April 4, 2008
This is the weekly e-mail newsletter from the Lucas County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
Civitan again planning inclusive activity with the Village Players
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1. Next forum with Superintendent Trunk will April 8
Save the date for the next public forum with Superintendent John Trunk
─ April 8, 7:00 p.m., at the Educare Center,
1932 Birchwood. Guest speakers will include a discussion by Parent Partners from
the Children's Options Department. They will share what they do for the
families involved in our program ─ from
assisting in the Family Library Center to providing support in the intake
process and development of the IEP. The superintendent will provide a
status of Board programs and services.
This will be our first evening forum of the
year. These open forums are designed for candid, informal discussions involving
families, providers and advocates.
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2. Medicaid Buy-In begins
Tuesday marked the first day when eligible workers with disabilities can apply for a program that allows them to continue to receive Medicaid benefits while they work. The program, known as the Medicaid Buy-In Program for Workers with Disabilities, provides benefits for those making up to 250% of the Federal Poverty Level if they pay monthly insurance premiums.
"Medicaid Buy-In breaks down the barrier to adequate health coverage and frees Ohio's workers with disabilities to enter the workforce or secure higher-paying jobs, strengthening the state's economy," said John Connelly, executive director of the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission. RSC said one in five Ohioans have disabilities and said employment among the that population is comparatively low.
"Hiring people with disabilities is a win-win situation for Ohioans and Ohio businesses," Mr. Connelly said. "Employees gain the pride and independence that comes with a job and businesses gain talented professionals who have above-average records in job performance, attendance and safety."
Children’s Buy-In
The parents of an estimated 5,000 children with special medical needs can apply to participate in a buy-in program that will offer health insurance benefits under an executive order that Governor Ted Strickland signed Tuesday. The order creates the Children's Buy-In program that offers services to young people in families with incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level.
Mr. Strickland said the program will reduce "the burden and worry for parents who have had difficulty obtaining coverage for their children due to a special condition. Affordable access to health care coverage is crucial to ensuring that families can lay a solid foundation for their children to enjoy future success."
Under the program, coverage premiums range from a low of $252 per month to a high of $505 per month, the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services said. The program is available to families with children under the age of 19 if they:
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3. Volunteers needed for Area IV spring meet
Volunteers are needed for the Area IV Special Olympics meet on May 10 at the University of Toledo. Athletes from Erie, Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Sandusky, Williams, and Wood counties will be competing in preparation for the State Summer Games in June 2008. Please contact Linda Baranek at (419) 381-5254, or email lbaranek@lucasmrdd.com by April 15 if you plan on attending.
Special Olympics basketball team the All Stars won a bronze medal at the State competition over the week-end and Gary Haley won a gold medal in the individual skills competition.
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4. Civitan again planning inclusive activity with the Village Players
Following on the heels of a very successful inclusive evening with the Village Players last year, Maumee Valley Civitan is again "buying out the house" for another entertaining event. Civitan will be giving 100 tickets to the mr/dd community for the performance on Sunday afternoon, May 18, of "Don't Dress for Dinner," a play described as "a recipe for hilarious confusion with more twists than a corkscrew!" To make this a truly inclusive community event, Civitan will sell the remaining seats for $18 each. Everyone attending is invited to a reception preceding the show. To purchase tickets send an e-mail to maumeevalleycivitan@gmail.com or call Mary Pat Riker at 419-380-4049. To see photos from last year's event, visit maumeevalleycivitan.org Sposnsors for this event include NBC24, Kroger, and Maumee Valley Civitan.
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5. What Next Summer Program
As part of the What Next Program, The Arc of Lucas County is offering a summer program – “Ready to Work Academy” – 2 weeks in July/4 days/week. The flyer is attached.
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6. Core Values Survey
Recently the Lucas County Board of MR/DD randomly sent out 1500 survey’s to families of individuals who receive Board services. If you received one of these surveys please complete it and return it as soon as possible in the self-addressed stamped envelope that was enclosed. Whether you received a survey or not, please check the Board’s web site at www.lucasmrdd.com for the date and location of the four community meetings set up to review the survey results. Please plan to attend one of these important meetings.
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7. Mr. Mike Simmel to be Keynote Speaker for Epilepsy Center 30th Anniversary Celebration
The Epilepsy Center’s 30th Anniversary Celebration will be held Saturday April 19, at Stone Oak Country Club. The cost is $75 per person or a table of eight can be purchased for $500. A cocktail reception will begin at 6:00 p.m. followed by the dinner and program, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. and conclude at 9:00 p.m.
This celebration is being held to honor key volunteers and generous organizations that have made exceptional contributions to the Epilepsy Center, and to celebrate the 30 years of service that has been offered to the Northwest Ohio area.
Keynote speaker for the evening, “Mighty” Mike Simmel, has been a member of the Harlem Wizards professional basketball team and a featured halftime performer at halftimes since 2001. And he has epilepsy. Mike will be speaking on “Bouncing Out The Stigma,” to inspire and empower young people, especially those with epilepsy and special needs, through the creation and supporting of signature programs, to promote healthy lifestyle choices.
If you would like additional information call 419-867-5950.
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8. Futures Committee final report completed
The MR/DD Futures Committee Final Report has been completed and was distributed to each Member of the Ohio General Assembly on March 28, 2008. The Report is a product of many months of intensive work, and will serve as a blueprint to guide ODMRDD's strategic direction. It has been posted on the ODMRDD website at http://odmrdd.state.oh.us/futures/docs/MRDDFuturesFinalReport.pdf
"The Futures Committee recommendations emphasize involvement of individuals and families in directing services and defining quality of services, and emphasize regional planning to meet service needs," said John Martin, Director of the Ohio Dept. of MR/DD. "They also call for the development of methods for sustainable financial decision-making and policy development and address how services are accessed and planned."
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9. Upcoming Events
April 17 the Family Information Network "Your House or Mine" get together will feature Probate Judge Jack Puffenberger. The judge will discuss guardianship, wills, special needs trusts & DNR orders. See the attached flyer.
Sunshine Children's Home is sponsoring a TEEN DANCE. The dance will be Saturday, April 19, 7-9 pm. Admission $3. To get a ticket, contact Sunshine Children's Home, 419 865-0251, and ask for Alicia Sharp x 3623 or Lexi Staples x 3410. A room with refreshments will be provided for parents/guardians who want/need to stay.
An exhibition wheelchair football game and demonstration will be April 19 at 12:00 p.m. in the Student Recreation Center at the University of Toledo. The purpose of this event is to offer entertainment to the UT campus and Toledo community while promoting inclusive recreation. People will have a chance to try their hand at the game afterwards, and other activities will be available at the Recreation Center for people to try (eg. blindfolded climb on the rock wall). The Toledo Crash is a competitive wheelchair football team with members from the Toledo area. Some have also competed in the Paralymic Games They are coached by Mario Duncan, an employee at the Abilities Center and former athlete.
This Family FASD Forum is a network opportunity for parents/caregivers raising children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. It will be Friday, April 25, from 1:00pm -3:00pm at the Owens Corning Conference Center, Room - Commons 2, One Owens Corning Parkway in downtown Toledo at Summit and Washington. Dress is business casual. Please Note: all visitors MUST check in at the front desk in the lobby. Register at www.notasingledrop.org or call 800-788-7254, option 2
April 28 "Living with Autism" is an inservice sponsored by the Sandusky County Board of MR/DD. See the attached flyer.
June 13 the Miracle League will hold a golf outing to raise funds to build a baseball field for children with special needs. The flyer is attached.
The Special Olympics State Softball Tournament will be held at the Oregon Recreation Center September 13-14.
September 18-19 are the dates for the 27th annual conference of the Brain Injury Association of Ohio. It will be in Columbus at the University Plaza Hotel. For registration forms go to www.biaoh.org
The annual Sibling Conference will be November 7-8 in Columbus. For more information visit the website.
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Please forward this newsletter to others interested in activities, events and issues concerning individuals in our community with mr/dd. To subscribe, send your e-mail address to comments@lucasmrdd.com
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