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The Individual and Family Support Program (IFSP) at DBHDS provides a monthly news digest to highlight resources, events, and trainings that may be of interest to self-advocates and families.
As always, please visit the My Life My Community website to learn about resources and services that are available in your community.
Happy holidays!
IFSP Staff
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If your contact information changes (e.g., your email and/or mailing address), please remember you can contact your CSB and/or Support Coordinator to update it in WaMS! By doing this, you will be able to receive important information about the resources you or someone else are eligible to receive while on the Waitlist. | |
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IFSP Northern Regional Council Recruitment: We have one vacant Council seat for a person with a developmental disability or a self-advocate in our Northern Regional Council (also called Region 2)! Are you interested in helping increase supports for people with developmental disabilities to live in their communities? Are you also interested in growing your leadership skills? We would love to work with you! The application will open on Thursday, Feb. 1st at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IFSPNorthern2024. For more information, you can read about Council background and expectations on My Life, My Community. If you have questions, you can also email us at IFSPCommunity@dbhds.virginia.gov.
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Peer Mentoring Program: Peer mentors at The Arc of Virginia are ready to meet you and help you achieve your goals! Learn more about the program and eligibility requirements at The Arc. For questions, email Natasha Cooper at ncooper@thearcofva.org.
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Family Mentoring Program: Getting support from someone who's been in your shoes can make a difference! Learn how the Family to Family Network at the Center for Family Involvement can help.
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DBHDS Office of Integrated Health Supports Network (OIHSN) | |
January 2024 Newsletter Highlights | Read OIHSN's January 2024 newsletter for more on these highlights, ABA snippets, and their App of the Month! |
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The "Tripledemic": COVID-19, RSV, & the Flu: 'Tis the season for respiratatory illness! The term "tripledemic" refers to a possible outbreak of the flu (influenza), the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19 occurring at the same time. How can you tell which virus you might have? Start by reviewing OIHSN's chart of common symptoms.
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Wheelchair Safety & Maintenance Tasks for Caregivers: OIHSN shares general maintenance and safety tasks that can help extend the life of a wheelchair, and can help lower risk of injury to a person who uses a wheelchair.
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February 2024 Caregiver Trainings | Get more details and registration information about the trainings below (and more!) through this link. |
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Wheelchair Transitioning Training: Thursday, Feb. 1st from 1 to 3 p.m.
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VDH Special Needs Oral Health: Thursday, Feb. 20th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
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Vital Signs (COVLC): February is Heart Health Month! Consider taking this free virtual training on the Commonwealth of Virginia Learning Center (COVLC), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To set up your account, please email dbhdscovlchelpdesk@dbhds.virginia.gov.
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Opportunities, Events, and Resources for Professionals, Self-Advocates, and Families | |
Parenting Special Needs Magazine | |
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Family Live Chat: Is That Clear? Effective Communication in a Neurodiverse World: We shared this event on Facebook, but we're sharing it again here! If you're looking for tips to improve your communication skills with autistic and allistic (non-autistic) people, bring a friend to Parenting Special Needs Magazine's first Family Live Chat of 2024 next Wednesday, Jan. 31st at 8 p.m. The first 10 guests to arrive online will receive a special gift! Visit this link to view the flyer and register.
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2024 Youth & Family Summit: The I'm Determined Project is accepting applications for their 3-day annual summit! Youth and families will meet at James Madison University from Tuesday, June 11th through Thursday, June 13th. Participants will network and discuss important issues for youth and young adults with disabilities. The summit is free to attend and accepted families will receive free meals, dorm lodging, and mileage reimbursement. This event is limited to 50 youth and families, so don't wait to apply! The application is open until midnight on Sunday, Feb. 11th. For questions, please email event@imdetermined.org.
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U.S. Department of Education | |
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Assistive Technology Devices and Services for Children with Disabilities Under the IDEA: Assistive Technology (AT) devices and services can help students with disabilities improve learning, collaboration, and engagement ... but what counts as AT? How can it be used in the classroom? The Office of Educational Technology and the Office of Special Education Programs recently released a comprehensive guidance package related to IDEA’s AT requirements. Visit this page to read a Dear Colleague letter, and read about myths and facts surrounding AT devices! Estos documentos están disponibles también en español.
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National Mentoring Month: January is National Mentoring Month (NMM)! Mentoring youth with disabilities helps them build positive identity, confront challenges they may face, and display improved mental health and social-emotional well-being. Learn more about inclusive mentoring practices, or get the NMM toolkit and other information.
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PEATC (Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center) | |
Below are some free PEATC and PEATC/VDOE online trainings taking place during Winter and Spring 2024! Please visit PEATC's calendar for more details about these and other trainings. | |
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) | |
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Supported Decision-Making in Virginia: An Overview for People with DD and Their Families: Our October 2023 Coordinated Regional Council event focused on Supported Decision-Making (SDM) ... but if you want to attend a virtual training for yourself, you're in luck! The next SDM training takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 20th from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Visit this link to get the registration link and to see the complete 2024 Virtual Training Schedule.
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Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Va-LEND) | |
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2024 Va-LEND Applications: Va-LEND at Virginia Commonwealth University is accepting applications! Va-LEND is an online, interdisciplinary learning program that trains leaders in the field of neurodevelopmental disabilities. It is designed for professionals who have graduated from college and work in the field; people currently enrolled in a graduate program; or people with disabilities (also called "self-advocates"). The priority due date to submit your application is Monday, April 15th; the final date to submit is Wednesday, May 15th. Learn more about Va-LEND at their website. For questions, please email valend@vcu.edu.
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COVID-19 Information and Resources | |
While IFSP has done our best to share information on COVID-19 resources, this information is not a substitute for medical advice. Stay up to date and visit virginia.gov/coronavirus.
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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) launched a COVID-19 toolkit for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The toolkit includes tip sheets for caregivers and providers, and is also available in Spanish. Find it here!
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We know that navigating the developmental disability system can be hard for families. Not sure where to start? Read our newly-updated “IFSP: First Steps” guide to learn about the IFSP program at DBHDS and other important resources, supports, and services offered in the Commonwealth of Virginia! Visit https://tinyurl.com/IFSP-FirstSteps, or use your mobile device to scan the QR code here. | |
 
 
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Thank you for reading the IFSP Digest! | |
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IFSP is always looking for more newsletter recommendations! What organizations would you like to see featured? What should we subscribe to? Please send your suggestions to IFSPCom@dbhds.virginia.gov.
If you liked the information in this digest, give us a follow on Facebook by clicking the icon below! To receive updates about events in your community, also follow your regional IFSP Council’s Facebook page. (Not sure which region you're in? Find out on My Life, My Community!)
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