Self Determination

is about talking about your dreams and making those dreams become a reality. It's about dreams like getting a car and learning to drive; like living on a farm where you can garden and be with your favorite animals; like having friends who truly like and care about you.

Self determination helps you get to know yourself better and learn what things are important to you. You have control over making decisions and buying the things you want.

This involves learning how to make decisions that are responsible for you and help you get the things that are important. It also involves being an important person in your community.

You may also want to help develop policies that affect not only you, but other people in your community. Self determination provides an opportunity for 30 people to participate in a pilot project in which people will control their own resources!

Family Supports

means assisting families/guardians with things that are important for them as their family member moves from the developmental center to the community. The types of supports will be different for different families and for different people within a family.

Some examples of what families may want are: information on what they can do as part of the "transition" to the community; to be connected with families to talk with; what services are offered by community providers; connected with respite providers; or a combination of these and other supports.

Family support is about providing the support needed to keep family members connected to each other.

Advocacy

means taking action with or for someone else in order to help the person talk about and obtain needed supports and services.

There are many types of advocacy - self advocacy, natural supports, peer advocacy, citizen advocacy, case advocacy, systems advocacy, and legal advocacy. However, they all involve assisting or supporting a person in "speaking up" for himself or herself.

Some people can "self advocate" - that is, speak for themselves. Others may need and want the help of a friend, family member, another person with a disability, a volunteer, an Independent Support Coordinator, a group of people, a case ad-vocate or a legal representative or lawyer.

These different types of advocacy are promoted through the Community Plan through providers, information and training. The person's circle may also request a case advocate through a request to the Regional Office.

Guardianship:

Although self determination is preferable, some people with disabilities need a guardian to help make responsible and informed decisions. A guardian is someone appointed by the court to supervise, protect, and assist a person with disabilities and/or their property.

Whenever possible, the person will be given a choice about who that guardian will be. The need for guardianship will be reviewed regularly to determine if decision making will be returned to the person.

Individuals with disabilities and their families will have the opportunity to review existing policy and practices regarding guardianship. Circles of supports will be given information to consider regarding each person's continuing need for guardianship.

Dr. Henry Meece To Head GVDC

Henry "Bud" Meece, Ph.D. has been named superintendent of Greene Valley Developmental Center. He will fill the vacancy left by Dr. Robert Erb who retired January 1.

Meece, president and chief executive officer of St. Colletta's of Wisconsin since 1993--a 550 person facility--will begin work June 15.

A native of East Tennessee, Meece has been working with people who have developmental disabilities for close to 30 years. He received his bachelor's degree from East Tennessee State University.

He earned his doctorate degree at Ohio State University and has managed a number of facilities that care for the developmentally disabled. He is a welcome addition to the strong staff at Greene Valley.

Donna DeStefano Joins DMRS Central Office

Donna DeStefano joined DMRS Central Office in May as Community Plan Coordinator. DeStefano, who formerly worked for Community Mental Retardation Agencies is very experienced in the community.

She is a welcome addition and will be coordinating implementation of the Community Plan My Choice? Ordinary Life.