Recent data from the Center for Mental Health Services indicates that 1 in 4 people will experience a serious mental illness at some point in their life. Unfortunately,  people with mental illness are at greater risk of experiencing stigma from those who don’t fully understand the condition.

Stigma is when someone judges you based on a single, personal trait,  such as someone making a negative remark about your mental illness or your treatment.  It may be subtle, such as someone assuming you could be unstable, violent or dangerous because you have a mental health condition.  Some of the harmful effects of stigma can include a lack of understanding by family, friends, or colleagues; discrimination at work or school; bullying or harassment; or inadequate health insurance coverage.

One of the ways to deal with these stigmas is to speak out against it. Express your opinions at events, in letters to the editor or on the Internet. It can help instill courage in others facing similar challenges and educate the public about mental illness.

To this end, the Utah Disability Law Center is launching a multimedia anti-stigma campaign over the coming months that asks people to “rethink mental illness.”  The campaign will be seen and heard on local television and radio, as well as appear on outdoor billboards and in print.

On February 8, 2012, there is a great opportunity to learn about how to become a strong advocate and learn how to speak with Utah legislators about mental health issues.  This event is sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Health and the Utah Disability Law Center.

We hope that you will take an opportunity to learn more about mental health issues and join in advocating for people living with mental illness and their families.

This CPD Legacy Story is written by Laura Oppermann and is about the support she has received from CPD programs through the years for her son, Christoph.  Laura is the parent partner at Budge Clinic Pediatrics Medical Home, coordinates Medical Home Care with Intermountain Healthcare, and is currently a service coordinator for the CPD’s Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Diagnostic Clinic. 

Laura with Chris

Moving to a new place with a young child with severe disabilities and on-going medical needs can be daunting.

We decided to move from Germany to Logan when our son, Christoph, was two and a half.  His health was very fragile.  Surgeries, evaluations, treatments, as well as emergency ambulance rides were part of our routine. Our beautiful boy had significant needs and we needed to connect with physicians and early interventionists immediately upon arrival. We would have a 6-month waiting period for insurance, and I didn’t know how a major pre-existing condition might impact our coverage or ability to qualify. Needless to say, we were nervous.

A family member suggested I call the Center for Persons with Disabilities. I remember connecting with an informed, compassionate woman in the Up to 3 Program on the phone. I was so relieved to find someone who understood and could answer my questions! She let me know that following an evaluation, my son could receive home therapy services through their program. She listened to my concerns about getting insurance and directed me to Health and Human Services to ask about an insurance program I had never heard of before, called Medicaid.

Soon after we arrived in Logan, I met our service coordinator, Carol (Winn), who then introduced me to PT, OT and speech therapists. They came to our home to observe, listen and teach me as we worked to come up with strategies to help my son progress.  They connected us with The Utah School for the Deaf and Blind and we began to receive vision services, and eventually (deafblind) intervenor services as well.

Everyone was patient with us during multiple hospitalizations and made sure services were as continuous as possible. Preschool came up right away, and Chris came to the CPD to attend the transition classroom for a couple of months. This was extremely helpful, as, in my eyes, he was too young, small, and fragile to leave home and I was terrified to put him on a bus for an hour ride to Smithfield to go to school for the morning. His experience in the transition classroom helped ease me into this big step and understand how much he would benefit from school.

In addition to Up to 3, Chris also received great services through the feeding clinic (at the CPD); we borrowed books about disabilities from the lending library; and received consultation and help from the Assistive Technology Lab.

Throughout all our experiences, staff listened carefully to what we had to say. They encouraged us in our efforts and, most importantly, showed great respect and compassion to all members of our family -especially Christoph. They were considerate of our time and priorities and created an environment of fun, not guilt or obligation. We were able to borrow equipment, try it out, and then develop devices specific for my son’s needs.

Through connections made at the CPD, I became involved in a local parent support group called the Parent Connection which pushed Logan Regional Hospital to create the pediatric rehabilitation unit, Cache Kids, so families of children over 3 didn’t have to leave the valley for therapy. I also sat on the CPD’s Consumer Advisory Board for a while and got involved with Utah’s Family to Family support network. This led to other connections with Family Voices, Sparkle, IDASL, One Application, URLEND and Medical Home.

I have been involved with Medical Home for the past eight years, working with families and their pediatricians to make sure families receive compassionate, coordinated care and access to the supports they need to successfully care for their children with disabilities.

Now I’m working as service coordinator in the ASD Diagnostic Clinic and plan to continue my association with the CPD and its staff indefinitely.  I  appreciate how my experiences with my son and  the wonderful people who surrounded him and accepted him have shaped the person I have become.

Christoph passed away September 18, 2008.

What better time to review the history of America’s disability rights movement than during the week of Human Rights Day, a nationally recognized holiday combined with Martin Luther King’s Day.

Since before the Civil War, the fight for equal access and opportunity for the disabled in this country has been fought by people who demanded to be treated as full and dignified human beings and citizens.

The PBS film, Lives Worth Living, traces the progress of these pioneers who realized that in order to change the world they needed to work together. This film is an oral history, told by the movement’s mythical heroes themselves, and illustrated through the use of rare archival footage. Thanks to their efforts, tens of millions of people’s lives have been changed.

A screening of Lives Worth Living, co-sponsored by the Center for Persons with Disabilities and the USU Disability Resource Center, will be held on Friday, January 20th from 1-4 pm in room 154 of the USU Merrill-Cazier Library.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion on “The Disability Rights Movement: Past, Present, and Future.”  Panel members include disability advocates from around the state:

Sachin Pavithran holds a Masters degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling and is currently the interim director of the Utah Assistive Technology Program at the CPD.  Sachin is a strong advocate for persons with disabilities and serves on several national boards, including the Research and Development Committee for the National Federation of the Blind.

Andrea Pitts has been involved with various advocacy projects at the CPD for several years.  She has most recently worked with the Becoming Leaders for Tomorrow focus group, promoting independence and healthy lifestyles for individuals with disabilities. Andrea holds a Masters degree in Social Work and currently serves on the Utah Independent Living Council.  She recently accepted a position as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in Ogden, Utah.

Kelie Babcock has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and works as an education coordinator and peer mentor at the Tri-County Independent Living Center in Odgen, Utah, teaching classes to others who have disabilities.  She was the 2010 Ms. Wheelchair Utah and is a motivational speaker, encouraging others to “keep on rollin’” when life gets hard.

Tom Brownlee has been a strong self-advocate for many years. Tom serves on several boards, councils, and committees and is a local and national speaker, advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities. He is the current Chair of the CPD Consumer Advisory Council.

Tina Peck has worked with people with disabilities for many years and is a strong self advocate and  advocates for all people with disabilities.  She has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and is currently working on her Master’s degree.  Tina has worked for the Disability Resource Center at USU for seven years.

Scott Ferre learned American Sign Language after serving a British Sign Language mission, the first deaf culture exposure that he had ever experienced. Scott holds degrees in Psychology and School Psychology and currently works as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Salt Lake County. 

Andy Curry has worked in the field of disability since for many years and has considerable experience advocating for both federal and state legislation promoting civil rights, services, and independent living programs for persons with disabilities.  Currently, Andy is the Chair for the Utah Healthcare Subcommittee, a member of the Technology, Housing, and Transportation Committees, and is the State coordinator for the National Council on Independently Living (NCIL). He also serves on several other boards and committees at the local, state, and national level, all surrounding disability issues.  Andy has been the Executive Director of the Tri-County Independent Living Center in Ogden, Utah since 2004.

The Glenn I. Latham Award is the highest award given by the Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education, the Technical Assistance Division of the CPD.  This award is given to a State Education Agency staff member who best characterizes the attributes of Dr. Latham—knowledge, wisdom, and a passion to improve programs and services for children with disabilities.

We are proud to announce that the 2011 Glenn I. Latham Award was presented to Mark Ward, dispute resolution specialist from the Kansas State Department of Education and Susan Bailey Anderson, Professional Development Specialist from the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

The Glenn I. Latham Award was created in 2001 in memory of Dr. Glenn I. Latham, who was the founder and Director of the Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center at Utah State University.  Dr. Latham passed away in 2001 while on a technical assistance trip. Dr. Latham was nationally known for his expertise in special education, specifically in the areas of behavior management and parent involvement. He was highly respected for his dedication to improving services of children with disabilities.

The individual receiving the award must possess similar attributes and characteristics as Dr. Latham including:

• Contributes to improving results and services for children and youth with disabilities at the local, state and regional levels.
• Ongoing compassion and dedication in the area of special education.
• Demonstrates leadership—leading with mind and heart.
•  Willing to share their expertise with other professionals.
• Possessing similar characteristics and philosophy of special education as Dr. Latham.
• Keeping the main thing the main thing—children with disabilities.

The TAESE was established as part of the CPD in 2004.  The Glenn Latham Award is now an annual award.

The Interagency Outreach Training Initiative (IOTI) is currently looking for those parties interested in providing needed training in Utah for the 2012-2013 year.

The IOTI initiative focuses on areas where there are gaps in training in the education of paraprofessionals who provide supports to people with disabilities in Utah.

Paraprofessionals serve in various roles in many agencies: education, adult services, early intervention, and health care. Often paraprofessionals have not had the preservice training needed to help them learn to serve people with disabilities. The IOTI offers a means to provide educational opportunities for paraprofessionals, thus helping them to provide improved services.

Since 1995, the IOTI has funded more than 100 projects conducted by over 30 public and private agencies and organizations.  A Steering Council, headed by Chair Martin Blair, determines which proposals answer the current need for training in Utah. Funding is administered through the CPD.

Letters of Intent and Proposal Cover Sheets are due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15, 2012.  Letters will be reviewed and evaluated by the IOTI Steering Council and those applicants whose letters are determined to best address IOTI guiding principles and the training requested will be invited to submit full proposals. Written invitations to submit full proposals will be sent no later than March 16, 2012.

Full proposals are due by Wednesday, April 18, 2012.

To view the entire rfp and for more information about how to apply for IOTI funding, visit the IOTI link or contact Sharon Weston, CPD Assistant to the Director.