In This Issue:
- Stress Awareness - Your Health Is Your Wealth
- This Is Disability Book Week
- The Colorado Youth Leadership Forum
- Emergency Response Training
- Stay Up To Date With COVID Vaccines and Boosters
- American Rescue Plan Act: Data Sharing Survey
- Don't Miss People First - May 3
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Stress Awareness -
Your Health Is Your Wealth
In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.
― Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember
Many of us are facing challenges that can be overwhelming. Learning to cope with stress in a healthy way can help promote well-being.
April is Stress Awareness Month, so this is a perfect time to check into the benefits of having a good self-care plan to successfully manage stress. Dangers and health risks of long-term stress include anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. Caring for loved ones may strain even the most resilient people. If you are a caregiver, take steps to preserve your own health and well-being, The Mayo Clinic suggests. Read strategies for coping with caregiver stress by clicking here.
Just about everyone gets stressed from time to time. We all can use reminders about methods to manage stress. Think about some ways to relax for when you are overwhelmed.
Here are some quick ideas to try:
- Take breaks from news stories
- Eat healthy
- Get enough sleep
- Move more and sit less
- Make time to unwind
- Connect with others
- Breathe
- Listen to music
- Find the sun
- Enjoy microbreaks throughout the day
- Count backward
- Get organized
- Meditate
- Cuddle with a pet
- Laugh
- Write it down
Sometimes feeling stressed seems unavoidable. Creating a go-to plan to help manage stress shouldn’t take too long and the health benefits may be rewarding.
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Disability Book Week
Disability Book Week is a celebration of diversity in literature. This annual commemoration invites individuals to become more inclusive with what they read by choosing books featuring main characters with disabilities.
“My house is filled with books, and I love them all,” according to Mary Mecham, Director of Disability Book Week. “I also have two children with rare genetic disorders. They are non-verbal, have moderate intellectual disability, brittle bones, and metabolic disorders.”
Mary said, “I noticed that almost none of the books I owned featured characters that resembled my girls. I wanted them to have books with characters they could identify with, so I went on a hunt through my house to find any book that had a main character with a disability. We have 2,186 books and there were only 16 books with disabled main characters. Eight of those were from the same series.”
This inspired Mary to search for books featuring main characters with disabilities. She wanted every person - disabled or not - to find a character to identify with and for children to experience books that normalize disability, to help understand that every life is valuable.
Here is how to participate in Disability Book Week:
- Read a disability inclusive book
- Leave positive reviews
- Post about an inclusive book you enjoyed
- Follow authors with disabilities on social media
For more information including reading lists for children, young adult, middle school, and adults, click here.
Many of the titles recommended for Disability Book Week are available for checkout at Jefferson County Public Library. To visit the library’s website, click here.
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The Colorado Youth Leadership Forum
The Colorado Youth Leadership Forum is an innovative conference for Colorado high school juniors, seniors, and people younger than 26 years old with disabilities.
Students serve as delegates from their communities and are given opportunities to cultivate their potential leadership, citizenship, and social skills. Designed to foster personal growth through self-discovery, The Colorado Youth Leadership Forum provides dynamic, experiential learning opportunities to assist each individual as they identify and embrace their strengths while planning for their future as they prepare for and experience transitions to adulthood.
Successful adults with disabilities serve as role models in helping youth realize their ability, right, and obligation to pursue meaningful employment and contribute to society.
Delegate applications are due on June 5.
The forum is facilitated by The Colorado Statewide Independent Living Council – with an organizational mission to pave the pathways to full participation in communities for people with disabilities and support Colorado’s Centers for Independent Living.
What? The Colorado Youth Leadership Forum
When? June 26 – 30, 2023
Where? Colorado State University
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Emergency Response Training: Free Events - Register Now!
As a proactive effort to avoid unlawful detainment, injury or even death, free safety response training will be held for people with IDD, parents, caregivers, and first responders. To bridge the gap of understanding in safety response for people with developmental disabilities, helpful knowledge will be exchanged during these events hosted by Sensory Friendly Colorado.
Three different training sessions are scheduled:
What: Safety Response Training: Individuals with Developmental Disabilities Trained by First Responders on How to Respond in Emergency Situations.
When: May 3 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
What: Safety Response Q & A for Parents/Caregivers of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities to ask First Responders How to Respond in Emergency Situations.
When: May 3 from 6 to 8 p.m.
What: Safety Response Training: First Responders Trained by First Responders.
When: May 4 or 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (attend only one of the days).
All training sessions are scheduled at Iliff School of Theology, 2323 E Iliff, Denver. Refreshments, lunch, and giveaways will be provided.
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Stay Up to Date with
COVID Vaccines & Boosters
The CDC recommends everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines for their age group.
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To read the guidelines for children and teens aged 6 months to 17 years, click here.
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For the vaccine guidelines for adults aged 18 years and older, click here.
Did you know?
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you have recovered from COVID-19 infection provides added protection against COVID-19.
People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have different recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines. To read more, click here.
COVID-19 vaccine and booster recommendations may be updated as CDC continues to monitor the latest COVID-19 data.
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American Rescue Plan Act:
Data Sharing Survey
The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing seeks member and case manager feedback as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) work for the ARPA 6.10 Member Data Sharing project.
Members who receive long-term services and support will be provided with access to information in their member record through smartphones, tablets, or other mobile technologies. They will be able to access data collected by and maintained in the Care and Case Management system, such as their assessments and support plans. The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing will design a long-term services and support-focused mobile app for members. For more details about the project, click here.
A survey was designed to gather direct feedback about what is most important to members who receive long-term services and support and case managers as it relates to data sharing. This includes members who receive services through home and community-based services Waivers, the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, Nursing Facilities, Hospital Back-Up, and State General Fund programs.
Complete the survey by this Sunday.
Interested?
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Don't Miss People First - May 3
People First focuses on making positive changes in our community and beyond, while its members become stronger self-advocates and support each other. It is a local chapter of the national organization Speaking For Ourselves. People First monthly meetings are in person and can be joined virtually, too.
Wednesday, May 3: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
In Person at The Arc's Office -- 13949 W. Colfax Ave, #102, Lakewood
For more information about People First and/or to join the meeting virtually, click here. |
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