Current Initiatives Funded by the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council
For a printable PDF of this page, click on this link: Current Initiatives
Advocacy
Enhancing Self-Advocacy and Public Policy Work
People On the Go of Maryland (POG)
POG, a group of advocates with developmental disabilities, is supported by the Council and the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD). The group advocates for people with developmental disabilities and educates people with developmental disabilities through leadership trainings and mentoring opportunities, and provides support and training to local self-advocacy groups. The group works to achieve improvements in policies, practices, services and laws in Maryland to ensure people with disabilities have equal rights and opportunities.
Expectations Matter: “My Life, My Plan, My Choice”
Shared Support Maryland, Inc.
The Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) has instituted a new Person-Centered Planning (PCP) process, utilizing new approaches and tools. The Council and DDA believe that people with developmental disabilities and their family members’ must be informed and engaged fully in their own planning and to do this effectively they must understand PCP concepts, process, and tools. Funding for this two-year initiative supports development of two standardized PCP training modules, development of a user-friendly written guide to accompany the training, and development of a trainer’s guide that prepares others to provide PCP training to individuals with developmental disabilities and family members.
Employment
Transforming and Improving Practices through Customized Technical Assistance (TIP Grants)
Service Providers throughout Maryland
Round One: Appalachian Parent Association, Bay Community Support Services, CHANGE, Inc., CHI Centers, Head Injury Rehabilitation & Referral Services, Humanim & Compass (jointly funded), Itineris, Providence Center, Spring Dell Center, The Arc of Howard County, The Arc Prince George’s County, The Arc Southern Maryland, The Arc of Washington County
Round Two: Ardmore Enterprises, Bayside Community Network, Community Living, Inc., Gallagher Services, Melwood, Opportunity Builders, Rehabilitation Opportunities, The Arc Baltimore, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region, The Arc Montgomery County
Round Three: Delmarva Community Services, Gallagher Services, New Horizons Supported Services/Compass, Inc., The National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA), Penn-Mar Human Services; Spectrum Supports, The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region, Jewish Community Services, The Arc Carroll County, The League for People with Disabilities, SEEC: (Seeking Employment, Equality, and Community for People with Developmental Disabilities), and Community Options.
Round Four: Chesapeake Center, Chesterwye Center, CHI Center, Harford Center, Scott Key Center, St. Peter’s Adult Learning Center, and Star Community.
TIP grants provide funding to improve employment outcomes of people with developmental disabilities by funding customized technical assistance for community service providers licensed by the Developmental Disabilities Administration. The grants allow providers to improve the way services are provided, building their capacity so that more people with developmental disabilities are supported to obtain and keep the meaningful work they want in their communities and to have meaningful days when not working. The Council has funded four rounds of TIP grants for a total of 40 organizations.
Eastern Shore Provider Transformation Community of Practice
United Needs and Abilities, Inc.
This project funds a subject matter expert to provide technical assistance to the Eastern Shore Provider Transformation Community of Practice (CoP), a group of 12 community service providers supporting people with developmental disabilities in all 9 counties on the Shore. Technical assistance will help provider leadership address barriers to transportation, recruitment and retention of direct support professionals, and improve and enhance stakeholder buy-in and support. The providers will improve the success of Employment First initiatives, share their efforts, and receive mutual support, through a learning community. As a result, more people with developmental disabilities will be supported to get and keep the meaningful work they want in their communities, and have meaningful days when they are not working.
Southern Maryland Provider Technical Assistance
The Arc Southern Maryland
This project funds a subject matter expert to provide technical assistance and training to licensed DDA providers in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties. This technical assistance and training will increase the knowledge and skills of provider professionals and facilitate organizational transformation so that more people with developmental disabilities are supported to get and keep the meaningful work they want in their communities and to have meaningful days when not working.
Employment Publication: What Matters
In-house initiative
What Matters tells the stories of nine people with developmental disabilities who work and have meaningful days in their communities. Their stories illustrate the success that is possible when the right planning, support, and expectations are in place.
Child Care
Nurse Consultation and Coaching Demonstration Project
PACT: Helping Children with Special Needs
This demonstration project supports an experienced pediatric registered nurse to train, coach, and consult with 50 licensed child care providers in the Baltimore metro area to increase their knowledge, skills, and capacity to care for and support children with developmental disabilities who also have special healthcare needs in inclusive child care settings. As a result of this initiative, more children with developmental disabilities who also have special healthcare needs will be in childcare settings alongside their peers without disabilities and a model of nurse consultation and consulting will be developed and expanded statewide.
Roots of Inclusion: Building Capacity through Leadership Development
Abilities Network/Project ACT
This project funds development of a three module training series designed to support directors, owners, and other leaders in the child care community in designing, implementing, and sustaining inclusive early childhood programs in Baltimore, Cecil, and Harford Counties. The training series will meet the Maryland State Department of Education’s Office of Child Care’s Core of Knowledge (COK) hourly training requirements. Final versions will be shared with the Maryland Child Care Resource Network (MCCRN) to become part of the training catalog available to the Child Care Resource Centers (CCRCs) and will be available statewide.
Community supports
Leading Forward: Training Self-Advocate Educators for First Responders Program
Loyola University of Maryland
This projects funds stipends for individuals with developmental disabilities for the Leading Forward: Training Self-Advocate Educators for First Responders Program, administered by the Maryland Department of Disabilities and implemented by Loyola University of Maryland. The program prepares and supports individuals with developmental disabilities to serve in training roles to educate law enforcement and other first responders on how to effectively interact with people with ID/DD. This approach utilizes individuals with developmental disabilities to increase understanding of the ID/DD population, reducing stigma to ensure safety and facilitating community integration.
Leadership Development
Partners in Policymaking®
The Arc Maryland
Through a series of nine sessions and related hands-on activities, The Partners in Policymaking® program (Partners) trains individuals with developmental disabilities and family members to become effective advocates for long-term change. The Council is working closely with The Arc Maryland to conduct Partners, the most prominent leadership development program for individuals with disabilities and their families in the country.
Serving on Groups That Make Decisions: A Guide for Families
The Parents’ Place of Maryland
Serving on Groups that make Decisions: A Guide for Families, is a tool to help build leadership skills in families and other individuals who are interested in, or are currently serving on decision – making groups. This project funds leadership training to Special Education Citizens Advisory Committees (SECACs) and Local Interagency Coordinating Councils (LICCs) in Maryland. These advisory groups play a crucial role in advising local school systems, and improving outcomes for children with disabilities.
LEADers Hybrid for Western Maryland and the Eastern Shore
The Parents’ Place of Maryland
This project funds the development and implementation of hybrid leadership training in Western Maryland for parents of children with developmental disabilities. It also includes follow-up activities with LEADers on the Eastern Shore to ensure ongoing engagement in advocacy and leadership, specifically targeting parents of children with developmental disabilities in Spanish-speaking and Haitian communities.
Information and Resources
Raising Expectations
In-house initiative
The purpose of this initiative is to identify challenges and create strategic messaging to increase the expectations of people with developmental disabilities. Using the think tank conclusions, the Council worked with a designer/communications professional to develop and implement a campaign to raise awareness of how expectations of people with developmental disabilities matter.
Planning Now
In-house initiative
The Planning Now guide is a comprehensive, easy to use futures and estate planning guide for families of children and adults with developmental disabilities. Future & estates planning includes envisioning a desired future for your child. Topics covered include financial and healthcare benefits, wills, trusts, tax considerations, financial planning, and others. This publication is available in English and Spanish on our website. Limited hard copies are also available in English.
Developmental Disabilities Administration Informational Sheets
In-house initiative
These four informational sheets provide easy-to-understand explanations of key aspects of the Developmental Disabilities Administration’s (DDA) service system. These documents are available in English and Spanish on our website. Hard copies are also available in English and Spanish.
User Friendly ABLE Guide
Creative Words and Visions, contractor
This user friendly guide will help people with disabilities and their families understand Maryland ABLE. Maryland ABLE is a savings and investment program that offers eligible people with disabilities the opportunity to save money for disability-related expenses without jeopardizing access to federal and state means-tested benefits.
What’s Possible: 9 Stories of Changed Lives
In-house initiative
Nine people who used to live at Rosewood Center, a residential facility for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and who now call the community home, told their stories for this publication. Their stories exemplify what is possible when people are given new opportunities and the community supports they need.
