November, 2019

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Going Above and Beyond! Self-Determination Luncheon 2019 With 270 in attendance and 146 nominated individuals, this year's Self-Determination Luncheon was a day to celebrate. Justin Grimley, pictured left, was one nominee who expressed the feeling perfectly. Held Sunday, November 10 at the Coatesville Country Club, the event highlighted individuals who have gone above and beyond in such categories as community involvement, employment, self-advocacy and leadership. Vince Agresta received the Richard Geiger award for his long history of standing up for his rights, and for the rights of others. His name will be engraved on a plaque that hangs in the Chester County Department of Intellectual Services office. Use this link to see the names of the 22 individuals who were highlighted this year. Click here for many more photos of the event.

Grateful Hearts

Some of the members of Chester County's Self-Determination Committee, pictured above, responded to the question, "What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving season?" The responses covered a wide range of topics, from health and families to jobs and life-changing services to support this community. Click to read all responses.

Gratitude is Good For You Practicing and expressing gratitude is a key concept in the study of positive psychology, and it has been proven to boost our mental health. As the holiday season approaches, the Harvard Medical School offers tips to cultivate gratitude. Among the suggestions are writing thank you notes to let people know how much you appreciate or enjoy their impact on your life. See more suggestions with this link .

Barnstone Art For Kids Cultivating Connections, Building Resilience   It's often said that art is a universal language, able to evoke feelings and cultivate connections, among other things. Those concepts are part of the Barnstone Art philosophy. The Phoenixville non-profit gives children who have experienced adversity the opportunity to work 1 to 1 with a trained mentor while creating, exploring and building resilience in children who have experienced adversity in childhood. Read more.

Holiday Shopping Has Begun It seems to happen earlier every year. But like it or not, the holiday shopping season has arrived. There are many online sources to help parents choose gifts for children with different abilities. Parenting Special Needs Magazin e has a wealth of information and tips for parents. Visit the site for gift ideas from other parents to links for online specialty stores and more.

A training from Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care Common Medications and Side Effects Thursday, Dec. 12, 9:30 to noon in Philadelphia

Save the Date!! 2020 Everyday Lives Conference January 7 - January 9, 2020 The Hershey Lodge Hershey, Pennsylvania Registration and event details coming soon!

American Beauty Enjoy a lifetime pass to America's National Parks Americans with disabilities may order an Access Pass that provides free admission to National Parks. Click for details.

Get Help Navigating PA's New DHS Website Things will look different at the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services newly designed website. Click here .

If you are interested in County of Chester Job Opportunities, please check our our current openings at this link: Https://chesco.org/231/Job-Opportunities

Additional Resources & Trainings There are several other county departments who send out community newsletters and announcements just like this one. If you're interested, sign up here . Use links below!! The Arc of Chester County H osts Breakfast with Santa - Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9:00 - 11:00 AM. Mental Health First Aid - Three classes scheduled in December. All are free and open to the community. Free training opportunities from Chester County's Department of Human Services. Interested? You must subscribe to get the class announcements. Refer Web - Chester County's source for human services.

Chester County Department of Mental Health / Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 601 Westtown Road, West Chester, PA www.chesco.org/mhidd Chester County Commissioners Administrator: Linda Cox