It’s our goal to make this newsletter as accessible as possible. please email us if you are having difficulties or to share suggestions for improvement so that we can be read by everyone!



Este boletín tiene ahora una versión en español. Si usted o alguien que conoce habla español y puede beneficiarse de recibirlo, envíenos un correo electrónico para hacérnoslo saber. 

Hey there, Nelson!

Welcome to RIPIN's Self-Directed Support Program's March 2025 newsletter!

The goal of the Self-Directed Support Program (SDSP) at RIPIN is to guide families and individuals in navigating the systems and supports available to them when they choose self-direction. Sharing information in this newsletter is one of the many ways we do this.

In this month's newsletter, you can:

• Check out our 2025 calendar, and be sure to register for our events!
• View the recording of our January webinar about Work Incentives for Youth and visit our library of recordings from our other webinars.
• Register for our March Webinar with guests from BHDDH's Communication Team!
• Read our recently published articles in the University of Minnesota's Institute for Community Integration (ICI) journal Impact.
• Consider participating in the virtual Applied Self-Direction National Self-Direction Conference, where RIPIN and Jackie Camilloni, Coordinator, Self-Direction from Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals (BHDDH), will present on Natural Supports on March 12.
• Learn about some of the amazing women who have changed the world for people with disabilities throughout history.
• Join us for "Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month" by watching a collection of informative and fun videos on the topic.
• See what our what our partners are up to this month.

Registration Links:

March 25: Meet the BHDDH Communications Team

April 26 (Hybrid online and in-person): Self-Directed Toolkit

May 20: Mental Health Support for Consumers with I/DD

Stay tuned for more details on our events in June!

In this webinar recording from January, you will learn about disability-related work incentives for youth (age 16-22) receiving SSI benefits. Presented by Certified Work Incentives Counselors from the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities.

We house all our past webinars in our library, where you can view them at your convenience. Webinars like the one above are typically uploaded to the page within a week of their presentation date.

Check out the many topics and resources we have covered and shared with the community related to Self-Direction.

Join RIPIN and the Self-Directed Support team online on Zoom from 6 to 7 p.m. on March 25th for a presentation with guests from the BHDDH communications team. They will highlight important resources and initiatives they work on that can help you stay informed and connected with the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Division.

RIPIN and Jackie Camilloni, Coordinator, Self-Direction from Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals (BHDDH), will be presenting on Natural Supports on March 12 during the virtual Applied Self-Direction National Self-Direction Conference. The conference is free online and offers webinar sessions every Wednesday from 2-3pm (ET), during March and April.

This March, we'd like to share the stories of some amazing women throughout history who changed the world for people with disabilities.

Read about a variety of different notable women in these lists from Yahoo and SheKnows.com.

Who is Lois Curtis?

Click to read an article about Lois Curtis, who was one of two women whose life experiences in an institution led to the passing of the Olmstead Decision (link).

Who is Katie Beckett?

Katie Beckett's parents advocated for her to be treated for her disability at home and not in a hospital, which led to a Medicaid Ruling that allows children in Rhode Island and across the country with complex disabilities and/or medical needs to receive care at home based on their needs rather than their parent's income. Because of this, Katie thrived and achieved multiple higher education degrees, and continued to be an amazing advocate for people with disabilities for the rest of her life.

You can listen to her life story and about her advocacy from an NPR recording of her obituary, by clicking here. You can also read the same story by visiting their website.

For more information on Rhode Island's Katie Beckett program, click here.

Being aware of the ways living with an intellectual and/or Developmental Disability (I/DD) affects your life (or the life of someone you know) is important and is key to less stigma and a more inclusive and accepting world for us all.

In this section, we have compiled some videos to watch that can help you and others understand and communicate more about I/DD and learn how some of these disabilities may affect you, your friends, your loved ones, or those whom you support professionally.

What is I/DD?

Click to watch this video that clearly and thoroughly defines what intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are.

Down Syndrome

Click to watch this video which provides information about Down Syndrome and explains what it is, how it's diagnosed, its physical characteristics and common related medical conditions, and ways that people can effectively support and encourage people with Down syndrome to lead independent and fulfilling lives.

Click here for a video from a woman with Down syndrome herself that humorously highlights the many misconceptions and mistakes people make when they are around her.

Cerebral Palsy

Click to view this video with a comical yet realistic first-person take on living with Cerebral Palsy.

Autism

Click to watch this video which is an overview of what autism is.

Click to view this video which features various people with autism talking about their feelings and experiences.

Each month we share updates, information, and upcoming events from our partners below:

Founded in 1991, RIPIN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps thousands of Rhode Islanders each year with health care, special education, and healthy aging. RIPIN uses a model of peer professional support—more than three-fourths of RIPIN’s staff are caregivers of a loved one with special health care or special education needs. For more information about RIPIN and its mission, please visit the organization's website at www.ripin.org.