Manuals

When accessing health care for children there is another level of advocacy and information needed. Learning to advocate, learning to research and learning how to communicate with multiple systems are all skills to be acquired. Many times families are asked to “Put your request in writing”; for the parents of children with disabilities, there are even more reasons. The New York F2F grantee developed this booklet with hints, suggestions or models for families to use when writing letters.

As part of California’s QA/QI grant, this report discusses grant activity related to the measurement of consumer outcomes. Included in the report are a comparative review of consumer satisfaction survey instruments considered for use and an analysis of California’s information system with respect to the requirements of participation in National Core Indicators.

As part of its CPASS grant, Alaska developed a curriculum for personal care assistant training. This curriculum goes through the various responsibilities that a home health worker would encounter. The curriculum is a total of 40 hours, followed up by written exams. These are the appendices to go along with Alaska's Personal Care Assistance 40 Hour Training Curriculum

This manual provides guidance for people with disabilities who are interested in owning their homes. Topics covered include: financing homeownership, understanding credit and budgets, Fair Housing Laws, finding a home, home inspections, buying and closing on a house, and home maintenance and assistance.

The Illinois Homeownership Coalition for People with Disability (HCPD) has a comprehensive set of documents pertaining to its advocacy and assistance for homeownership. The organization’s goal is to assist people with disability in purchasing their homes, allowing them to maintain independence and living in their communities. Review the application, brochure and checklist.

Community Service Options, Inc. (CSO), has put together this Question and Answer document regarding its housing initiative. This worksheet discusses independent living and “least restrictive” options for disabled and elderly persons, while including information about the limitations in eligibility for such housing. Finally, CSO discusses advocacy methods for increasing the availability of independent living options.

These guidelines were written to ensure that people with disabilities receive the support and assistance they need to fully contribute to NASDDDS sponsored activities, however the issues, challenges, and solutions offered are universally applicable to the involvement of all self advocates. This document provides a framework for involving recipients of state-funded developmental disabilities services in meetings and activities in an effort to obtain their valuable expertise perspective.

What’s health got to do with transition? Everything…there is a generation of youth with special health care needs, chronic health conditions and disabilities who have survived beyond their diagnosis/prognosis. The HRTW Center’s desired outcome is for all youth with special health care needs (YSHCN) to receive the services necessary to transition to all aspects of adulthood, including adult health care, employment and independence. Review their tools and solutions for transition planning.

Federated Human Service Co-op exists to assist in the creation of Human Service Cooperatives (HSC) and to support those efforts in the most effective, efficient manner possible. They have developed two new resources to aid with the development of co-op groups. The Board of Directors Training Manual is designed for self-directed board of directors leading their own human service organization. The Policy and Procedures handbook is a template that can be modified to be program specific.

Certainly, stigma is one of the more formidable obstacles to a transformed mental health system. This resource kit is intended to raise awareness of mental health and help counter the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental illnesses. Users are invited to use the kit with event planning, partnership development, outreach to schools and businesses, mental health resources, marketing to the general public, and grassroots outreach.