Employee Spotlight: Elna “Lea” Garner-Williams
Lea is an Assistant Toddler Teacher at HDC’s Early Learning Center. She has her BS in Early Childhood Education which she received from the University of Southern Mississippi. Lea was an assistant teacher to the toddler program at USM Center for Child Development. She worked with children that needed accommodations and extra interaction for their early learning development. She is new to New Orleans and is eager to learn and work with the team, children, and families at HDC’s Early Learning Center. Lea says, “working with children is the greatest blessing, because you get to share the experience and growth of each child. I am so excited to be a part of the incredible teaching team here at LSU HSC HDC Early Learning Center.”
HDC Featured News
Assistance Needed: Beta-Testing a Decision Guide for Families with Special Needs
The Administration for Community Living has been working with a group of federal and non-federal partners – including several experts from the UCEDD network – to develop a COVID-19 decision guide for families with children with special health care needs. We are seeking your assistance with beta testing this tool.
While many children have already started school — parents of children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN) will continue to make difficult personal decisions about how to keep their children safe and learning. With guidance from public-health experts, parents, and health providers – the Stanford Health Literacy Lab has designed this interactive, educational Guide for Parents of CYSHCN, to help parents make sense of these back-to-school decisions. Please access the Decision Guide at SCOLGuide. Now in “beta test” mode, the Guide is meant to be used on a smartphone, and to guide discussion with a trusted advisor (child health provider).
We are asking that you share this with your networks so that the developers at the Stanford Health Literacy Lab can improve upon this tool to make it most useful to families. We appreciate your assistance with getting the word out about this important resource for families. Please send any feedback within the Guide, or to mcjsmith@stanford.edu.
HDC News
MCHB Seeks Your Opinion
We want to hear from you! The Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) is seeking public input on A Blueprint for Change: Guiding Principles for Advancing the System of Services for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) and Families (Blueprint) by November 30, 2020.
In the fall of 2019, MCHB began working with a small group of CYSHCN experts and families to reexamine systems of care for CYSHCN and to identify priorities and opportunities that can advance those systems and improve outcomes. The result is a draft Blueprint that can inform programs and policy at the community, state, and federal levels.
MCHB invites you to review the draft Blueprint and provide input on how this work can be operationalized at the community, state, and federal levels in four key areas:
- Health Equity
- Access to Services and Supports
- Family/Child Well-being and Quality of Life
- Financing of Services
Please submit comments via email to CYSHCN@hrsa.gov and reference “CYSHCN Blueprint RFI” in the subject line. Deadline to respond is Monday, November 30, 2020 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Please note that: Responses to this Request for Information (RFI) may be made publicly available; do not include any proprietary or confidential information. HRSA/MCHB will not respond to any individual comments, except to clarify written responses. HRSA also will not respond to questions about potential policy issues related to this RFI.
More Information on Children with Special Health Care Needs
Please share widely.
Autumn Science Opportunity in Louisiana
Who? Louisiana students in grades 3-12
What? A 3-hour STEM experience for which students will receive a box chocked full of hands-on instructional materials
When? October 17 or November 14, 2020 from 1:00-4:00PM Central time
Where? Everywhere! Via Zoom
How? Please visit the link below for additional information and to complete an application.
Autumn Science Information and Registration
For questions, please contact Eric Guillory, Director of Youth Services at Louisiana Center for the Blind at eguillory@louisianacenter.org.
National Online Dialogue on Job Developing for People with Disabilities During Times of Increased Unemployment
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) encourages you to participate in a national online dialogue, Job Developing for People with Disabilities during Times of Increased Unemployment. DOL is hosting this dialogue to learn how job developers are helping people with disabilities obtain competitive integrated employment during times of increased health risks and unemployment. They want to hear from you—individuals with disabilities, family members, advocates, employment specialists, VR counselors, job coaches, and employers. The dialogue will be open through October 18, 2020.
The topics include:
1) Addressing health risks
2) Balancing self-determination and health
3) Addressing increased unemployment
National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2020
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year’s theme is Increasing Access and Opportunity. This year 2020 marks the 75th observance of NDEAM, but also the 30th anniversary of the ADA. Both milestones have events and activities centered on the theme at the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)’s National Disability Employment Awareness page.
Also join the Association of Persons Supporting Employment First (APSE) for FREE and PAID events on APSE’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month page.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month Poster Download Page
