Ability

The goal of the Ability Indiana Newsletter is to share how the Program supports your JULY 6, 2020 efforts to employ with disabilities. Ability Indiana Annual Certification Update As you may recall, the Annual Certification and Annual Capability Inventory Forms due date was changed earlier this year in order to align with the state and State Use Committee fiscal year of July 1-June 30. Ability Indiana in coordination with Ability Indiana Strategic Planning Group, have been working hard to update these forms to make it easier to complete. Ability Indiana will share the new Capability Inventory Form and the Annual Certification process at the upcoming INARF Business & Industry Professional Interest Section / Certified Ability Indiana Organization meeting.

While the Capability Form and Annual Certification is required for each CAIO to complete each year, having the form available via Salesforce will allow CAIOs to update their capabilities throughout the year. Housing the form on Salesforce will allow for clear descriptions of each field. Ability Indiana will have the ability to pull a variety of reports using the Capability Inventory information, increasing the opportunity to share capabilities and increasing collaboration throughout our Certified Ability Indiana Organizations.

We encourage staff from each CAIO to plan to join Brooke and Asher at the upcoming INARF Business & Industry Professional Interest Section / Certified Ability Indiana Organization meeting on July 9 at 10 AM, as they provide a detailed overview and training on the new forms.

After the meeting the two forms will be e-mailed to each current Certified Ability Indiana Organization. Please plan to join us virtually to learn more about the new processes!

New National Sales & Marketing Collaboration for Ability Indiana As an outcome from the SUPRA Annual Conference earlier this year, state use programs agreed to partner together and host a monthly Sales/Marketing/Operations meeting. The purpose of the monthly meeting is to share resources to develop and grow opportunities for job placements with individuals with disabilities.

Led by Ability Indiana’s Asher Weaver, who sits on the Board of Directors for SUPRA, the monthly meetings have been off to an amazing start. Each meeting has had a tremendous turnout and had over 20 participants representing nearly every SUPRA state. The first two meetings had lively discussions centered on COVID-19 operational impacts and what steps organizations can take to prepare for the future.

States have been openly collaborating on new products and services. This collaboration has created a stronger support system among SUPRA members and the new addition of a Forum on the SUPRA website, where states can share resources and information.

It is our belief that the creation and implementation of the SUPRA Forum will have a tremendous impact for our Certi- fied Ability Indiana Organizations. Ability Indiana is excited about the potential the Forum and the Sales & Marketing meetings will have on product and service development for our Certified Organizations. P A G E 2 Cook Receives Award Upon His Retirement Steve worked tirelessly over his 40-plus year career to advance the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities. Beginning his career in the field of psychology, he conducted assessments of individuals to identify needed services. Multiple organizations benefited from Steve’s leadership and they all had one thing in common – providing daily services to enrich the lives of Hoosiers with disabilities. He served as the Director of FSSA’s Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (formerly known as Division of Disabilities Aging and Rehabilitative Services) from 2001 to 2004 and oversaw the closure of state-run facilities for individuals with disabilities, allowing people to live in the home of their choice and be part of their community.

As a long-time INARF Board member, Steve spent years providing direction, serving on workgroups and committees, and advocating for organizations that provide services to individuals with disabilities. Later, during his tenure as President/CEO of INARF, Steve worked to ensure that the industry exceeded standards for those they serve. He was also an instrumental part of the 1102 Task Force, which assessed the current state of our industry and where we need to go in the future to better serve individuals with I/DD.

Upon his retirement on June 30, the Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch on behalf of Governor Holcomb has awarded Steve a Sagamore of the Wabash to recognize his amazing career and service to the thousands of individuals and families in Indiana who have benefited from his tireless commitment, hard work, and dedication. Watch award presentation.

The History of the Sagamore of the Wabash The Sagamore of the Wabash award was created during the term of Governor Ralph Gates, who served from 1945 to 1949. Governor Gates was to attend a tri-state meeting in Louisville with officials from the States of and . Aides to Gov. Gates learned the was preparing a Kentucky Certificate for Governor Gates and U.S. Senator Robert A. Taft, who represented the State of Ohio. It was decided Indiana should have an appropriate award to present in return and thus The Sagamore of the Wabash award was born.

The term “sagamore” was used by the American Indian Tribes of the northeastern to describe a lesser chief or a great man among the tribe to whom the true chief would look for wisdom and advice. Each governor since Gov. Gates has presented the certificate in their own special way. The award is highest honor bestowed by a sitting Governor of Indiana. It is a personal tribute usually presented to persons who have rendered a distinguished service to the State or the sitting governor.

Those who have received a Sagamore include astronauts, presidents, ambassadors, artists, musicians, politicians, and citizens who have contributed greatly to our heritage. It should be noted Sagamores have been conferred upon both men and women with each governor reserving the right to personally select each recipient.

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ABILITY INDIANA NEWSLETTER