Progress on Ad Hoc Task Force Recommendations
Progress continues to be made on
the recommendations from the
Ad Hoc Task Force on
Developmental Disabilities and Mental Illness.
A local workgroup has been meeting regularly to
develop a strategy to implement the recommendations.
The focus of the group has been to create a
system that stresses pre-crisis planning and
intervention while also creating support options for
those individuals in crisis.
Starting in May 2008 the CDDO began
accepting applications for consultation with Dr. James
Vincent. Dr.
Vincent is a licensed psychologist with extensive
experience working with individuals with developmental
disabilities and mental illness.
The application form can be found by clicking on
the “forms” link on this page and anyone may submit an
application.
This service is specifically for individuals exhibiting
“challenging behaviors.”
On June 23, 2008 a Request for
Proposal (RFP) was released for property management and
temporary housing for adult individuals in crisis. The RFP timeline is:
-
Wednesday July 2 – 3:00 p.m. at
the
Ark
Valley
Lodge – 615 N
Main
-
Pre-bid meeting (not
mandatory)
-
Tuesday July 22 – 1:45 p.m.
-
RFPs due to
Sedgwick
County Purchasing Department
-
Wednesday August 6
-
Board of
County
Commission
Award
For more detailed information on
the RFP please visit the Sedgwick County Purchasing site
by using the drop-down menu at the top of the page.
Next steps include determining the
feasibility of creating a Crisis Response Team in
Sedgwick
County and assessing our
current systems and try to improve coordination.
The goal of a Crisis Response Team will be to
attempt to support individuals in their current setting
rather than moving them to more restrictive or
potentially inappropriate settings.
By assessing and enhancing our systems
(Developmental Disability, Mental Health, Law
Enforcement, etc.) to better support individuals with a
dual diagnosis or who demonstrate challenging behaviors.
Task Force Reports to County Commissioners
The Ad Hoc Task Force on
Developmental Disabilities and Mental Illness
presented its final report to the Board of County
Commissioners during the Board’s December 6 meeting.
Task Force Chair Marla Flentje provided County
Commissioners an overview of the report, which
highlights the difficulty in safely supporting
people with development disabilities who engage in
extreme, aggressive behaviors. While the number of
individuals who fall into this category is estimated
to be relatively small, perhaps fewer than 100 in
Sedgwick County, the amount of resources required to
ensure the safety of those individuals and those
around them creates significant stress for area
providers of developmental disabilities services.
Flentje emphasized the high
quality of supports provided to the vast majority of
people who utilize community developmental
disabilities services. Unfortunately those who
engage in the extreme behaviors do not receive the
type of support they require, which places them,
others around them, and community agencies in
jeopardy. The report includes a series of
recommendations for action both by Sedgwick County
and also the State of Kansas to improve services for
affected individuals.
Commission Chairman Ben
Sciortino questioned what next steps were planned
now that the report has been completed and
recommendations have been identified. County
Manager Bill Buchanan responded that the
recommendations contained in the report would be
utilized to create an action plan for consideration
by the County Commission in the next few weeks.
Click here to read
the full report prepared by the Ad Hoc Task Force on
Developmental Disabilities and Mental Illness.
Community Activity Calendar Up and Running
After months of work, an
on-line calendar of community events that are of
particular interest to people with developmental
disabilities is available for use. The calendar,
which can be viewed at
www.SeeDeeDeeGo.org is sponsored by numerous
community organizations and is intended to be a
quick resource for those who are trying to find
community events that take into consideration needs
specific to people with developmental disabilities.
Listed events are not necessarily limited to people
with developmental disabilities, but typically will
have been planned with disability issues in mind.
The events calendar is one of
the first accomplishments of the Expanding Social
Supports initiative identified during SCDDO’s
community-wide planning process during the past
year. Now that the calendar is operational, it is
anticipated that more time will be spent to
encourage the development of events and
opportunities that are of interest to people with
developmental disabilities.
CDDO Reports Progress on Planning Initiatives
The 2006 Progress
Report on Planning Initiatives (PowerPoint presentation) was presented to the
Physical and Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board
during the November 14 meeting. This year was the first
of a five-year plan to address strategic areas
identified and prioritized through an inclusive process
during 2005.
SCDDO Seeking Disability Advocates
While advocacy and funding issues were identified as
leading priorities during the community planning process
for developmental disabilities services during 2005,
finding ways to involve more people in advocacy efforts
has progressed slowly. The Advocates in Communities Team
(ACT) agreed to play a lead role in developing advocacy
efforts, however only a few individuals have taken the
opportunity to become more involved.
To make the process as simple as possible for those
who wish to be more active in advocacy efforts, a simple
survey has been developed to identify the best way to
involve more people. Please take time to follow the link
below and review our on-line advocacy survey. If you
decide you would like to be involved, please indicate
your desired level of involvement and include your name
and contact information. This information will only be
used to alert you when activities you have indicated an
interest in are taking place. You can choose to
participate in those activities or not after you have
been notified.
Advocacy Survey
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Disability Organization
last update:
06/30/08
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