of Maine trainees, faculty and the Maine training director from the New Hampshire Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program Partnership recently attended the 2013 Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, DC to participate in in-depth sessions with disability policy experts and to meet with Maine’s Congressional Delegation, including U.S. Senator Angus King (see photo below). Students selected as LEND trainees demonstrate promise for leadership in teaching, research, clinical practice and/or administration and policymaking. Please visit  the NH LEND Program Partnership web page for more information.

(l-r) Janice Grant, faculty member Dr. Stephen Gilson, Debra Rainey, Marnie Morneault, John Wilcox, Senator Angus King, Tiffany Belanger, Jennifer Cammack, interdisciplinary training director Susan Russell, and Jennifer Maeverde.

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Hagner, Kurtz, Cloutier and May Publish Research on Person-Centered Planning for Transition-Aged Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

A research study by David Hagner, Alan Kurtz, Heidi Cloutier and Janet May, “Person-Centered Planning for Transition-Aged Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders,” has been accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed Journal of Rehabilitation. Person-centered planning is a process that can allow individuals with disabilities to participate more actively in their transition planning, and more active participation in planning is associated with more positive vocational rehabilitation outcomes.

The co-authors, from the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability and the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, are collaborating on a three-year National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) project, Implementation of Family-Centered Transition Planning for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

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CCIDS Interim Associate Director Susan Russell Selected for 2013 UCEDD Leadership Development Institute

Susan Russell, Interim Associate Director of the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies has been selected to participate in the 2013 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) Leadership Development Institute.
Russell will join 25 other leaders in a week-long intensive executive development program at the University of Delaware in early June. In addition to serving as the Center’s Interim Associate Director since 2011, Russell is also the Interdisciplinary Training Director for Maine trainees in the New Hampshire Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program Partnership. She is currently pursuing an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. at the University of Maine with a focus on disability studies, public policy and family studies.

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CCIDS Now Offering Online Graduate Certificate in Interdisciplinary Disability Studies

Interdisciplinary Disability Studies (IDS) Coordinator and Professor Stephen F. Gilson, Ph.D., and IDS Professor Elizabeth DePoy, Ph.D.

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies is now offering a 4-course online Graduate Certificate in Interdisciplinary Disability Studies. The certificate program is a progressive 12-credit graduate-level curriculum in which students from a variety of disciplines and professional backgrounds can study with students and professionals from other fields to acquire specialized knowledge in disability theory, policy and research.

The graduate certificate program is open to students who have obtained a baccalaureate degree, including those who seek only the certificate; students who want to study in one or more of the courses without seeking the certificate; and students currently matriculated in masters and doctoral programs.

For more information about the Graduate Certificate in Interdisciplinary Disability Studies, please visit the website http://ccids.umaine.edu/interedu/graduate-certificate/ or contact Stephen F. Gilson, Ph.D., Graduate Coordinator and Professor of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at 207.581.1263 (v) or email: stephen.gilson@umit.maine.edu.

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Maine High School Students with Disabilities Explore STEM Postsecondary Education at UMaine

UMaine Mechanical Engineering graduate student, Morteza Seidi, guides high-school student Brandon through a mock robotic surgery procedure, while students Sam, Zachary and Isaac look on.

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, and Maine EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), are collaborating on a project, Increasing Access and Success in the STEM Disciplines, to develop and evaluate a model for supporting the transition of Maine high school students with disabilities into STEM-related postsecondary educational opportunities within the University of Maine System.

As part of a package of evidenced-based supports including student and family-centered planning meetings, training, STEM career exploration, and mentoring relationships and internships, students in the project recently participated in a day-long exploration of postsecondary STEM opportunities at the University of Maine.

Disability Support Services Director Ann Smith with high school students, Jackson, Riley and Kaitlin.

Campus visits included the Surveying Engineering Technology Program, the Advanced Manufacturing Center, Disability Support Services, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Advanced Robotics/Robotics Surgery Laboratory, the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and the Advanced Structures and Composites Center. Additional photos of the campus tour may be viewed on the Center’s flicker stream.

Increasing Access and Success in the STEM Disciplines is funded by a National Science Foundation Award EPS-0904155 to Maine EPSCoR at the University of Maine. The project is co-coordinated by Alan Kurtz, CCIDS Coordinator of Education and Autism; and Janet May, CCIDS Coordinator of Transition and Adults.

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CCIDS Co-Sponsoring May Workshop on Aging, Dementia and Developmental Disabilities

An educational workshop on aging, dementia, and developmental disabilities will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at the Spectacular Events Center in Bangor, Maine.  The event is designed to provide helpful information to families, direct support workers, clinicians, program staff, and administrators concerned about adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The Maine workshop is a joint effort of the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG), the Charlotte White Center, Momentum, the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council, the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, and the University of Maine Center on Aging.

The May 23, 2013 workshop will run from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and will be held at the Spectacular Events Center, 395 Griffin Road, Bangor, Maine. The cost is $40, with a reduction of $5 for early registrants (all registration occurring before April 26th will be eligible for the cost reduction).  Participants may register online, by mail, or email.  A registration form (PDF) may be downloaded here. Registrations by mail must be received prior to May 15th: please make check payable to “The Charlotte White Center” and mail to Cashier, c/o Charlotte White Center, 572 Bangor Road, Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426. Participants may also register through email by contacting Margaret Callaway at mcallaway@charlottewhite.org.

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Maine and NH Leaders in Maternal, Child and Public Health Discuss Leadership Issues and Opportunities During Institute

Gary Wolcott and Brenda Harvey

The New Hampshire Interdisciplinary Leadership Institute (ILI) recently convened a Leadership in Disability and Public Health Panel at the University of Maine and the University of New Hampshire (UNH). Through video conferencing technology, five prominent leaders in various maternal, child and public health areas shared their experiences and discussed leadership issues and opportunities with New Hampshire Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program (NH LEND) trainees and faculty. The panel was facilitated by Alan Kurtz and coordinated by members of the Interdisciplinary Leadership Institute (ILI) Team:  Betsy Humphreys, Rae Sonnenmeier, Leslie Couse, Alan Kurtz and Susan Russell.

Alan Kurtz: ILI Team member and Panel Facilitator

The Interdisciplinary Leadership Institute is a yearlong leadership training opportunity for advanced graduate students, community professionals, and family members of individuals with disabilities associated with the NH LEND. In 2011, the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies joined the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability, and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, as a partner in the NH LEND Program.

The following leaders in maternal, child and public health participated on the two-state panel:

Maine Panelists:

Brenda M. Harvey, M.S. Ed., was appointed Executive Director of the New England States Consortium Systems Organization (NESCSO) in January 2011. Ms. Harvey works with the New England Health and Human Service Commissioners and their Medicaid Directors, the regional and central office administrators of CMS, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School to identify and enhance regional collaborative efforts focused on health care innovations.  Prior to her appointment at NESCSO, Ms. Harvey served as Commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.

ME Panelists Brenda Harvey and Gary F. Wolcott (not pictured: Lindsey Tweed)

Gary F. Wolcott, M.Ed., was appointed to the position of Associate Director for Care & Intervention in 2012 for the newly created Office of Aging & Disability Services within the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Wolcott joined Maine DHHS as the Program Manager for Brain Injury Services in February 2007 and has more than 35 years of experience creating community-based programs for persons with disabilities.
Lindsey Tweed, M.D., M.P.H., serves as Medical Director for the Office of Child and Family Services within the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Tweed graduated from Dartmouth College, Duke University Medical School, and the University of North Carolina School of Public Health. Dr. Tweed’s main professional interest is in methods of improving the quality of care of children’s mental health services.

NH Panelists:

Jan Nisbet, Ph.D., is currently the Senior Vice Provost for Research at the University of New Hampshire where she has served since September 2009. Prior to assuming this position, she was the founding Director of the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability and a tenured Professor in the Department of Education. Dr. Nisbet has published extensively in the field of disabilities and has been principal investigator on many state and nationally funded projects related to the community integration of persons with disabilities.

NH Panelists: Donald L. Shumway and Jan Nisbet

Donald L. Shumway is President of the Crotched Mountain Foundation in Greenfield, NH. From 1999-2002, he served as Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Shumway joined the department in 1976 and during his tenure as the state director of the developmental disabilities program, he led the team that closed all institutional services for the state and established a community embedded system of supports and self-directed services.

Please follow the link for more information about the New Hampshire Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Program Partnership.

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Self-Advocacy Online

Self-Advocacy Online (SAO) is a place to find accessible information on current topics in self-advocacy. Find self-advocacy groups by state or zipcode, view stories from self-advocates, learn about self-advocacy, and find news of interest to self-advocates.

Through the Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC) , Self-Advocacy Online operates with primary funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) , the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) , and other federal agencies. The RTC is part of the Institute on Community Integration (ICI), in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. Initial support for SAO was provided by the NEC Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation.

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Trainee Applications for 2013-2014 NH-LEND Program Partnership Now Available

Trainee applications are available for the 2013-2014 New Hampshire Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (NH-LEND) Program Partnership at the University of Maine. The NH-LEND program provides graduate level interdisciplinary training for students and professionals from diverse disciplines, including developmental pediatrics, early childhood education, social work, psychology, occupational therapy, health management and policy, and speech language pathology. Competitive scholarships are available for qualified applicants.

Maine trainees in the NH-LEND Program register at the University of Maine and participate in the weekly LEND seminar through the use of eLearning and video-conferencing technology at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Maine. This rigorous 10-month curriculum follows the academic calendar and includes coursework and hands-on experiences with faculty, families, community partners and legislators. Program activities include leadership development, clinical training, continuing education/technical assistance, research and cultural competency field work.

For more information or to request an application, please contact the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies at ccidsmail@umit.maine.edu or call 207/581-1381. Application deadline: March 15, 2013.

This opportunity is made possible through the New Hampshire LEND Program. NH LEND is supported by a grant (#T73 MC 00024) from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and administered by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD).

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TASH Connections (Winter 2012) – Spirituality: From Rights to Relationships

This issue of Connections – Spirituality: From Rights to Relationships – is being made publicly available to increase awareness of issues of spirituality, and to ignite a dialogue about what is means for people with significant disabilities to truly access all aspects of the community. Spirituality: From Rights to Relationships features a diverse selection of contributors exploring spirituality, faith, our connections to faith communities, and the power of spirituality and inclusive spiritual supports in the lives of people with significant disabilities. Click on the image at the right to download a PDF version of this newsletter. Follow this link for a text-only version of the newsletter (.doc).

For more information about TASH, please visit their website.

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