Wisconsin Personnel Development System (WPDS)--E-Newsletter 6/11/09

Parent Leadership Hub Weekly E-Newsletter for June 11,2009

The attached "Parent Leadership Hub" Weekly Email Update is sent to you from WSPEI and WI FACETS. The Parent Leadership Hub supports parents/family members, educators and other community partners to build capacity regarding meaningful family involvement. The Hub serves three primary purposes:
(1) To support parents of children with disabilities between birth and 26 years of age to participate as partners in the professional development activities of each of the other Statewide Initiatives as they design, deliver and support professional development experiences; and
(2) To facilitate opportunities for parents/family members to build leadership skills; and
(3) To provide Content Focused technical assistance concerning family involvement.

Parent/Personnel Development Opportunities

National Workshop: Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in STEM
This is a friendly reminder that your last chance to register for the workshop below is Friday, June 12. The Midwest Alliance would like to invite you to participate in a National Workshop: Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to be held Monday and Tuesday, June 22 and 23, 2009 at the IHotel on the campus of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. The focus of the workshop will be on students with psychiatric disabilities in STEM. We are very excited to be hosting this workshop, as we think this is an area that needs considerable attention if students with psychiatric disabilities are to be able to participate fully in post-secondary STEM curricula and succeed in STEM fields.

There is no registration fee or charge for the workshop. If you would like to attend, please confirm via email at kdcollin@illinois.edu or phone at 217-333-1970. Please include your name, organization, and email. Confirmation letters will be emailed to registered participants and will include hotel reservation and parking information. Please feel free to forward this email to any colleagues you feel might be interested or could benefit from the workshop.
Do You Know How to Advocate for Your Child’s Health Care Needs?
Have You Ever Said, “I wish I’d Had That Information for My Child When I Needed It?” If you answered, “Yes”, take a crash course with us! Wisconsin First Step and Family Voices of Wisconsin will host the “Did You Know? Now You Know!” Health Care Coverage and Community Supports for Children and Youth with Special Needs and Disabilities on
When:        Thursday, June 25th and Thursday July 9th
When:        10:00am-1:00pm.
Where:        Housing Authority Community Services Building, 650 W. Reservoir St, Milwaukee
Meet other families and learn about health care and community resources and support. Lunch, childcare stipends and Bus Tickets are available upon request. For more information contact Particia Erving at 1-414-562-0175.
Free Special Needs Financial Planning Workshop
June 27, 2009 from 10am to 12pm at Middleton Public Library (Downstairs Conference Room). Troy Blodgett works for Merrill Lynch and is a Certified Special Needs Advisor, in Madison. The Special Needs Network he is a member of has obtained funding to assist local organizations in conducting a workshop for families of children with disabilities. In conjunction with Iris Christenson from Christenson & Allex Law Firm, the workshop would cover financial planning basics for special needs families; how to preserve government benefits; special needs trusts; how to avoid pitfalls in planning; and answer any financial or legal questions participants may have.

Please RSPV by June 19 so that we may have enough materials for all participants. Contact Krysia@magic4ourkids@gmail.com. Troy can be reached at troy_blodgett@ml.com or visit www.fa.ml.com/troy_blodgett

See more details and RSVP on MAGIC: Middleton Abilities Group Improving Community:
http://magic4ourkids.ning.com/events/event/show?id=2998747%3
AEvent%3A281&xgi=gsHyNSt
14th Annual Family Fun Day 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at Mount Olympus Water and Theme Park, 1701 Wisconsin Dells Parkway – Wisconsin Dells, WI, www.mtolympuspark.com
Outdoor Water Park: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Indoor Water Park: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Cost: $11.00 per person includes a picnic lunch AND access to the entire water and theme park (children 2 years of age and under get in free) Registration deadline is July 2, 2009. Space is limited. Call as soon as possible to reserve your tickets TODAY!
Please Note: Family Fun Day is reserved for families that include children or adolescents with mental, emotional, behavioral, or substance abuse disorders.

Wisconsin Family Ties, 16 N. Carroll St., Suite 640, Madison, WI 53703
Toll free: 1-800-422-7145 Email: info@wifamilyties.org,
Website: www.wifamilyties.org
Resource Fair – Milwaukee
Everyday in the news there are reports that many of the people seeking social services resources are doing so for the first time in their life, and simply don’t know where to start and how to access the help they so desperately need. To respond to these growing quality of life needs in our community during these difficult economic times, Christ the King Church will be hosting a Community Resource Fair.

The primary goal in hosting the resource fair is to provide community members with information about the many quality of life resources available to support them and their families. The resource fair will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2009 from 10AM to 2PM on the Christ the King Church campus, Quality of Life Center, located at 7798 N 60th Street. It is our hope that your agency will partner with us for this vital event by participating as an exhibitor. There is no exhibitor’s fee for invited agencies. Each exhibitor will be provided with a table, chairs and refreshments throughout the day. Additionally, we ask that you also encourage your clients to attend the resource fair.

If you have questions, please give us a call at 414-586-4290 ext. 1006 or email communityawareness@ctkbc.org. Space is available on a first come, first serve basis. More details will be provided upon your confirmation. We look forward to having your agency as an exhibitor at this important community event.
WI FACETS Trainings
WI FACETS continues to offer opportunities to attend our workshops via teleconference calls and on line. Go to http://www.wifacets.org Workshops include:
- Preschool Options – Ready Set Go
- Introduction to Special Education
- IEPs Part I;
- IEPs Part II;
- IEPs Part I Spanish;
- IEPs Part II Spanish.
- Bullying & Harassment
- Communication Strategies
- Dispute Resolutions Options
- Community Resources
- High Qualified Teachers (HQT)
- No Child Left Behind
- Self Advocacy
- Initial Evaluation & Reevaluation
- Least Restrictive Environment
- Transition – Preparing for life after High School
- Positive Behavior Support Transition & Transition II – Age-Appropriate Assessments
- Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Functional Behavioral Assessments & Positive Behavior Intervention
- Positive Beginnings: Supporting Young Children with Challenging Behavior

“We Can Do Better” Person Centered Integrated Employment Planning
9 am to 4 pm This is a six-session Training Series You must attend all sessions at one location in order to receive an Integrated Employment Professional certificate. All sessions will include hands-on activities. Participants will complete internet-based activities between sessions. Choose one of the locations below and mark your calendar for all six sessions:

Western Wisconsin Tec. College Mauston Campus 608 847-3124 June 18, July 16, Aug. 20	Gateway Technical College Racine, 262-619-6200 June 4, Aug. 6, Sept. 3
Nicolet Area Technical College Rhinelander, 715 365-4410 June 26, July 24, Aug. 28

Sessions 1 & 2: Person-Centered Employment Planning Help individuals obtain jobs that match their skills, interests and aptitudes.
Sessions 3 & 4: Cultivating Relationships with Business How employment consultants can utilize strategies in their job development.
Sessions 5 & 6: Diagnostics of Maintaining Employment Tie together content from the previous sessions into the final result of getting a person into the right job. The target audience - venders of employment services for people with disabilities, transition teachers, DVR counselors, MCO and ADRC staff.

Parents as Leaders Recruitment – Green Lake
The Waisman Center is currently recruiting families for the 2009-10 Parents As Leaders (PALs) Program. The PALS program is designed for parents/caregivers with a child six or under with special needs who:
- are ready to become leaders and advocates in their communities;
- want to learn more about resources for children with special needs;
- want to meet some of the key leaders who make the policies and run the programs that affect children with special needs and their families in Wisconsin;
- are interested in meeting other parents from around the state.
  
  The PALs program meets four weekends over the course of nine months, from Friday afternoons (4 pm) until Saturday afternoons (4 pm) beginning November 6-7, 2009. The program meets in Green Lake, Wisconsin and there is no cost for families (lodging and food are provided). Children are not included in this program so that parents can participate to their fullest.
  
  Visit our website and/or download our PALs brochure at:
  http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/cedd/assets/pdf/palsbrochure.pdf
  Contact Lynn Havemann at 608/263-5947 or havemann@waisman.wisc.edu to learn more.
Two Support Parent Trainings – September & October
Connecting with another parent who has a child with a similar disability can be one of the most empowering experiences for parents as they make their way through their journey. Join in for Support Parent Training and become part of Wisconsin’s Network of Support Parents! The training is free!
Saturday, September 26, 2009 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Mary’s Hospital, Madison, WI
Children’s Hospital of WI, Children’s Corporate Center, 999 N. 92nd Street, Milwaukee, WI.
Saturday, October 10, 2009, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Children’s Hospital of WI, Children’s Corporate Center, 999 N. 92nd Street, Milwaukee, WI
For more information call: Robin at Parent to Parent of Wisconsin (715) 361-2890 or Karen at SE Regional CYSHCN Center (414) 266-3198

Family Involvement Resources

2009 Camps for Youth with Disability
Go to http://www.co.wood.wi.us/health/documents/Copyof
Campsdraft4withhyperlinks.pdf to find the many camps for youth with disabilities throughout Wisconsin.
Youth Leadership Resources in Spanish
Go to http://www.ncld-youth.info/publications.htm for youth leadership resources in Spanish.

DISCLAIMER
Inclusion of information in this e-mail does not constitute an endorsement by the Wisconsin Statewide Parent-Educator Initiative, Wisconsin FACETS, the Department of Public Instruction, the U.S. Department of Education, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.