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Purpose: To develop an advocacy group of individuals to support/coordinate the enhancement of activities, community resources and natural supports for community members with developmental disabilities.
Origin: It was the intent of a few service providers to provide more physical activity to members served by agencies accessing the community recreation center. It was to share information and resources with neighboring agencies and service providers and those underserved or self-directed with opportunities for socialization and normalization within their community. PLAN OF ACTION Objective 1: To enhance the lifestyle choices of all individuals with MRDD: Community members have already shown an inertest, by meeting regularly, to build a network/system that connects together enhanced choices and those already in place through CSP community involvement opportunities. The activities advocacy group ¡§Community Connections¡¨ is also interested in developing new wrap around community activities and resources connecting individuals with DD to the Community in a wider variety of choices available within our community. The first priority is to establish an information system of availability of the enhanced options and the provider choices already in place to be shared with everyone, giving individuals with developmental disabilities increased and enhanced choices in what ¡§they want to participate in.¡¨ Strategy 1A: To establish the community communication system: „Ï Regular Monthly Meetings of all interested and committed members: The 2nd Wed. of each month, time and place to be determined monthly „Ï The implementation of a mailing list of all connecting members: Example, Community Business and Activity Resources and Supports, All service providers, affiliates, the school system, consumers, guardians and families, potential volunteers and the Community Connections Group. „Ï Development of a bulletin board/website with shared information, a community calendar of events, all planned activities within agencies, all advertised events throughout Harvey County and surrounding areas and enhanced choices and opportunities developed by Community Connections 1B: To develop a questionnaire of commitment of those interested in being a part of the Community Connections group. „Ï To survey levels of interest and commitment levels to assign monthly tasks of responsibilities. Ex. 1. Would you be able to attend monthly meetings? 2. Would you be interested in taking minutes, running consumers based meetings, make calls, send mailings etc. 1C: To develop a survey of interests, hobbies, likes and dislikes of all community members within Harvey County with developmental disabilities. „Ï This is to be a generic questionnaire to protect confidentiality of individuals, however it is the sole purpose to identify exactly what choices Community Connections can define, create, increase, develop and enhance to fulfill the original and evolving intent/purpose of the group: To develop an advocacy group of individuals to support/coordinate the enhancement of activities, community resources and natural supports for community members with developmental disabilities.. Objective 2: To be person centered focused and dedicated, to support and enable enhanced opportunities. Community Connections will never speak for an individual but will speak UP for individuals in support, resources, communication, coordination and cooperation of resources, towards enhanced fulfillment of accessing the entire community and all it has to offer, whether it is already in place, or needs to be partnered or need indicates it be created and implemented by the survey of choices/dreams of individuals with developmental disabilities. Strategy 2A: To create Inclusive involvement of individuals with DD as an integral part of Community Connections. „Ï Invitation to all individuals/community members with developmental disabilities to join the activities advocacy group, Community Connections „Ï To define their interest in having a separate committee for discussion and planning of desired activities and choices within the community, to be facilitated and supported only by Community Connections. „ Ï To define their intent as active members or representatives in either one or both of the possible groups, Community Connections and an Person Centered Activities Committee „Ï To set regular dates and times for a separate committee if so elected and invite all interested representatives to the regular monthly meetings scheduled for the Community Connections Group. Conclusion: It is felt by the core group of Community Connections that this outlined plan is a complimented vision to the Capacity Building Plan of Harvey and Marion County CDDO¡¦S area Guiding Statement: Capacity building refers to the process of stabilizing, improving and expanding the ability of the community to provide responsive, quality supports and service to community member with developmental disabilities. It does build systems/NETWORKS that are responsive, flexible and aimed towards meeting the needs of the entire community. We believe the purpose of these goals does fit hand in hand with the ongoing collaboration between CDDO staff, the Council of Community Members and area providers to assist the lead to the development of new priority objectives. This could also aid in other strategy plans identified in the Capacity Building Plan, by providing a gateway or stepping stone towards: Strategy 2b. Promote sharing access to specialized training between providers; this is often made available to individuals with developmental disabilities as they are interested at times in the trainings made available. Strategy 4b. Support development of parent/guardian information network. The above plan definitely is a starting point in increasing family knowledge of available resources and the evolvement of enhanced activities. It does encourage mutual networking support. It is the beginning of a forum that does allow a starting point of shared information, even at the activities and community resource level. Strategy 5. Improve transition planning from school to adult services. Strategy 8. Develop summer day activities program for school-age children. By summer of 2004, Community Connections may be able to communicate activities developed of accessible within the community. Reference above from: Capacity Building Plan, Harvey and Marion County CDDO Area, August 15, 2003, Update. Sincerely, Community Connections
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