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CC Newsletter February 2020
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COMMUNITY CHOICES

monthly newsletter  //  february 2020
IN THIS ISSUE:
spotlight: building a better CU with gillian
strategic planning 2020
family support group
home safety class
leap update
social opportunities
be a LEND fellow
volunteer at the expo
respite services available 
 
There's a lot to cover, so don't forget to view the entire message! (Sometimes you have to click "view clipped message") 
 
SPOTLIGHT: BUILDING A BETTER CHAMPAIGN-URBANA w/ GILLIAN!
 
For a year and a half, Gillian has been profiling people in Champaign-Urbana who are committed to building a better, inclusive community.  Her profiles are part of an ongoing series published in Smile Politely, “Champaign-Urbana’s online cultural magazine.”
 

Click on the link below to read Gillian’s latest profile of Carol Inskeep, a librarian at The Urbana Free Library. 
 

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

Gillian is always on the hunt for new people to feature.  The main criteria is that the person is working or volunteering with projects that help create an inclusive community - inclusive of people with developmental disabilities and/or other marginalized populations.  If you know people you think Gillian should consider interviewing, please contact Hannah at Community Choices.  Hannah assists Gillian with her selection and scheduling process.
HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITY CHOICES
MEMBERSHIP STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION
ANNOUNCEMENT: 
We are excited to announce that Community Choices will be conducting a Strategic Planning Session with Members on February 27th!

Community Choices is holding a Strategic Planning Event with Members for Feb. 27th from 5:30-8:30pm. The evening will be hosted by Becca and the CC staff, with facilitation support from Jen Knapp, (joining us from far-away Portland Oregon!)  to support us in looking to the future of the organization while helping us to be true to our roots. 

We are an organization that strives to meet the needs of our members and the needs of our community. The goal of this event will be to discuss the evolution of the cooperative, what needs we should be striving to meet, and what areas are a priority for us to grow into. 

We hope that all of our members will attend, share their perspectives, and help us to plan for the future. 

DETAILS: 
WHAT: Strategic Planning Session
DATE: Thursday, February 27th
TIME: 5:30-8:00pm
LOCATION: TBD 
WHO SHOULD COME: All CC Members 

PLANNING AND PREPARATION: 

In order to have a productive conversation about future services, it is vital to spend time reflecting on what services we currently provide. We have housed our current supports in three broad domains:
 
Life
Work 
Connect

If you are newer member or participant, or have only used a small set of the supports we provide, I encourage you to read below about the range of options that are currently available. These will be the starting point for the conversation on Feb. 27th! 
 
A full description of our services, how to access them, and what to expect is available in our participant handbook, available HERE
COMING UP & GOING ON
FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP
Community Choices next Family Support Group meeting will be on Thursday, February 13th from 7:00-8:00pm at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church on Philo Road in Urbana.  

February’s topic will be “Experiences using local resources, PUNs funding, SSI, etc.”  Learning how to navigate systems and piece together resources is important in creating a life for your adult children with developmental disabilities.  Come with questions and/or share your experiences with the group.  

Family Support Group is open to all parents, siblings, and important support people of CC members with I/DD.  This is a space for them to share resources and support in an environment that is their own.  We ask that self-advocates do not attend Family Support Group, as Community Choices provides other groups and spaces for self-advocates and family members to learn and grow together. If you have any questions, please contact Hannah at Community Choices.
STARTING SOON - HOME SAFETY CLASS
Do you have safety concerns that prevent you from staying home alone? Community Choices is offering a home safety course for men and women with developmental disabilities that will provide an opportunity to develop skills to be safe in the home, increasing the ability to be home alone. Karli Oxford-Jordan, Community Support Specialist, and Kaitland Postley, Membership Coordinator, will co-facilitate the Home Safety class.

Home Safety Class is in need of HOMES! If you plan to participate in the course, please let us know if you are are able to welcome our class into your home to practice home safety skills! 

Registration forms and surveys are due by Monday, February 3rd. Please email Kaitland Postley, Membership Coordinator, at kaitland.communitychoices@gmail.com to receive the Home Safety Class registration forms. THE CLASS IS FREE! 
 
LEAP UPDATE
LEAP - Leaders in Employing All People - began in 2015 in response to the Employment First Act signed in July 2013. Since starting this program, we have been able to provide trainings to well over 80 businesses right here in Champaign County.

Our next step, as requested by several employers, has been to create a shorter training that can be provided to front-line staff and supervisors in order to provide them with helpful information and tips to be supportive coworkers to their fellow employees who have disabilities.

We will also be hosting two Family Informational Sessions at the Champaign Public Library on Wednesday, March 25th, and Wednesday, April 29th from 6pm-7:30pm. Stay tuned for more information on those meetings and what topics will be covered.

If you plan on attending the DisAbility Resource Expo on Saturday, March 28th, be sure to stop by our booth! We will have an updated list of our current LEAP trained businesses, as well we more information about our Front-Line Staff Training and Family Informational Sessions.

Finally, we have created a Facebook page! Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ChampaignCountyLEAP) in order to get updated information on recently trained businesses and other happenings with LEAP! 

If you know of a business that would be interested in becoming LEAP Certified, or would like more information, contact Ashley Withers at Ashleycchoices@gmail.com.
FEBRUARY SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES
February Social Opportunities!

From Earth to the Universe @ The Planetarium 
Lunch Club @ Siam Terrace
Dinner @ Olive Garden
Trivia Night @ Jupiter's

Social Opportunities are for Members with Disabilities. If you'd like to RSVP, or become a member so you can attend, contact Kaitland at kaitland.communitychoices@gmail.com or 217-419-6222
BUILD YOUR ADVOCACY SKILLS - BE A LEND FELLOW
The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) Program provides one-year, graduate level interdisciplinary training designed to improve the health and well-being of individuals with disabilities. LEND focuses training on the policy, advocacy, research and clinical skills necessary to affect positive change on all levels, from the individual to systems.

The local chapter is seeking self-advocates and family members to be part of next year's cohort! 
 
The application deadline is February 14, 2020. Please email Meghan Burke if you have any questions (meghanbm@illionois.edu). 

CC Member Sarah D, was a LEND Fellow in 2018/2019 and had this to say about her experience: 
 

I learned a lot of information about leadership and advocacy like how to work with people with disabilities and their families, including other support workers. I also learned more about how people with disabilities function in general and specifically people with Autism. As a self-advocate, I felt very empowered to be able to participate and to share my ideas, perceptions, and my experiences as a person with Autism while learning about other people's perceptions during my experience with LEND. The LEND staff and other LEND trainees have been very supportive of me and of my ideas that I have shared with them during class discussions, group work, and presentations. There has been so much information that was presented during this training that really helped me become a better self-advocate through my leadership and advocacy skills and to pass on to others. So I would certainly recommend the LEND program to anyone who would be interested in applying and if selected to be able to have this opportunity to learn and apply their leadership and advocacy skills in their community and in their everyday life.
 

The next LEND cohort begins in August of 2020 and lasts for a school year. LEND meets on Thursday nights from 4-7pm in the College of Education at UIUC. It also requires some meetings on Fridays from 1-4pm in the College of Education at UIUC. In response for participating in LEND, participants receive a substantive fiscal stipend.
 
RESOURCES
VOLUNTEER AT THE disABILITY EXPO

The disAbility Expo is just around the corner on Saturday, March 28, 2020! It is a great opportunity to learn about all the services and supports in our area. It is also a great opportunity to get involved by volunteering at the event! 

We need over 75 Volunteers for the event to happen! You could be one of them! There jobs that can suit anyone. You browse the options, time slots, and sign up on our Signup Genius Page!
 

SIGN UP HERE!

RESPITE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE!

The Illinois Respite Coalition (IRC) has been supporting families and providers since 1998.   They have funding to pay for respite supports NOW for people without waiver (HBS or CILA) funding in OUR AREA!

The in-home respite grant through DHS provides eligible families who have a loved one diagnosed with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities a break utilizing a trained worker.  This break gives the caregivers a chance to care for themselves.  They serve 16 counties including Champaign County.

Families can choose their own respite care workers or we can help find a trusted worker for them.  We pay our respite care workers $12.50/hour.
 

To get more information, see their flyer HERE or contact:

Tina Yurik
Director, Illinois Respite Coalition
630.207.8479
ilrespitecoalition@gmail.com
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COMMUNITY CHOICES     44 E MAIN, SUITE 419    CHAMPAIGN, IL     61820