Current Initiatives Funded by the
MD Developmental Disabilities Council
Fiscal Year 2011 - 2012

Departing Rosewood a video documentary (MedSchool Maryland Productions & the MD DD Council)
The purpose of Departing Rosewood is to educate and inform multiple audiences about the closure of Rosewood in an engaging and compelling manner, including families, individuals with disabilities, policy makers, interested others and the general public.

What's Possible, 9 Stories of Changed Lives (publication of the MD DD Council)
This publication contains stories and photographs of people who have moved out of the Rosewood Center. The publication illustrates the impact of living in the community.

Family NETWorks (managed by the MD DD Council)
Maryland's most comprehensive online resource for disability-related information and supports. The Family NETWorks website www.family-networks.org focuses on the interests, needs, and concerns of families that have a member with a developmental disability. 

Maryland Family Network~Developmental Disabilities E Learning for Child Care Providers
This initiative will work to improve the knowledge and skill base of child care providers about children with developmental disabilities and their families through the development and implementation of an innovative e-learning module. E-learning allows those who have a need for information and training to access that information from a computer with internet connection. E-learning modules will be developed in English and Spanish. The result will be more children with disabilities served in inclusive child care settings throughout the state.
Contact: Steve Rhode. Detailed Summary

AT: LAST~ All Together in the Mountains
AT: LAST will build general awareness of assistive technology’s (AT) potential to a level that will prompt individuals living in Garrett and Allegany Counties and their support networks to seek AT services while also building the capacity of service providers across environments and age levels. Training will be provided to childcare providers; professional development courses will be conducted; materials will be developed to enable people with developmental disabilities to actively participate in their Individual Plans (IPs) by indicating their personal choices through Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) topic boards developed for the IP process. Contact: Susan Garber. Detailed summary

People On the Go of MD~Enhancing Self-Advocacy and Public Policy Work
This initiative will support active, effective and sustained statewide self-advocacy that is focused on key developmental disability issues. POG will also support the 2012 Legislative Internship which educates an emerging leader with a developmental disability to learn about the state legislative process, develop public policy skills and impact important issues.
Contact: Ken Capone. Detailed summary

People On the Go of MD~Southern Maryland Self-Advocacy Consortium
POG will establish and support a self-advocacy movement in Southern Maryland, particularly Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties wherein new groups would be created and established groups would be reenergized to work collectively. Contact: Ken Capone. Detailed Summary

The Arc of Maryland~The End the Wait Now! Campaign
The ETWN Campaign is a targeted effort by people with developmental disabilities and their families to reduce, and eventually eliminate, the Developmental Disabilities Waiting List for community supports and services. The Campaign engages in grassroots, education, and advocacy activities in Maryland aimed at convincing policymakers to make this a top policy and funding priority. Contact: Kate Fialkowski. Detailed summary

Maryland Association of Community Services~Real Lives Campaign
Born out of a growing sense of urgency, the Real Lives Campaign is a grassroots effort to educate policy-makers about the need to take action and address the underfunding of community supports for Marylanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Campaign will provide an opportunity for people with developmental disabilities, families, and direct support staff to come together and tell their stories about the importance of community supports in their lives.The Council's funds will help the campaign develop stories and videos and support other activities. Contact: Laura Howell. Detailed summary

EMPLOYMENT

TransCen, Inc.~Employment Supports for Transitioning Youth
The purpose of this initiative is to improve the employment outcomes of youth with developmental disabilities by providing customized training and technical assistance to adult service providers who are participating in the Maryland Seamless Transition Collaborative (MSTC). Contact: Debra Luecking Detailed Summary

Penn-Mar~Customized Training & Technical Assistance to Develop Work Experiences & Improve Employment Outcomes for People with Developmental Disabilities
Through training and technical assistance, Penn-Mar Human Services will increase staff skills to provide customized employment supports, resulting in competitive employment for people with developmental disabilities. Contact: Kevin Walker Detailed Summary

Goodwill~Customized Training & Technical Assistance to Develop Work Experiences & Improve Employment Outcomes for People with Developmental Disabilities
Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley started a strategic planning process that will transform its sheltered workshop to a community supported employment model. Goodwill will continue to make organizational changes to provide community employment supports and build the ability of staff to provide customized employment services.
Contact: Cindy Freeman  Detailed summary

Ardmore Enterprises~Workshop Reduction Project
Ardmore will increase its staff capacity and develop community-based meaningful days, including competitive employment, for individuals with developmental disabilities. In addition to this project, Ardmore is in the exploratory stages of another initiative called Economic Development/Creating Employee Owned Businesses.  The initiative examines poverty as a common denominator for people with and without disabilities and potential solutions for creating group employee-owned businesses with inclusive ownership.
Contact: Daphne Pallozzi Detailed Summary

 

 

 

 

 

State Councils on Developmental Disabilities are funded through formula grants authorized under Subtitle B of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act). The Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) is the Federal agency responsible for implementation and administration of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act). Organizationally, the Administration on Developmental Disabilities is located within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is part of the Department’s Administration for Children and Families.

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