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Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs
Opened June 30th
Reprinted from the August 2013 Edition of the
NYS OCFS e-Newsletter
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The Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs (Justice Center) Opened its doors on June 30. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo pushed for its creation to track, investigate, and prosecute serious abuse and neglect against people with developmental disabilities, mental illnesses, or other issues. The Justice Center employs 300 people, some of whom operate a hotline open 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The Justice Center assumes most of the functions of the former Commission on Quality Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (CQC).

The Justice Center, a law enforcement agency, will oversee about 3,000 housing and day service providers serving one million New Yorkers with special needs under the jurisdiction of not only OCFS, but the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), the Office of Mental Health (OMH), State Education Department (SED), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).

The Justice Center staff members serve as advocates for service recipients and their families, and the agency provides uniform standards for investigative procedures, a code of conduct for anyone who works with a person with special needs, and a database that contains not just reports to the hotline, but results of investigations and the outcome of actions taken.  The Justice Center hotline number is: 1-855-373-2122.
 

Save the Date

Mapping KWIC Data with
Community Assets Webinar
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
1:00 pm- 2:00 pm
kwic mapping

The KWIC team recently added a community asset mapping feature to KWIC. This map tool provides the ability to map the full range of KWIC data, geographic areas and points of interest for an in-depth view of counties and communities across the state.


Features of the Map Builder are: 

  • Display a count-by-county view of each KWIC indicator
  • Make comparisons across years
  • Export a county report
  • Print maps
  • Hide indicator data
  • View boundaries for a range of geographic areas
  • View community assets

Learn about our soon-to-be released school district and public school data!

 Register Now Button  

Notice of Public Hearing
OASAS and OMH Joint Statewide Comprehensive Plans 2013-2017
August 27, 2013 from 2:00-4:00 pm
OASAS omh
OASAS and OMH are conducting a joint public hearing on their statewide comprehensive plans. Both agencies will receive input for consideration in the development of their respective statewide comprehensive plans, potential integration of statewide planning efforts in the future, and ongoing planning initiatives. The Hearing is hosted by OASAS and OMH, and via videoconference among seven locations: Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Manhattan, Staten Island, and West Brentwood.

Registration for any of the public hearing sites listed above is available at www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/planning/507. Given the number of individuals expected to want to testify, OASAS and OMH request that all input be received in writing. Individuals interested in being considered to present oral testimony should check the appropriate box using the online registration system

If you require any special accommodations to participate in the hearing, or have questions about the format, please contact Colleen Garrahan at 518-473-3570.
Two Updated Policies for the NYS Education Department
NYS ed  
A memorandum providing information on a revised "private placement certification" process to be used by school districts to meet their reporting requirements whenever the district is seeking approval for State reimbursement of tuition costs for placement of a student with a disability in an approved in-State or out-of-State day or residential school program is available.

The New York State Education Department has updated the State required Prior Written Notice form to reflect recent changes to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education related to the Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential and the New York State Career Development and Occupational Studies Commencement Credential. 
 
From NYS Success
Chautauqua Tapestry:
What It Means To Be
A Mentor Community  
 

By Pat Brinkman & Rachel Ludwig, Chautauqua Tapestry 

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Editor's note: In 2012, SAMHSA awarded Upstate New York with a four year, four million dollar grant to support broad-scale expansion and integration of local systems of care within a sustainable infrastructure. Additional funding support was also provided by the NYS Office of Mental Health. A form of learning exchange utilizing learning collaborative and other partnership approaches. What originated as the Upstate New York System of Care Expansion Project has now given way to a host of multi-county linkages known as NYS Success: Connecting Systems of Care with Children and Families.

As the NYS Success Network takes hold in Upstate New York, Chautauqua County is beginning to feel its role as a mentor community. To us, being a mentor is many things. It is a compliment to the work we've done, an accountability standard to maintain, and a motivator for us to continue to improve on our own County's SOC. Being a mentor is an opportunity to support our overall strategic plan of offering replicable and sustainable shifts in the "system."     

Little Bit About Us.
..Chautauqua County is in the 5th year of our SAMHSA cooperative agreement. Time has flown by so quickly as we've done this work. Over the years we have been blessed with a richly talented Technical Assistance Team, comprised of individuals with extensive backgrounds that match the areas of focus of our proposal. This team is as committee to the success of Tapestry as those of us who live and work in the community. Monthly phone calls with the TA team provide an opportunity to share successes, but more importantly, to discuss barriers and failures. Tapestry staff and our Governance Board share the philosophy that systems become better only when we are unafraid to see and share "the good, the bad, and the ugly." This approach has allowed the TA Team to tailor their assistance to our needs and to connect us with other communities or experts around the country who currently share that particular focus, or those who have faced and successfully overcome a barrier. We have often said that the most impactful aspect of the cooperative agreement has been access to technical assistance that we would never had had otherwise. Read more!

Let Us Know If We Can Help! Chautauqua Tapestry is looking forward to being a NYS Success Network support, and we welcome the communities of Upstate New York to connect with our team. We can offer specific training within communities, or just have a phone call to help brainstorm through an idea. 

To get in contact with the Chautauqua Tapestry team, please email Patricia Brinkman at [email protected] or call her at 716-753-4104. As a mentor community, Tapestry sees its role as paying forward the knowledge, resources, and experience we have garnered as we've labored to strengthen our system of care. We welcome the new communities to connect with our team. Let us be there for you as our TA Team was there for us! View the Chautauqua Tapestry Website!

Upcoming Parent to Parent Webinars:
Building Community Partnerships Using the Principles of ABCD- Asset Based Community Development
August 8, 2013
11:00 am-12:00 pm
parent to parent
This workshop will provide tools for building community partnerships in supporting community inclusion of people with disabilities.

How do we help utilize services as a support for a person but also create other things in a person's life that contribute to their membership in everyday life? Asset-Based Community Development challenges the traditional approach to solving problems, which focuses service providers and funding agencies on the needs and deficiencies of people and neighborhoods. ABCD has demonstrated that community assets are key building blocks in sustainable urban and rural community revitalization efforts and in supporting people who are recipients of services. Assets of a person are a key to being involved in a community life.
Register here!
Note: only the first 100 people to log in will be able to attend

Lifetime Advocacy- an Introduction to Planned Lifetime Advocacy  
August 19,2013 
11:00 am- 12:00 pm  
 This workshop will provide a understanding the principles of lifetime advocacy and planning for the future in:
  • Supporting and caring for people with disabilities through their entire life
  • Supporting family members through their entire life
  • Recognizing and facing fears and realities. Facing the reality: what will happen when we are gone?

Register here!

Note: only the first 100 people to log on will be able to attend 
Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) RFP Released
logo hunger solutions
Hunger Solutions New York has officially released its request for proposals for the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP). NOEP is a great way to provide anti-hunger services in your local community. Another way to join the fight against hunger is to spread awareness of the Summer Food Service Program, which allows kids and teens under 18 to eat during the summer for free. With SNAP and other nutrition programs separated from the House version of the Farm Bill, it is more important than ever to promote the effectiveness of nutrition assistance programs.

Hunger Solutions New York is now soliciting proposals for NOEP contracts from community-based non-profits throughout the state. Organizations receiving contracts will conduct outreach, education, and application assistance for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Organizations will also work on various child nutrition efforts. Letters of intent are due no later than August 9.

Follow ENGAGE on Twitter!
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Follow the Council on Children and Families @NYSCCF on Twitter for the latest ENGAGE updates. Here are some of our most recent tweets:
ENGAGE 2Day:From SAMHSA: Upcoming August 6 Webinar: It's Just Good Medicine: Trauma-Informed Primary Care Click here!    
ENGAGE 2Day: From Child Trends:Cost of #childpoverty? $500 billion every year @washingtonpost via @First_Focus Click here!

ENGAGE 2Day: What's New: National Center for Education Statistics via @GovDelivery  Click here!

ENGAGE 2DayFrom HHS: Health Care Law Webinars in English and Spanish; Spanish Language Conference via @GovDelivery  Click here! 

ENGAGE 2Day: Make someone's day & send a free Lifeline E-card to show you care & let them know that hope is available Click here!
Thank you for your continued interest in ENGAGE.

The New ENGAGE Team

 

The ENGAGE Newsletter is an information sharing service.
Information presented in this newsletter is not all inclusive and does not imply endorsement of any particular methodology or program
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