Wisconsin Personnel Development System (WPDS)--E-Newsletter 8/13/09

Parent Leadership Hub Weekly E-Newsletter for August 13, 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

2009 Closing the Gap Conference
The 2009 Closing The Gap Conference will be held October 15th-17th in Minneapolis, Minnesota and will again feature expert-lead workshops, presentations, and state-of-the-art exhibits, with unsurpassed opportunities to network throughout the week!
As a previous attendee of this world-renown event, we thank you for your past participation and hope that your implementation successes have since been many.
At this time, we encourage you to read on to learn about this year’s exciting content, expert presenters (many of whom are presenting only at Closing The Gap this October) and numerous registration discounts and options. We most certainly welcome your participation and invite you to attend! Go to http://www.closingthegap.com/conference/ for more information.
Latino Forum in Milwaukee
Your Family is invited to the 7th Annual Latino Forum, Celebrating Families of Children with Special Needs, completely in Spanish.
(Interpreters for English speakers available upon request)
Topics include Introduction to Special Education Services, Community/Medical Resources for children with special needs, Strategies to Managing Behavior.
Date: Friday, October 2, 2009
Time: 4:30 PM—8:30 PM
Location: South Division High School, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd., Milwaukee WI
To register or for more information, please call (414) 643-0022

Family Involvement Resources

NCD Launches National Summit on Disability Policy 2010
NCD launched the new Web page for the National Summit on Disability Policy 2010. It is located at http://www.neweditions.net/ncd2010/index.html. Anyone hoping to become a delegate to the summit in July of 2010 should review the Website and complete the application as quickly as possible. A delegate selection will be done later this fall, but people should assure that they do not miss any deadlines.
TeensAgainstBullying.org Website Launched
PACER Centers National Center for Bullying Prevention launched TeensAgainstBullying.org, an innovative bullying prevention resource where teens can become a powerful part of the movement to end bullying. Teens themselves participated in the creative process of developing the site. Through videos, blogs, and social networking, the sites resounding message is the end of bullying begins with you.
Once the target of bullying, teen singing sensation Demi Lovato is passionate about the cause. She is supporting the effort by appearing on the new Web site and doing a digital ribbon cutting at PACER for the Aug. 7, 2009 site launch. Learn more at TeensAgainstBullying.org.
START UP | Self-Employment Technical Assistance, Resources, &Training Website
For more information on self-employment, go to http://www.start-up-usa.biz/about/index.cfm.
YiPPE Facilitators Guide Now Available Online
Youth in Partnership with Parents for Empowerment (YiPPE) Facilitators Guide is now available on the Wisconsin Personnel Development, Parent Leadership Hub website: www.wispdg.org/pl.html. YiPPE is an intensive, yet fun, leadership and self-determination training program for youth with disabilities ages 14-21 and their parents/guardians. It engages youth and their parents in activities designed to help them learn the knowledge and skills necessary to move through the transition process, from being a high school student to assuming adult roles in the community. It focuses on self-determination across all environments – education, employment, health care, community living, and relationships. The program is structured so youth participate in youth-friendly learning opportunities while their parent(s) participate in a parallel training. The development of this facilitators guide was funded by the Wisconsin Board for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD): http://wi-bpdd.org. The YiPPE Facilitator’s Guide is designed to be used as a stand-alone manual. It is recommended that YiPPE facilitators be familiar with the Parents in Partnership (PIP) Facilitator’s Guide to help structure the parents’ learning activities. To obtain this guide, or for additional information, questions, or YiPPE trainings being offered in Wisconsin contact Martha DeYoung CESA 5, 800-862-3725, ext.255 deyoungm@cesa5.k12.wi.us.
The Autism Transition Guide: Planning the Journey from School to Adult Life
This is a book about autism and transitioning to adult life. Go to http://www.nprinc.com/autism/atgu.htm for more information.
Resource from Griffin Hammis, LLC.
Griffin Hammis, LLC specializes in community rehabilitation improvement, job creation and job site training, employer development, Social Security benefits analysis and work incentives, self-employment feasibility and refinement, management-leadership mentoring, and civic entrepreneurship. Here is a link to resources: http://www.griffinhammis.com/
Website Encourages Communication with Doctors
The Massachusetts Disability Employment Initiative has launched a new website called "Talking with Your Doctor and Other Healthcare Professionals". This site is geared towards helping youth feel more comfortable talking to their healthcare provider. It is based on the communication model presented in the "Talking with Your Doctor" video (included on the website). For more information go to http://hctransitions.ichp.ufl.edu/gladd/.

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.