May 24, 2023 | Issue 80 (View newsletter as webpage) Para leer este boletín en Español, haga clic aquí

Important News

Keeping All Students Safe Act (KASSA) Reintroduced in U.S. Congress on May 19

The Keeping All Students Safe Act (KASSA) has been introduced in both the House and Senate. This bill would protect children and make it illegal for any school receiving federal funds to seclude a child or use mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, and prone, supine, or physical restraint that restricts breathing, stops blood flow to the brain, or is life threatening. School staff would only be allowed to

physically restrain a child to protect self or others from imminent danger of serious physical injury. Importantly, the bill would make funds available to better equip school personnel with the training they need to address school-expected behavior with evidence-based proactive strategies.

For more on this legislation and to learn how to email your members of Congress to support KASSA, click here.

Resources

Save Medicaid

Online Rally!

Join the Save Medicaid Online Rally happening TODAY!

Medicaid is an essential program that 88 million Americans rely on for their health care, including 54 million older adults, children, and people with disabilities – but it’s at risk. Join care advocates and Members of Congress, including Senator Bob Casey, to learn how we can protect it!

Medicaid work requirements and program cuts would take care away from millions of people, including disabled people, veterans, and older adults. The Save Medicaid Online Rally is an opportunity for supporters to learn more about the fight over Medicaid – and to take action to protect it.

Hosted by: The Arc, Autism Society of America, Disability and Aging Collaborative (DAC), Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD), and Caring Across Generations

ASL and CART provided by CCD.

TODAY, May 24, 2023

4:30-5:30 PM ET

To register, click here.

Click here to access a great resource on Medicaid. "A Self-Advocate's Guide to Medicaid" from ASAN.

NJDOE Emotional and Behavioral Program Advisory Panel Application

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), Office of Special Education (OSE) is seeking individuals interested in serving on an Emotional and Behavioral Program Advisory Panel. The goal of the panel is to review and make recommendations on quality indicators for programs serving students who have behavior or emotional difficulties and are receiving services in a self-contained emotional or behavioral support setting. The Advisory Panel will be comprised of stakeholders (e.g., educators, parents, researchers, professors, etc.) with experience and expertise in programming for students with disabilities with behavioral or emotional support needs. The quality indicators document will provide quality programming standards for serving this population of students, including a focus on inclusive practices and transition planning to ensure students are placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE).

Interested parties are asked to submit a formal application. For more information and to apply, click here.

Upcoming Events

SPAN offers a variety of learning opportunities for families and the professionals who work with them.

Highlighted Event This Week

Join Us for an In-Person NJ Community of Care Consortium

Thursday, June 1, 2023

10:00 am - 1:30 pm ET

Hamilton Public Library

Join us for a celebration of Diana Autin’s contribution to the

Community of Care Consortium over the years.

Updates and workgroup discussion also includes: Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) Block Grant, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Organizing for Outreach project.

About the CoCC:

The NJ Community of Care Consortium (CoCC) brings together state agencies; family, health,

advocacy, and disability organizations; and parents, youth, and professionals, to advocate to improve systems of care for Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (CYSHCN) and their families

and for diverse families who face disproportionate disparities in health outcomes. The CoCC consists

of 4 workgroups, each co-chaired by a parent and a professional:

Medical Home and Community Resources
Early and Continuous Screening
Transition to Adulthood
Adequate Public and Private Insurance

To register, click here.

See all of SPAN's upcoming events with details and registration links here

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Mental Health America's (MHA) "Look Around, Look Within"

Read our latest youth blog post, "Mental Health America's (MHA) "Look Around, Look Within," to explore resources, guides, and more in a toolkit to improve mental health nationwide.

Click Here

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Join the SPAN Team - View Open Positions here

SPAN Parent Advocacy Network | spanadvocacy.org

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