CENTER FOR LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP OKLAHOMA’S FEDERALLY DESIGNATED UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES (UCEDD)
February 2013
“Harness the Power”
2013 Governor’s Conference on Developmental Disabilities
The 2013 Governor’s Conference on Developmental Disabilities will take place March 5‐6 at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Norman. The conference is open to people with disabilities, their families, providers, professionals, and advocates. Keynote Speakers
Tuesday, March 5
Interact Theater Company: “A Cabaret of Endless Possibilities!” Interact Theater Company creates art that challenges perceptions of disability and has opened doors for artists with disabilities. This musical show features songs, sketches and lively dance numbers created by Interact performers and musicians. It will examine the struggles, triumphs and joys faced by people with and without disabilities.
Wednesday, March 6 Jean Carpenter‐Williams: “Embracing a Trauma‐Informed System of Care” Jean Carpenter‐Williams is the director of training development at the National Resource Center for Youth Services at the University of Oklahoma OUTREACH. Her keynote will discuss how trauma‐informed care can create opportunities for individuals to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.
Registration Registration is due by February 25th. The $50 fee includes both days of the conference and lunch on the first day. Go to okgovconfdd.com, e‐mail Gail.Russell@okdhs.org or call 405‐521‐6254 to register. Scholarships for People with Disabilities There are a limited number of registration fee scholarships for people with disabilities. If you have limited financial means, are unemployed or have to take unpaid leave from work to attend the conference, you may request a scholarship on your registration form. Reimbursements for Family Members There are a limited number of $40 per day reimbursements for family members of individuals with disabilities. The registration fee must be paid in advance and the reimbursement will be mailed to you after the conference. Recipients must sign in both days and provide their contact information. For the full agenda and conference details, click here or go to okgovconfdd.com. Jim Nicholson Retires from OKDHS
Jim Nicholson retired from his position as Director of the Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) on January 31. Nicholson, who worked at OKDHS for four decades, was the longest serving DDSD director in the country. JoAnne Goin is the new director of the division. Goin has worked for OKDHS for 38 years, and has worked for DDSD since 1988. For more information, click here.
Mark Your Calendar
Person‐Centered Thinking Training Person‐Centered Thinking uses tools that focus on 1) the role of daily rituals and routines, 2) how to discover what is important to people, 3) how to document how and what individuals are communicating, and 4) how to address issues of health and safety while supporting choice. There are two upcoming training opportunities: February 27‐28 and March 19‐20, all sessions 9 a.m.‐4 p.m.
Bios offices, 2442 N. Walnut Ave., Oklahoma City, OK For more information or to register for either class, contact Mary Katherine Long at mary‐long@ouhsc.edu or 405‐271‐4500, ext. 41012. Feb. 28, March 1: “Approaching Difficult Conversations” ‐Information for families about working with schools, 8:30 a.m.‐3:30 p.m. February 28: Midwest City, OK March 1: Tulsa, OK Call the Oklahoma Parents Center at 1‐877‐553‐4332 or visit their website at www.oklahomaparentscenter.org to register. March 1: Youth Leadership Forum application deadline E‐mail Jenifer‐Randle@okddc.ok.gov or call 405‐521‐4984. March 26: On the Road Family Perspective Conference Seretean Wellness Center, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK Call Sally Selvidge at (405) 812‐5076 or click here for more information. NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. P0STAGE
PAID
OKLA.CITY, OKLA
PERMIT #220
focus facts
Center for Learning and Leadership/UCEDD
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
P.O. Box 26901, ROB 342
Oklahoma City, OK 73126
focus facts is published for the Center for Learning and Leader-ship, Oklahoma’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). It is dissemi-nated to a statewide and national network of people interested in developmental disabilities. If you would like to submit informa-tion to be published in the newslet-ter, please e-mail or mail our Editor. Be sure to include the source, de-scription, and contact information relevant to the information you are submitting. Email: Learn2Lead-UCEDD@ouhsc.edu focus facts is supported by grant #90DD0685 from the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Services Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Addi-tional support is provided by Okla-homa co-sponsors: OU College of Medicine, The University of Okla-homa Health Sciences Center, and project partners: East Central Uni-versity and Cameron University. The University of Oklahoma pub-lishes this newsletter in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations. The University of Okla-homa, in compliance with all Federal and State applicable laws and regu-lations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. This in-cludes but is not limited to admis-sions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. www.ou.edu/eoo
