MAR / APR 2021 THE OUTLOOK ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER The State of Alabama has officially recognized March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month as of March 1, 2021. Photo: Kimberly Boswell, Commissioner of ADMH and Darryle Powell, Executive Director of the Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities (ACDD) present the Proclamation, along with ACDD staff. DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The theme for this year’s campaign is “Moving Towards Change,” which seeks to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life, and awareness of the work that remains to remove barriers to community living. Developmental disabilities affect millions of individuals as well as their concerned families and friends. Those with disabilities continue to be marked by stigma and discrimination based on preconceived notions and misinformation. This month offers another opportunity to support compassionate and devoted efforts to increase independence, employment in all communities. Education and work to increase access to services across the state is the mission of the Alabama Department of Mental Health, our Division of Developmental Disabilities, and service providers around the state. IN THIS ISSUE MAR / APR 2021 DD Awareness Month .......................................................FC Volunteers of America ........................................................2 Respect Initiative - Graduation Day ....................................3 GUEST COLUMNIST Community Waiver Program Launches ...............................4 DEANNA FERGUSON, Arc of Walker County and NW.............................................5 VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT Harper Center's First Staff Member .....................................6 AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, VOASE Sharing Empathy, Care and Resources ................................6 We also operate a number of programs Arc of Shelby County and Laura Smith ................................7 under contract with the Department of IPS - Supported Employment ..............................................8 Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labor including Grant and Per Diem, Regional Autism Network..................................................10 Transition in Place, Supportive Services The ADMH Office of Autism Services.................................11 for Veterans Families, and the Homeless Congratulations to Steve Hamerdinger..............................13 Veterans Reintegration Program. Did You Know?...................................................................14 VOA Southeast has over 700 employees Risk Management Information .........................................BC across the three states and serves over 2,000 people each day through our direct service programs. In addition, we serve Want to be included in the next issue? Send us your stories, over 8,000 people annually through achievements, initiatives, events...etc! our community outreach programs by distributing food, clothing, blankets, toys, [email protected] | 334-242-3417 and meeting other important needs. My grandmother always told me to PROVIDER SHOWCASE: find a job that you love, and you will never have to work again. I followed her VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA advice. I love what I do—so I guess you can say I have “not worked” at VOA for Volunteers of America (VOA) was founded in 1896 by social over 27 years serving in various roles. I reformers, Ballington and Maud Booth. For 125 years, VOA has was born and raised in Opp, Alabama. been serving the country’s most vulnerable individuals and has My parents still live there, as well as my become one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive sister who is a special education teacher human services organizations. The organization employs 16,000 at Pleasant Home School. I have lived paid professionals, touching the lives of 1.5 million people a in Mobile for over 20 years and I enjoy year. VOA is a faith-based organization that operates 30 affiliates spending time with my husband, Keith, in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. and our 13 year-old daughter Kate. The VOA Southeast (VOASE) affiliate serves Alabama, Georgia, and Currently, I serve as Vice President of Mississippi, and began in 1980, with the provision of residential Government and Community Affairs. services to individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Mobile, I engage with various local and state Alabama. Today, we serve over 400 people with intellectual agencies, as well as advocacy organizations disabilities in AL and GA and have recently become a certified to ensure that the voices of those we provider of ID Services in MI. In addition, we provide a number of serve are heard. I also look for service other services including affordable housing, behavioral healthcare, needs in various communities and assist including addictions treatment, disaster recovery, homeless our operations division to determine prevention, and services for at-risk children and youth. how we can meet those needs. 2 Prior to VOA Southeast, I had the opportunity to oversee in Alabama to join our association and an AmeriCorps Program focused on gang prevention for mission. I am also honored to serve on the the VOA Colorado affiliate in Denver. Prior to that, I had the Disabilities Leadership Coalition of Alabama pleasure of serving adults with intellectual disabilities at East (DLCA) board and the American Network Central Mental Health in Troy, while in graduate school. of Community Options and Resources In college at Troy University, I interned at a long-term care facility (ANCOR) Board of Representatives. for seniors. Several young individuals with intellectual disabilities I’m very excited to celebrate resided there because they required skilled nursing care, and at Developmental Disability (DD) Awareness that time there were very limited options. I remember feeling sad this month. This is a great opportunity that these children and young adults were secluded and unable to educate others on the many to interact and make friends their own age. That experience abilities and contributions of people sparked my interest in pursuing a career working with people with ID/DD and the importance of full with disabilities and advocating for community service options. community inclusion. We should take I am pleased to serve as Board President of the Alabama this opportunity to discuss barriers Service Providers Association (ASPA), an inclusive association people with ID/DD face in accessing of community based ID/DD service providers. Our mission is community life and employment options. to improve services to people with ID/DD in Alabama through Contact Information:www.aspanow.com leadership, advocacy, and education regarding best practices and (251) 421-3003, [email protected] public policy. I strongly encourage all ID/DD service providers THE RESPECT INITIATIVE: GRADUATION DAY! The RESPECT Initiative held its 11th graduation on, February shall pass’, some things may be hard during 26 and March 5. Participants were recognized for their efforts that moment, however, there is going to in completing the program. The training participants receive be a day when you wake up and you’ll allows them to feel more confident and more in control realize that you’re stronger now than of their own life experiences, as they learn new skills and you were before,” explained Calloway. techniques to help rebuild their lives. The Initiative has grown Calloway says in the future she wants to significantly since beginning in Spring 2018 at ADMH. continue working her way up the ladder The RESPECT Initiative supports participants in learning how to in the mental health field and she plans to articulate their personal stories of recovery from mental health attend graduate and become a counselor. and substance use challenges. One of the program’s objectives is The Spring 2021 graduates include: to help participants get clarity on their lived experiences and to Phillip Pearson Melanie Evans realize that their illnesses, addictions or traumas can be placed Helena Doering Jerome Dorsey in the context of a positive story – a story that can inspire and Alisia Calloway Donnetta Wilson educate decision makers like legislators and administrators, clinical Adriene LaPorte La’Nissi Brown personnel, direct care givers, students and of course, peers. Teala Frost Andrew Phillips Participants who graduate from the RESPECT Initiative Office of Peer Programs Director learn how to take overwhelming experiences with their Michael Autrey says these recovery illness and recovery, hone-in on what is important to stories effectively alleviate stigma by them and what they would like others to know about engendering empathy and understanding. their experiences in a 10-minute presentation. Since the It’s important for the graduates to program’s inception, 85 individuals have graduated from the share their stories, there is something program and gone on to share their stories with others. powerful about each one,” said Autrey. Program graduate, Alicia Calloway said during her presentation that she’s not going to let her mental illness stop her from being successful. “The advice that I have for my peers is that, ‘this too 3 Supported Living provided companion services to assist NW with personal care and community involvement. As the Day Program evolved into Community Day activities, NW further improved her skills by participating