“Job opportunities for people with disabilities have never been greater than they are now,” said Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SLP, senior vice president for grants and communications at Kessler Foundation.

EAST HANOVER, N.J. (PRWEB)
January 31, 2020

Kessler Foundation has awarded a two-year, $450,000 Signature Employment Grant to the State of Vermont’s Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to support Social Security Disability beneficiaries in increasing their earnings and aid on the transition to better living. VR will implement a combination of interventions, including a modified vocational rehabilitation service package, intensive benefits counseling, and short-term financial support after the cessation of benefits.

The grant is part of over $2.4 million in grants awarded by Kessler Foundation in 2019 to organizations across the U.S. to support initiatives that create and expand job training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

“Job opportunities for people with disabilities have never been greater than they are now,” said Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SLP, senior vice president for grants and communications at Kessler Foundation. “A substantial number of SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and SSI (Supplemental Security Income) beneficiaries are not getting the support they need to work. Those who work, do so at a level that is not self-sustaining, relying on a combination of benefits and low earnings. Even with income from both sources, many live in poverty.”

Historically, state and federal vocational rehabilitation programs have had limited success in helping SSDI and SSI beneficiaries work at self-sustaining levels. The BOSS (Better Option than Social Security) program will implement a new service package that addresses the challenges deterring beneficiaries who could achieve self-sustaining employment. The program includes a specialized VR service package intended to support higher wage employment; added benefits counseling designed to support beneficiaries during the transition to self-sufficiency; and self-directed financial support at key milestone points to assist the beneficiary in managing the transition to living entirely on earned income.

Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living Commissioner Monica Caserta Hutt states that, “Vermont is honored to receive this grant from the Kessler Foundation. Our state faces significant workforce challenges, and our Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is uniquely suited to lead this important initiative, supporting Vermonters who are living with disabilities and meeting a crucial need for local employers. We are very excited to begin work on the BOSS project.”

The BOSS program will be piloted at two sites in Vermont, Burlington and Rutland. It will deploy a specialized team at each site including a full-time vocational rehabilitation counselor, a full-time contracted job placement specialist, and a full time benefits counselor.

About the Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living

Our mission is to make Vermont the best state in which to grow old or to live with a disability – with dignity, respect and independence. For more information visit dail.vermont.gov.

About the Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

The mission of the Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is to help Vermonters with disabilities prepare for, obtain, and maintain meaningful employment and to help employers recruit, train, and retain employees with disabilities. DVR is the state/federal public vocational rehabilitation program for the State of Vermont and has been recognized as one of the most innovative vocational rehabilitation programs in the nation especially around services for Social Security disability beneficiaries. For more information, visit vocrehab.vermont.gov.

About Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.

Apply Now

Kessler Foundation is accepting applications now for its 2020 grant programs. To learn more and to apply, please visit our website. Signature Employment Grants applications are due February 14, 2020. Community Employment Grants applications are due by April 6, 2020. Inquires accepted for Special Initiative Grants on a rolling basis.

Stay connected

Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/KesslerFdn

Facebook | http://www.facebook.com/KesslerFoundation

YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/user/KesslerFoundation

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Contact information Kessler Foundation:

Carolann Murphy, PA

973-324-8382

CMurphy@KesslerFoundation.org

Rob Gerth

973-323-3675

RGerth@KesslerFoundation.org

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The joy of horseback riding

Since 1979, Children’s Association for Maximum Potential (CAMP) has provided safe, fun-filled programs for more than 1,600 campers (aged 5 – 50) with Autism, Intellectual Disability, Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury, Spina Bifida, visual impairment, and/or hearing impairment.

SAN ANTONIO (PRWEB)
January 30, 2020

Too often, individuals with special needs—or are considered medically or psychologically fragile—don’t have “typical” childhood experiences found at summer camp. Due to the severity of their disabilities, many are not eligible to attend summer or weekend camps, or participate in other programs offered within the special needs community. That is, until CAMP steps in.

Since 1979, Children’s Association for Maximum Potential (CAMP) has provided safe, fun-filled recreational experiences for individuals with special needs. The mission of CAMP is to strengthen and inspire individuals with special needs – and those who care for them.

CAMP’s 55-acre summer camp—known locally as Camp CAMP—is nestled in the Texas Hill Country along the Guadalupe River, at 515 Skyline Dr East in Center Point, Texas. It is a certified Texas Youth Camp and accredited by the American Camp Association. In 2020, the six-day camps begin May 24 and run through August 7. Since campers’ siblings are welcome, this summer camp gives parents/care givers a long, well-deserved and needed respite from childcare responsibilities.

Campers are assigned counselors at a 1 to 1 camper-to-counselor ratio, which ensures the safety of the campers and provides the best possible camping experience in a medically safe environment.

All programs are inclusive to meet the specific needs of each camper, giving everyone the chance to participate in traditional camping activities such as canoeing, swimming, horseback riding, arts and crafts, archery, outdoor cooking, recreational music, nature programming, paintball target range, petting zoo, dances, karaoke and more.

CAMP programs alleviate medical, physical, developmental, social, and intellectual barriers for more than 1,600 campers by adapting activities to allow full participation. CAMP serves individuals (aged 5 – 50) with mild to severe disabilities from diagnosis with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury, Spina Bifida, visual impairment and/or hearing impairment.

Summer 2020 applications—for both campers, campers’ siblings and volunteers—are now available at http://www.campcamp.org. CAMP welcomes applications from residents in and out of Texas.

CAMPERS AND SIBLINGS APPLICATIONS: Camper applications require a medical and social history from the parent/guardian, a medical physical exam form, and financial information. CAMP strives to be affordable to all families through our Scholarship Tier program or through Respite funding for campers who have Medicaid Waiver and General Revenue service programs in Texas. Additional financial assistance is available for families paying out of pocket who are unable to afford the Scholarship Tier amount. Spaces fill on a first come, first served basis to those with a complete application. Visit https://campcamp.org/campers/applications/summer-camp-application/.

YOUTH AND HEALTHCARE VOLUNTEERS: CAMP also serves (and needs) two other integral populations at its summer camp:

• More than 500 teen and young adult volunteers each summer (starting at age 15)—many of whom make career decisions based on their time at CAMP.
• More than 100 medical volunteers (Physicians, Residents, Medical Students, Registered Nurses, Licensed Vocational Nurses, Nursing Students, Respiratory Therapists, Physical Therapist, Physical Therapy students, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, etc.) who provide the medical support for our campers each summer, often while earning continuing education credits. Without CAMP’s extensive Healthcare volunteer staff, campers with severe medical needs – such as repertory issues, seizure disorders, and severe cerebral palsy – would not be able to participate at CAMP

CAMP is seeking enthusiastic, vibrant counselors aged 15 and older who are looking to challenge themselves. Volunteer counselor applications include a background check (aged 18 and over), references and an online training AND weeklong, comprehensive training session prior to being eligible to volunteer. During training, volunteers will learn how to properly care for and communicate with their camper to help them reach their maximum potential.

Similar to the campers and volunteer counselors, CAMP seeks healthcare volunteers (HCV) who are looking for a meaningful way to get outside of a clinical setting and potentially earn Continuing Education Credits (CEUs). As an HCV, they will support campers by dispensing medications, attending to medical needs, and enjoying activities through hands-on learning. https://campcamp.org/volunteer-staff/volunteerstaff-applications/

By the way, CAMP is so much more than………well……summer camp. CAMP also offers many programs during the school year (September through May) at its facility located on Lackland AFB in San Antonio, in the San Antonio area and on its property in Center Point. Programs including Respite Weekends, Parents Night Out, Teen and Adult Day Adventures, TADA Life Skills Programs, and Family Retreats offer fun and safe enrichment activities for children with special needs and their siblings, while their parents receive respite from childcare responsibilities.

“CAMP has shown me the resilience of the campers and those that care for them,” says J. Dee Evans, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, Head Nurse and mother of a 23-year-old child with special needs who requires total care who attends CAMP. “It has taught me humility, love and to be thankful for small blessings. It has shown me a different side of my son that has made me a better mom, a better nurse and a better person.”

INTERESTING CAMP FACTS in 2019:

• 1,668 campers were served through year-round programs
• 115,551 hours donated throughout the year by 818 teen and young adult volunteers
• 29 events were hosted through the school year while parents and caregivers got much needed rest
• 743 CEUs earned by healthcare volunteers throughout the summer
• 137 summer health care volunteers administered 28,946 doses of scheduled camper medications
• 97% of families agree that CAMP is helpful to their family’s well-being.

“CAMP is a place where people are free to be themselves, with no judgement or bullying,” summarizes Susan Osborne, CAMP CEO since 2012. “We are committed to lifting each other up and helping us all reach our Maximum Potential. There is no happier place on earth!”

For questions or further assistance, visit https://campcamp.org/ or contact CAMP at 210-671-5411 or campmail@campcamp.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jeanne Albrecht

CAMP Board Member

jca@jeannebiz.com

210-392-9047

January 2020

Their many years of experience in the field will help provide fresh insights to our organization as we continue to make great progress in our mission.

NEW YORK (PRWEB)
January 30, 2020

The World Parkinson Coalition® (WPC) announced the appointment of five new members to its board of directors. Drawing on their many years of experience in the Parkinson’s field as movement disorder specialists, researchers, and advocates. Dr. Raj Pahwa from University of Kansas Medical Center, Dr. Ryosuke Takahashi from Kyoto University, Dr. Malu G. Tansey from University of Florida College of Medicine, Dr. Alice Nieuwboer from University of Leuven, and Dr. Linda Olson, Professor Emerita from University of California at San Diego, joined the WPC Board as of January 2020.

The WPC hosts the most unique international conference in the Parkinson’s space. Every three years the WPC brings together basic scientists, neurologists, general physicians, nurses, rehab specialists, clinicians, as well as people with Parkinson’s (PwP) and their caregivers. The WPC’s mission is to get experts out of their silos to connect with others to better understand how to advance the clinical and basic science of Parkinson’s to not only expedite the discovery of new treatments, but also to better understand the purpose and impact of new treatments and when and how to use them.

“Board members play a major role in steering the work of the WPC, so we are thrilled to announce our five newest directors,” said Elizabeth Pollard, WPC Executive Director.

Dr. Rajesh Pahwa has worked for nearly 30 years in the movement disorder field, where he has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles and led more than 75 clinical studies on Parkinson’s and other movement disorders. He is the director of The University of Kansas Health System’s Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Center, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence and, in 2005 he was selected as the inaugural Laverne and Joyce Rider Professor of Neurology at KU School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas. He first started working with the WPC as a speaker at the WPC 2013 followed immediately by becoming a dedicated committee member. Since that time, he has played an integral role in the success of the last two Congresses.    

Dr. Ryosuke Takahashi was appointed in 2005 as Professor and Chair of Neurology at Kyoto University Hospital and Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine. Over his nearly 40 years working in the space, he has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and held many positions of leadership including as President of the Japanese Society of Neurology and Vice President of the Japanese Society for Neuroscience. His major research interests are the molecular pathogenetic mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease and related disorders and development of disease-modifying therapies against neurodegenerative disorders. He’s one of the lead researchers on the promising clinical trial launched in 2018 for iPS cell-based therapy for Parkinson’s disease.. He first started working with the WPC as a speaker in 2006 and co-chaired the Local Organizing Committee for the 5th World Parkinson Congress in Kyoto, Japan in 2019.

Dr. Malú Gámez Tansey from the University of Florida College of Medicine studies the role and regulation of neuroinflammatory and immune system responses in modulating the gene-environment interactions that determine risk for development and progression of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disease. She joined the Board after serving as a Program Committee member and speaker at past Congresses.

“The WPC is such a special experience for the Parkinson’s community and in particular junior researchers. I have encouraged the junior scientists in my lab to attend the WPC every chance they get, the impact for scientists to meet and hear directly from people living with PD is profound and I am honored to be a member of an organization that has really moved the needle on patient engagement and connecting community members,” said Tansey.

Dr. Alice Nieuwboer is head of the Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group at the University of Leuven. She and her team are investigating the mechanisms of gait and balance disturbances in Parkinson’s disease (PD) as well as upper limb motor problems. Her group established the extraordinary link between freezing of gait and freezing in different effectors, a mechanism that they continue to study in their ongoing longitudinal work. Alice’s team aims to answer the question of whether learning can still occur in neurodegenerative disease and if so, how it will imprint in the brain at the neurological systems level.

Dr. Linda Olson joined the Board after having attended the last two World Parkinson Congresses as a delegate who came to learn about living with Parkinson’s herself. Dr. Olson, a trained radiologist who worked at University of California San Diego for more than 30 years in the role of professor gave a moving and inspirational key note talk at the 5th World Parkinson Congress about living well with Parkinson’s disease. Her personal understanding of living with Parkinson’s and her extensive medical training make her an incredible candidate for the Board.

“Parkinson’s disease is deeply personal for me,” said Olson. “As a new board member who sees the complexities of PD firsthand and sees the power of bringing the community together under one roof, I am committed to doing all that I can to make life better for people with Parkinson’s.”

“We are thrilled with our newest Board members,” said WPC President, Dr. Marie-Françoise Chesselet, UCLA Professor Emerita. “Their many years of experience in the field will help provide fresh insights to our organization as we continue to make great progress in our mission.”

A complete list of the WPC Board of Directors is available at http://www.worldpdcoalition.org/board

About the World Parkinson Coalition® and WPC 2022

The World Parkinson Coalition Inc. provides an international forum for learning about the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices, caregiver initiatives and advocacy work related to Parkinson’s disease. The triennial World Parkinson Congresses provide a space for the global Parkinson’s community of researchers, clinicians, health care professionals, people with Parkinson’s and their care partners to meet in person, network, and discuss advances in Parkinson’s research, improve understanding and promote advocacy worldwide, while influencing future research and care options. The WPC 2022 will attract more than 4,500 delegates. Learn more at: http://www.wpc2022.org/

About Parkinson’s Disease

Affecting nearly one million Americans and 10 million people worldwide, Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s. There is no cure for Parkinson’s and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

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