February 8, 2022 | Issue 16 (View newsletter as webpage)

Important News

Decorative photo of healthcare animated images.

New Guidance for Health Care Providers on Civil Rights Protections for People with Disabilities

The Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights issued new guidance. The guidance makes clear that preventing individuals with disabilities from receiving needed health care benefits and services violates federal civil rights laws.

Federal civil rights laws apply to all health care providers, including those administering COVID-19 testing, medical supplies, and medication. These laws also apply to procedures and standards for prioritizing scarce resources that hospitals are required to follow.

Federal civil rights laws must be followed by all organizations that provide:

hospitalization,
long-term care,
intensive treatments, and
critical care, such as oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilators.

Resources

Early Childhood Virtual Miniconference Series

Begins March 2, 2022

Do you have a child aged

birth - 5 years old?

Join us on Wednesday evenings in March from 6:45 - 8:00 p.m. for a series of workshops

Early Childhood is a critical time in a child's development.

This mini-conference will highlight:

The importance of social and emotional development in young children
Resources and activities for families to support child development and Early Relational Health
Early Intervention services for children who may show signs of delay in their development
The process of transitioning from Early Intervention to Preschool

Live interpretation into Spanish will be available for all sessions.

Los talleres se interpretarán simultáneamente al español.

The Parent and Professional Partnership

This informative article in Exceptional Parent magazine (Link) was authored by Pamela Aasen, Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EDHI) Mentoring & Family Engagement Project Director at SPAN.

Pam shares her reflections, "I wonder if the professionals that worked with my children really know the impact they had on our lives. "

"The parent-professional partnership is a relationship that is nurtured through the mutual appreciation for what each brings to the table. Families need to be actively involved in the decision-making process with the support of the professionals’ knowledge and experience. Consider the following tips when building a team of professionals and to sustain a positive relationship with everyone on the team:

Determine desired outcomes...
Clearly state goals and expectations...
Turn an appointment into a visit...
Make an adventure out of it...
Show respect...
Provide information to professionals...
Include school professionals...
Share events, successes and accomplishments..."

Read the entire article at this link

Learn about SPAN's Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Mentoring and Family Support Project at this link

Upcoming Events

See what's happening this month

SPAN offers a variety of learning opportunities for families and the professionals who work with them. Check out our Event Calendar (link) for details and registration links

Upcoming Events include (links):

And more (link)!

Urgent Call to Action: Remember to register at this link and attend the Town Hall - Protect Your Child's Right to Compensatory Education on February 9, 2022 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM

decorative image portrait of young woman with down syndrome

Join Our Youth Steering Committee - National Health Care Transition Resource Center

The National Healthcare Transition Resource Center (NHCTRC) for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) will provide healthcare transition training and resources to youth and young adults with ID/DD, ages 12-26, their families, and the professionals who serve them

Youth engagement is the Center’s guiding force.

TheYouth Steering Committee (YSC) will guide:

the design and operation of the Center
the work plan and development of resources

YSC members will receive support and education to build their:

knowledge about healthcare transition (HCT), and
capacity to serve as leaders on a national project.

We would love your help.

Please share the fliers below with youth, families, and organizations to help us find diverse youth with ID/DDs who want to make an impact on healthcare.

To access the

flyers in English and Spanish, click here.

For more information about the Center, including a video, visit this link

Obtén más

información sobre el Comité Directivo de Jóvenes visitando la página web. Esta página web está

disponible en varios idiomas haciendo clic en el botón de traducción de Google

en la parte superior de la página.

For accommodations or information, contact:

Rachel Shandler, Youth Engagement and Empowerment Coordinator

rshandler@spanadvocacy.org

215-550-1340