SOUTHFIELD – Detroit
companies are being sought to provide internships as part of an initiative of
the Jewish Vocational Service to help people with disabilities develop work
skills and find jobs.
The Pathways to
Careers (Pathways) initiative covers the costs of the internship wages for
participants.
“Through the
Pathways program, our focus is on maximizing the likelihood of a good job fit,”
said Bill Hielscher, JVS employer relations specialist. “The program provides
resources and incentives for employers, and interns receive support from JVS to
help ensure success.”
Pathways participants will undergo a discovery process to identify their
skills, interests, and abilities. Individuals will then be matched with an
employer for an 8-12 week internship at no cost to the employer.
“Becoming a Pathways
employer is an exciting opportunity for local companies to meet their business
needs while helping to shape a better future for individuals with
disabilities,” said Hielscher. “Permanent employment is the ultimate goal, and
Pathways offers a great way match interns to potential employment opportunities
and make sure it’s a good fit for everyone.”
Employers interested
in serving as internship sites may call Bill Hielscher at (248) 795-8943 or
email him at bhielscher@jvsdet.org.
Jerry
Wolffe is the writer-in-residence, advocate-at-large at the Macomb-Oakland
Regional Center. He can be reached at (586) 263-8950.
As
part of its 40th Anniversary, the Association for the Macomb-Oakland Regional
Center (AMORC), a parents group, will host a special meeting at noon Tuesday (Jan.
13) at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center Office, 1280 Doris Road in Auburn
Hills to argue for increased pay for direct care workers.
Guest
speakers are Robert Stein, General Counsel for the Michigan Assisted Living
Association, and Teri Donaldson, Executive Director of The Futures Foundation
(TFF).
Stein
will be speak about a statewide coalition he is involved in that is working on
pay raises for direct-care workers or those employees who actually take care of
those with disabilities or mental illness in group homes or their own
apartments.
"It
is disgraceful that funding has been flat for the past decade for direct-care
workers who are involved in the care of the most vulnerable persons within the
mental health system," said AMORC President John Torrone. "During the
past decade, the rate of inflation has gone up nearly 30 percent, and the
average wage of a direct-care worker currently is only $9.03. Annual turnover
rates range up to 50 percent, according to providers for direct-care workers.
"On
October 1, 2014, providers serving those within the mental health system were
hit with a six percent cut, mostly caused because of reductions of Medicaid
rates." Torrone added. "In addition, on October 1 General Fund cuts
also went into effect, which impacts respite care and unlicensed respite camps.
The mental health system is within one more cut of completely collapsing."
According
to Donaldson, The Futures Foundation in 2014 "awarded $90,000 to fulfill
the wishes, dreams, and needs of 164 individuals and $10,000 to 25 individuals
for dental needs. In 2015, we will be awarding $120,000 in general
grants and $10,000 in dental grants."
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.
The Macomb-Oakland Regional Center has received a
$2,675 grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the
Anton Art Center to support the "Acting Out Your Dreams" program.
The program will provide theatre arts education to
individuals with developmental disabilities served by MORC, the state’s largest
nonprofit based in Clinton Township with an office in Auburn Hills, in
partnership with All the World's a Stage. Following 12 weeks of
instruction, program participants will stage an exhibition of their work open
to the community. The grant dollars will be matched by the Futures
Foundation, maximizing the public/private collaboration.
“We've seen the value of performance art in
helping individuals express themselves, gain self confidence and improve
teamwork,” says Project Director Teri Donaldson. “We are thrilled to
receive this grant which will offer this unique artistic experience to the
individuals with developmental disabilities that we serve.”
MORC's grant was awarded through the MCACA peer review
process and was one of 494 applications to compete for fiscal year 2015
funding. The MCACA review process allows for each grant application to be
competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and
culture professionals. This ensures the taxpayers, who support this
project through legislative appropriations, and all other visitors or residents
of Michigan will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural
experiences. The program is also supported nationally by the National
Endowment for the Arts and locally by the Anton Art Center, the region 10A
regranting agency.
The
Macomb-Oakland Regional Center provides wide-ranging services to individuals
with developmental disabilities and mental illness in Southeast Michigan.
Wolffe
is the writer-in-residence and advocate-at-large at the Macomb-Oakland Regional
Center. He can be reached at 586 263-6350.
Richard Bernstein sworn in as Michigan’s first blind Supreme Court justice
From left, Chief Justice Robert Young, Jr. swears in new
Justices of the Michigan Supreme Court, David Viviano, Richard Bernstein
and Brian Zahra at the state Capitol in Lansing on Thursday, Jan. 1. AP
photo
Richard Bernstein made history on New Year’s Day when he was
sworn in as the Michigan Supreme Court’s first blind justice during a
chilly inauguration ceremony at the Capitol.
The 41-year-old disability rights attorney and Birmingham resident
said he’s spent six weeks catching up on the 10 cases scheduled for
oral arguments in January and will start work at 9 a.m. Friday.
Bernstein said after the ceremony that he hopes his election to
an 8-year term on the High Court might encourage employers to consider
hiring applicants with a disability.
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“Disabled people know what their capabilities are. They just need
to be given a chance,” Bernstein said. “Companies and employers, with
modest accommodations, can bring disabled people onto their staff and
they can do great things.”
Jerry Wolffe, the writer-in-residence and disability rights
advocate at the nonprofit Macomb Oakland Regional Center, has known
Bernstein for 15 years. Wolffe writes The Oakland Press’ “Voices of
Disability” column
“Richard will protect the rights and advance the cause of those
with a disability by being on the court,” Wolffe said. “Truly, in his
case, justice is blind.”
Gov. Rick Snyder, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, Attorney General Bill
Schuette, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and other state officeholders
were sworn in during the inauguration, with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan
serving as master of ceremonies.
“We can do incredible things when we do them together,” Snyder
told a crowd of more than 500 supporters in his inaugural address,
pointing to Detroit’s recent emergence from bankruptcy as an example.
“Let’s keep that spirit going. Let’s show how we can do these special
things.”
Bernstein and colleagues Justice Brian Zahra and Justice David Viviano were sworn in by Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr. Bernstein and incumbent Zahra won eight-year terms Nov. 4, while incumbent Viviano was elected to a partial term ending in 2017.
They’ll join Justice Stephen Markman, Justice Mary Beth Kelly and
Justice Bridget McCormack when the court begins hearing oral arguments
later this month.
“Our new colleague, Justice Bernstein, brings incredible energy
and enthusiasm to the court,” Young said in a statement. “We are all
ready to work together to build on a successful record of driving change
to improve service to the public.”
A full-time reader on staff will work with Bernstein on
memorizing briefs, court filings, Constitutional interpretation and
other elements of the job.
“(I) have to know the material backward and forward. I don’t have the luxury of notes.”
Bernstein, who has been blind since birth, said he must also learn the physical layout of the Michigan Hall of Justice.
“When you’re blind, you have to be focused, you have to be
energetic and you have to be intent,” he said. “It requires an
incredibly heightened degree of focus.”
Bernstein’s last day at the Sam Bernstein Law Firm
in Farmington Hills, where he established a Public Service Division, was
Wednesday. “It’s a transition into an entirely new life,” he said of
his move to the other side of the bench.
A graduate of the Northwestern University School of Law in
Chicago, Bernstein represented the Paralyzed Veterans of America in
partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice in an action against the
University of Michigan to allow for safe access for disabled people
when stadium upgrades failed to accommodate disabled visitors.
Other achievements during his law career included partnering with
the Department of Justice to force Detroit to fix broken wheelchair
lifts on its buses and a recent settlement against Delta Airlines and
Detroit Metro Airport that gained accessibility for disabled fliers.
Bernstein said his mission now is to recognize the responsibility
that comes with his judgeship and honor the voters by doing an
“outstanding” job.
“At the end of the day, it’s really about trust.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jessica Peterson of Sterling Heights stands next to the 2015
special edition Detroit Lions Ford Mustang she won from the Southeast
Michigan Ford Dealers as her boyfriend, Jake Slep of Royal Oak, stands
besides her. Submitted photo
By Jerry Wolffe, For The Daily Tribune
Posted:
|
A 23-year-old woman won a key to happiness during the Detroit
Lions’ 16-14 win against the Minnesota Vikings when she reached inside a
box and pulled out a key to a brand new blue Ford Mustang.
“I asked one of the Lions’ officials on the field during halftime
when I picked the prize among three finalists if it was real,” said
Jessica Peterson, 23, of Sterling Heights.
“I was told the key I had in hand was the one that would start
the engine on the Mustang not far from me on Ford Field. The official
also said: ‘I wouldn’t lie’ about a thing like winning a Ford Mustang
when I questioned her.”
The three finalists came down to the field during halftime of the
Dec. 14 NFL game and each pulled a small gift box from a “Santa” bag.
Then Ford Motor Co. and Lions officials counted to three. At the count
of three, the contestants opened their boxes and that’s when Peterson
found a key in her box, she said.
The key was for a special edition 2015 Lions silver Ford Mustang.
The car has blue Lions drawings on the fenders, blue rims, and Lions
symbols embroidered on the seats, Peterson said. The loaded vehicle,
including a customized exhaust, V-6 engine and automatic transmission,
is worth more than $37,000.
Peterson works at the autism center in Clinton Township operated
by the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. The autism center helps children
with autism between the ages of 18 months up until age 6, said director
Frankie Groce. Currently, the center serves 27 children with autism and
MORC has another autism center in Troy.
After Peterson had the key in hand, “I entered the car and blew the horn and was thrilled.”
Her boyfriend, Jake Slep of Royal Oak, and Peterson received two
free end-zone tickets on the Lions’ side of the field to the game.
Peterson had filled out a form to win the car at the Royal Oak
Ford dealership off of Woodward on Black Friday, the much-hyped shopping
day after Thanksgiving. She said she didn’t do any regular Christmas
shopping that day, just visited the dealership with her boyfriend.
Peterson was called by a Lions’ official who told her she was one
of three finalists from more than 65,000 people who filled out the form
at a Ford dealership in southeast Michigan or online to win the unique
Mustang. It was part of a promotion to have motorists test drive a Ford.
“When I found that key in the box, I was excited, happy and nervous all at once,” Peterson said.
“I was happy just to win the tickets to the game,” she said. “I didn’t think I was going to win the Mustang.”
The Lions took plenty of pictures of Peterson with her Mustang.
She also said her boyfriend and others also recorded the event on video.
Peterson said the two other finalists, a man and woman, were good
sports. Each gave her a congratulatory hug as they looked over her
shoulder at the sparkling car. Jerry Wolffe is the writer-in-residence, advocate-at-large at the
Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586-263-8950.
Oakland
County Community Mental Health Authority will receive a $275,370 jail diversion grant from the Michigan Department of Community Health on Jan. 1 to create a Crisis
Intervention Team program and train 80 Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies.
The crisis
program is a nationally recognized, community partnership between law
enforcement and mental health professionals. It is designed to
promote positive outcomes during crisis situations that require police
assistance.
“... OCCMHA has a
responsibility to ensure that valuable training resources are available to
local law enforcement,” said Willie Brooks, OCCMHA Executive Director and CEO.
“The CIT grant is helping us fulfill this obligation by providing timely and
important training experiences to officers, so that they are better prepared to
serve people in crisis.”
Deputies
who participate in CIT will receive 40 hours of comprehensive mental health
training, which includes information about mental illness and developmental
disabilities, opportunities to speak with advocates, individuals with mental
illness and their families, and participation in role-playing scenarios.
Law
enforcement agencies throughout the country that utilize CIT have seen
significant reductions in the number of officer and personal injuries, as well
as a decrease in arrest rates.
“Our
long-standing partnership with OCCMHA has served as the foundation for many
initiatives that enhance the Sheriff Office’s ability to serve people who are
in crisis, especially individuals with a mental illness,” said Oakland County
Sheriff Michael Bouchard. “Bringing CIT to Oakland County is just one more
example of our commitment to work together for the betterment of our
community.”
The Miracle League of Michigan presents its
annual holiday party for children and families of Easter Seals Michigan from 11
a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle, 310 S. Troy Street.
Based in Southfield, the Miracle League provides
children with disabilities the opportunity to play on both competitive and
non-competitive baseball teams.
There will be live comedy, visits with Santa,
magic shows, face painting, cooking and card demonstrations, and more.
The party is funded by a generous donation by
businessman Mark Waad, 29, of Shelby Township.
For more information on the Miracle League of
Michigan, click michiganmiracle.org.
After being named a finalist in 2010 and receiving an honorable mention
in 2004, Common Ground has been named Crain’s Best-Managed Nonprofit for
2014. The 43-year old non-profit agency, which helps people going through emotional and/or mental health crises, was featured in the Dec. 1 edition of Crain’s Detroit Business. CEO Tony Rothschild said he was thrilled that Common Ground has been recognized as a standout among its peers. He said he believes one of the reasons Common Ground won the honor is because of the innovative approaches it takes in providing services to the community. Common Ground is based in Bloomfield Hills with locations in Pontiac, Royal Oak and Flint. The agency’s 24-hour Resource and Crisis Helpline is 800-231-1127.
— by Jerry Wolffe
