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PLUK eNews April 4, 2005
http://www.pluk.org/eNews/Apr_04_05.htm
Volume 3 Issue 17

Welcome to PLUK's electronic newsletter! 
(Download the printable pdf version at: http://www.pluk.org/eNews/Apr_04_05.pdf )

We are proud to present news of interest for Montana families of children with disabilities and special health care needs, and for the professionals and educators who serve them; however, it does not constitute an endorsement.

Highlights:

OPTIMIST SPECIAL CHILDREN'S CAMP FUND RAISER
Join us for dinner and entertainment with a Hawaiian theme (featuring Calamity Entertainment with a possible special guest appearance by Brenda Williams and Steve Repac) at the lower level of Shrine Auditorium
WHEN: April 30, 2005, doors open 6 PM with no host cocktails. Dinner served at 7 PM.
COST: $45.00 includes entertainment, appetizers, and dinner. Trivia contest prizes and door prizes will be awarded.
This is a fundraiser for Optimist Special Children's Camp. This camp is attended by 45-60 Children ages 6-18 every year. Wear your grass skirts, muumuus, and Hawaiian shirts. Come prepared to dance the Hula, or to learn how. Tickets and information are available from any Optimist member, or call 252-1048 or 247-4704.

2005 National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH) Annual Conference, August 4-6
Scholarship Deadline: April 29
Kukulu kumuhana "Pooling Thoughts and Hopes to Solve Common Problems" August 4 - 6, 2005 l Honolulu, Hawaii Center for Mental Health Services Application for Financial Support Application Deadline: April 29, 2005
The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), through a contract with AFYA, Inc. (AFYA), is providing financial support to rural consumers of mental health services who would like to participate in the annual conference sponsored by the National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH). The purpose of the scholarships is to foster transformation of mental health care to focus on recovery. Please note: To be eligible for this scholarship, a completed application and letter of recommendation must be received by April 29, 2005.
Conference information is available at: www.narmh.org or by calling (320) 202-1820

Billings Associate Board planning Kids at Heart Gala, May 13
The event will be at the Sheraton in Billings Friday May 13th and will feature the band - the Midlife Chryslers. This band consists of Billings' area doctors who participate in 4 or 5 performances a year for local nonprofits. The Committee is excited about their involvement and is looking forward to the Gala. In addition to the band's performance, the event will include heavy hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, a live auction, featuring auctioneer Bill Holt, and much more. For information on sponsorships or tickets, call PLUK's office at 406 255-0540 or 800 222-7585.

TBI News: New Grants and Partnerships
Renew Your Vehicle Registration and Support Montana's Traumatic Brain Injury Fund
Montana has the second highest rate of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) per capita in the nation. In response, Montana has made application and received two Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) TBI grants since 2001. The federal grants have set into motion a constellation of activities that will provide guidance in planning for a comprehensive, community-based system of care that encompasses physical, psychological, educational, vocational and social aspects of TBI services and addresses the needs of families as well as individuals with a TBI. The Senior and Long Term Care Division, as the lead agency, has contracted with the Montana Center on Disabilities and the Brain Injury Association of Montana (BIAM) to assist in completing goals and objectives of a state TBI action plan. For more information about this grant, contact Nell Eby at (406) 655-7636.
You can help support department activities for people with TBI. Through special efforts of the BIAM, Montana's 2003 Legislature passed H.B. 698, which created a TBI account for public information and education on TBI. Montana vehicle owners can make a donation to that account through their renewal notices for motor vehicle registration by circling "Y" on the card for the brain injury fund and adding a dollar to the total due. (You can do the same for organ donor awareness.) We hope department staff will consider this option when they renew their vehicle registration. Another way to show support is to encourage the use of seat belts in vehicles and helmets for activities such as biking and snow sports.

Benefit Concert for PLUK-May 20, Kalispell
Flathead Valley PLUK presents:
Rob Quist & the Great Northern Band with Jack Gladstone in concert, presenting their collaborated production of the Lewis & Clark Expedition May 20th at 7pm at the Kalispell Christian Center.
Rob Quist and Jack Gladstone, two of (the West's most celebrated entertainers and songwriters, have united in an unforgettable new show, Odyssey West, commemorating Lewis and Clark's epic journey West.
Gladstone and Quist literally bring the West to life with the rich historical content of their original songs and narratives presented with dramatic live footage as well as haunting photographic and artistic images of the Old and New West.
Celebrate Our Heritage while supporting local children and adults with disabilities. Proceeds also benefit Special Friends Advocacy. Ticket purchases call 406/756-6159.
http://www.robquist.com/promopage.htm 

Legislative Update 11 From C. Briggs
Legislative Update #11:
1. Appropriations. This past Friday, the Senate's Finance & Claims Committee completed its deliberations on HB-2, the key state appropriations legislation for the next biennium, following a three-day consideration of the bill's provisions as previously acted upon by the House. The Senate committee left its own mark on the "big bill," ultimately adding $63 million to the overall cost. Republican legislators in both chambers reacted strongly to the current budget bill as seriously inflated. The bill will be debated on the Senate floor this coming Thursday and Friday. Democrats countered that much of the increase is due to cuts in federal funding, especially in Medicaid (the matching share for Montana is going up, in part, because of the pick up in the economy). Also, a big factor was the result of recent court decisions, such as concerning school funding. The committee did make a number of cuts, such as the Governor's scholarship fund for Montana graduates and the increase to the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP).
One interesting proposal came from Sen. John Cobb (R-Augusta), who offered an amendment for the state to use general fund dollars to cover the increases in direct care worker wages until sufficient revenues accrue from the I-149 tobacco tax. Those workers specified from the decisions of the joint Human Services Sub-Committee to HB-2 were in senior services-both community-based and skilled nursing facilities - as well as mental health workers. An added value of the general fund support, however, is that those funds would become part of the base budgeting for the next Legislature. Finance & Claims Chair, Sen. Mike Cooney (D-Helena), has indicated additional cuts will be made on the Senate floor later this week, especially since the bill now is nearly $47 million over the spending cap.

2. Other Legislation. Many of you are aware of the discovery this past week in HB 5 (Wells), the Capital Improvements, Long-Range Building measures, which included a $2.5 million request for a "secured housing unit, MDC Boulder." DPHHS officials apologized to advocates for not informing the disability community of this particular item, as they indicated it came as a recommendation from CMS. Negotiations followed late last week and an amendment will be offered when the bill is considered Monday (April 4), in Finance & Claims. On another significant funding issue, HB 475 (Matthews), which is the supplemental appropriations bill for final expenditures through this biennium that ends June 30th, is now scheduled for hearing in Finance & Claims April 8th.

Here is the most recent update of other bills we've been following:
HB 197 (Jayne) - making it a felony for anyone convicted of abusing, neglecting or exploiting an older adult or person with a developmental disability, at the request of DPHHS. It still awaits House concurrence. No action to date.
HB 336 (Lange) - appropriates $287,000 over the biennium to provide services to youth with developmental disabilities who have graduated, until they reach age 19. It was approved "do pass" Saturday (2nd) in Senate Public Health Committee.
HB 438 (Buzzas) - This bill would establish Braille literacy for blind or visually impaired children throughout Montana schools. It was heard this past week before the Senate Education Committee, which referred it to Finance & Claims on the 31st.
HB 513 (Raser) - this will extend state tax credits to citizens who donate to developmental disabilities programs. Senate Taxation heard it last week on the 1st, but no action as yet.
HB 550 (Windy Boy) - Appropriates $100,000 over the biennium for the leadership forum for youth with disabilities. It has been heard in Senate Finance & Claims and still awaits executive action.
HB 687 (Mendenhall) - This is an important companion to the I-149 tobacco tax initiative, as it makes provision to track tobacco sales, and compliments the actions of the sub-committee that funded six auditors for tax collection. It was heard last week in Senate Business & Labor, passing out favorably on the 2nd.
HB738 (Kaufmann) - Will establish an advisory commission to study all provider rates and services provided by DPHHS. The bill still awaits House concurrence on Senate amendments. It does not yet have an updated fiscal note.
SB 41 (Keenan) - Establishing "funding principles" for Medicaid; it's one of several the Senator offered as part of a larger Medicaid redesign. It still has no executive action by House Human Services.
SB 78 (Harrington) - This bill raises the minimum wage in Montana to $6.25 per hour. Passed the Senate, it still has no action in the House by House Business & Labor.
SB 93 (Cobb) - Requires DPHHS to report monthly to the Legislative Finance Committee updating Medicaid cost estimates. It was heard in House Appropriations the 30th, but no action as yet.
SB 110 (Cobb) - As mentioned previously, this bill is arguably the most potentially significant piece of the Medicaid redesign legislation. Passed out of the Senate, it received a favorable hearing and approval on the 1st by House Business & Labor.
SB 127 (Keenan) - Another of the Medicaid redesign bills, this focuses on restructuring home & community-based waiver services. It was approved on 2nd Reading by the House on the 2nd and will have its 3rd Reading vote on the 4th.
SB 146 (McGee) - Based on a lawsuit, this bill intends to redesign-and fund-Montana's public defender system, which could be a good thing for people with disabilities on limited incomes. Approved by House Judiciary on the 1st, it now goes to the floor.
SB 150 (Keenan) - Establishes cost-sharing for community-based Medicaid services. Still no House Human Services Committee action.
SB 153 (Cobb) - Establishes performance measures for DPHHS. It passed 2nd Reading in the House on April 2, 3rd Reading scheduled for Monday.
SB 428 (Stapleton) - Establishes the 211 emergency human services system statewide. It passed out of the Senate last week, and will be heard in House Federal Relations, Energy & Telecommunications Committee, on the 4th.
SB 433 (Lind) - Creates a Medicaid pilot project for 50 developmentally disabled individuals, providing retention of unspent funds in their annual cost plan for future services, as well as a portion to the DDP "risk pool." It still awaits House Human Services executive action
SB 485 (Ellingson) -This bill establishes for citizens a "next-of-kin" registry, for purposes of hospital or long-term care facility visitation and disposition of one's remains upon death, and be housed in the Attorney General's Office. It appears to be languishing in House Judiciary. No action, yet.
SB 500 (Cobb) - Revises state election laws to facilitate voting accessibility for people with disabilities. It was heard the 22nd in the House State Administration and received committee approval on the 30th.

Well, there is certainly more to follow this coming week. This week will be an important time to let especially your senator know the funding issues that are dear and important to you, hopefully by Thursday.

Charlie Briggs, CEO
CWB Consultation
511 Fifth Avenue
Helena, MT 59601
PH: 406/449-4075/406.431.9732(mobile)

"Riding the Bus with My Sister" to air on TV May 1
Rachel Simon's book Riding the Bus with My Sister has been made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie. The film will air May 1 on CBS stations around the country.

Department of Education: IDEA Comment Meetings Schedule
ANOUNCING:
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, as Amended by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
SUMMARY: The Secretary announces plans to hold a series of public meetings to seek comments and suggestions about proposed regulations, which the Secretary intends to publish in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in the Spring of 2005, to implement programs under the recently amended IDEA.
DATES: The public meetings will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.:

Health Tip: Symptoms of Autism
(Courtesy Yahoo News)
Mon Mar 21,11:48 PM ET Health - HealthDay
(HealthDay News) -- With autism on the rise -- as many as 12 in every 10,000 children (boys more than girls) -- how can a parent tell if their child is autistic or if they have some other mental health disorder? Autism prevents children and adolescents from interacting normally with other people, and affects almost every aspect of their social and psychological development. According to the National Mental Health Information Center, autism has a wide variety of characteristics ranging in intensity from mild to severe. One child with autism does not behave like another child with the same diagnosis. Children and adolescents with autism typically:

In addition to these characteristics, some children with autism experience hypersensitivity to hearing, touch, smell or taste. Symptoms of autism can be seen in early infancy, but the condition also may appear after months of normal development. In most cases, however, it is not possible to identify a specific event that triggers the disorder.
Read more at http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/hsn/20050322/hl_hsn/healthtipsymptomsofautism. 

Scholarships for High School Seniors Who Have Disabled Parents
(From Monday Morning in Washington D.C)
In recognition of the more than nine million parents with disabilities in the U.S. and their families, Through the Looking Glass (TLG), non-profit organization, announced the 2005 College Scholarship Fund specifically for graduating high school seniors who have disabled parents. May 1, 2005 is the application deadline. For information, visit their site at http://lookingglass.org/scholarships/index.php 

The NY Public Library's Digital Gallery
(From The Christian Science Monitor)
March 21, 2005 By Jim Regan, csmonitor.com
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA - You may have heard that the New York Public Library recently put a substantial portion of its collections online in the form of a Web-based gallery. You may have also heard that the response was so overwhelming that the Library was forced to briefly take the site down in order to beef up its ability to respond to a phenomenal number of visitors.
Well, back in operation and now equal to the challenges of high traffic, the NYPL Digital Gallery is open for business once again - you can see what everyone else has been looking at.
Officially launched on March 3rd, the NYPL Digital Gallery is presently offering 275,000 images (stored on a 57-terabyte, a thousand billion bytes of data, network of servers) for public perusal and free personal use ("...individual private study, scholarship and research..."). Most of the contents of the Gallery are in the public domain, and if you can obtain your own reproduction of any image you find here, you can probably use it as you see fit.

Find out more about the NYPL Digital Gallery, and read the rest of this article, at http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0321/p25s01-stin.html. 

Preemie Magazine debuts
(Courtesy of Preemie Magazine)
SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA - March 17, 2005 - Preemie Magazine, LLC is pleased to announce the launching of Preemie Magazine, a free print magazine and online community for parents of premature infants as well as the professionals that care for them.
Preemie Magazine's print edition provides parents and professionals with information across the lifespan of the premature child, from infancy to the school years. Its online community allows its audience to connect with one another with forums, scheduled live chats with professionals, a large listing of resources as well as a growing list of support groups and playgroups. The online community went live in March 2005 and the print edition's first issue is slated for June 2005.
"With our online community and print magazine, we are the resource for the preemie community," comments Deborah Discenza, Publisher of Preemie Magazine, LLC and mother to a daughter born ten weeks early. "Parents are hungry for information from the time the child is born to well into the school years. Research has shown that prematurity can have long-term effects and we're here to fill the void that leaves these parents feeling scared and alone."
With the March of Dimes stating that 1 in 8 pregnancies ends in premature birth, the preemie parent community is large and growing.
About Preemie Magazine, LLC
Started by five parents of preemies, Preemie Magazine provides a free and informative publication and online community that empowers the preemie parent and educates the preemie professional. The first of its kind, Preemie Magazine is the resource for the preemie community.
For more information, please visit www.preemiemagazine.com. 

Infants Use Their Hands to "Talk"
(From The Christian Science Monitor)
By Liz Nakazawa, contributor, The Christian Science Monitor
Sign language is attracting a new group of enthusiastic practitioners: parents and their infant children. The appeal of such communication has nothing to do with hearing impairments. Instead, it's about getting in touch with the thought process of babies who can't yet speak.
Jill and Jeff Rupert of Portland, Ore., have learned 25 signs so they can teach them to their hearing baby, Joel. "We're trying sign language to communicate with Joel sooner than we would be able to if we waited for him to talk," says Jill.
The Ruperts are part of a national movement of hearing parents teaching their hearing babies and toddlers American Sign Language (ASL) to help increase communication.
Read the rest of this article at http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0322/p14s01-legn.html. 

NOFAS NEWS: Surgeon General's New Advisory Against Women Drinking While Pregnant Wake Up Call for Pregnant Women
(Courtesy of National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS))
February 23, 2005
For Immediate Release
Contact: Adam Litle (202) 785-4585
WASHINGTON - With the recent update of the 1981 Surgeon General's alcohol advisory against women drinking while pregnant, the call of those fighting for complete abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy is vindicated.
On Monday, February 21, 2005, U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona cautioned pregnant women and those women who may become pregnant to avoid alcohol completely throughout their entire pregnancy to keep their fetus free from the harmful effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. Such exposure can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation.
"We do not know what, if any, amount of alcohol is safe. But we do know that the risk of a baby being born with any of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders increases with the amount of alcohol a pregnant woman drinks, as does the likely severity of the condition," Dr. Carmona said while speaking at a press conference in San Diego, CA. "And when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her baby. Therefore, it's in the child's best interest for a pregnant woman to simply not drink alcohol."
Read the complete press release at http://www.nofas.org/news/surgeon031505.aspx. 

Wrightslaw: IEP FAQS
Frequently Asked Questions About Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) from Wrightslaw.
1. My child is eligible. What next?
2. What is an IEP?
3. What information is in an IEP?
4. Who develops my child's IEP?
5. So, I can help develop my child's IEP?
6. What to do before the IEP meeting?
7. What happens at an IEP meeting?
8. What are related services?
9. What are special factors?
10. What is assistive technology?
11. How is placement decided?
12. What options do I have?
13. What about placement?
14. Can my child's IEP be changed?
Visit http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/iep.faqs.htm for the answers.

ASBJ Special Report-Depression: Ready or Not, Your Schools Must Face Children's Mental Health Problems
(From ASBJ.com)
By Kathleen Vail
Twenty-five years ago, people believed it was impossible for children to be depressed. Now, of course, we know that's not true. In fact, one in every 33 children and one in eight adolescents may be suffering from depression, according to the federal Center for Mental Health Services. And while we're getting better at recognizing depression in children and teens, a majority still are not getting help.
Up to 70 percent of children with diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders, are not receiving mental health services, according to the Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health. Within that scope of disorders, depressed children are the least likely to get treatment. But some of the help they are getting is coming from their schools.
Read the report at http://www.asbj.com/specialreports/0305SpecialReports/S3.html. 

New Web Course on Victims with Developmental Disabilities
(From Monday Morning in Washington, D.C.)
There is a new web course available on victims with developmental disabilities. The course includes artwork from Martha Perske and video clips that highlight key points nicely. While targeted to healthcare professionals, it is valuable for anyone interested in this area of advocacy.
CEU's are available. For more information about the course, see: http://www.vcu.edu/partnership/maltreatment/#price and the flyer:
http://www.vcu.edu/partnership/maltreatment/flyer.pdf 

Partners in Employment self-study course
(From Monday Morning in Washington, D.C)
"Partners in Employment" is a self-study course designed to help people with developmental disabilities find meaningful jobs and jumpstart their careers. This course has been created to provide practical skills needed to find real, competitive employment. Throughout the site, you'll learn how other people with disabilities have overcome common obstacles to find jobs and succeed in the workplace.
"Partners in Employment" is part of the continuing effort to create a new employment culture - one in which willing workers are welcomed and embraced by satisfied employers and a supportive public. The design and development of this e-learning course was financed in part by a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Developmental Disabilities. Learn more about the course at http://www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/employment/ 

Individual Supports to Increase Access to an Inclusive College Experience for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (Online Training Module)
The purpose of this online training module is to provide guidance on developing an Individual Support Model (ISM) to increase access to inclusive college experiences and to improve chances for the success of students with intellectual disabilities. An ISM approach provides students with individualized services and supports (e.g., educational coach, tutor, technology, natural supports) in college courses, certificate programs, internships, and/or degree programs. Offered by the On-Campus Outreach project at the University of Maryland; funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs. Learn more at http://www.education.umd.edu/oco/training/oco_training_modules/IndividualSupports/start.html. 

PLUK eNews is published by:

Parent's, Let's Unite for Kids - PLUK
516 N 32nd St
Billings MT 59101-6003
800-222-7585; 406-255-0540; 406-255-0523 (fax)
plukinfo@pluk.org 
http://www.pluk.org 

Edited by: Roger Holt rholt@pluk.org 
Proofed & condensed by: Elisabeth Mills scribe@pluk.org 

Mission Statement: Parent's Let's Unite for Kids unites parents, professionals, families and friends of children with special needs to support one another, and share information for the benefit of their children.

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