KRESA ’10-’11 Transition Round Table Series:

An opportunity for students, parents, teachers, and community members to learn about current topics affecting students with disabilities in the transition from school to adult life.

Kalamazoo RESA Service Center, Wile Auditorium
1819 E. Milham (between Lover’s Lane and Portage Rd.)
Thursdays 7:00pm-8:30pm

November 18: Making the Move from High School to Post-Secondary Education

Lois Baldwin, KVCC/ Dorothy Fancher, WMU

December 16: Understanding the Transition Planning Process for Youth with Disabilities

Mindy Miller, Kalamazoo RESA

January 20: Employment for Youth with Disabilities: Michigan Rehabilitation Services

Rebecca Hill/Jessica Vitkin, MRS

February 17: Alternatives to Guardianship: Tools for Self-Directed Adults

Lori West, Community Advocates

March 17: Living Options for Young Adults with Disabilities

Center for Disability Services (WMU), Community Living Options, Disability Network, Residential Opportunities, Inc., Kalamazoo Community Mental Health

April 21: Social Security: Understanding Disability Benefits and Work Incentives for Youth

Peter Mulder/Crystal Haigh, Disability Network

Questions? Would you like information or would like to bring a similar presentation(s) to your school or group? Please contact Mindy Miller, KRESA Transition Coordinator at (269)250-9337 or mmiller@kresa.org.

“Working for Change: Using the Power of a Personal Story” with Sandee Koski

Working for Change Workshop

5th Annual Kalamazoo Wraps National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day Carnival

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds (Hazel Gray Building)

4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Each year the Kalamazoo Wraps National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day

Carnival is bigger and better. Over 1,200 were in attendance last year!

As in years past, this year's event will focus on education regarding children's

mental health issues and awareness of the services available for youth and their

families, within our system of care. This event also serves to reduce the stigma

of receiving mental health services and having mental illness.

In addition, we will also focus on: the positive effects/results of youth who receive

the mental health and substance abuse services they need, thereby increasing

graduation rates and decreasing their involvement with the juvenile justice system.

The carnival also provides a rare opportunity for parents, youth, families, service

providers, community members, and business owners, to spend time together in a

relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, promoting better communication, while building

relationships and trust within our system of care.

The event is open to the public and is entirely FREE: Attendance, Food, Games,

Prizes and Entertainment. We serve hotdogs, cotton candy and popcorn. A clown, who

makes animal shapes, hats and jewelry out of balloons, walks around throughout the

event, delighting everyone... KIDS LOVE THE BALLOON MAN. There are "bouncy

castles", professional face painters, and "experiential" games, organized by the

KCMHSAS Adventure Group staff, on the lawn. In addition, each organization that

participates has a game, or some fun activity, at their booth. Each year we have live

music and dancing, and "entertainment with a purpose" activities like instrument petting zoos.

For more info: http://www.kalamazoowraps.com/

ASPERGER’S SYNDROME: EXPLORING THE GIFTS AND THE CHALLENGES

Don't Miss out the opportunity to see Dr. Nick Dubin's presentation:

Asperger's Syndrome:

Exploring the gifts and challenges

Wednesday, May 12

6.30 pm to 8.00 pm

Hicks Banquet Hall

Kalamazoo College

If you want to learn more about Dr.Nick Dubin,you can visit his website: http://www.aspergerwisdom.com/

Sponsored by the Kalamazoo College Autism Awareness Group, the Autism Society of Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Institute for Service-Learning, and the Kalamazoo College Student Development Office

Contact Bruce Mills at bmills@kzoo.edu if you have questions.

Kalamazoo County Interagency Coalition a Children’s Foster Care Collaboration

Presents:

What: Join the Kalamazoo Interagency Coalition for a day of training, Q & A session, and dinner

When: May 21, 2010, 1:00-8:30 (Attend part of the day or the entire event)

Where: Christian Life Center, 1225 W Paterson, Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Attend part of the day or the entire event!

Schedule of Events:

• 12:30 Registration begins
  
• 1-3:00 Speaker Jeanne Fowler
  

*Jeanne grew up in foster care

*Author of Peter's Lullaby

*Visit her website at:
http://www.bigfamilyofmichigan.org/

• 3-4:30 Q & A Session-There will be foster parents, foster youth and representatives from local
  

Foster care and adoption agencies available to answer any questions.

• 4:30-5:30 Dinner/Snacks
  
• 5:30-8:30 Panel, Session 9-The panel includes foster parents, workers and foster youth.
  

You can pre-register by contacting Julie Urbanski at 269-337-5034 or urbanskij@michigan.gov.

Pre-registration is required if you wish to receive a dinner. If you do not pre-register, snacks will be provided.

*Trainings will be facilitated by Kalamazoo County Interagency Coalition Members from the following agencies: Kalamazoo County DHS, Bethany Christian Services, Family & Children Services, Lutheran Social Services of Michigan, Starr Commonwealth, and Catholic Charities of West Michigan.

COMMENCEMENT CHALLENGE - VOTE FOR KALAMAZOO CENTRAL!!!!!

Kalamazoo Central is one of six high schools in the nation, and the only one in Michigan, selected to compete in the Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge. During the next two weeks, the field will be narrowed to three schools, and then, one.

President Obama will speak at the commencement ceremony of the high school selected!!.

Today through Thursday, people across the country will be voting on videos created by each of the six high schools. I encourage you to participate and support the entry from Kalamazoo. Please link to the following site to cast your vote! http://www.whitehouse.gov/commencement

The finalists were chosen from among hundreds of entries based on a number of measurements for improvement and success. This is already an extraordinary honor for K-Central, Kalamazoo Public Schools, our city, county and state.

Join us in voting for Kalamazoo in the Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge.

Autism information subject of conference

--Awareness, community resources, intervention and parent and family issues regarding autism are topics of a conference Friday, April 23, on the campus of Western Michigan University.

WMU President John M. Dunn will deliver opening remarks for the free event at 3 p.m. in Room 2000 of Schneider Hall. Other speakers will follow, including:

• Dr. Stephanie Peterson, WMU associate professor of psychology, who will give an overview and evidenced-based treatments for autism.
  
• Dr. Diane Chugani, Wayne State University professor of pediatrics, who will speak on biological advances in understanding autism.
  
• Brenda Gagie, teacher consultant for the Kalamazoo Regional Education Service Agency Autism Program, who will talk about community resources for autism.
  
• Dr. Bruce Mills, Kalamazoo College professor of English, who will give his perspective as the parent of a son diagnosed with autism.
  
• Andrew Ackner, a Michigan native and noted presenter with autism, who will speak about his personal experiences.
  

The event is sponsored by WMU's Department of Psychology, Residential Opportunities Inc., the Autism Society of Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, KRESA and Parent to Parent of Southwest Michigan.

Free public parking is available next to Schneider Hall in Lots 72R and 72W.

For more information, contact Dr. Wayne Fuqua, chair of the Department of Psychology, at wayne.fuqua@wmich.edu or (269) 387-4474.

Respite Network Meeting

WHO:
families who have children/young adults who can't always be left home alone and who don't qualify for other respite services /can't find respite that matches their needs

WHAT: an informal get-together to start a respite community, a family to family support network

WHEN: April 29^th at 7 pm

WHERE: ROI,1100 South Rose Street Kalamazoo MI 49001

INTERESTED? call Anna Miron at (269)343-2580 so we know how many people to expect

This is a meeting for people who would like to explore the option of creating a community where families both receive and provide respite by being there for each others' children as parents/caregivers get a chance to do something outside the home. The person who is helping would come to the home of the family who wants the respite- just like a "sitter" would. We would interview each other and introduce/help each other just like we would a "sitter", except there will be no pay, just an exchange of providing respite.

We will use this first meeting to introduce ourselves and to share what we are hoping to get out of this.

ROI is graciously letting us use their meeting room, but ROI is not the organizer of this meeting. I think this is worth exploring. If you do as well, please join us at ROI!

Anna Miron

Summer Options for Youth

Presented by: Arcadia Institute and Partners

When: April 7, 2010

10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Where: Georgian Room

3299 Gull Road

Nazareth, MI 49074

Workshop Description:

How to structure community options for success and fun for youth with developmental

disabilities and serious emotional disturbance.

This course fulfills 2 of the 24-hour Children's training requirement.

Registration Information

Registration deadline is Friday, April 2, 2010 by 5:00 PM.

For questions contact Stephanie Thompson at 553-8143 or at:

sthompson@kazoocmh.org

All Kids Can!! Recreation Expo

We would like to invite you to visit our booth at the All Kids Can!! Recreation Expo. In this Expo, you can learn about all the camps, educational and recreational programs are available in our community for kids of all ages and abilities. Door prizes and scholarships will be given away.

Date: March 6^th, 2010

Place: Radisson Plaza Hotel in Downtown Kalamazoo

Time: 10 am to 2 pm

Price: Free

 

Sponsored by:

 

Parent to Parent of SW MI

Kalamazoo WRAPS

The Arcadia Institute Community Participation Initiative

Community Advocates