Weekly IA Newsletter
Resources and Updates from
Independence Associates
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April 6th | Issue 3
Issue 1:
Issue 2:
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Here we are in our 3rd issue of the newsletter! Seems like time has both flown by and slogged on at the same time.
All of us at IA are still doing well. We hope that everybody out there is staying healthy, staying safe, and keeping in touch with those they love and care for.
If you could use a distraction check out the resources and links in this newsletter to keep you company. If you have some spare time, call a family member you don't see often or a friend from back in the day. I'm sure you'll both end the call with a smile on your faces.
Thank you to everyone for the support and gratitude we've received as we send these out. If you have anything you'd like to share with us/readers let us know!
Please reach out to your skills trainer if you have any questions or concerns about resources and we will help you as best we can.
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Independence Associates Social Events!
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Independence Associates is pleased to invite you to take part in several socializing opportunities available via web meetings that are open to our consumers and the public! You do not need to be a consumer of Independence Associates to join our free groups. Our schedules will change and more events added in the future but here is what we have planned for this week:
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- IA Games Group: Wednesday, April 8th at 3:30PM (22 & younger)
- Join IA staff as we play Jackbox games online via video chat like Quiplash and You Don’t Know Jack. We aim to have a great time hanging out and sharing a few laughs during these very stressful times and hope you can make it! Want to sign up or need tech support? Email social@iacil.org.
- https://www.iacil.org/event/ia-games-group/
- Netflix Watch Party: Thursday, April 9th at 12PM Noon (all ages)
- Everyone is invited to our Netflix Watch Party as we will watch and chat about Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole. To join, you will need Google Chrome (free download) and a Netflix account (currently a free 30 day trial is available). Email social@iacil.org for tech support or to sign up! Watch a movie and make friends with IA staff and other people at this free event!
- https://www.iacil.org/event/netflix-watch-party-legends-of-the-guardians/
- Parents Social Group: Friday, April 10th at 11AM (adults)
- This group is available to parents to interact with IA staff and each other as we discuss issues related to disability, parenting, the ongoing pandemic, and other fun topics of conversation to help distract us from the world! Olga and Christina are both parents and will help lead this group and facilitate conversation. In these stressful times, having a support system is very important. For information on joining this video chat group and free tech support to set it up, email social@iacil.org.
- https://www.iacil.org/event/parents-adults-social-group/
- Youth Social Events: Friday, April 10th at 3:30PM (22 & younger)
- Come hang out with IA staff and consumers at this weekly event. We will chat, maybe play a few games, and make social connections to help us through our new reality of social distancing. Just because you can’t leave your house as much as before does not mean you need to be alone! Come hang out with IA! To sign up or for help setting up the technology to join, email social@iacil.org.
- https://www.iacil.org/event/youth-online-social-group/
Have an idea for a group event that you would like IA to host? Let us know, we would love to discuss making it a reality!
Thank you for considering spending part of your week with IA! Remember, even if we are physically distanced from one another, it is still important to maintain and expand social ties so please consider joining our groups. All groups are free and IA can help you with the technology set up, just shoot me an email at social@iacil.org! We will be adding new groups so always check iacil.org for changes to our schedule! Hope to see you soon!
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Here is a link to food pantries in Massachusetts. Click your town to find information. Call your skills trainer if you need further assistance.
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Links and Resources for Staying Occupied
Along with the resource lists we've collected in the past few weeks. Here are some new ones.
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Check out the links below for more comprehensive resource lists:
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Increase in SNAP Benefits for Some
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Effective March 31st, SNAP households not currently receiving the maximum amount of benefits received extra funds on their account. Please look at the image below and the included PDF for information. Contact your skills trainer if you have any questions!
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24 for 504:
A Retrospective Review of Crip Camp
By Bryan Bjorklund
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There have been many times where people say certain events have changed my life, but there are very few times where that legitimately takes place. Camp Jenned is where change truly began. Watching this documentary not only gives us as a society the chance to travel back in time but also look forward into the future. I have often said that the disabled community and the able-bodied community have struggled to find common ground. Camp Jened is that common ground and although it may be gone, its legacy lives on. Social gatherings like summer camp have the tendency to galvanize people. For people like Jim Lebrecht and Judy Huemannn, the property where the camp once stood serves as a sacred ground much in the way Gettysburg serves as a staunch and powerful reminder of the historical events that changed not only the United States but the course of humanity.
Summer camp can be fun, but it can also be educational. The education came from the gatherings of the campers which would transcend the seasons and become lifelong. Throughout the 24 days of the sit-in protest in Washington D.C., many of these campers reconvened as adults long after camp had closed with a bigger mission. That mission was the 504 disability laws being protected. Progress is often uncomfortable and unfamiliar, however there is a tremendous amount of growth that comes from being uncomfortable as it requires a certain level of adaptation. Those campers who decided to sit in for 24 days realized that it was bigger than having fun at camp it was about protecting something else with the word fun - fundamental basic human rights for equality. Many of these people had to go without proper equipment and care and had to adapt on-the-fly.
Society lives in fear of one thing, the unknown. For people with disabilities it is the unknown and constant search for acceptance and understanding. For the able-bodied community it is the fear of disabilities. Perhaps the only disability the world truly has, is that of
ignorance
. While history says that the Civil War ended in 1865 I would argue that it has not because we are still fighting for something so simple and so basic and yet so craved by all, civil rights. Let us not focus on disability but rather the ability to find common ground and in doing so let us all go back to the inner child at summer camp, and leave our own personal stamp on a better society. Thank you to those who fought for 504, seeking cohesiveness instead of division and hoping for a world of acceptance like never before.
You can watch Crip Camp on Netflix
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Virtual Town Hall: Apply for Unemployment
Follow the link below and sign up for a virtual town hall on how to apply for unemployment. You can also contact a skills trainer if you need assistance!
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Depression and Anxiety During COVID-19
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For those of us who live with depression and anxiety, the self-isolation and current global fears only serve to push us further against the wall. For many others, this may be the first time experiencing mental health challenges in our lives. This is a side-affect to the virus that we are seeing around the world and it is important to understand that we are not alone, that there are places we can go to for help, and things we can do ourselves to stay steady in these turbulent times.
Many of these resources or ideas may be things you've heard before, or things that just seem so darn difficult to start doing, but I would implore anyone who isn't feeling well to seriously consider attempting these ideas. If you can only do a little, then congratulations! You've already accomplished more than you would have if you didn't try.
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Practical Ideas:
- Get the sun on your face
- One of the easiest things you can do is supply more vitamin D to your body. We've been stuck in our houses with rainy weather. Take the opportunity of a sunny day to bask in the rays! Even for 5 minutes. I promise you'll feel at least a little bit better,
- Take a walk
- Something that took almost 2 weeks for me to start to do! It made me feel instantly better. Take a walk around the neighborhood or up and down the street. Getting your blood flowing means more oxygen to the brain. That means you'll be less groggy and tired after the walk!
- Call someone you love
- Socializing, even if through the phone or a video app, can be one of the most rewarding things you can do. Make some time to call that cousin or uncle you see once every couple of years or that old friend you've lost touch with. Reminisce about your past and catch up to your now. Guaranteed you'll hang up with a smile on your face.
- Create a routine
- Out of a job or working from home? I know how easy it is to slip into an unstructured day. Keeping to a daily routine is an incredibly important part of staying healthy right now. Keeping a routine means keeping your mind productive and organized. It means knowing what is coming next and planning for it. Wake up, wash yourself, eat breakfast, do a hobby/learn a skill/go to work, lunch, etc., etc. Do this every day. The healthy human mind loves predictability and organization!
- Meditate
- Yeah, yeah I know. Everyone says to try it and you'll get around to it one day. Well guess what, today is that day. Get into a well lit area if possible, put a pillow down on the floor, sit criss-cross with hands comfortable, and close your eyes (you can also sit in a chair and do the same!). Allow what thoughts you have to come and go. Focus on your breathing if your head is racing too much. Start with a 10 minute timer. If that's too much go with 5 (or even 3!). Do what you can and be proud you did it!
- Work-Out
- I've made a deal with a few of my consumers in the past couple of weeks. If they work out with me, I'll work out with them. Having no way to play the sports I used to love has turned me into a pile of mush! I've started doing push ups, pull ups, squats, and core work not only to help keep me in shape, but also to feel proud of myself. It can be incredibly difficult to get started. A tip that helped me is called "greasing-the-groove". Go about your day and, whenever you remember, do some exercises to get your muscles going. It only takes a minute here and there, but after a week, you should already be developing a routine.
- Stay tuned - We're working on an adaptive work-out routine from home!
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Resources if you need further help:
These short and small tips I squeezed in here are great to help lift spirits a bit, but sometimes we all need some extra supports. Please do not hesitate to reach out to some of these free resources below if you want or need to.
- Call 2-1-1 and choose the “CALL2TALK” option.
- 211 can connect you to health and human service centers. If you know you need help, but don't know who to call - give these guys a ring. They can help you out!
- https://mass211.org/about/
- Samaritans (877-870-4673) is continuing operations 24/7, as always. During this unprecedented time, it can feel overwhelming to receive constant messages about COVID-19. Call or text their 24/7 helpline any time at 877-870-4673.
- Samaritans is a crisis and grief hotline. They are continuing their 24/7 services so please don't hesitate to giving them a call.
- https://samaritanshope.org/
- The Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster, including disease outbreaks like COVID-19. This toll-free, multilingual, and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories.
- If your not sure who else to contact, call a family member, a friend, or your skills trainer.
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Recent PCA and MassHealth Changes
Here are some of the recent changes to PCA services we think consumers should be aware of! Call a skills trainer if you have any questions.
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- Initial Evaluations for new PCA consumers can be completed via video (vs. in-person)
- Re-Evaluations and Adjustments for existing PCA consumers can be completed telephonically (vs. in-person)
- Consumer & MD signatures have been temporarily waived; Prior Authorizations can be requested without the typically required signatures
- MassHealth & PCMs will auto-adjust all Split Prior Authorizations so consumer can bill for the vacation hour approval during the pandemic
- Consumers who typically attend a Day Program will be contacted by the PCM agency to discuss any need for additional time at home while they are unable to attend the Day Program
- Prior Authorization (PA) extensions will be approved for 90 days during the pandemic; even if a consumer has already received an extension on the same PA
- All Skills Training will be conducted telephonically
- The Overtime Policy has been waived, temporarily; PCAs can work as many hours as desired without having to obtain an approval.
- MassHealth is urging consumers to convert to the online time sheet submission option offered by the Fiscal Intermediates (FIs) to prevent possible delays to PCA payments
- FIs have developed a way to streamline the hiring process for any new PCAs; no paper/no faxing. Consumers should contact their assigned FI for additional information.
- Consumers who are having trouble scheduling PCAs can contact MassOptions to be connected to a HHA agency
- PCAs are eligible for up to 80hrs sick leave if they require time off related to COVID-19
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Don Quixote, Disabilty, and Coronavirus
Our Community Coordinator, Tom, wrote this great article about the character Don Quixote and how people can find inspiration during this time through him.
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People all over the world read the Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes, who died over 400 years ago on April 22, 1616. Through all this time and change, readers still connect with the writer and his famous book, Don Quixote, about a wandering knight whose funny, sad but somehow noble adventures are still being translated into many languages four centuries later.
We all dream of a different life. Don Quixote is such an appealing character because he acts on that dream. It is about trying to reconnect with the dreams that you had as a young person.
We identify with Cervantes because of the large concept of the novel - that we can do something great. This is the novel that teaches us that everything is subjective, that truth is relative, that each of us can have a dream and push for that dream and that we ultimately can transform the world for ourselves based on that dream.
Don Quixote is such an attractive figure because people find in him that desire to become somebody exceptional. And the book is a chronicle of the adventures of this character that, in the end, is heroic in having pursued his own passion.
This wish to build upon the past and keep charging forward makes Cervantes always relevant, and transforms the adventures of Don Quixote from a novel into a modern-day inspiration for a life beyond the everyday, mundane tasks with which we are all faced.
Don Quixote shows how people want to change their past, re-think their lives, and look for things that can help them explain who they really are and who it is they want to become.
His adventures are random, reflecting real life. He belongs to everywhere and nowhere. That contributes to the mystery that calls to the imagination of so many readers.
While Cervantes is highly regarded now as the author of one of the greatest novels ever written, he spent most of his lifetime impoverished, an outsider. First a poor, wounded soldier, then unfairly imprisoned for five years, finally becoming a struggling writer to try and earn money for his family.
While his novel became famous the world over, Cervantes himself enjoyed very little in fame or royalties. But these personal hardships have resulted in the Spanish author and his alter-ego Don Quixote having an even more powerful connection with readers.
People relate to Don Quixote because he is the prototype of a hero - a man who created a new identity, lived true to his own vision of life, refused to give up, and fought to change the world into a better place.
– Paraphrased from ILAN STAVANS’ book.
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Easterseals Virtual Adaptive Martial Arts
Easterseals has uploaded their first virtual martial arts episode! The program typically takes place in Worchester and Boston, but due to current events is being uploaded in digital format onto Youtube! Thank you to Easterseals for continuing to offer such wonderful services!
"The Accessible Martial Arts Program is for people with and without disabilities who want to learn and practice self-defense, stretching, exercise, and relaxation techniques. We currently offer classes in both Worcester and Boston."
- Easterseals Website
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Watch the First Episode Below
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Here is a testimonial from Liz, one of our youth Skills Trainers, about how much Martial Arts has helped her and how the art can help many others as well:
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Martial Arts include many fighting styles originating from East Asia. Martial Arts can range from various striking styles (kicking, punching, etc.) to several grappling/ wrestling styles as well as using weapons in some practices , but not all. It may cause one to wonder what makes something like this suitable for everyone, including all ages as well as different abilities. This even can include people with disabilities as well.
I started training in Martial arts almost ten years ago. I started to study Muay Thai, an ancient striking based Martial art based in Thailand. I was in my early 20s and wanted to challenge myself. Several years later not only did I do that, but I gained a lot of perspective in life. One of the things I learned is that people of all experiences can benefit from learning a type of martial art.
Martial Arts offers a sense of community. Whatever school and practice you choose, you form a bond with the instructor and peers. It offers structure in each class with a lot of repetition. It may seem challenging and confusing at first, but as the student slowly learns, the confidence grows. This is an important concept for people with different learning abilities.
Martial arts have been able to expand to adaptive martial arts that can help center around everyone’s physical capabilities. There are so many places that offer programs to include everyone. Any person with a Disability can learn and thrive just like everyone else. Programs that are centered for this offer the best learning type of environment that gives everyone a change to become a better version of themselves.
I never particularly thrived in team sports. In Martial arts you learn as a team, but a lot of the learning has to do with what your body and mind is capable of. You learn coordination, balance, and become a stronger person. However, the real strength comes from what you learn about yourself. Someone that may have been felt isolated or even excluded all of the sudden is able to do all sorts of things because of what they have learned in their martial arts classes. Subconsciously ,this starts to apply to everyday life.
Someone that was isolated and didn’t know how to make friends may all of a sudden have more friends or may even learn how to make new friends at school, work, etc. You learn that you can thrive in a type of sport that is not so typical in the mainstream.
I hear of many personal anecdotes of families with a child that has had behavioral challenges. The physical and mental outlet of learning martial arts helped them be calmer and more in tune with their body. I feel that this is partly due to the concentration and learning that is done while in a martial arts class.
In general, participating in something that allows you to thrive can only present positive outcomes. It is definitely something that is great for everyone and it is never too late to start. It is never too late to learn the amazing things your body is capable of and how strong you can become both physically and mentally. Everyone has that right.
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Off the Press:
Links to Important Articles Concerning People with Disabilities
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After losing out on jobs and being denied accommodations, seeing the world change its ways is bittersweet.
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The existence of draconian laws that call for medical rationing during a public health emergency make it clear that I will certainly be left to die if our hospitals reach capacity.
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From ventilator restrictions to the challenges of self-isolation, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are facing a crisis years in the making.
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Alice Wong writes her opinion on medical rationing and triage for people with disabilities.
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