The ENGAGE Team is thrilled to extend congratulations to Stephanie Orlando, Director of YOUTH POWER! and a member of the child-serving State Agency Commissioners' Committee on Cross-Systems Services for Children and Youth on President Barack Obama's recent announcement of his intent to nominate her as a Member of the National Council on Disability.

Stephanie's colleagues, friends and those who know her will fully appreciate the President's words, "I am proud to nominate such impressive men and women to these important roles, and I am grateful they have agreed to lend their considerable talents to this administration. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead." Her biographical brief as presented in the official news release follows:

Stephanie Orlando, Nominee for Member, National Council on Disability, is the Director of YOUTH POWER! of Families Together in New York State, a statewide advocacy network comprised of young people who have disabilities and experience in state child-serving systems.  After receiving children's mental health, special education and residential services herself, Ms. Orlando has become a strong advocate for youth with disabilities on county, state and national levels.  Beginning in 2006, she served a term as Chairperson of the Youth Advisory Committee to the National Council on Disability. Ms. Orlando serves on the New York State Commissioners' Committee on Cross-Systems Services for Children & Youth, the New York State Commissioner's Advisory Panel for Special Education Services, the New York Mental Health Services Planning Council, and the Board of Directors of the Children's Mental Health Coalition of Western New York.  She received the Diana Vietz Award in 2008 from the National Council on Independent Living, the mpower Award in 2006 from Mental Health America (formerly National Mental Health Association) and the 2004 Erie County Executive Award for Disability Employment Awareness Month. Ms. Orlando earned her Bachelor of Arts in 2005 from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Click here to view the full announcement. 

Again-for the Council on Children and Families, Families Together in NYS, and all your agency and family & youth partners...
Congratulations, Stephanie!   

The Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) was created by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo earlier this year to develop recommendations to reduce costs and increase quality and efficiency in New York's Medicaid Program.  The workgroup on Behavioral Health Reform chaired by Linda Gibbs, Deputy Mayor of NYC and Mike Hogan, Commissioner of the NYS Office of Mental Health recognized the unique challenges and complexity inherent in services for children and their families.  As a result, a solution-focused team, representative of the diverse interests in children's behavioral health has been formed to recommend actions to the Behavioral Health Reform Workgroup by September 20th. Interested stakeholders are invited to listen to the working meetings via webinar. The webinars are formatted in "listen only" mode.

The Initial Webinar was held on July 28, 2011  with the remaining dates listed as: Aug 3, 2011 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EDT Aug 10, 2011 11:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m. EDT Aug 31, 2011 11:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m. EDT Sep 15, 2011 11:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m. EDT   Register Now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/825014456    Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the Webinar.

The ENGAGE Team is pleased to aid in the distribution of Dual Diagnosis, A Guidebook for Caregivers, Susan Scharoun, Ph.D., author.

Please read about more about the author, Dr. Scharoun, the current Chairperson of the Department of Psychology at LeMoyne College where she teaches. Credibly, Susan is also a sibling of a person with a developmental disability and a psychologist who helps people who have "dual diagnosis," a term typically used when a person with a developmental disability also has a mental illness.

This guidebook offers caregivers tools they need to understand how mental illness might look in a person with a developmental disability, and information on what to do and where to go for help.  

Additionally, this resource was written in 2011 for the New York State Institute for Health Transition Training with a grant support from the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council. Continuing education credits are available for health care professionals who review this guidebook.   

Youth MOVE Members, Chapters, Supporters, Partners...
We are pleased to announce that we have opened up a new round of Dare to Dream! In fact, 5 grants are slated to be awarded next month!

The Dare to Dream America program provides an opportunity for youth (ages 13 to 25) to get involved in mental health awareness activities. Successful applicants are awarded a grant up to $1000 to do projects that promote mental health awareness. Dare to Dream America is brought to you by Youth M.O.V.E. National, a subsidiary of the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. It is a youth-led national organization devoted to improving services and systems that support positive growth and development by uniting the voices of individuals who have lived experience in various systems including mental health, juvenile justice, education, and child welfare.

Download Dare to Dream Application 

Submit to youthmove@ffcmh.org or fax: 240-403-1909 

New York State Homes and Community Renewal  www.nyshcr.org
has announced assistance for low-income New Yorkers whose health issues pose a medical emergency during the extended period of hot weather forecast for the state in the coming days saying, "Senior citizens and children are especially susceptible to heat-related illness, and it is important that our most vulnerable know what government is doing to protect them." The cooling program is administered by NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) with funding provided from the federal Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) funds, through the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA).

In order to protect vulnerable New Yorkers, New York State has set aside $3 million in funding through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that will provide air conditioning units for more than 3,700 households. Eligibility for the program is determined by:

1. LIHEAP low-income guidelines. (For a four-person household, the maximum gross annual income to qualify is approximately $48,000.)  
2. Having at least one household member who has been diagnosed with a chronic or acute medical condition which is aggravated by exposure to extreme heat situations.  
3.  A doctor providing written documentation (dated within the last six months) that air-conditioning assistance is critical to prevent a heat emergency.

* (Important Note) Households that have a working air conditioner or have received one from the State in the last 10 years are not eligible.

 View a full listing of local  cooling program administrators and their contact information. 

Questions regarding HEAP program should be directed to local agencies listed in  or the NYS HEAP Hotline at 1-800-342-3009. 

Those who want to see if they qualify under HEAP's income guidelines should visit www.mybenefits.ny.gov.

The CNY Regional interagency Technical Assistance Team (RiTAT), in collaboration with Cortland County's Coordinated Children's Services Initiative (CCSI), is pleased to once again sponsor wraparound training by our colleagues from Broome County on Tuesday August 30, 2011.  

Special thanks to Denise Dyer, CNY RiTAT leader, for spearheading
so many valuable training opportunities!

Who:  Staff and family partners who plan to facilitate wraparounds, those who supervise and support them, Tier II county leaders, CCSI and SPOA Coordinators, and all others interested!

What:  Hands-on, "how to" training in facilitating a meeting of the Child and Family Team (Tier I)  

When:  Tuesday, August 30, 2011 - 9:00 a.m. to Noon

Where:  Cortland Ramada Inn,  2 River Street, Cortland, NY 13045

RSVP:  Chris Driscoll, Cortland County CCSI Coordinator,
                                     Christopher.Driscoll@dfa.state.ny.us 

                                                              OR  

                                        Denise.Dyer@ocfs.state.ny.us 

Please share this with others and do plan to sign up!

The CAFÉ Technical Assistance (CAFÉ TA) Center promotes Supported

Education for persons with mental illness wanting to attend post- secondary education and earn a degree.

CAFÉ TA Centerhas a new training describing Supported Education and what it can do for new or returning students with mental illness concerns. Older youth and family members interested in furthering their educational pursuits but requiring additional supports and accommodations may be especially interested in following Getting a Degree Through Supported Education, which leads to information on specific resources and approaches to locate and access available programs.

ParentCorps is for the whole family!