Common Ground hosts open house on suicide awareness, prevention

In recognition and support of National Suicide Prevention Week Sept. 8 to Sept. 17, Common Ground is opening its doors to the community to share information about its suicide prevention efforts on Friday, Sept. 13, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the agency’s administrative offices at 1410 S. Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Hills.

Guests will get the chance to meet Common Ground's staff and volunteers, learn about programs, services and trainings, and walk away with a suicide prevention packet filled with helpful information for suicide prevention efforts and tips for supporting survivors of suicide loss. 

The free open house is just one of the agency’s planned activities aimed at increasing community awareness during National Suicide Prevention Week.  
A new Common Ground suicide prevention website will be unveiled, which will provide information on suicide prevention, intervention and follow-up, as well as tips and resource links, all in one place at www.suicideprevention.commongroundhelps.org .
Common Ground also is launching the new one-day edition of Mental Health First Aid training.  Previously a two-day commitment, this one-day training saves participants time but still provides all the information needed to provide the initial help to someone showing symptoms of mental illness or in a mental health crisis.
The next session, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26, will be held at Common Ground’s administrative offices in Bloomfield Hills from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register online at www.commongrounddhelps.org by clicking the MHFA button in the lower right corner or call Joan Roberts at 248 451 3733.
To RSVP for the open house, or for more information, contact Amelia Lehto, Crisis Line and Suicide Prevention specialist, at 248 451-2613.
Jerry Wolffe is the Advocate at Large/Writer in Residence at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263 8950.

 

MORC to host three overview sessions on Supports Intensity Scale

To reserve a seat for the overview sessions, call Diane Mills at 586 263 8663 within five days before the event or email her at diane.mills@morcinc.org

Ryan Leininger, the Supports Intensity Scale Training Coordinator at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center, will present three overview sessions of the SIS in September, October and November.
Leininger will be assisted in the training sessions by Katie Kramer, an SIS trainer.
The SIS is a technique to evaluate an individual with a disability and then design a rehabilitation program specifically tailored to the person with a disability.
The SIS sessions are scheduled on Sept. 10 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Conference Room C103 at MORC's Clinton Township office; Oct. 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Conference Room 400A at the Clinton office and Nov. 14 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Conference Room C101 at the Clinton office.
Topics will include the history and background of the SIS; what is measured and how; what is expected from an SIS interview and how the SIS is used in a Person-Centered-Plan for a person with a disability.
The SIS was developed by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, based in Washington, D.C., and is broadly used across the United States and internationally.
It is considered a reliable and standardized way to consider the types of supports an individual with a disability requires for daily living activities.
It also considers how often support is needed. An AAIDD-trained interviewer works with you and those you trust to consider your individual supports if you have a disability. The meeting usually lasts between 90 minutes and two hours. Participants can include a guardian, family, friends, or an advocate. Others involved could include a Support Coordinator and Case Manager.
Areas focused upon in an SIS include home and community living, lifelong learning, employment, social life, health and safety, protection and advocacy and medical and behavioral conditions.
To maximize the success of a SIS evaluation consider your daily supports and how often you need support, what type of support is needed and how much time it takes.
Also consider what you would need to successfully complete a task, keep an open mind, if you are unsure, ask questions and if you are uncomfortable during the interview or need a break, just ask the interviewer and he or she will help resolve the immediate situation.
The interview also is designed to generate a consensus among you and your caregiving stakeholders about your supports.
Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence and Advocate at Large at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263 8950.

Joy of horseback riding day set for mid-September

For more information, reservations or directions, call Linda at 248 634-7276 or email info@prettyponypastures.org. Information is also posted on the Website www.prettyponypastures.org/Riding.htm.

Pretty Pony Pastures is hosting “The Joy of Horseback Riding” for persons with disabilities on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Parents are invited to bring the entire family for an afternoon of horse-related activities that include grooming a horse, horse games and a short horseback riding lesson. These activities will give parents an opportunity to find out if horseback riding can be beneficial for their child.

When you think of a horseback riding, you picture a gentle trail ride with the riders enjoying the scenery, but for a child with autism or other special needs, horseback riding may be his or her mode of becoming more independent, learning social skills, and becoming comfortable with the sensory and tactile activities of grooming and riding. With the start of the new school year, most children are registering for sport activities that many children with disabilities cannot participate in. Therapeutic horseback riding gives these children an opportunity to learn new skills while actively participating in a sport.

Although therapeutic horseback riding is not new, its benefits, which include strengthening muscles, improving balance, and increasing confidence, have only been realized in the past 50 years.

“Therapeutic horseback riding helps level the playing field for persons with disabilities. Our riders not only learn a skill, but also compete in our annual show. The have a sense of accomplishment that they may not be able to attain in any other sport,” said Linda Watson.

On Sept. 14, all riders can take advantage of the horseback riding lessons, which are scheduled every 30 minutes. The cost is $10 per rider and must be scheduled in advance. There is a weight restriction of 175 pounds to ride. All other activities that day are free.

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence & Advocate at Large for the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263-8950.

College tuition costs closing door on upward mobility for all but rich

My primary goal as a child was to become financially independent even though I was born with cerebral palsy.

I knew I could not be a policeman like my father, a fireman like my Uncle Del or Teamsters like my Uncles Tom and Danny because I was a child with a disability.

Acquiring a marketable skill and knowledge by earning a college degree was my only pathway to independence.

So even though I went to segregated orthopedic schools in the 1950s, I did well enough in school to be sent to non-segregated Osborn High School for the 10^th grade in 1960. At that time, I told Principal Harlan Holt I would not go into a room that said: “Handicapped.” He gave me an elevator key and let me leave my classes five minutes early to get to the next class. So I suspect I began what later was called “mainstreaming.”

I did well enough in high school to win a scholarship to Wayne State University. I was on my way.

But now, some 50 years later after being a wordsmith at AP, UPI, and The Oakland Press and a rights advocate, I have seen that children with disabilities are not getting the chance I had to attend college.

And sadly, the same is true for those students who are able-bodied and in the lower or middle class because the cost of college tuition and room and board per year for in-state freshmen is between $15,000 to above $20,000 at MSU, U-of-M and Wayne State. Even Macomb County Community College charges in-county students $89 per credit hour or nearly $1,100 per semester for 12 credits to be a full-time student.

Fewer are acquiring the knowledge needed to emerge as the next Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, or Bill Gates because colleges have turned into profit centers and not necessarily places primarily of higher learning.

In so doing, we have eliminated not only the next generation of innovators and workers needed to keep society humming but made it impossible to achieve upward mobility, the concept that brought millions to our shores.

For those students with disabilities, only 50.6 percent graduate, according to a September 2012 Kessler Foundation study while the graduate rate for able-bodied students is nearly 90 percent. In addition, the jobless rate among America's 54 million people with disabilities is at least triple the rate of the able-bodied, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Sadly, far too many students often are saddled with $80,000 to $100,000 in student loan debt that can never be erased by a bankruptcy filing and will hang around their necks like millstones forever.

Someday a scourge such as polio will reappear, killing and paralyzing tens of thousands and it will go unabated because a potential Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine, wasn’t around because he couldn’t afford to study medicine and virology. This is hardly what my father and uncles fought for in World War II.

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence & Advocate at Large at Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263-8950.

 

Blind attorney named outstanding disabled vet of year

Disabled American Veterans has named John Todd, an injured Army veteran from the Fraser DAV who teaches at Rochester College, as the 2013 Outstanding Disabled Veteran of the Year.

Todd served as a Cobra attack helicopter pilot from 1968 to 1969 during the Vietnam War, and after being shot down twice his injuries left him legally blind.

Todd was presented the Outstanding Disabled Veteran of the Year award by National Commander Larry Polzin at the organization’s 92nd National Convention at a ceremony in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month.

“John Todd’s entire life has been about service to others,” said Polzin." Life presented him with immense challenges, but he didn’t miss a beat. He just continued to move forward serving veterans and the members of his own community.”

After his recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1970, Todd moved to New York City to work as the National Coordinator for Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace. He later worked for President Richard Nixon’s staff where his work twice earned him the Freedom’s Foundation award for Excellence in Political Communication.

He earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in the late 1970s and served as the National Legislative Director of the Blinded Veterans Association. There, he authored legislation that provided for a rebuttable presumption of service-connection for permanently and totally disabled veterans so their spouses and dependents could qualify for benefits. The bill was passed into law and Todd’s work continues to affect veterans and their families today.

“The legacy of John Todd’s work in the veteran’s community is profound,” said DAV National Adjutant/CEO Marc Burgess. “The contributions he has made in his lifetime will better the lives of veterans and their families for many years to come.”

Todd joined DAV Chapter 19 in Fraser in Macomb County in 2010, where he serves as the Judge Advocate. He is currently a professor of business law and American legal studies at Rochester College in Rochester Hills in Oakland County. He lives in the village of Oxford with his wife of 38 years, Joyce.

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence & Advocate at Large at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263-8950.

 

Stay hydrated to stay healthy

There are a few more days, hopefully, of warm weather until summer turns to fall at 4:44 p.m. (EDT) Friday, Sept. 22 so we still must be mindful to drink enough liquids -- and not of the fermented type – to stay hydrated.

It is especially important for people with disabilities to drink enough water. People with certain types of disabilities, such as spinal cord injuries, are unable to regulate their body's internal temperature, making them prone to health stroke.

One of the best sources of water can be found in fruits, leading physicians to tell patients to “Eat Your Water.” Fruits and vegetables are great, healthy sources of water.

Cucumbers, lettuce, zucchini, cantaloupe, blueberries, grapefruit, watermelon, spinach, tomatoes, and strawberries are types of fruit that are more than 90 percent of water by weight. In addition, popsicles, smoothies, coconut water and chia seeds are all high in water content. Chia is a flowering plant in the mint family that grows in southern Mexico and Guatemala.

The key to staying hydrated is to drink water – before and after exercise, after using the restroom and before each meal, experts say. By the time you are thirsty, your body already is in the first stages of dehydration.
In some cases, carry a large refillable bottle with you to so you can drink whenever you feel thirsty. 

Other ways to stay hydrated throughout the year, not only summer, include:

n  Set alarms on your phone or watch to help remind you to drink a glass of water each hour.

n  Stay hydrated while at work.

n  Drink extra water when the temperature and humidity are both higher than 70. These weather conditions are when you are at the greatest risk of becoming dehydrated.

n  If you’re bored of drinking water, flavor it with citrus, cucumber, crushed mint of even basil.

n  Swap out pop for sparkling water – it has the same fizziness as pop, but is much healthier and more hydrating.

A person’s blood if more than 80 percent water so if you don’t replace what’s lost every day, blood thickens, forcing the heart to work harder and raising the risk of a heart attack, experts said.

New wave of advocates needed to retain rights won

We stand on the shoulders of giants in the field of civil rights for people with disabilities.

But we need parents of the children born recently with disabilities to again organize and push for greater access to jobs, economic independence, and political power. New and younger advocates also are needed to retain the rights won by those who started in the 1940s to lobby for laws that allowed their children with disabilities to get a public education, the right to drive vehicles with hand-controls, to participate in sports, receive accommodations and pass the Americans with Disabilities Act.

I knew some of these pioneers who taught and motivated me to be fearless in speaking about injustice. In a speech I once said if you had a disability you must be your own advocate. However, if needed you must advocate for those who cannot be their own voice.

I had the privilege of knowing the late Justin Dart Jr., the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I used to send him stories I wrote about being disabled in America. He would fix the terminology, edit them, and send them back. Basically, he eliminated any words that reflected negatively on a person with a disability.

One of my all-time favorite advocates was the late Tony Filippis, the co-founder of Wright and Filippis which grew from a small storefront on Woodward Avenue in Detroit to one of the largest durable medical equipment companies in the nation, now headquartered in Rochester Hills.

I recently reminisced with Tony’s secretary Mary Ann Woodward on how Tony would have her call the governor on a moment’s notice and the next thing we knew is ex-Gov. Jennifer Granholm would be on the line.

Tony, who amassed a fortune in business, gave away much of that fortune in his later years by creating the Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame, donating $30,000 to Steve Peck to start the Michigan Miracle League in Southfield 10 years ago and quietly building ramps and making structures accessible to those who had disabilities. He was a dreamer who made dreams come true.

A couple of weeks ago, Brent Wirth, president and CEO of Easter Seals, told me the Miracle League was to be a program of Easter Seals which will give the league financial stability.

I can never forget the late Roger McCarville of Ortonville, the host of the TV and radio program, “Disabilities Today.” That show spread powerful images of people with disabilities playing basketball, working as reporters, teachers at universities and athletes in both snow and water skiing. McCarville, who had his legs amputated after a boating accident, always showed people with disabilities in a positive light.

There also is Liz Bauer, a former member of the Michigan Board of Education and current member of the Board of Directors of the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center, who fought for the rights of her daughter and, thus, expanded the rights of all.

So to the parents who are in their 20s to 50s, I say you must unite with other parents of children with disabilities and fight for greater rights. If not those who are born different could lose the right to be educated, live in their own homes, receive 24-hour help if needed, and dream of achieving their version of the American dream.

If not, Dart, Filippis, McCarville and my late father, Vincent, and mother, Carol who is in the twilight of her life but was a dynamic voice for her son, will find a way to haunt your souls.

Jerry Wolffe is the advocate-at-large and writer in residence at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263 8950.

 

White Lake Township girl thrilled with gift of Bieber concert tickets

Tanae Houston of White Lake Township celebrated her 11th with the surprise of her life.

When her mother, Malissa Shaw, presented Tanae tickets before her birthday on Sunday to the Justin Bieber concert in front of the Joe Louis in Detroit, Tanae cried. 

Tanae, who uses a wheelchair, was one of eight girls with disabilities, all diehard Bieber fans, who received tickets donated by AON Insurance to Macomb-Oakland Regional Center for a suite at the sold-out Bieber concert.

Shaw, like several other mothers of daughters with disabilities who received tickets, kept the tickets a secret until they got to downtown Detroit.

"If I told Tanae that we received tickets she would have been imploding and exploding for days," said Shaw. “She would not be able to contain her excitement.”

Shaw would have purchased tickets but like many families with children with disabilities served by MORC she could not afford them. So when the concert was announced in March, Shaw tried desperately to win tickets.

"I was on two phones in both hands all the time trying to win some contest," said Shaw.

"Our people often don't have the same opportunities for things in life that others do," said Gerald Provencal, executive director of MORC, which serves 5,000 people with disabilities in Oakland and Macomb counties. "We are thankful that businesses and people in the community have joined with us to help our people with the economic challenges of disability by providing food, clothes, and furniture and by providing meaningful opportunities, this time, Bieber tickets."

One challenge for the Shaw family was to find a way to get to the concert. They no longer have a car so Malissa Shaw spent three days trying to find a ride. Eventually, a neighbor let them borrow a car. In the meantime, the Shaw family is organizing fundraisers for Aug. 21 with Applebee's in White Lake Township and possibly Buffalo Wild Wings to help them purchase a van with a wheelchair lift.

Shaw and other parents of children who received tickets said the event was a big emotional boost for the children

Another child with a disability, Anna Perantoni, 14, of Royal Oak, recently had an injury that prevented her from attending a much anticipated therapeutic horseback riding week at Camp Fowler in Mayville. She would be unable to attend another one until next year.

"Before Anna had a chance to become really disappointed our MORC social worker brought us Bieber tickets," said mom Jackie Perantoni. "It was a blessing and made her so happy.”

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence & Advocate at Large at MORC. He can be reached at 586 263 8950.

Pioneer in fighting for services for disabled dies

Joseph R. Erwin, a resident of Commerce Twp., and a pioneer in obtaining services for children with developmental disabilities, has died after a long illness. He was 82.
 

Erwin, a native of Birmingham, Ala., died on July 29. He is survived by his wife, Betty, and his sons, Bradford and Joey Erwin.
 

Funeral services will be held at Bessemer Brown Service Funeral Home in Bessemer, Ala. at a date to be determined.

Erwin and his wife, Betty, were a team that “has given so much on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said John Torrone, former public relations director at Macomb-Oakland Regional Center which has offices in Auburn Hills and Clinton Township.

While their goal was to retire in the South, they decided that they could not because the services for their son Joey were so bad compared to services he was receiving in Michigan.

Together, the Erwins devoted themselves to becoming advocates for all those receiving services. For many years, they served together on the AMORC Board of Directors -- Joe as president and Betty as secretary.

Joe set the bar high for AMORC and lobbied hard for pay increases for direct care workers. Erwin also talked to legislators, community mental health boards, and others to win greater services for those with developmental disabilities in the state. Because of his efforts, direct care workers received several pay increases.

As part of the AMORC Monitoring Committee, the Erwins actively monitored group homes, Torrone said.

They also encouraged other AMORC monitors to also monitor homes on behalf of Recipient Rights for the Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority. The husband and wife and other AMORC monitors received special training in recipient rights for those with disabilities who received services from various agencies.

The Erwins were involved for years on the MORC Citizens Advisory Panel. Joe was also involved with Oakland County CMH Authority's Citizen's Advisory Committee.

Erwin also was on the Board of Directors for The Futures Foundation, the fund-raising entity of MORC. He also was chairperson of the MORC, Inc. Holding Company Board of Directors until he became ill.  For years Erwin was chairperson of the Springhill Housing Authority.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Futures Foundation. The web site is http://www.thefuturesfoundation.org/.

Jerry Wolffe is the advocate at large & writer in residences at MORC. He can be reached at 586 263-8950.

 

 

League continues performing miracles after 10 years

There’s nothing as great as baseball. It can lift the heart of a city from the depths of the aftermath of racial riots as the World Series champion Detroit Tigers did in 1968 to making a child with a disability become an athlete by rolling across the foul line onto the field of green.

The Michigan Miracle League, founded by Steve Peck who also is director of the league, celebrated its 10^th anniversary on Saturday (7.27).

It was in 2004 that Peck and his son came into The Oakland Press to talk to this columnist about the idea of building an accessible baseball field in the Southfield Municipal Center where children with disabilities could play baseball.

After receiving donations of some $250,000 from Wal-mart and Pepsi, the league began operating that summer with Peck, a broadcaster, doing the pitching.

In the decade since, hundreds of lives have changed and children who were just sideline observers became ballplayers.

Physically and mentally challenged children are paired with able-bodied volunteer “buddies” who assist them, if needed, in batting, catching, throwing and running.

Every child gets a turn at bat and in the outfield and the “point of the game is less about baseball and more about fun,” says Peck who asked this columnist to throw out the first pitch on the 10^th anniversary. The writer also was the first batter in the first game a decade ago.

Benefits gained by playing at the field at 26000 Evergreen in Southfield are tremendous. The child’s self-esteem grows; they make friends, become less isolated, and just become a regular kid, not a kid with a disability.

The players come from all over southern Michigan, including Wayne, Macomb, Oakland, and other counties.

Vic Doucette, 56, of Southfield, who has cerebral palsy, is the official announcer of the games which are both competitive for those who are more able and noncompetitive for those who just want to play and be part of a team.

“I was so moved by what I saw, I wanted to become a part of it,” said Doucette, who went to see a game after a column was written about the new Miracle League. “I brought my checkbook with me. I tracked down Steve, but I told him when the money runs out, I just don’t want to just walk away.”

So Doucette became an announcer and since has collected 1,000 songs and different sound effects to make it feel like a major league park for the players.

“This is the best thing I’ve ever done and without wanting to get all melodramatic on you, if I were to die tomorrow and that were to be my legacy, I’d be happy about it,” said Doucette.

As for the miracles, they happen every time a game is played. Noncompetitive games are Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and Sunday at Noon and 1:30 p.m. Competitive games are 7 p.m. Tuesdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays.

Doucette tells the story of a lad named Caleb and how playing baseball changed his body and mind.

When Caleb started he needed a wheelchair to get around and he would bat from his knees, Doucette said. Once he hit the ball, he’d struggle back up into the wheelchair and roll toward first. Eventually Caleb learned to use a walker, crutches, and canes and then walked independently as his body grew in strength from playing baseball.

“Now he plays in the competitive league wearing leg braces and getting around without and wheelchair, unaided except for the braces,” Doucette said.

And, there are dozens of stories about healing of both the heart and body from children with disabilities playing baseball on a team with a little help from their friends. Visit some Saturday to see a miracle unfold.

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence/Advocate at Large at Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586-263-8950.

Detroit is just the first canary in the coal mine... other cities will follow

From being the fourth largest city in the nation to filing Ch. 9 bankruptcy with an estimated $18 billion to $20 billion in debt.
Annual income $1 billion. Unfunded pension liabilities greater than $3.5 billion.
Imagine... nearly 80,000 homes or structures that need demolition.
Hardly any streetlights that work. Officially 18 percent unemployment. Unofficially, 3 or 4 times as much.
More than half the students that graduate from Detroit Public Schools are functionally illiterate. No future hope. Half of all property owners do not pay taxes. No one gets hauled in to explain why or fined or have wages garnisheed.
Police response times... tomorrow for a B&E today. Fire response time... let it 'burn baby burn,' an echo of the 1967 riots that permanently scarred the city.
A type of insanity in the early 1980s where 800 or more arsons were set on Devil's Night, the eve of Halloween. The Japanese correspondent from Kyoto to a former UPI reporter... "Why are they burning their own homes down? What is wrong with people there?"
Self-centered politicians going back to 1973. "Hit eight mile," Young said and middle-class Detroiters did, not the crooks.
Dozens of retirees earning six-figure pensions and then coming back to work in their same jobs earning double salaries.
Hundreds of thousands of jobs with benefits gone in the American auto industry collapse starting in the mid-1970s with the importation of millions of well-built inexpensive Japanese cars.
Ford producing parts in Mexico, no longer Detroit where Henry Ford started the transportation revolution and the middle class for $5 bucks a day for a good day's work on the line.
Billionaires chipping in a tiny percentage of the cost of new stadiums for the Lions and Tigers they own while taxpayers get to carry the heavy load.
It is an astounding collapse. Instead of rebuilding Europe with the Marshall plan why didn't we rebuild Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, St. Louis and other former great American cities?
Detroit's future, according to the Soothsayer, increasing population loss from the current 680,000 to maybe 500,000 within a few years.
No improvement in reducing crime, much of which is driven by poverty and substance addiction.
Somehow the spirit of hope must first move back in to the city so Detroit can be reborn.
But without safe and good schools, solid middle-class neighborhoods and rampant crime there's no way Detroit is going to turn it around.
It simply cannot generate the revenue necessary to provide basic services. So why should anyone be expected to stay?
It's likely Detroit will downsize to 250,000 and have all services outsourced. Robocop wasn't all that off target.
Sadly, there will be other large cities following Detroit's path because of the malaise that has destroyed some of the most beautiful cities in the world in this country since Beaver and Wally were trying to keep out of trouble.
The unacceptable dagger would be the sale of the DIA masterpieces for a short-term inadequate fix.

Lawmakers should approve legislation to give disabled veterans property tax break

Some disabled veterans living in Michigan could get some relief next tax season under legislation being debated in the state Senate.

Two different bills passed by the Senate Finance Committee in July have one aim: to provide property tax exemptions for veterans who are disabled as the result of their military service.

Supporters say the legislation will ease the burden for those who volunteered to serve while ensuring disabled veterans, who are often living on a fixed income and unable to work, don't lose their homes.

But others worry more tax exemptions will put stress on already financially struggling towns and cities since property taxes, unforuntately, are a major source or revenue for municipalities.The fact that more than half of Detroiters never paid their property taxes undoubtedly contributed to the current sorry state where the city of 700,000 has filed for bankruptcy to try and evade pension and medical obligations for retired city workers and a total of $18 billion to $20 billion in debt to thousands of creditors.

"There are cases that we have heard about where veterans are on the edge or barely able to make it on their taxes and on the verge of losing their homes," said Sen. Glenn Anderson, a Westland Democrat who is sponsoring one of the bills.

"This is one of the important things we can do to make it possible for them to stay in their homes."

Anderson's bill would allow communities to provide a tax exemption on a veteran's principal home. To qualify, the veteran would have to be 100 percent disabled, a rating that is determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Among other requirements: The veteran must have suffered the disability in the line of duty, been honorably discharged and have a taxable income of less than $23,000 or twice the national poverty level.

Anderson said just about half the states already have such laws.

Doug Williams, the legislative chairman for the American Legion Department of Michigan, said most disabled veterans rely almost entirely on a fixed income provided by the VA.

If they've lost a limb, have brain damage or another disability, their job choices can be limited, said Les Schneider, senior vice commander and legislative chair for Michigan's chapter of Disabled American Veterans. As a result, a lot of young soldiers now returning from Afghanistan and Iraq are struggling to find jobs.

"They'll have a brand new wife and baby and come home ... and how are they going to make a living and feed their family if they don't have something to fall back on?"

Being independent and able to support themselves and family will go a long way to the path to being able to live with a disability and again feeling good about themselves, their sacrifice and their future.

Useful websites for parents or caregivers of those with autism

According to the latest statistics, 1 in 88 children are on the autistic spectrum, including 1 in 54 boys. It’s a disorder that’s still not entirely understood, and even within the community of parents of children with autism and educators who work with them, there are still disagreements about what therapies and treatments work best.
For parents, finding ways to help with everything from diagnosis to coping is vital. Here’s a list of 15 great resources, provided by The Friendship Circle of West Bloomfield Township, that parents of children with autism should be aware of if they need guidance. Click on the column headline, which is a URL, to go to the website.

1. Autism Support Groups

It is very important for families dealing with autism to have an outlet, such as other parents who are going through the same thing. This site connects them to groups both online and in their area that can offer that type of support.

2. AutismNOW

AutismNOW should be the first place you look for the latest news, research and information on autism.

3. MyAutismTeam

MyAutismTeam is a social network for parents of kids with autism.

4. Care.com

Care.com is a great place to find a caregiver.

5. Dads 4 Special Kids

This is a group for fathers of special-needs children, who can share their stories with others who understand the challenges they’re facing.

6. Autism…Learn

This site allows people, including children, with autism to complete online activities geared toward helping them develop vital skills.

7. Autism on the Seas

Parents of special-needs children know how difficult it can be to plan a vacation. This site is dedicated to helping parents of children with autism map out their getaways, whether they’re cruises or camping trips.

8. Atypical Child

Atypical Child functions sort of like a Craigslist for parents of special needs children. You can list and buy gently used therapy equipment.

9. Bloom and Grow

Being a caregiver can be a rewarding, but also often a difficult and humbling task. This site shares products, strategies and tips for how to help your loved one and cope with the great demands that are put upon you each day.

10. Healing Thresholds

This site offers daily updates on autism news and research, including new therapies being used to address the disorder.

11. Make Friends With Autism

This group is dedicated to fostering more understanding of autism spectrum disorders and encouraging families to reach out to others with ASD.

12. Parent Coaching for Autism

Parents of both newly diagnosed children with autism and those who were diagnosed years ago can benefit from this site, sharing ideas for therapies, coping mechanisms and medical benefits through e-courses and newsletters.

13. Autism Blogs Directory

This site offers a comprehensive list of blogs that are written by and for families dealing with autism. It’s easy to get lost in reading their stories when you’re supposed to be working, so be careful!

14. Autism in Action

AiA specializes in offering how-to teaching programs that can help your child with virtually any task, from basic self-care to better communication.

15. Autism Calendar

This is a terrific resource that lists upcoming autism-related events in your local community. You can even add your own event to the calendar.
Jerry Wolffe is the advocate at large/writer in residence at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at (586) 263-8950.

MORC faces bright future, greater financial stability

MORC’s top executives had “good news” to tell staff at separate meetings in Clinton Township and Auburn Hills and reminded them they are on the front lines of the last human rights battle in providing “first-class citizenship and rights” to those we serve who have disabilities.

“What we do at Macomb-Oakland is to make sure everyone has a fair shot at life,” said MORC Executive Director Jerry Provencal of the more than 5,000 people MORC and its 300-plus workers serve in a townhall meeting Wednesday.

He and Chief Operating Officer Dennis Bott also highlighted the new four-year, four-month contract with the Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority which extends until Dec. 30, 2017. After that date, it will continue an “additional nine years through 2026. "If we didn’t have a great product, we wouldn’t be talking about contracts,” said Bott.

“I think it’s the best contract we’ve had from OCCMHA,” he added, noting it was a team negotiating effort to reach agreement. “This will allow us to attract the best talent in the field. It also solidifies services for families and consumers. They know they will continue to get services into the future and the pact provides a whole level of stability for our community.”

Provencal said the Kohl Fashion show was “dynamite,” noting 1,200 attended, including about 100 consumers who were dressed by the department store and walked or rolled down the fashion runway to the sheer delight of the audience. A special guest was Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel.

“It was a wonderful, wonderful day and reminds us why our work is important.”

Provencal also noted MORC has again received CARF accreditation for another three years. “They always give us a terrific rating.”

MORC also has hired consultant Dennis Blender to “look at the nonprofit’s future.” Essentially, Blender is asking staff to help determine what plans are needed to get where we want to be as a human services agency.

It also was announced that MORC was selected by Ilitch Charities to be a recipient of an estimated “$50,000 to $100,000” from an Aug. 26 golf event at the Oakland Hills Country Club. Provencal said “it is a terrific honor. We will be able to give more money away in grants through The Futures Foundation.”

At the end of the staff meeting, Provencal reminded us of the importance of our work. “I kid around about certain things and keep things light,” he said, “but when it comes to expanding the civil rights of the disabled I am dead serious. And, I want to thank you no matter what your job is here for helping us do this work.”

Jerry Wolffe is the advocate at large/writer in residence at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263 8950.

Wayne State to work with Tajikistan to advance rights of disabled

For more information, visit the website: http://ddi.wayne.edu

The Developmental Disabilities Institute at Wayne State University has been selected to participate in a U.S. Department of State sponsored Professional Fellows EMPOWER Program, administered by Mobility International USA.

The exchange program aims to expand the capacity of organizations in the United States and abroad to promote inclusive communities and advance the rights of persons with disabilities around the world.

DDI will send a representative from Aug. 29 to Sept. 5, 2013, to Tajikistan to participate in a preliminary exchange visit to build the foundation for a collaborative project.

In October, DDI will host representatives from two Tajikistan-based organizations to address disability law and policy advocacy and access to services for persons with autism and other disabilities. These organizations include IRODA, which is an organization that promotes disability rights and equality through the raising of awareness about the needs of children with disabilities; and Equal Opportunities which is a non-governmental organization that protects the rights and interests of vulnerable populations and groups.

Participants will work alongside American counterparts and gain first-hand experience as to how issues in their field are addressed in the United States. The participants will also build an understanding of American culture through site visits and community-based events.

To conclude the U.S. program, participants will gather in Washington, D.C., to take part in a closing conference with all Empower Partnership participants.

Jerry Wolffe is the advocate at large/writer in residence at Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at (586) 263-8950.

 

Partisan split on Medicaid expansion hurts sick, needy in Michigan

The failure of state Democrats and Republicans in the Michigan Senate to compromise or even seriously discuss expanding Medicaid to another 470,000 state residents without medical coverage is inexcusable.
It is even worse that this behavior comes because elected representatives would rather go on summer vacation and turn their back on GOP Gov. Rick Snyder who has asked for them to stay in Lansing until the matter is resolved.
Representative government is one of the foundations of our nation as we approach Independence Day but the state Legislature as well as Congress has turned into fortified forts split along partisan lines holding on to narrow ideological viewpoints.
In the 237th year since the Founding Fathers had the Declaration of Independence published on July 4 it seems political leaders have learned little about the common good. Is it not a good thing to give medical care to those who do not have it because of circumstances they can't always control.
I remember a fellow criticizing those who had no jobs.
"Look at me," he said, "I lost my job but I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and found another one."
"What if someone doesn't have any legs to put boots on," I said, making him think in a way I don't think ever crossed his mind.
Oftentimes, there are legitimate barriers, both individual and societal, that make it impossible for an individual or a group of individuals -- gays, people of color and the disabled -- to achieve equal rights in American society despite the promises Jefferson made in the Declaration of Independence.
On July 3rd, meeting on a stripped-down floor with only two microphones and a few speakers set up, the Senate met and did not vote on the Medicaid expansion and reform bill.
However, some Democrats, to their credit, did so.
Shortly after Senate Majority Floor Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, began the session, Senate Minority Floor Leader Tupac Hunter, D-Detroit, moved to discharge HB 4714 from the Senate Government Operations Committee. The motion failed mostly along party lines, but Republican Sen. Rick Jones of Grand Ledge joined Democrats in supporting that motion.
The bill would expand Medicaid eligibility to 470,000 Michigan residents, several Senate Democrats noted, and not voting on the bill only lets those citizens down. All Democrats were present, and each told stories of residents in or around their respective districts whose lives would improve with Medicaid expansion.
A total of 19 of the 26 Senate Republicans were present to hear the stories of potentially better lives for thousands.
After approving changes to the session calendar for the summer, Hunter again rose to the microphone to object to adjourning. That motion also failed, this time entirely along party lines.
We the people will never have our basic needs provided if we are disabled, elderly or impoverished unless those in power learn a bit more compassion.
Once, I asked a Canadian friend if they thought someone sick should receive the care needed.
That woman looked at me like I was not for real and said, "Of course, how could anyone think otherwise?"
Sure wish Michigan and Congressional lawmakers could have heard this woman's voice speaking what is so obvious to anyone with a heart who does not live in a world of mirrors wherein they only see their own needs and futures.

MORC’S trial response to terrorist attack a ‘job well done’

Some 22 members of the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center carried out an exercise drill in response to a potential anthrax terrorist attack as part of a FEMA program.

The June 19 trial run was conducted at the Auburn Hills MORC office between 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.

MORC has been designated as an emergency response entity by FEMA in case of a catastrophic terrorist event, said Maureen Stone, MORC’s health and safety coordinator.

Some 60 designated MORC staff had the task of taking antidotal medication to their household members within 75 minutes so they can be protected from anthrax, a deadly airborne contagion. The antidotal medication is Doxycycline. It is administered twice a day with food for 10 days.

Besides MORC, other entities in the nationwide exercise participated in the Closed Point of Dispensing Drill. Each year, FEMA will conduct a similar Closed POD test to make sure agencies such as MORC can help protect staff and the public in case of another 9-11 type event.

If an attack occurs, the Oakland County Health Division will notify Human Resources Director Peter Lynch and he will pass the word on to designated MORC staff to take the anthrax antidote to family members.

In the event of a real attack, citizens are to go to hospitals, private doctors, urgent care facilities, or antidote dispensing places that could even be set up at malls or grocery stores.

“The whole idea is to prevent, promote, and protect our health and well-being,” said Stone.

The purpose of the drill was to “educate you on what to do in case of a catastrophic event just the same as we have in the event of a tornado or a fire,” she added. “It was a job well done.”

MORC’s 303 staff members are asked to review an email sent by Cathy Gibson concerning their consent to participate in the Closed POD and share contact information on a call-down list.

To learn more, call The Oakland County Health and Services Hotline at 800-848-5533.

--MORC writer in residence Jerry Wolffe

Parents of disabled children should never feel guilty

Some parents of children with disabilities are riddled with guilt and this is totally inappropriate.

A child is a child is a child and should be valued and loved.

I remember a dear friend who had a son who was severely disabled and never developed more than being about three-feet tall. This boy didn’t speak, walk and was completely dependent upon his mother for all of his life.

Every time I saw his mother with her son, my friend was holding her boy on her lap in her arms.

When the young man died at age 17, I thought my friend would be OK rather quickly.

I was so wrong.

It's been years now, but each day she thinks of her son. And, every time she thinks of him, I can see sadness in her beautiful eyes.

A disabled child is a child who should be valued and loved unconditionally no matter what the level of disability is in that child.

I remember feeling guilty as a child and later as a young man that my parents had to spend so much extra time with me because I was born with a disability. But I later learned that all parents should spend the maximum time and energy with each child they have so that child grows to be a loving, creative, and productive person.

I felt guilty another time when someone said my parents never owned a home because they had to pay for my orthopedic surgeries, braces, doctor visits and special orthopedic shoes that, in the 1960s, cost about $300 a pair. They’d last about three months because I dragged my feet and wore out the soles of the shoes quickly.

With entities such as the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center we, as a species, are learning that a child is a child is a child who because he or she is born on this planet deserves love because they are alive.

I got lucky and my dad saw me graduate from college and get a steady job. He died when I was 26 but I was on my way, thanks to his incredible determination he ingrained in me.

My mother, now 97, still is alive and loves my wife, JoAnn. Mother is proud that I made it to the world of the so-called able-bodied from the world of hospital rooms with holes in the ceiling tiles, schools with barred windows and the cold operating rooms.

She doesn’t understand much about fighting for civil rights but she was my greatest advocate when the word advocate wasn’t used much. She made sure I got the medical treatment I needed and into a school, even though it was one only for children with disabilities.

The parents who should feel guilty are those who bring kids into this world and then walk away. CBS News recently reported half of the first babies being born in the United States are to unwed mothers. They and the fathers are the ones who should feel guilty, not the parent of a child with a disability.

In fact, if they want to know what love is look around as you roam this world. Sooner than later you will see a mother holding a severely disabled child in her arms and humming to that child. That is the essence of love and the opposite of guilt.

Jerry Wolffe is the Rights Advocate at Large/Writer in Residence the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586-263-8950.

 

Use 'Gentle Teaching" not physical take-downs on disrupitive students

As a child in orthopedic schools in the 1950s, I clearly remember other disabled children being tackled or held down by teachers.

I never forgot the embarrassment or the anger I felt in those moments. I found a former teacher from Leland School for Crippled Children where I attended and asked her decades after these events occurred why this was done.

“I guess, Jerry, we didn’t know any better,” she said.

I didn’t feel that much better since ignorance is not an excuse for hurting someone else but the intent of harm seemed absent in the teacher’s words so I finally let go of anger I carried for years.

I guess, according to a Battle Creek Enquirer article sent to me by colleagues, physical restraints are still being used to “control” students with disabilities who are ‘disruptive.’

Tom Watkins, the Michigan State Superintendent of Schools from 2001-2005 and deputy director of the Michigan Department of Mental Health between 1983-90, says this “inhumane” restraining behavior or seclusion is still happening state schools.

Unfortunately, there are no policies or legislation to stop the restraint or exclusion from others in state statutes today, he said. Lawmakers need to pass laws to stop physical, mechanical, or chemical restraints used to control the disabled.

“People working with persons who have intellectual and developmental disabilities need training in the proper techniques for preventing the issues from escalating to a perceived need for such interventions,” Watkins noted.

I vividly recall some 52 years later how a classmate, Tom, was tackled by a janitor at Leland when my friend had a panic attack and started running outside of the school.

The janitor tackled Tom a few feet from the Lafayette Towers and the momentum of the tackle sent Tom into the side of the wall of the building where he suffered a concussion, cuts, and severe contusions. Tom was out of school thereafter for weeks.

Tom was a good guy. He once carried me from a playground to the nurse’s station after I hurt my leg and couldn’t walk.

There are psychological techniques today that can defuse a violent situation. They are the Gentle Teaching methodology developed by the late John McGee of the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center.

You try to develop trust with the person with a disability or mental illness; then show them love; they then likely will show you love with a hug and both the clinician and person with a disability develop a sense of belonging and community.

Since I came to MORC in mid-April I have seen this work. No one ever has to be “taken down” anymore. Instead, reach out your open hand and develop a trusting relationship.

Jerry Wolffe is the rights advocate at large/writer in residence at MORC. He can be reached at 586-263-8950.

MSU offers program to train autism specialists

The huge waiting list for people with autism to be treated by specialists is likely to become shorter because of a new program offered this fall by Michigan State University.

The Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis will be taught completely online in connection with the special education master’s degrees at MSU.

Some 16,000 students in Michigan have various forms of autism, but only about 50 certified behavior analysts are working with families statewide. Recent legislation requiring health insurers to cover autism-related services has made it easier for Michigan families to access the services, but more high-quality training programs are desperately needed.

 “We know applied behavior analysis works for kids and we need experts to deliver those services, whether it is in homes or schools,” said Joshua Plavnick, assistant professor of special education in MSU’s College of Education. “There are not enough of them across the state.”

The MSU program will prepare students to become board certified behavior analysts. The analysts know how to assess complex behavioral issues related to communication or social interaction, for example, and develop individual improvement plans.

In the case of autism, Plavnick said the analysts are qualified to help children learn important new skills by first breaking down those skills into more manageable goals. They also are adept at finding and isolating the issues in a child’s environment that trigger problem behaviors.

Brooke Ingersoll said applied behavior analysis can be provided in schools, but special education teachers don't typically receive extensive training in the area.

“It’s important for us to increase the number of interventionists,” said Brooke Ingersoll, assistant professor of psychology.

To become fully certified, students must also complete independent field work supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and pass the Behavior Analyst Certification Board exam.

Jerry Wolffe is the Rights Advocate at Large/Writer in Residence at Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at (586) 263-8950.