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Member's Only Website - NOW LIVE!
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Have you ever wanted one place to find social calendars, CC class sign-ups, and information about what’s happening at the CC office? Starting in January, members will have access to a “Members Only” page on the CC website! You will be able to see a live calendar of events, RSVP to Social Opportunities, and access forms, documents, and staff contact information! More will be added in the coming months!
If you're a member, look for an email from Kaitland, Membership Coordinator, from earlier this week. It includes a password to all of the members so that they can access this portion of the website. Only members received access to the Members Only portion of the website.
Not a member yet? Contact Kaitland, Membership Coordinator, at kaitland.communitychoices@gmail.com or by phone at (217) 419-6222 to learn more about organization and become a member!
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LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP - Healthy Sexuality Class
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Community Choices will be partnering with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District to offer a Healthy Sexuality Class. The class will cover a variety of topics including human anatomy, human reproduction, sexual health and STIs, condoms and birth control, and public vs private settings.
The class will be on Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30pm, January 8 - February 26 in the Community Choices Conference Room. New and previous participants are welcome. Contact Hannah at hannah.communitychoices@gmail.com if you have any questions.
The class starts TODAY - 1/8/20, but if you'd still like to sign up, let us know!
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CQL ACCREDITATION UPDATE!
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As part of our Accreditation with CQL, the Council on Quality and Leadership, Community Choices was happy to welcome their Quality Enhancement Specialist, Kristen Heichel, for a 2 day visit in December. We had a great experience working with and getting feedback on what we are doing well and where we can continue to learn and grow!
As part of the visit, we had the pleasure of hosting a member panel for our CQL visit! About 10 members volunteered their time to chat with Kristen about their experiences working with each other and our team. Tiffany D also spent extra time with Ms. Heichel to have a one-on-one interview about her goals and hobbies! Thank you so much to everyone who helped us make it happen.
Kristen really seemed to understand the novelty of our cooperative and the philosophy we bring to the community. It is always insightful to hear how those from outside of relatively small human services circle see and interpret how we do things and why. Kristen brought some really exciting suggestions about how to streamline and guide our programs, and we also got the opportunity to reflect on how we have come as far as we have and how to continue offering inventive and useful options and opportunities for our participants.
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JANUARY SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND CO-OP MEETING
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January Social Opportunities!
Lunch Club @ Chili's
Co-Op Meeting
Trivia Night @ Jupiter's at the Crossing
Amazing Stargazing
Dinner and a Movie: Howl's Moving Castle
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Co-Op Meeting Topic:
This month the group will be walking through the Members Only Website and holding brainstorming discussions about our upcoming Strategic Planning Session!
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THIS HOLIDAY!
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Our sincere and ongoing thanks to everyone who donated to Community Choices during the holiday giving season! Your contributions and support are the reasons that this cooperative has sustained for over 10 years and been able to engage hundreds of individuals and families. With your donations we are able to have a real impact on the lives of people with I/DD in our community. Thank you for being there for your neighbors! When we all do better, we all do better!
A special thanks to our extremely generous matching donor. Your pledge of $5000 in matching funds has a monumental impact on our budget and helped to excite and engage our existing community of donors! THANK YOU!
We can still use your support this season! If you have not already, please consider making a gift!
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CHECK OUT CSH'S RESOURCE BOOK ON SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
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CSH works statewide to increase access and resources for Supportive Housing! Check out this great resource they’ve put together! It includes workbooks for how to set up your own supportive housing options, simple tools for things like budgeting, and links to many videos and stories about people who’ve made supportive housing work for them.
Check it out HERE!
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JOIN THE DHS DD ADVISORY COMMITTEE - HELP AFFECT SYSTEMS CHANGE!
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DHS is creating a committee to provide a venue for stakeholders, including individuals with I/DD, families, ISCs, providers, Associations and governmental staff, to provide advice and recommendations on the activities of the Division and the Illinois DD service system. Specifically:
Providing feedback on policy and processes that the Division is implementing.
Establishing smaller work-groups meant to create new policy, processes, training and/or other deliverables that will positively impact the service system. These work-groups will bring in additional individuals not currently seated on the Advisory Committee that can best inform the topic or work-group need.
Assisting the Division in obtaining feedback from individuals with I/DD in order to better inform services.
If you’re interested in representing the provider perspective on this committee, please reach out to Andrea Medley at Andrea.Medley@illinois.gov for an application. Applications will be accepted through January 31st. I will do my best to have a broad representation of providers from across the state.
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BECOME A UIUC LEND FELLOW
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The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) Program provides one-year, graduate level interdisciplinary training designed to improve the health and well-being of individuals with disabilities. LEND focuses training on the policy, advocacy, research and clinical skills necessary to affect positive change on all levels, from the individual to systems.
The local chapter is seeking self-advocates and family members to be part of next year's co-hort!
The application deadline is February 14, 2020. Please email Meghan Burke if you have any questions (meghanbm@illionois.edu).
The next LEND cohort begins in August of 2020 and lasts for a school year. LEND meets on Thursday nights from 4-7pm in the College of Education at UIUC. It also requires some meetings on Fridays from 1-4pm in the College of Education at UIUC. In response for participating in LEND, participants receive a substantive fiscal stipend.
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WEBSITE - ACCESSIBLE RESTAURANTS in CU!
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FIND ACCESSIBLE RESTAURANTS IN CU!
CC Board Member and special education professor Meghan Burke and her son Rogan know the challenges of navigating restaurants that vary in their accessibility to patrons with disabilities. To assist other restaurant-goers, Burke and University of Illinois students evaluated local restaurants’ accessibility and report their findings on the website Access Urbana-Champaign.
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