A newsletter for chapters that connects, engages and informs.
MAY 13, 2013
Letter from the CEO
Peter V. Berns
CEO of The Arc
The Arc’s New Brand Taking Hold in New York
We’re thrilled to announce that The Arc Westchester and The Arc Schuyler are the first chapters in New York to sign on to use The Arc’s new brand identity. These two chapters are the first to take advantage of the terms of a master licensing agreement for NYSARC chapters that was put in place late last year. The agreement, necessitated by NYSARC’s unique corporate structure, provides NYSARC’s 55 local chapters the same options for implementing The Arc’s new brand identity as is available to local chapters nationwide.
With New York now coming on board, The Arc’s new brand identity now has a foothold in 47 of 50 states. To-date, 393 of The Arc’s 695 chapters (57%) have re-branded, including 38 of 41 state chapters. In 33 states, at least half of chapters have rebranded; 100% have rebranded in 13 states. Twenty-five additional chapters have come on board so far this year. The addition of New York should add a significant boost to the momentum of our rebranding effort.
If your chapter hasn’t signed up to take advantage of The Arc’s new brand identity, we hope you will do so soon. For information and assistance, contact Amberley Romo, The Arc’s Brand Coordinator, at romo@thearc.org. Chapters in New York may also contact Amberley or Jayson White, Assistant Executive Director for Communications, at whitej@nysarc.org.
p.s. The Arc will be receiving exposure in a major national publication later this year. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for your chapter to be seen proudly displaying The Arc’s new logo and tag line!
News & Action Items
Disability Policy Internship Application Deadline Extended
The Arc has extended the application deadline for the Fall Paul Marchand Disability Policy Internship to May 20. For 38 years, Paul Marchand was a dedicated disability policy advocate and recognized leader working on behalf of people with I/DD and the entire disability community. Upon his retirement from The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) in 2011, The Arc, with substantial contributions from UCP, other organizations, and individuals with whom Paul worked during his decades in Washington, established an internship in his honor. The Internship Fund will provide $3,000 per semester or summer session which can assist interns pursuing careers in public policy advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. See Application information and Internship FAQs for more information.
There’s a Buzz Building around The Arc’s National Convention
Planning is well underway for The Arc’s annual National Convention August 3-5 outside of Seattle, WA. And we’re already starting to hear a buzz about the program we have planned. People are talking about our keynote speaker, Buzz Bissinger. A noted best-selling author (Three Nights in August, Friday Night Lights) will speak about his latest book. But Buzz Bissinger is not just a celebrity, he’s a parent. His sons Zach and Gerry were born prematurely and Zach was born with significant intellectual disabilities. Recently, Buzz set out to document his special relationship with Zach in the book Father’s Day: A Journey into the Mind & Heart of My Extraordinary Son. Convention is your chance to hear Buzz’s perspective on what it means to be a parent of a child with I/DD so make plans now to join us in August. Find out more about the full program, other planned special events and register today at www.thearc.org/convention.
National Convention Pre-Conferences Dedicated to Leadership and Self Advocacy
On Saturday, August 3, The Arc’s National Convention kicks off with two pre-conferences dedicated to leadership and self-advocacy topics. “Oh, The Possibilities” preconference hosted by the National Council of Self Advocates of The Arc explores the possibilities for self-advocate leaders in your community and “Achieving Leadership” preconference hosted by NCE brings speaker John Delves to inspire audiences with his no-nonsense approach to developing leaders. Pre-registration is required. Find out more about this and the entire Convention schedule at www.thearc.org/convention.
Disability Policy Seminar – Important Follow-up information
To those of you who attended the 2013 Disability Policy Seminar, thank you for making it a big success! Please take a moment to complete your online Capitol Hill contact reports. Meeting with your Members of Congress is the primary purpose of the Seminar. The online system organizes the information from each meeting so that the sponsoring organizations know what was discussed and can follow up with the Members’ offices as necessary. And please complete your online Seminar evaluation form to let us know what you think of the program and the accommodations. We have also posted the presentations from those speakers that authorized us to share their work online. See you next year – April 6-9, 2014 – in Washington, DC!
Executive Director Opening in Arizona
The Arc of Arizona is searching for a dynamic Executive Director, who will provide visionary and strategic leadership to the organization. To view the complete job description, go to The Arc’s job board. To apply, follow the instructions in the HOW TO APPLY section of the job posting.
Healthy Relationships Peer Learning Community – Early Bird Last Chance
There’s still time to save on registration for The Arc’s upcoming Peer Learning Community on Supporting Healthy Relationships of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Learn how to empower the individuals you serve to make healthy relationship decisions on dating and beyond. Topics will include, dating tips, developing effective communication skills, red flags, and signals of unhealthy relationships, as well as ways that your chapter can provide information and support. This Peer Learning Community will kick off Monday, June 17 and run through July 22. Register now before May 17 for early bird discounts which will allow up to three participants from your chapter to join in for only $179. After May 17, the rate will be $199.
Sibshops Training Available
With over 400 programs in ten countries, Sibshops celebrate the many contributions made by brothers and sisters. And they’re a great way to let young brothers and sisters how much we care about them. The Sibling Support Project is now scheduling Sibshop facilitator trainings and workshops for fall 2013 and 2014. If you’d like to host a Sibshop training in your community, please write or call us at 206-297-6368. Those who attend the two-day training become first-generation Sibshop facilitators (as described in the Sibshop Standards of Practice) and, upon registration, may start a Sibshop in their community. The trainings and workshops are open to parents, adult sibs, and any service provider concerned about families. If you’d like to host a Sibshop training in your community, please write or call.
Online Self Advocacy Sessions Available from TASH
TASH is offering live online training sessions for self-advocates, legislative advocates, families, and service providers in May and June. Valuable and timely topics related to encouraging self-advocacy are presented live on the Adobe Connect platform and include an overview of person-centered planning, a new model for building personal support networks and a session on restraint and seclusion in schools. A full list of TASH Training sessions with descriptions, presenter bios and registration instructions can be found at www.tash.org/training.
FEMA Calls for Individual and Community Preparedness Awards Submissions
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that the application period for the 2013 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards is now open. These awards recognize outstanding individuals, organizations, Citizen Corps Councils and programs working to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared for any disaster or emergency event. Application deadline is June 5.
IRS Committed to Hiring Individuals with Disabilities
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is committed to hiring, developing and retaining persons with disabilities. They have asked us to reach out through our chapter network to identify your clients with disabilities who would like to be considered for possible future career opportunities in professional occupations listed here. They can submit their documentation to: HCO.Recruiter4Disability@irs.gov along with this content card. All documentation will be kept on file so that qualified candidates may be considered as possible opportunities arise. Additional clerical, administrative and management career opportunities are posted at www.jobs.irs.gov/ability.
Online Education Opportunities
New Education Opportunities from Autism NOW
Autism NOW – The National Autism Resource & Information Center, which is a project of The Arc funded in part by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, frequently offers online educational opportunities for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families. All sessions are held on Tuesdays from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST and pre-registration is required.
May 14 Service Implications of the DSM-5 for People with Autism
E-Learning Series Offers Free and Low Cost Professional Development
May 23 Introduction to The Standards for Excellence – Free! Registration is required. Join The Arc to learn about the Standards for Excellence certification process and what tools and resources are available to chapters of The Arc.
June 5 Maximizing the Leadership Provided by Your Board – Only $10! This session designed for all-volunteer chapters will help you develop and grow your board to its full potential. Create the board that you want and need to move forward.
Chapter Focus
HealthMeet Events Getting Attention in May
ACHIEVA (PA) is continuing to offer health and wellness screenings as part of The Arc’s HealthMeet initiative. So far, almost 100 folks in their region have been through a screening. They are currently gearing up for a large screening as part of the Special Olympics of Allegheny County Summer Games on May 11. And, The Arc of Atlantic County (NJ) is kicking off their first ever Health Fair, also part of the HealthMeet initiative, on May 14. They will offer free health assessments for people with I/DD by appointment along with health and wellness information for the community. The Health Fair will include yoga demonstrations, a nutrition presentation, Zumba instruction, chair massages and healing arts demonstrations. Plus, The Arc of San Francisco received front page press coverage in San Francisco Chronicle for their recent HealthMeet activities. Watch for news about HealthMeet programs in North Carolina and Massachusetts coming soon!
All About Branding Q: We’re a rebranded chapter, but we also have a foundation. Can we create another logo for this foundation? A: Yes. If you’d like to create a separate chapter lockup for an associated foundation, we will create a second set of official artwork. Email romo@thearc.org to learn more.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) grant applications are being accepted by the Internal Revenue Service until May 31.
We encourage you to share this publication with other staff members and volunteer leadership of The Arc, and have them become an online user to gain valuable information in the “For Chapters” section of our website.
For online access to “For Chapters,” click on the “For Chapters” link at bottom left of The Arc home page under “Chapter Resources.” If you’re already logged in, you will be brought directly to the “For Chapters” section. If you’re not logged in, you will be prompted to follow a link to the login page. If you’re a member, simply enter your username and password and click login. If you’re not a current member, click on “New User Registration” and complete the new user form. Under “Chapter Involvement,” please be sure to select “Employee of a Chapter.” Within 24 hours you will have access to the “For Chapters” section of the website.
Tony Paulauski Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@www.thearcofil.org
