DCD Community of Practice

 

DCD Community of Practice

Sponsored by Regional Low Incidence Projects – Region 11

November 7, 2017

Metro ECSU, 2 Pine Tree Drive, Arden Hills MN 55112

8-8:30 Check in, Library Exchange, Networking

8:30-9 Introductions, sharing expectation, wiki refresher, goals for the year, questions/concerns

9-11- Supporting the Sexual Health of People with Disabilities in the Classroom

11-11:15 am- Break and Networking

11:15-12:15 LUNCH    (NHA verses SMI training conversation) 

12:15-12:30 Break and Networking

12:30-2 Suicide Awareness and Prevention in Students with Developmental Disabilities

2-3 Discussion on Trainings, Notes to Share, Closeout 

Information on Presentations: 

Supporting the Sexual Health of People with Disabilities in the Classroom

People with disabilities want friendships and relationships as much as anyone else. Unfortunately, there is a lack of appropriate education out there to support safe and healthy relationships. The rate of sexual assault is 40% higher for individuals with disabilities than for those without. We can work together to lower that statistic by supporting the sexual health for this population through conversations, education, and awareness.

This workshop is for educators and staff supporting students with disabilities.  In this workshop we will:

• Explore why people with disabilities are more vulnerable to assault.

• Review the background on sexual education for people with disabilities.

• Discuss potential sexual education strategies.

• Learn how to recognize and respond to sensitive situations that may come up for our students (assault, abuse, etc.).

• Learn how to respond to inappropriate sexual behaviors that may happen at school, on the bus, or in the community. 

Katie Thune is an educator and advocate for people with disabilities. She was a Special Education and Health teacher in the St. Paul Public Schools for 12 years. She has done extensive curriculum writing on relationships and sexuality education for many well-known disability organizations.

Suicide Awareness and Prevention in Students with Developmental Disabilities

 Is there a correlation between the incidence of suicidality and development disorder?  Does an intellectual impairment act as a buffer and lower the risk, or increase the chance that a person will attempt or complete suicide?  This presentation will explore myths and facts along with research data to answer these questions and will discuss unique signs, concerns and interventions when working with a youth with developmental disabilities who may be at risk for suicide.

Presenter Deborah Cavitt is a project director at Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health.  She has worked as an educator, grant writer, and advocate for families of children with mental health disorders.  She has a Master’s Degree in Human Service with Substance Abuse and Mental Health counseling certifications and is a mother of two sons who have each struggled with mental health disorders during their formative years.

This initiative is made possible in whole with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education using federal funding, CFDA 84.027A, Special Education – Grants to States. This event does not necessarily represent the policy of the federal Department of Education or the state Department of Education.  You should not assume endorsement by the federal or state government.

 

Cancellation: You can cancel your own registration for an event before the cancellation deadline. (Please check the event information for specific cancellation details.) If the event has a fee, refunds are possible only if cancellation is prior to the deadline. If you do not attend and do not cancel prior to an event, you are still responsible for payment and will be billed.

Special Accommodations: Please alert BrightWorks 2-3 weeks prior to the workshop/event if you need special accommodations, including sign language interpreters. (BrightWorks requires a notice of 2 business days to cancel a sign language interpreter. If you fail to cancel, we reserve the right to bill your school/district for this expense.) Update your profile as needed. Special accommodations are not included with each registration, but are stored in your profile until you make changes.