August Monthly News & Updates |
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Celebrating Labor Day!
Our office will be closed for Labor Day on Monday, September 6th.
Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize workers' many contributions to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. This holiday offers us the chance to reflect on all the progress made in the workplace and recognize how much more we need to do. Over the past several years, we have had the privilege of witnessing the amazing progress of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities joining being part of an inclusive workforce.
This past July, Chris Semonelli, Chairperson of the Disability Advocates Group: RI FORCE & Vice-Chair of RI Developmental Disabilities Council, Ken Renaud Associate Director of The Arc Rhode Island, with Kevin Nerney, Executive Director of RI DD Council and, myself were interviewed on Bruce Newbury’s Newport Chamber of Commerce radio show. We discussed workforce development within the community and the importance of hiring individuals with disabilities who are a talented, gifted, and under-resourced pool of talent and could contribute to business growth with some accommodations. Companies are scrambling for staff, and they must know that this untapped workforce exists, is available to work, wants to work, and can perform duties with excellence. The Arc of The United States has worked with public and private-sector corporations to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity. Additionally, we have an entire network of family members, friends, caregivers who could be GREAT customers for businesses. When given a chance, people with disabilities succeed!
Have a great holiday weekend!
Joanna
If you, or a business you know, are interested in learning more about filling your workforce with the wide variety of talent of people with disabilities we can can provide strategies to ensure success!
Contact The Arc of Rhode Island: scocchi@thearc.org
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Biden administration pledges $85M
to Support Student Mental Health
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Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a 31% increase in the proportion of mental health-related emergency rooms visits in youth ages 12 to 17, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The Arc’s 2021 National Convention Has Gone Virtual! |
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With the rising rates of infection, our National Convention has pivoted from meeting in person in New Orleans to a virtual event! Please join us to connect and learn with advocates, professionals, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families. If you are interested in employment, education, advocacy, housing, criminal justice, and more – our sessions are sure to challenge, inspire, and motivate!
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Announcements from Arc of The United States |
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Spotlight On:
Coffee & Conversation
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The Circles group - Building Healthy Relationships, has been meeting virtually for over one year now since the onset of COVID. The buzz was in the air as members shared what they are doing and how their summer is going. Michael Coyne, the coffee house owner baked delicious chocolate chip cookies for us all to enjoy. Thanks, Michael you’re the best! We were joined by two new members who fit right in with the group. If you would like to join a Building Healthy Relationships circle click on our link below.
Don’t wait, fun new friends and meaningful relationships are just a click away! :)
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Summer
Educational
Advocacy
Training
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This summer join us for a series of summer educational advocacy
boot-camp workshops and become a POWERFUL INFORMED PARENT!
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Online Zoom Session held every Wednesday
until September 22nd
Learn how to better advocate for your
child this school year!
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Session 5
Your Child's Future Depends on This
Understanding Your Rights
Presenter: Joanna Scocchi
Executive Director of The Arc Rhode Island,
&
Founder of Rhode Island Advocacy for Children
Wednesday, September 8th
4:00pm-5:30pm
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Session 6
Executive Functioning -
Understanding Working Memory, Activation, & Inhibition
Presenter: Andrea Stavrakas, Learning Disabilities Specialist,
Wilson Certified Dyslexia Therapist
Wednesday, September 15th
4:00pm-5:30pm
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Session 7
Why do you need Family-Centered Planning...
It's About Successful Quality of Life For All!
Presenter: Ken Renaud, Associate Director of The Arc Rhode Island,
Person-Centered Planning Facilitator
Wednesday, September 22nd
4:00pm-5:30pm
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Our series of summer training workshops are made possible by generous funding from
The Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council
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Judge Rules Kanawha County
Special Education Lawsuit
Can Proceed As Class Action
Washington, D.C. -Federal Judge Irene Berger has ruled that a lawsuit on behalf of Kanawha County students with disabilities can proceed as a class-action lawsuit. The decision to certify the class will affect hundreds of Kanawha County’s students with disabilities who are removed from their classrooms for behavior related to their disabilities. The case was filed by Mountain State Justice, Disability Rights of West Virginia, The Arc of the United States, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and represented pro bono by the law firm Latham & Watkins LLP.
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Congress is Home – Take Action Now! |
Members of Congress are back home in their states and districts for the August Congressional recess, and we need them to hear from YOU! e have a BIG opportunity for historic investments in disability services on the table in the coming months, and your opinion can help influence how your elected officials vote.
Take the three steps below to make sure your members of Congress know what’s on the line for people with disabilities, their families, and the direct support workforce. We need them to keep your needs in mind when they head back to Washington!
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Contact your members and tell them you support investments in disability services and a national paid leave program for ALL workers!
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Tell Congress how much these changes would mean in your life. We need to send thousands of stories to help move the needle!
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STEP 3: Get your community involved!
We need as many people as possible taking action so that members of Congress know what’s at stake. Check out our toolkit for resources to get your community involved!
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Rhode Island Facilitators Forum |
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The RI Facilitators Forum convened virtually on Friday, August 27th with a robust conversation with Lynda Kahn and Jack Pearpoint of Inclusion Press who shared their knowledge and work with various Communities of Practice in Canada and International networks. Our intention as a Community of Practice, an initiative by The Rhode Developmental Disabilities Council is to grow, connect, and embolden everyone to engage in work as passionate CHANGEMAKERS.
- Build inclusive futures for all individuals with disabilities and their families
- As a group of individuals with disabilities, dedicated professionals in the field, families, and communities partners, we create a safe space to concentrate and practice person-centered ways of looking at the future.
- Our conversation focused on key values approaches and attributes for the benefit of all.
Conceiving and Catalyzing:
Why are we forming? What do we value and how do we intentionally open and share leadership of our community?
Connecting people:
Who will participate? How can we grow our community and expand our reach?
Sharing What we Know:
We share facilitation processes and tools. Welcoming others into our learning lab is essential.
Committed to Community:
How will we interact? We make personal commitments to each other. Our “sweaty palms” pledge means we will be there for each other when we get the invitation to facilitate and need support of a colleague to achieve success.
Collaborating:
Where can we impact? Using our collective wisdom to bring forth what is positive and possible.
Co-Creating:
What can we create together? We create, share, practice and learn together.
Continuation and Renewal:
We seek new ways of thinking and new adventures with the art of facilitation.
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Contact Ken Renaud at Renaud@thearc.org
to join our growing and thriving
Rhode Island Facilitators Forum Community of Practice
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Call The Arc Rhode Island to learn about providers
who offer services and supports in:
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- Childhood and Adolescent Issues
- Behavior and Anger Management
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- Group, Family, and Couples Therapy
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Office Phone: (401) 363-9899 |
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RIForce is made up of individuals with disabilities, families, professionals, and caregivers. RIForce will be revitalizing its website to include powerful discussions of the three critical issues that impact you!
Education and Work Force Development
provide our citizens the opportunities to follow Social Service career paths, including students (K-12), higher education, vocational, and continued learning opportunities. Our goal is to promote and propel career choices in the rewarding field of assisting people in improving their quality of life outcomes.
Housing Initiatives
Be able to participate and share your opinion of innovative housing solutions, including affordable choices and exploring successful models in other states and communities.
Building Inclusive Workplaces and Meaningful Employment
Encouraging education, opportunities and support in the Workforce. The Arc@Work a program of The Arc of The United States and it's state office will discover ways to assist small and large business to think broadly and implement inclusive supports for those in the workforce. The power of a stable workforce which (find on Arc US website - state for turnover)
Follow & Like our Facebook Group:
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More Updates to come on our website: |
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Contact The Arc Rhode Island for more information:
401-363-9899
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Individuals with Disabilities & Family Members
DID YOU KNOW?
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The Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council (RIDDC) offers free business classes to help support vendors participating in the event. The program consists of eight classes, designed for launching, managing and growing a business. Additionally, technical assistance is provided to support the small business vendors. |
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Parents and Guardians of Children in School...
DID YOU KNOW?
Preparing yourself and your child/children for back to school.
Are you and your children ready for school? It seems like summer never came. June and July were hot and rainy! It looks like August is starting off the same way and then school will be starting! Below are a couple of ideas to help prepare for the start of a new school year.
- Organize that Paperwork!!
In the world of special education, there are lots of meetings, paperwork, and documentation to keep track of. If you can, do your best to keep a family calendar of school events, special education meetings, conferences, etc. Setting up a binder to keep your child's special education documentation, meeting notices, and IEPs in sequential order can also help you stay organized.
- Start a Communication Log
This can be added to your Binder or have a separate notebook. Keep track of all phone calls, e-mails, notes home, meetings, and conferences is important. Create a "communication log" for yourself in a notebook that is easily accessible. Be sure to note the dates, times, and nature of the communications you have.
- Review your child’s current IEP
The IEP is the cornerstone of your child's educational program, so it's important that you have a clear understanding of it. Note when the IEP expires and if your child is up for reevaluation this year. Most importantly, be sure that this IEP still "fits" your child's needs! If you're unsure, contact us at The Arc and we will be happy to help.
- Relieve back-to-school jitters
Just talking about the upcoming year and changes can help reduce some of that back-to-school anxiety! Talk to your child about exciting new classes, activities, and events that they can participate in during the new school year. If attending a new school, try to schedule a visit before the first day. With older students, it is sometimes helpful to explain the services and accommodations in their IEP so that they know what to expect when school begins.
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If you need assistance with understanding the Special Education process, Requesting Evaluations, need a
Referral to an Expert or,
concerned about your child struggling in school:
Call our Educational Advocacy Program at
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Mindfulness Exercises
See how mindfulness helps
you live in the moment.
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Curious about How to Practice Mindfulness?
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
Spending too much time planning, problem-solving, daydreaming, or thinking negative or random thoughts can be draining. It can also make you more likely to experience stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. Practicing mindfulness exercises can help you direct your attention away from this kind of thinking and engage with the world around you.
What are the benefits of meditation?
Meditation has been studied in many clinical trials. The overall evidence supports the effectiveness of meditation for various conditions, including:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Pain
- Depression
- Insomnia
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
Preliminary research indicates that meditation can also help people with asthma and fibromyalgia.
Meditation can help you experience thoughts and emotions with greater balance and acceptance. Meditation also has been shown to:
- Improve attention
- Decrease job burnout
- Improve sleep
- Improve diabetes control
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Have you considered becoming a Foster Parent? |
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Helpful COVID-19 Resources |
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The Arc Rhode Island
Rhode Island Advocacy for Children
401-363-9899
Scocchi@thearc.org
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