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January 2004 E-Newsletter

Welcome to the 3rd issue of the Center for Self-Determination E-Newsletter.
Happy New Year! May the New Year bring us all closer to the realization of all we deserve; to be loved, to have meaningful work, to guide our own resources, and to truly belong in a community.
This month you will find:
1. Commissioner on the Administration of the Developmental Disabilities Joins Center's Immersion Learning in Atlanta
2. Foundation Stream of the Immersion Learning
3. Budget Training Guidebook Available SOON
4. State Information
5. Membership update
6. Rituals for Building Community

What better way than through self-determination?
Patricia A. Morrissey PhD., the Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), is addressing the Immersion Learning about Self-Determination at a special May 1st luncheon. Dr. Morrissey was appointed by the United States President to head the ADD and will join us in Atlanta at the invitation of Eric Jacobson, Executive Director of the Georgia Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. 1. Pat oversees four discretionary grant programs authorized by the Developmental Disabilities Services and Bill of Rights Act of 2000. The major goal of these programs is to partner with state governments, local communities, and the private sector to assist people with developmental disabilities to "reach maximum potential through increased independence, productivity, and community integration". For more info on ADD visit: Administration on Developmental Disabilities. The ADD is charged to ensure that people with developmental disabilities and their families receive the services and supports they need and participate in the planning and designing of those services.What better way than through self-determination? For a list of other speakers and Immersion learning Collaborative members visit: www.self-determination.com/immersion/southern/collab.html

Immersion Learning Up-Date:Questions about the Foundation Stream...
Who should enroll in the Foundation Stream? Those who are new to the topic or who wish to up-date their understanding of self-determination. What will individuals do in the Foundation Stream? Participate in a complete curriculum built on the fundamentals of self-determination. This curriculum will expose participants to the historical context of the self-determination movement and its implementation. The curriculum includes * A Re-Affirmation of Community * The Tools of Self-Determination- individual budgeting, fiscal intermediaries and independent support coordination/ brokering * Re-Thinking Quality as a cornerstone of self-determination * Addressing the Poverty of Human Services What will the participants go away with at the end of the Immersion Learning? 1. A thorough understanding of self-determination 2. Individual Blueprints for Change - personal action plan answering these essential questions: What am I going to do to support this movement? How do I get there? When? How much? Who is going to help me? What work needs to be completed?...and more 3. Clear directions for getting and staying in touch with other advocates of self-determination through the Center's communications Who is coordinating this effort? Center consultants Jackie Golden, Doreen Rosimos and Denise Payne are working with Pat Carver to coordinate the Foundation Stream. The curriculum is based on several trainings designed by the Center for Self-Determination. Who can provide more information? If you have further questions about the planning aspects of the Immersion Learning, please contact Pat Carver, pcarver@chartermi.net 810-231-6363, Center for Self Determination, 401 East Stadium Boulevard, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104

Budget Guidebook Available Soon
The long awaited Center budgeting guidebook Guaranteeing the Promise of Freedom: through redefining quality and creative individual budgeting will be released for purchase mid-February. Watch for official announcement. Contents include: * Defining Self-Determination * Purpose of Public Funding * A New View of Quality * Income Generation * Assumptions for Planning & Budgeting * Creative Individual Budget Template The Creative Individual Budget Template comes with a helpful key that explains the meaning of certain line items proposed in the budget itself as well as a more comprehensive list of possible expenses. The sections with the key are relatively self-explanatory: 1. Where a person lives and with whom 2. How a person gets (remains) connected to the community 3. How the person generates and supports relationships 4. Connecting to the world of business and commerce 5. One time investments 6. Administration or management of supports and independent brokering This guidebook is best used in conjuction with the two-day individual budget training presented by Center for Self-Determination. To schedule this training call Pat Carver at 810-231-6364. 2004 Calendar is filling up!
STATE INFO
ARKANSAS - Advocates Needed Today
Center member Dennis Harkins volunteered to present at the 1st Annual Conference of Advocates Needed Today (ANTs) in Arkansas on January 8. The ANTs are a grassroots organization of parents and self-advocates in Arkansas. The January 8 conference, titled The 10 C's of Effective Advocacy, is based upon the grassroots advocacy work of the ANTs in Arkansas, as well as the People Can't Wait movement in Wisconsin. The focus of the 10 C's is on strengthening and building advocacy coalitions and networks, with a clear purpose that reflects the principles of self-determination. More info: Rebecca Riggs rriggs@ipa.net
KENTUCKY - Advocates in Action
This month Tom Nerney and Center Consultant Jackie Golden will present on self-determination to the Kentucky Advocates in Action. Advocates in Action is an organization which provides state-of-the-art knowledge about issues relating to developmental disabilities and builds the competencies necessary for advocates to effectively influence public policy. The program is coordinated by the Arc of Kentucky www.arcofky.org Jackie Golden will work with the Advocates in Action (individuals with disabilities; siblings or family members with disabilities; or professionals working with people with disabilities) to focus on policy development. Jackie's presentation reviews in depth how to influence policy formation either as an individual, a group or, an organized coalition. Jackie's message is loud and clear "Knowledge is Power!" This innovative leadership program is funded by the Kentucky Developmental Disabilities Council. Visit www.arcofky.org/AdvoAction/ Jackie and Tom, along with Center member Glenna Taylor, will be meeting with Kentucky legislators and will testify before the Health and Human Services Committee about the System of the Future and other current efforts in self-determination.
OHIO: Greater Cincinnati DS Association
The Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati (DSAGC) has reprinted the article Self-Determination for Persons with Developmental Disabilities in its newsletter "D.S. Press", which is mailed to over 2500 homes. The article, written by Tom Nerney first appeared in the Down Syndrome News, Volume 22, and Number 4 - the newsletter of the National Down Syndrome Congress. www.ndsccenter.org The DSAGC is a non-profit association whose mission is to provide information, resources and support to individuals with Down syndrome, their families and their communities. www.dsagc.com
NEW MEXICO
Center member Mike Allen and People First member Carolyn Delgado recently attended the first meeting of the New Mexico "comprehensive" Self-Directed Waiver Committee. To read Mike's Dec. 18th report, go to: www.self-determination.com/states/newmexico/index.html

All Center members are invited to send us articles which pertain to self-determination efforts in their home states. Please help us develop this valuable resource and keep things up-to-date. Sharing both factual information and analysis on the Center website's State Pages can help others engaged in similar work, whether it is in a different part of your own state or in a different region of our country. Submit articles for the State Pages- or questions you may have-directly to: kcopeland@twmi.rr.com

Membership Update
A quick review of the states with the most Center members shows Michigan, Florida, Louisiana, California, Colorado, Ohio, Alabama Kentucky (in order) leading the way. This is of no great surprise because these are states in which we have done much work. The states with the least members are North Dakota, Vermont, and Delaware. If you are a state contact, please consider what you can do to promote and nurture membership. Send emails to your members and find out what are they doing, what coalitions or activity they are involved in relating to the principles of self-determination. Then let Kris Copeland know. kcopeland@twmi.rr.com Remember what Jackie Golden said early "Knowledge is Power!" As our membership grow so does our ability to improve opportunities for ourselves and people we love. Sometimes its pure numbers that legislators or policymakers hear first when making your case for self-determination. Membership development has to be a priority for the Center for Self-Determination in 2004. Please keep your dues current.

Rituals for Building Community / Filthy Lucre and Social Currency
While the Center for Self-Determination largely concerns itself with the policies and regulations that effect the funding utilized by people with disabilities to live their lives, the end goal is always the enrichment of these individual lives; how to increase one's happiness and become a valued and contributing member of one's community. Our society is home to ever larger numbers of people who are in the community but not of it. To paraphrase the writings of Tom Nerney, the problems of lack of connection and loneliness are not exclusive to any one group of people, but are often exaggerated by the mitigating factors of impoverishment, isolation and low or no expectations for individuals with disabilities. The New York Times Magazine of Dec. 14, 2003 was their 3rd annual Year in Ideas issue. It was subtitled, "Bright Notions, bold inventions, genius schemes & mad dreams that took off (or tried to) in 2003". Among their selections was an explanation of the concept of 'gratitude visits.' The term comes from the positive psychology movement, an increasingly influential branch of psychology that studies not what makes people dysfunctional, but what makes them happy and satisfied with their lives. Dr. Martin Seligman, a former president of the American Psychological Association, posits that gratitude is a key component of personal happiness and well-being. He says that the gratitude visit can be an effective way to "increase the intensity, duration and frequency of positive memory". For years, Dr. Seligman has sent his students out into the world with instructions to 1. Think of a person in your life who has been kind to you, but to whom you may not have ever expressed your thanks. 2. Write a detailed letter to that person explaining why you feel grateful. 3. Visit that person and read the letter aloud. According to Dr. Seligman, the ritual is powerful and always results in a moving, and reciprocal experience. Consider making this sort of visit-or helping someone else to do so-and explore the nature of gratitude you owe and are owed. Make your social capital work for you.

Quote of the Day
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years" -Abraham Lincoln And we thought it was the love you make!! (until next month…)