Greetings THINK+changers!

Prepare to embrace the autumn season with a selection of enriching, no-cost, developmental disability-focused educational products from THINK+change!

• Storytelling TALKS series: Housing Challenges and People with Developmental Disabilities

• Podcast/vodcast TRAINING series: Addressing the Direct Support Professional Shortage

• THINK+change Academy TRAINING course: Supporting Individuals with Intellectual and other Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in the Mental Health System

• Downloadable TOOL: 2023 Colorado Ballot Guide for Individuals with IDD

Stay curious! 

Erica Dennison

THINK+change and Programs' Director at The Arc of Aurora

E: Edennison@thearcofaurora.org

P: 720-213-1420

A place to call home, one that is truly safe and reliable, is the foundation of well-being. But, housing instability ripples out into every part of one’s life, from physical and mental health to financial growth.

For people with developmental disabilities (DD), living independently can be the first step to a life of dignity and fulfillment. But, unfortunately the barriers to achieving stable housing can seem almost insurmountable when you have a DD. As a population that is already disproportionately low-income, the lack of affordable housing is just the start. Many options are not accessible and the path to housing support can be really confusing.

Housing Challenges and People with Developmental Disabilities explores four perspectives in the largely untold story of the ongoing housing crisis in the United States, shedding light on the unique issues faced by individuals with developmental disabilities and their advice on how to make meaningful change.

Why you should watch

• Hear first-hand accounts from people with DD and their struggle to find affordable, accessible housing in Colorado;
• Gain insight into the significant barriers people with DD face in navigating the housing system;
• Learn about the heightened effects that housing instability has on those with DDs; and
• Understand the need for the disability perspective when it comes to the government’s response to the housing crisis.

Who should watch

• Advocates and activists fighting for accessible and affordable housing;
• Policy-makers addressing the housing crisis;
• Real-Estate and Housing Professionals endeavoring to create an equitable housing market;
• Community members invested in equity work; and
• Social workers and crisis response teams.

This TALKS series was made possible through support from arc Thrift Stores, Colorado Access, PASCO, Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council, Developmental Pathways, Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, and The Arc of Aurora.

THANK YOU!

Quality Direct Support Professionals (DSP) are vital to the lives of people with disabilities. They are the professionals that provide supports such as helping with employment, providing personal care, and are sometimes the support that someone with a disability needs to be able to live independently.

A shortage of DSPs has been mounting in the United States for years now, with a 2022 report finding that 71% of case managers are struggling to find available providers for direct support services. With DSPs being such a vital workforce, tune into Addressing the Direct Support Professional Shortage TRAINING series, to learn more about the challenges and solutions!

Episode 1: What is a Direct Support Professional (DSP)?

Featuring Jennifer Ochs, Ms. Wheelchair Colorado 2023

• An overview of Direct Support work;
• The role of a DSP for people with developmental disabilities;
• How to become a DSP; and
• The importance of a quality Direct Support workforce in every community.

Episode 2: Why are we facing a DSP shortage?

Featuring Josh Rael, Executive Director of Alliance Colorado

• The challenges we need to address;
• The recent increase in demand for DSPs;
• Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility in the Direct Support Profession;
• Addressing low rates of pay; and
• Raising the public’s awareness of the DSP shortage.

Episode 3: Solutions to address the DSP shortage

Featuring Pascale Adou from the Department of Healthcare and Financing (HCPF)’s Direct Care Workforce Collaborative

• Strategies in addressing the shortage;
• Approaches to successful DSP recruitment; and
• How to get involved in making change. 

Episode 4: The perspective of a long-term DSP

Featuring Elizabeth Lucke, long-term DSP Caregiver

• Falling in love with being a DSP;
• Duties as a DSP and caregiver;
• The best part of being a DSP;
• Self-care and preventing burnout; and
• Ways to help improve the lives of DSPs.

Why you should tune in

Understand the everyday lives of Direct Support Professionals and the need to support this essential workforce. Being a DSP is not just a job, but a skilled career and must be valued as such! Tune into this podcast/vodcast series to learn about the variables behind this workforce crisis and how you can get involved in the solutions.

This podcast/vodcast series was made possible through support from Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council, Developmental Pathways, Arc Thrift Stores, and The Arc of Aurora.

THANK YOU!

While developmental disabilities (DD) and mental illness (MI) are two distinct and separate experiences, in reality, many individuals with developmental disabilities also experience mental illness. This course will help explore these differences, debunk myths, and shed light on the often intersectional nature of these lived experiences. By recognizing the significance of these combined challenges, we can foster a powerful advocacy voice that promotes for the rights, needs, and positive change for people with developmental disabilities who experience mental illness.

This no-cost, solutions-focused training reviews:

• What Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) are;
• An overview of Mental Illness (MI)/Mental Health;
• What an IDD/MI Dual Diagnosis is;
• How we can best support people who have a Dual Diagnosis of IDD/MI;
• What to do when a Mental Health Crisis arises; and
• The potential future of supporting people who have an IDD/MI dual diagnoses.

What to expect

• A 1-hour and 40-minute, self-paced video slide-based presentation;
• Instructors: Krystal Dawson and Erica Dennison
• Guest Speakers: Jeff Kisicki, LCSW and Matt Mock, LCSW from Collaborative Services for Change, PC. Jody Domsch, a parent of an individual who has a developmental disability and mental illness;
• Downloadable TOOLS, including the Respect First Language Guide, Differences between Mental Illness and Developmental Disabilities chart, and Mental Health Resources;
• Closed captioning in English; and a
• Digital Certificate of Completion for entire course achievement.

Who should take this course

• Caregivers and family members of people with developmental disabilities;
• Professionals who work with people with developmental disabilities;
• Educators and school staff who interact with students with developmental disabilities;
• Medical professionals and students;
• Policy Makers and Legislators who are involved in creating and implementing policies related to disability rights and mental health services;
• Direct Service Providers; and
• Disability Advocacy Organizations.

This training is made possible through support from Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council, Colorado Access, The Limbaugh Law Firm, Arc Thrift Stores, Developmental Pathways, and The Arc of Aurora. THANK YOU!

YOUR voice is needed in this year’s statewide election in Colorado! We want to make sure that you know how to vote, when to vote, and your rights as a voter.

From THINK+change, with support from the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC), ACL Boulder, Alliance Colorado, Connections for Independent Living, Glow and Gather, and Developmental Pathways, this plain-language ballot breakdown is a FREE non-partisan guide to help you understand the measures up for vote this year and all the resources available to you. So, make your voice heard by participating in the 2023 Colorado statewide election! 

Why you should download this TOOL

Your vote is your voice... Nothing about us without us! As an American, you have the right to vote and, in Colorado, Guardianship does NOT remove your right to vote. Additionally, all around the country, you have a right to the accommodations you need to help you vote. So, use this breakdown so you understand what is up for vote this year in Colorado!