NEWS
FYI Newsletter
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FYI Newsletter February 2, 2009
Quick Scan:
- Join the Conversation about Indiana's Medicaid Waivers
- Medicare and Dementia
- Wray Appointed Librarian
- New Institute Staff
- Library Corner
- Medicare and Dementia
Input Needed on Indiana's Home and Community-Based Medicaid Waivers
All interested stakeholders are invited to help define the design of future Medicaid Waivers for people with developmental disabilities in Indiana.
The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) has asked the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community to host a series of community discussions to gather public opinions that will guide the development of waivers, specifically those administered by the FSSA - the Developmental Disabilities Waiver, which is up for renewal in April, and also the Autism and Support Services waivers.
FSSA wants to hear from stakeholders - that is, community service providers, case managers, people with disabilities, family members, advocates, and others - anyone who has ideas about how to make Indiana's waivers the best that they can be.
How can you participate?
There will be multiple ways to provide input during the next several months. The first is a series of Community Waiver Conversations to be held during February.
If you are a current waiver recipient, on the waiting list, a person with a disability or family member, or a provider of waiver services, you are invited to be part of one of three upcoming Community Waiver Conversations, to be held at the following locations:
New Albany - Holiday Inn Express at 411 West Spring Street
February 16th, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. for persons with disabilities and family members
February 17th, 10:00 a.m. - Noon for service providers
Fort Wayne - The League for the Blind at 5821 South Anthony Boulevard
February 23rd, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. [note time change] for persons with disabilities and family members
February 24th, 10:00 a.m. - Noon for service providers
If you cannot attend the Community Waiver Conversations meetings, an online survey will be available later this week for you to provide input. More information about the online survey will be coming soon.
For more information, contact Vicki Pappas or Joel Fosha at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community at (812) 855-6508 or via e-mail: beheard@indiana.edu. 
Medicare and Dementia - A Two-Part Series
Bloomington Hospital will host a two-part series exploring the various Medicare benefits for those with dementia. In part one of the series, Registered Nurse Connie Peppler will discuss Home Health Medicare benefits for persons with dementia. In part two, Social Worker Fiora Pizzo will provide attendees with information about hospice and the benefits available under Medicare for this service.
Part one: Home Health Medicare Benefits
Thursday, February 5, 2009
6:00-7:00 p.m.
Wegmiller Auditorium
Bloomington Hospital
Part Two: Hospice Medicare Benefits
Thursday, February 12, 2009
6:00-7:00 p.m.
Wegmiller Auditorium
Bloomington Hospital
For more information, call (812) 353-9299. This series is co-sponsored by Bloomington Hospital and the Alzheimer's Association. 
Wray Appointed Librarian
Christina Wray has been appointed to the position of Librarian, at the Assistant Rank, for the Center for Disability Information and Referral at the Indiana Institute. Christina will play a strategic role in transforming the delivery of disability information in areas that cross the lifespan, from birth through older adulthood. She will oversee collection development, reference services for faculty, staff, students, as well as the general public, prepare reports related to policy, procedures, and futures planning regarding the library collection. Christina received her MLS from Indiana University%u2019s School of Library and Information Science, where she taught as an Adjunct Instructor in the fall of 2006. Additionally, she worked as a Multicultural Outreach Student Assistant for the Information Commons/Undergraduate Library Services of the IU-B Libraries from 2005-2007. Christina can be contacted via e-mail at ccwray@indiana.edu or call (812) 855-6508. 
New Institute Staff
The Institute's Center on Community Living and Careers would like to welcome two new staff members, Linda Dawalt and Jodi Isaacs. Linda joins the staff as a Training Coordinator. She will focus on curriculum development for Direct Support Professionals and Vocational Rehabilitation Services Leadership Academy Projects. Her background includes teaching high school students with disabilities and preparing them for transition into the community after graduation. She also has worked as a counselor at the college level to provide academic and support services to students with disabilities and has provided counseling services to juveniles in detention programs. Dawalt%u2019s most recent work involves developing and teaching classes for the Direct Support Professionals certification program. Linda can be reached at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail ldawalt@indiana.edu.
Jodi Isaacs brings to the Center a background in foster care, case management coordination for children, as well as the facilitation of recruiting, training, and licensing new foster homes. Additionally, Jodi's work has included providing Vocational Rehabilitation Services to individuals with various disabilities, and most recently, providing support and direction as a Regional Manager for Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Jodi joins the Center as a Research Associate and will be working on the Employment Services Project which works to improve employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Jodi's current focus is on the continued development of the Leadership Academy, which is used to train and develop VRS personnel and other stakeholders. Jodi can be reached via e-mail at joisaacs@indiana.edu or (812) 855-6508. 
Indiana Resource Center for Autism
The Indiana Institute's Indiana Resource Center for Autism is pleased to announce the hiring of Pam Anderson as Outreach Coordinator. Pam%u2019s duties will encompass collaborating with family members and professionals across Indiana to develop and disseminate information related to services, resources, and strategies for supporting individuals with autism spectrum and their families. Pam's background includes teaching preschool, providing support to students with autism in public school settings and job sites, connecting families with services and supports in medical settings, and most recently, assisting students and families to navigate post-secondary academic and career settings. She enjoys collaborating with families/students and professionals to provide resources and information on various topics in the area of autism. Pam may be reached by calling (812) 855-6508 or e-mail pamander@indiana.edu. 
Library Corner
New Items: The following new materials may be borrowed by Indiana residents from the Center for Disability Information and Referral at the Institute. To check out materials, contact the library at 1-800-437-7924, send e-mail to cedir@indiana.edu, or visit us at 2853 East Tenth Street in Bloomington.
Jennings, M. (2009). Before the special education referral: Leading intervention teams. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Leaf, R. B., Taubman, M. T., McEachin, J., & Driscoll, M. (2008). It's time for school!:Building quality ABA educational programs for students with autism spectrum disorders. New York: DRL Books.
Richards, M. (2009). Caresharing: A reciprocal approach to caregiving and care receiving in the complexities of aging, illness or disability. Woodstock, VT: SkyLight Paths Pub.
Wehman, P., Smith, M. D., & Schall, C. (2009). Autism and the transition to adulthood: Success beyond the classroom. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub.