Happy Thanksgiving from The Arc
 
On behalf of all of us at The Arc we want to thank each and every one of you for supporting our mission to promote and protect the human rights of people with intellectual/developmental disabilites. Without your help we wouldn't be able to serve our community and for that we are forever grateful. We wish you all a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
RSVP Now For The Arc's Holiday Open House December 10
 
Join The Arc’s staff, board, and supporters for festive food, live music, and plenty of holiday cheer! Stop by to say hello, meet new people, reconnect with old friends and see what we’ve been up to this year. The open house will be held at The Arc’s office located at 13949 W. Colfax Ave, Bldg 1, Suite 150 in Lakewood on Monday, December 10 from 4 to 7 PM. 
 
To honor the tradition of holiday giving, each year we provide a unique opportunity for our guests to donate gift cards at the holiday party. The Arc distributes a variety of gift cards to the people we support and the volunteers who support us. Please consider bringing with you a gift card of any value for groceries, household goods, gas, movies or clothing. There will be a wrapped “deposit” box at the check-in table where you can drop off your gift card donation.
 
To ensure we have sufficient amounts of food and holiday cheer, please be sure to RSVP by November 30 by clicking here, calling (303) 232-1338, or by emailing us at info@arcjc.org. See you in December! 
It's Not Too Early!

You can now support The Arc’s advocacy services by scheduling your Colorado Gives Day donations.

The $1 million Incentive Fund Boost and FirstBank cash prizes still apply for donations that are scheduled early. Thank you!

You can make things happen for people with disabilities with your Colorado Gives Day gift. Click here to schedule today !
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Focus Group Opportunities
The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) is seeking information about the employment needs of individuals with disabilities. They are seeking individuals with disabilities, or their representatives, to provide information that will support their strategic planning and inform how they outreach to individuals with disabilities and community partners, develop or expand service providers, and engage with business.

Several focus groups have been scheduled:
• Monday, November 26, 2018 from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM in Boulder
• Tuesday, December 4, 2018 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM in Glenwood Springs 

Each session will also offer a webinar option for those unable to participate in person. 

Space for each focus group is limited! Please RSVP to augusta.klimek@state.co.us and indicate which date you'd like to attend and whether you intend to participate in person or via webinar. If you require a disability accommodation to participate, please include that information. 

Additional location and access details will be shared following your RSVP.
Conflict Free Case Management Community Impact Survey
In 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented a final rule requiring the separation of case management from service delivery functions to mitigate conflict of interest for services provided under Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waivers.

The Department is releasing a survey to solicit feedback regarding the transition to CFCM for services provided through HCBS waivers. The purpose of the survey is to help identify gaps, challenges, and best practices related to the transition to CFCM. The Department will use findings from this survey to inform stakeholders of the current statewide CFCM landscape, to identify where additional resources may be needed, and for the provision of future training activities and technical assistance. The total anticipated completion time for the survey is about 30 minutes. Those completing the survey should only complete the survey designed for the population he or she represents.

The provider survey is for those agencies providing HCBS case management or HCBS direct services. The stakeholder survey is for individuals, families, guardians, advocates, or other interested parties.

The survey will be available through December 6, 2018.

The Department will share and discuss the results during stakeholder engagement meetings in January 2019.

Click here to take the survey!
Paid Young Leader Training Opportunity
Young Invincibles, a young adult research and advocacy organization, is accepting applications for their Spring 2019 Young Advocates program in Denver. The Young Advocates program is a unique, paid leadership development program that trains young adults ages 16-34 on ways to address health disparities and mental health stigma in our communities. Advocates will learn about topics relating to health coverage and social determinants of health, receive trainings and hands-on experience in a variety of advocacy tools, and connect with local partners and campaigns working on the issues they care about.

Advocates will meet on Fridays from January 18-May 10, 2019 in downtown Denver. Advocates will be paid $15/hour for about 100 hours of training and work over the course of the program.

Applications are due November 30th, 2018 by midnight.

Survey for Parents/Caregivers of Young Adults with Down syndrome Transitioning Out of High School
The Intellectual Disabilities Communication Lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is conducting a research study about parent and other caregiver perspectives of the transition out of high school for young adults with Down syndrome.
 
For this study, they are asking participants to complete an anonymous online survey that should take about 20 minutes to complete. Their goal is to determine the experiences of individuals with Down syndrome and their families regarding the transition out of high school. They believe that this information will help them identify the supports and resources families need. 
 
Participants should meet the following conditions:
  • Parents or primary caregiver of a young adult with Down syndrome who has stopped attending high school within the past 5 years
  • Person completing the survey currently lives in the United States
 
To take the survey click here!

If you have any questions, please contact a Transitions Project Team member:

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign:
Dr. Meghan Burke
(217) 300-1226
meghanbm@illinois.edu

or

Dr. Marie Channell
(217) 300-3613
channell@illinois.edu
 
University of Mississippi:
Dr. Susan Loveall
(662) 915-7652
sjloveal@olemiss.edu
No News Is Good News
 
In observance of Thanksgiving, The Arc will be closed Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23. We will be reopening on Monday, November 26. 

Please note there will be NO eupdate next Wednesday, November 21.
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Want to be even more connected? Check out our website here!