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Thank You Americorps VISTA
Nevada Center for Excellence in DisabilitiesMail Stop 285
Reno NV 89557www.nced.info
The Self-AdvocateVolume 13 June 2012
People First of NevadaPEOPLE FIRST OF NEVADA WOULD LIKE TO THANK
THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR SUPPORT:
As citizens of Nevada we have the right to make our owndecisions
and to live self-determined lives.
People First of Nevada expresses the ideas of it’s members
through people first language.
People First of NevadaUniversity of Nevada, RenoMail Stop
285Reno, NV 89557-5285
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The views expressed in this newsletter are those of People First
of Nevada and not necessarily those of AmeriCorps VISTA, the
University of Reno or the Nevada Center for Excellence in
Disabilities
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Printing made possible with grant funding from the Nevada
Governor's Council onDevelopmental Disabilities.
In This Issue:
Cover Story: Americorps VISTA
Chapter Updates: Page 7
VISTA Member Receives National Award:
Page 2
In Our Community: Page 6
Upcoming Events: Page 4
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1
Visit us at: www.peoplefirstofnevada.org
People First of Nevada began in
May 2003. It began as a
project of the Nevada Center
for Excellence in Disabilities. Small
groups of people with developmental
disabilities in Reno and Las
Vegas met to discuss self-‐advocacy,
self-‐determination and the need for
some structure to the self-‐advocacy
efforts in Nevada. Later that
year, the NCED applied for and
was granted funding from the
Corporation for National Service to
hire three people with developmental
disabilities as VISTA’s (Volunteers
in Service to America) to take
the lead in forming a statewide
People First organization.
VISTA members in Reno and Las
Vegas established the first
two People First chapters in 2003.
In 2004, a VISTA member and
People First chapter was added
in Elko and the statewide
People First board was formed.
People First continued to flourish
with the support of Americorps
VISTA, growing to nine chapters
across the state and a total
of 13 VISTA’s with and without
disabilities at their peak.
People First VISTA members have
also worked with the NCED's
VISTA Youth Transition Project to
bring self-‐advocacy &
self-‐determination training to over
4,000 transition-‐age youth in high
schools and other youth directed
agencies across the
state.
As the VISTA grant comes to
a close on June 30th, 2012
we would like to extend our
sincere thanks to Americorps VISTA,
Corporation for National and
Community Service Program Specialists
Matt Johnson and Craig Warner
and all the Americorps VISTA
members past and present who
have helped to make us the
self-‐determined organization we are
today. Thank you!
http://www.nced.infohttp://www.nced.infohttp://www.peoplefirstofnevada.orghttp://www.peoplefirstofnevada.org
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CarsonCity The Carson City chapter
has been working hard to
prepare to run their own
meetings after the VISTA project
is done. In the past months
they have received financial training
and opened their own bank
account. They are collecting dues
monthly and held a fundraiser
at Round Table Pizza in March
that raised $107.00 for their
chapter. They have also voted
in two chapter advisors to
provide support for the meetings
and officers. The annual BBQ is
coming up on June 13, 2012.
Elko The Elko chapter is
also working hard to be
independent and sustainable. They
received financial training, are
maintaing their own bank account
and recently held a fundraiser
selling See’s candy which raised
over $300.00!
FallonThe Fallon chapter has grown
through difficult times with the
closing of Fallon Industries. They
have advocated and learned to
talk about their fears for
their future. People First has
brought them closer together and
they look forward to continuing
their monthly meetings. The members
and officers have learned to
run their meetings on their own
and perform the necessary tasks
to function properly.
FernleyThe Fernley chapter has been
growing in numbers and learning
to advocate for themselves and
others. Since Americorps-‐ Vista is
ending in June they realized
they need to work together
closely as a group so that
People First can continue. Current
VISTA Carly Walkup is “very
proud of their accomplishments and
how much they have grown during
my service in Americorps-‐Vista”.
Las VegasThe Las Vegas chapter has
voted in two new chapter
advisors, both of which have
been coming to the meetings for
awhile. The members have been
taking turns bringing in food.
Members attended the May PACE
event which was sponsored by
the Nevada Governor’s Council on
Developmental Disabilities where they
connected with other local agencies.
Reno/SparksThe Reno chapter has also
been working toward sustainability.
They opened their own bank
account, are bringing their own
food and voted in a new
advisor. People First members
testified at RTC board meetings
on April 20th and May 18th
to help keep the contract for
Paratransit services local and
accessable. They had their second
fundraiser at Chili’s where they
raised $110.00.
Winnemucca
The Winnemucca chapter voted in a
chapter advisor, opened their own
bank account and are actively
collecting dues each month. They
are currently in the process of
holding a fundraiser, also selling
See’s candy.
CHAPTER UPDATES FROM THE PRESIDENT
Hello People First Members and
Advisors,
I hope this letter finds you
well. There are new changes on
the way. As our VISTA Project
ends, I would like to give
my
endless gratitude and thanks to
all the VISTA members (past and
present) who have made People
First of Nevada an eight
chapter, statewide, self-‐determined
organization. What an awesome
job!!!!
Our members are starting to run
their own meetings and our new
advisors are supporting
them all the way. We need to
keep going, being strong and
becoming more independent. During the
next few months, all of our
officers and advisors will have
training(s) on becoming sustainable.
I am proposing we have monthly
teleconferences so that we can
continue to grow as a statewide
organization. We also need to
start discussing how People First
is going to be impacted in
the 2013 Legislation session.
I enjoyed visiting each chapter in
June and seeing those of you
at the statewide meeting. Please
advise your members and advisors
on upcoming teleconferences and
meetings.
This is our time to SHINE!
And with everyones united voices,
we, People First of Nevada, can
do anything!
Take care and keep on
advocating!
Santa Perez, Statewide People First
President
VISTA MEMBER RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FOR VOLUNTEERISM
Chapter Meetings
Carson City
First Wednesday
5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
1009 East 5th Street3rd floor
conference room
ElkoThird Monday3:00 to 4:30p.m.Location
to be determined
FallonThird Wednesday5:00 to 7:00
p.m.1170 Taylor St.
FernleyFirst Tuesday4:00 to 6:00 p.m.485
E. Main Street
Las VegasSecond Friday6:00 to 7:30
p.m.2101 S. Jones Blvd. Ste
120
Reno/SparksSecond Thursday5:00 to 7:00
p.m.4600 Kietzke Lane # B111
WinnemuccaSecond Thursday5:00 to 6:30
p.m.47 E Winnemucca Blvd.
Mesquite-‐ Coming Soon
*Times, dates and locations are
subject to change. For current
chapter information contact:
Kari Horn, Project Manager
775-‐682-‐9068 [email protected]
72
VISTA member Scott Carter &
NCED staff Mary Bryant were
invited speakers at the 2011
Symposium on Service and Inclusion:
Improving the Member Experience
Through Intentional Strategies in
Washington D.C.
Scott spoke about his experience
as a member with a disability,
how VISTA changed his life,
what kind of supports he needed
to be successful and how he
is using his Segal Education
Award.
Mary spoke about the opportunities,
rewards and challenges of an
inclusive project.
While there, Scott was awarded the
Presidential award for volunteerism
from the Corporation for National
and Community Service Chief Executive
Officer (Acting) -‐ Robert
Velasco.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]
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Kailin Bryant Kelderman, of Reno,
Nevada, is in many ways a
typical high school sophomore. She
enjoys spending time with her
friends, hiking and watching Youtube
videos. She travels with her
family and volunteers for a
non-‐ profit organization. What’s not
so typical about her is that
at age seventeen, she’s a small
business owner and dichroic glass
fusion artist. In 2011, she
received a Special Mention for
the Reno Gazette Journal’s
entrepreneur of the Year. KK,
as she commonly goes by, is
a strong self-‐advocate living with
Down Syndrome. Her spirit is
reflected in her work, where
her uncanny eye for color and
depth of feeling gives rise to
beautiful, imaginative jewelry.
What is KK’s advice to other
would-‐be entrepreneurs? “Business is
fun. Have fun. Do the best
you can do.”
KK is enrolled in the Nevada
prepaid tuition program and plans
to attend college. She’s considering
design school or perhaps theater.
This past december, she appeared
in McQueen High School’s rendition
of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About
Nothing. She believes in herself
thanks to a family that
believes in her as well.
The Keldermans consider themselves
greatly blessed. They’ve created a
business where each person’s
individual interests are fostered and
respected, and the gifts and
abilities of each can shine.
Their love for one another is
reflected in the jewelry they
create, rich and vivid and
bright.
Excerpt from Logan Magazine. For
full article visit
www.loganmagazine.com
On March 6 and 7 I was
privileged to attend the second
annual "Autism Works: Building Better
Careers for Adults with Autism"
Conference in St. Louis, Missouri.
The keynote speaker on March 6
was Deb Russell, who is in
charge of the innovative Walgreens
employment program. Because of
the success of the Walgreens
program,
other companies are now emulating
their model, although the culture
at each company is different.
Deb declares, "We'll be done
when we're not talking about it
(inclusion) any more." Further,
Deb says, the paradigm shift
has been from doing the "nice"
thing, to doing what gives
businesses a competitive advantage:
hiring people with disabilities
results in a better safety
record, lower costs and a lower
rate of employee turnover, while
still maintaining the same level
of productivity and accuracy.
Walgreens will soon launch a
website on Google + for
companies that want to employ
people with disabilities. The next
three sessions I attended were
titled "Employer Development," with
Rob Hoffman, which emphasized the
role of the job developer in
first cultivating employers who trust
his/her recommendations; "The Emerging
Autism Support Toolkit in the
Post-‐Secondary World," with Janis
Mendenhall, which emphasized the
growth in self-‐confidence experienced
by participants in the new
programs; and "Barriers of Social
Architecture: Making the Workplace
Truly Accessible for Autistic
Workers," with Ari Ne'eman, who
is, himself, on the autism
spectrum. Ari reminded the
audience that there is a lack
of cross-‐disability knowledge and a
large undiagnosed adult population
because the incidence of autism
among children and adults is
the same. Social architecture
barriers exist at every phase
of the interview, hiring, and
working phases, and are based
on unspoken assumptions and
expectations. However, says Ari,
political and social capital around
autism will not make gains
through an appeal to charity.
On March 7 the keynote speaker
Dr. Stephen Shore, EdD, enlightened,
encouraged, and re-‐formed the way
we attendees think of autism
through his humorous, intelligent,
humble and self-‐deprecating revelation
of what it is like to
live with autism, along with
practical suggestions about his topic
"Opening Doors for Employment."
For me, this speech was the
highlight of the conference, and
I cannot say enough positive
things about the man or his
message. Following this powerhouse
presentation I attended "My Bionic
Brain" training demonstration, which
demonstrated a very practical set
of aids for people who need
help remembering things, performing
tasks, or coping with emotions.
This program was originally
developed by the presenter Kathy
Moeller and her husband after
her traumatic brain injury 22
years ago. However, it is
also helpful to people with
other disabilities and is a
truly remarkable program. "How
To Do Social Coaching" with
Chris Simler, and "Current Trends
in Autism Employment" with Dr.
Scott Standifer, PhD and conference
organizer, rounded out the
presentations I chose to attend.
The goal of this annual
conference is nothing less than
reshaping the future for people
with autism. After experiencing
the passionate commitment to
improving employment options for
people on the autism spectrum
demonstrated at this conference, I
feel hopeful and inspired, and
I would recommend this conference
without reservation.
Judy Johnston
Q – Tell me about living in
a nursing facility.A – “It was
horrible. I went into a nursing
facility because I was sick and
then I couldn’t get out. I
was there for two and a
half years. I didn’t like being
around sick people because I
wasn’t sick anymore. I had less
independence. I had to share a
room with someone and the aids
wouldn’t get me out of bed
on time so I missed a lot
of appointments. There were others
there with a disability that I
talked to that weren’t sick and
they shouldn’t have been there.
I had to fight with Medicaid
to get me out of there.”
Q – What’s better about where
you live now?
A – “I live in a nice
house. I can make my own
decisions about what I want to
eat. I go where I want to
go and I have my own
room.”
Q – What advice would you
give to anyone trying to be
more independent and fight for
what they want?
A – “Keep fighting and let
your voice be heard!”
Julie is the secretary for the
Reno People First Chapter and
an active advocate for community
living.
Julie Burres advocating outside of
the Governor’s mansion in Carson
City. You can read more about
her advocating activities at
www.homecarenotresthomes.com
Kailin working on her next
masterpiece in her home studio.
IN OUR COMMUNITY AUTISM WORKS: BUILDING BETTER CAREERS FOR
ADULTS WITH AUTISM CONFERENCE
Kailin Kelderman Featured in Logan
MagazineJulie Burres Moves Into the
Community
36
By: Judy Johnston
http://www.loganmagazine.comhttp://www.loganmagazine.comhttp://www.homecarenotresthomes.comhttp://www.homecarenotresthomes.comhttp://www.homecarenotresthomes.comhttp://www.homecarenotresthomes.com
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The Down Syndrome Network of
Northern Nevada hosted it’s 1st
Annual Buddy Walk Captain’s Luncheon
at the Peppermill Resort &
Casino on Wednesday, May 30th in
preparation for the 7th Annual
Buddy Walk to be held Saturday,
September 22nd at Reno High
School. Local celebrity,
Brent Boynton, best known for his
time as an anchor with Channel
2 and News Channel 8 served
as the Master of Ceremonies.
Kailin Kelderman opened the event
as keynote speaker, reflecting on
what the Buddy Walk has meant
to her over the last 6
years. New and past team
captains attended to be honored
for past achievements and learn
how to grow their team this
year and increase their fundraising.
Teams will be entered for
fabulous prizes and celebrate the
day of family fun and inclusion
and acceptance of individuals with
Down syndrome in the Northern
Nevada community.
Family Caregiver & Sibling Writing
Groups Last Thursday of every
month. Contact Diana Rovetti at:
775-‐682-‐9063 or Mary Bryant at:
775-‐682-‐9057 to R.S.V.P. or receive
a parking pass for more
information about the next family
writing groups and parent support
groups.
• Project Vote Training: Reno -‐
July 12th 5:00 PM-‐7:00 PM at
4600 Kietzke LaneLas Vegas -‐
July 6th and August 10th 6:00
PM-‐7:30 PM at Nevada PEPElko
-‐ To be determined
• Nevada Disabilities Conference 2013August
22nd, 2pm -‐ Planning conference
call. Contact Mary Kay Altenburg
at [email protected] for more
information.
Contact Kari Horn at 775-682-9068 or [email protected] for more
information.
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Family TIES of Nevada was
established in 2001 as a 501
(c) 3 statewide community-‐based
non-‐profit. With two offices
based in Reno and Las Vegas,
the organization offers a full
spectrum of information, assistance
and referral services; and
educational programs to benefit
children, youth and adults with
special health care needs,
disabilities and chronic health
conditions. Services are framed on
a national model that promotes
family-‐centered care and family
engagement. Its early roots are
based in three
projects of the Nevada Center for
Excellence in Disabilities at the
University of Nevada, Reno –
Family Voices of Nevada, Nevada
Parent Network and Nevada Partners
in Policymaking.
Family TIES has supported People
First of Nevada for many years,
most recently serving as the
contract sponsor and fiscal agent
for the VISTA Youth Transition
Project. In this role the
organization provides the overall
administrative and financial management
of the federal grant award for
VISTA from the Corporation for
National Service. Since 2008,
VISTA members have received their
living allowances and other
compensation from Family TIES.
The VISTA Youth Transition Project
is an important piece of a
larger initiative Family TIES
launched under the Link Up
Nevada program -‐ to develop a
coordinated, community-‐based system of
care for children and youth
with special health care needs
and their families, including health
care issues for youth as they
transition to adult services.
In 2010 and 2011, Family TIES
hosted the “Youth Transition
Jamboree” which was attended by
most of the VISTA members.
During the transition forum, Family
TIES presented information about all
areas of adult life and the
services available to support youth
with Special Health Care Needs
and/or disabilities as they make
that transition, emphasizing the
needs for youth to understand
and manage their health care,
school to work and home to
community.
As the Nevada Family to Family
Health Information Center, the
organization also offers resources,
training and broad outreach to
increase the understanding, access
and utilization of family-‐centered,
community based, culturally competent
health care resources for families
of children and youth with
special health care needs and
the professionals who serve them.
Family TIES offers information,
referrals, education and parent-‐to-‐parent
peer support, at no cost to
families of children with special
health care needs, individuals with
disabilities and the professionals
who support them.
In partnership with a range of
agencies and stakeholders across the
state, including People First of
Nevada, Family TIES is coordinating
a statewide conference on
disabilities -‐ Nevada Disabilities
Conference 2013. The conference theme
is “Abilities + Knowledge =
EMPOWERMENT”, and is scheduled to
be held in Reno, March 20-‐24,
2013. Please contact Mary Kay
Altenburg, Program Director at
866-‐326-‐8437 or [email protected],
if you would like to serve
on a conference planning committee
or volunteer during the
conference.
Family TIES is the state affiliate
of Family Voices, a National
organization which aims to achieve
family centered care for all
children and youth with special
health care needs and/or
disabilities. The organization
follows the Family Voices principles:
Family centered care; Partnerships;
Quality, access, affordability and
acceptability; Health systems that
work for families and children;
Informed families/strong communities; and
Self-‐advocacy/empowerment.
For more information on Family
TIES of Nevada, please visit
www.familytiesnv.org.
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DOWN SYNDROME NETWORK OF NORTHERN NEVADA NEWS
UPCOMING EVENTS
FAMILY TIES OF NEVADA
54
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.familytiesnv.orghttp://www.familytiesnv.org
