Hi Ann, although we have assisted with marketing ABLE via social media, our Virginia 529 plan which runs ABLE does their own marketing and has done an excellent job.  We have coordinated with them, including hooking them up with conferences like the Arc State Convention, etc. so that they can speak directly to people with disabilities and family members.  Here is their website:  https://www.able-now.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpuewt4Hx2QIVx16GCh3cHgYfEAAYASAAEgLTcvD_BwE

 

We had a wonderful grant, now in the post grant monitoring phase that we awarded to our UCEDD on healthy relationships, prevention of abuse,  neglect, etc., including sexual abuse. The description is below. I am also attaching their final report. For more specific information about products, etc. you can contact their project director Molly Dellinger-Wray xxxxxx@vcu.edu. I hope this is helpful! Got nothing on #2 J  We have PRCs in the schools and the state PRC.

 

Grantee: Virginia Commonwealth University 

Grant Title: Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP)
Award Amount: $178,125   Match Amount: $59,375
Area of Emphasis: Formal/Informal Community Supports
Description: The project’s purpose was to teach people with disabilities about healthy relationships and how to better protect themselves from sexual assault, abuse, neglect, and violence. The project ended in September 2016. A total of 519 people with disabilities were been trained through the LEAP program since it was initiated in 2013; 281 individuals were trained from October 2015 to September 2016. Other project accomplishments include the creation of a manual for trainers, an adapted curriculum and the establishment of five training teams of individuals with disabilities and professionals. Efforts are also underway to provide a companion training for LEAP for staff and family members. LEAP staff have submitted a proposal to the Raliance Foundation and negotiations are in the works to apply for a Jenkins Foundation grant in the future which would allow this effort to truly make a difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities. The Board will continue to monitor the progress of this initiative

 

 

 

 

Heidi Lawyer

Executive Director

Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD)

1100 Bank Street, 7th Floor, Richmond, VA  23219

804-786-9369

800-846-4464

www.VaBoard.org

 

July FB   July YT      

 

 

 

 

 

From: xxxxxx@nacdd.simplelists.com [mailto:xxxxxx@nacdd.simplelists.com] On Behalf Of Trudgeon, Ann
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2018 9:57 AM
To: xxxxxx@nacdd.simplelists.com
Subject: DD Councils Friday email question

 

Actually a couple of questions, with a present at the bottom of the email for those of you working on communications policies for your Council members and staff….

 

1)      Who has an ABLE Account marketing plan they love they’d like to share?? We’re JUST now on board and about to hire a PR firm to work on this. Would love your favorite ideas to share the news about ABLE.

2)      Who has a parent-run resource or call center plan they love – or hate – that they can tell me about.  Our Dept. of Education is rethinking their decision to close our old regional education resource centers, and we’d love to help them redesign them. Good ideas and ideas that didn’t work would all be helpful.

3)      Who has good stuff on domestic violence and/or sexual assault to share – speakers, trainings, products???

 

Thanks for anything – my direct email is xxxxxx@okdhs.org

 

Now,  here’s is my policy for communications between staff and Council members. This was originally drafted by Joe Krieger, the former director in Florida and we adopted is probably 12+ years ago.  It’s been very helpful….

 

Happy Weekend!  Ann

 

Communications Guidelines for Council Members and Staff

 

PURPOSE: 

In an effort to clarify the lines of communication between and among Council members and staff, the following are general instructions pertaining to normal situations that regularly occur during the working relationships between members and staff. The intent is not to stifle open and spontaneous interactions, but to ensure an effective, appropriate and timely communications flow. There may be natural, personal relationships that develop when a Council member and staff member are working together on specific committees. It should be noted that it is inappropriate for either person to allow lines to be blurred.  Major issues should be directed to the Executive Director and /or Council chairperson.

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Council members should communicate directly with the Executive Director (not individual staff members) on all ideas, suggestions, thoughts, questions, concerns and requests that do not pertain to an ongoing function or standard business of a committee. This enables the Executive Director to guarantee a swift response to the Council member, control the flow of work assigned to staff, allows her/him full knowledge of the broad overview of Council members’ thoughts, and sets the responsibility of outcomes on the proper position. 

 

On matters concerning specific committee business, it is the responsibility of the committee Chairs to field ideas, suggestions, thoughts, questions and concerns that a member may have pertaining to that committee. It is the committee Chair’s responsibility to interact with the staff assigned to that particular committee. Committee members should not individually instruct staff but utilize the Chair to communicate with staff. This enables the Chairs to be knowledgeable of his/her members’ thoughts, controls the flow of work assignments to the staff member, and allows the Chair to be responsible to articulate the position of the committee to any and all other Council members.

 

Specific requests of staff to provide information, research, personal assistance, travel planning, etc. that are not task oriented to specific committee work should be directed to the Executive Director to enable him/her to operate with full knowledge of issues pertinent to the Council and to control the flow of staff assignments.

 

Administrative and program staff should direct their management issues or concerns to the Executive Director. Council members should direct their concerns or issues about Council business directly to the Executive Director.


Council members should direct ideas, concerns, and feedback concerning Council business to the Council Chairperson and /or Executive Director. Sidebar discussions may occur without benefit of complete information or inadvertently spread misinformation.  Individual or group conversations about issues and concerns are most productive when they are directed to the Council leadership. 

 

These instructions do not preclude Council staff from communicating as necessary with any agency or organization.