FIELD NOTES
MARCH 2019
ISSUE 53
It's DD Awareness Month! In this edition, Data nugget on self-advocacy, DD Awareness highlight from the Mississippi Council, multicultural committees and more...

Questions/comments or to submit content for consideration, contact
Angela Castillo-Epps   or call 202-506-5813, ext. 100.
COMPLIANCE CORNER
Program Performance Reports

Program Performance Reports for FFY 2017 and 2018 are due March 25, 2019. Both reports will be submitted in the ACL Reporting System.

If you have questions about content or need assistance, please contact an ITACC staff member, or contact your assigned AIDD Program Specialist.

If you are encountering problems with the ACL Reporting System, please send an email to aclreportinghelpdesk@icf.com and copy your AIDD Program Specialist.
AIDD/ITACC Technical Assistance Institute
REGISTRATION - coming soon!
The AIDD/ITACC Technical Assistance Institute (TAI) will be held July 8-9, 2019 at the Sheraton in New Orleans. Be on the lookout for the registration link by March 15 th
ITACChelp.org WEBSITE UPDATES
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DICLC Resources Page
Website: Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC )  

Article: Engaging Communities to Realize the Vision of One Hundred Percent Access and Zero Health Disparities: A Culturally Competent Approach  

On-line document: Use this plan as a model to increase diversity within an organization
DD Act Education & Resources
What Does the DD Act Say?
(c) COUNCIL RESPONSIBILITIES.— (1) IN GENERAL.—A Council, through Council members, staff, consultants, contractors, or subgrantees, shall have the responsibilities described in paragraphs (2) through (10).

Paragraphs 2-10 include but are not limited to responsibilities related to advocacy, capacity building and systemic change activities, goal review, state plan implementation, DSA review, reporting, budgeting and staffing.

To better understand how Council responsibilities differ from staff responsibilities and how Council and staff work together, ITACC created the Roles and Responsibilities for DD Council Staff and Members training. The training can be used to orient new Council members and train Council staff. The training is also available in Spanish.

To access the trainings, visit the Council Members page of the itacchelp.org website or click below.
DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE (DICLC)
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DICLC Strategies Developed  by and  for DD Councils
Many DD Councils are working to embed the principles of diversity, inclusion and cultural and linguistic competence in all aspects of their work. For one example, read the information below submitted by the Colorado DD Council on its Multicultural Committee.

Mission of CDDC's Multicultural Committee: To develop strategies to outreach to ethnic and racial minority groups and un-served and underserved populations in Colorado for the purpose of fulfilling the overall mission of the Colorado DD Council and its current Five-Year Plan. These strategies will generate activities that address the need for increased advocacy efforts, outreach, leadership development and equity in access to services and supports along with an enhanced emphasis on cultural competency in service provision. The Committee is guided by all goals and objectives of the Council’s Current Five-Year Plan. 

Roles and Responsibilities of the Multicultural Committee (MCC):
  • Council training on Multicultural issues at Retreat each year;
  • Recruiting for MCC and Council;
  • MCC representative at the Executive, Planning and Grants, Legislative and Public Policy, and Social Media committees;
  • Provide input on RFPs (Request for Proposals) and grant proposals prior to postings;
  • Provide TA to the Council and staff to support the cultural competency goals of the Council’s Five-Year Plan. MCC committee members may also contribute their expertise to Council grantees to support grantee fulfillment of Council cultural inclusiveness requirements;
  • Assist and participate in the community forums and focus groups to help with formulating the Five-Year Plan.
NACDD Annual Conference Call for Proposals
The NACDD 2019 Annual Conference is quickly approaching and we need to hear from you!

LAST CHANCE —there is still time to submit your proposals for the 2019 NACDD Annual Conference. Any questions please reach out to conference@nacdd.org

Thanks to the creative minds on the Conference Planning Committee and the NACDD staff, the theme of the 201 9 conference will be: Jazz It Up! Building on Our Potential
Don’t forget we will be at the Sheraton, New Orleans on July 10 th-11th. We hope you will join us for an educational and fun event! If you have a topic, program, or practice that you want to share at the conference, please fill out the proposal submission form linked below and send t back to conference@nacdd.org. Please share with your networks and colleagues as well. We look forward to hearing from you!


Registration for the NACDD ANNUAL CONFERENCE coming soon! 
Be on the lookout for the link by March 15 th
DD Awareness Month is Here!
Click below to learn more about the campaign and download the social media resource guide. The resource guide will be updated every Monday throughout the month of March. Submit your resources to jmisilo@nacdd.org to be featured in the guide. Don't forget to use the #DDAwareness19. (Artwork by Gary Murrel)
DATA "Nugget"  - Self-Advocacy
How can states learn from NCI™ results about people’s involvement in self-advocacy activities?

In the 2017-2018 National Core Indicators In-Person Survey, 24% of respondents said they had the opportunity to participate in a self-advocacy meeting. This means that they either participated or had been given the opportunity to participate and said no. State results during that cycle ranged from a high of 45% to a low of 12%. Those who reported having the opportunity to participate in self-advocacy meetings were significantly more likely to have had at least some input in critical life choices such as choosing their home, their housemates, their staff, their schedule, what to buy with spending money and what to do in their free-time.

Why does it matter?  
The mission of self-advocacy organizations is to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to speak for themselves, to understand their rights, and to make important decisions about their lives. Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE)’s mission captures this aim: “To ensure that people with disabilities are treated as equals and that they are given the same decisions, choices, rights, responsibilities, and chances to speak up to empower themselves; opportunities to make new friends, and to learn from their mistakes.” If states aim to support more people to self-direct, to be active participants in their individual plans, and to be involved in civic life, participation in self-advocacy organizations is one way to develop the necessary skills. Self-advocates can also provide much needed feedback and comments on key program documents, bulletins, and pending policy changes.
Here are just a few ways that DD Councils may be able to use this data...

>Advocate for policies/practices in which youth with I/DD receive information about statewide and/or local self-advocacy organizations as a part of their transitioning services from school to adulthood.

> Use social media and other methods of engagement to ensure people with I/DD and their families are aware of opportunities to provide legislative testimony on issues of importance, such as Medicaid and waiver program changes.

National Core Indicators  (NCI)   is a collaborative effort between the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities (   NASDDDS   ) and the Human Services Research Institute ( HSRI   ).   

For more information, click below for the FULL data brief.
COUNCIL HIGHLIGHT ~ Mississippi
MI Council on Developmental Disabilities (MSCDD) uses Collaboration to Celebrate DD Awareness Month in a big Way!

DD Councils from across the states and territories are hosting an array of activities to celebrate DD Awareness in March. See below for how the MSCDD has used the strategy of collaboration to engage multiple organizations and programs in its efforts. From serving on coalitions and boards to partnering with grantees and educating policy makers at the Governor's office, the MSCDD is supporting activities in the community and at the State Capitol.

For a full list of activities, events and celebrations, click on the Facebook icon below.
To reach NACDD/ITACC staff, please feel free to contact:

Sheryl Matney Director of Technical Assistance
202-506-5813 ext. 148, smatney@nacdd.org

Angela Castillo-Epps Technical Assistance Specialist 
202-506-5813 ext. 100, acastillo-epps@nacdd.org