sew1hands IIACC

May 2018 IIACC Meeting

On May 10th, 2018 the Indiana Interagency Autism Coordinating Council met for their spring meeting. During the meeting they summarized conclusions and discussions from the winter meeting in February about Cultural Responsivity and the INformation Network. Additionally, a video briefly summarizing the history and purpose of the IIACC was shown to attendees and is available below.

Afterward the INformation Network was introduced with the following video.

Based on the information in the video, IIACC members were asked to read through scenarios for examples of needs in the community and to navigate the website based on those needs, taking notes about areas of the INformation Network that are good, and areas that need improvement. After some time for individual research, members debriefed as a group.

Next, to gain insight into the needs and priorities among member stakeholders regarding Goal 7 of the Indiana Comprehensive Plan for Autism, Justice and Public Safety, members were asked to respond to a series of questions and discuss among their peers.

Finally, as this was the final IIACC meeting until fall, members filled out a STAR Supported Decision Making form to plan out the future goals and current strengths of the IIACC as a whole.

To more fully display the content discussed at the May 2018 IIACC meeting, the meeting presentation is displayed below.

Iryna Ashby Advocacy, Education, Health, IIACC, Research, Resources & Information

ASD: Assessing Needs for Information and Training in Indiana

HANDS in Autism® at the IU School of Medicine has been invited to conduct an analysis of the current resources and services related to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Indiana. The results of this analysis will help to inform the comprehensive plan for collaboratively and strategically strengthening the supports among systems for families and individuals with ASD.

One component of this analysis involves the completion of a comprehensive needs assessment. We are seeking input from all perspectives, whether as a family member, individual with ASD, medical provider, school personnel, justice system employee, or other community service provider. For this assessment to be representative of the many stakeholder groups that support individuals with ASD as well as reflective of the needs of individuals with ASD themselves, we need participation from as many people and from as many viewpoints as possible. All responses will be confidential and only summary data will be shared with the state and as part of the report and recommendations provided to the state.

Please take a moment to complete the survey and feel free to also share this information with others who may provide insight. The survey will take approximately 10- 15 minutes to complete. If you are interested in completing a hard copy survey or know of others who may be interested in completing a hard copy version of the survey, let us know as hard copies are available upon request.

To complete the Indiana Autism Needs Assessment, click on the following link:
English Version – http://tinyurl.com/autismneeds
Spanish Version – http://tinyurl.com/spanishautismneeds

Featured Presentations

Supporting Families through the LifeCourse with Julie Reynolds, DDRS

Insurance and Advocating with Michele Trivedi, The Arc of Indiana

Indiana Systems of Care: Strengthening Our Communities with Jayme Whitacker, FSSA, DMHA and Christy Gauss, IDOE

What is the Indiana Comprehensive Plan?

Indiana’s plan to improve conditions for those with autism has been outlined in the Indiana State Comprehensive Plan for Individuals with ASD.

Each action item noted under the goals below represent the priority action within these goal areas, as determined by the IIACC and workgroups. Other action items are also being addressed (see full Plan) but the priority areas enable a systematic and progressive approach towards stated action items.

Goals from the State Plan

Goal 1: HANDS in Autism(R) facilitates and coordinates the Indiana Interagency Autism Coordinating Council, as well as manages data collection and activities. HANDS reports on the status of services reflected in the Comprehensive State Plan.

Goal 2: To create the opportunity for all individuals with ASD and families to be supported by healthcare professionals who will listen and provide input. Medical professionals will develop a plan to address concerns with attention to access and coordinating care during services.

Priority Action : Identify committees and boards related to ASD as well as SOC and medical home initiatives that exhibit representation of leaders in ASD

Goal 3: To ensure service providers and families are knowledgeable of universal early screening, as well as the signs to identify ASD. Diagnosis would follow with a plan to refer individuals to coordinated service systems.

Priority Action: Identify and develop list of options available for the awareness/training of  med students, residents, physicians in early screening and identification in general and specifically with regards to family practitioners, nurse practitioners and physician assistants

Goal 4: For individuals with ASD to have access to integrated health, mental health, education and social services provided by qualified providers throughout their lives.

Priority Action: Develop a comprehensive list and set of annotated data of waiver providers, case managers, and other providers with info about expertise and payment structures

Goal 5: To ensure families and providers understand what is needed for the planning of successful transitions.

Priority Action: Identify and make available a standard set of information to disseminate across families, medical & school personnel, and individuals (middle to HS) to improve understanding about the transition  process.

Goal 6: To identify standards for accessible and affordable private and public insurance coverage for the entire life of an individual with ASD, as well as other mental health conditions.

Priority Action: Propose standard promulgated for oversight and enforcement of appropriate implementation of clinical services to IN policy makers and with suggested enforcement by legal/regulatory requirements.

Goal 7: This relates to the justice system and public safety, however, this group was not represented to finalize the goal and priorities for this workgroup. This will be updated once the priority is decided.

Priority Action: Identifying and recording standard topics/formats needed for training of first responders.

Nominate for DISI

Do you want to recognize an outstanding organization that:

  • Engages the community and promote innovative ideas in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorder?
  • Embodies the IIACC’s mission, facilitate sharing of information on autism‐related activities?
  • Drives the implementation of services aligned with the goals in the Indiana Comprehensive State Plan?

Follow the link to the nomination form.

Download the nomination form in a Word format to review and prepare responses (if needed). Please make sure you transfer the responses into the online form.

Winter 2016 Winner: Erskine Green Training Institute (EGTI)

We are proud to congratulate the Erskine Green Training Institute (EGTI) as the recipient of the Indiana Interagency Autism Coordinating Council’s first Driver of Innovative Service and Implementation (DISI) award! EGTI offers comprehensive vocational training curricula that provide individuals with disabilities valuable job skills, preparing them for employment in the hospitality, health care, and food service industries.

Participants in EGTI’s training programs receive instruction on topics related to health and wellness, life skills, and job-specific subjects before participating in hands-on job shadowing opportunities. In addition, EGTI provides students with mentors and tutors to enrich their experience at the Training Institute. EGTI’s combination of training and on-site internship programming seeks to lower the 82% unemployment rate among disabled individuals, including those with ASD and other disorders, and the program’s partnerships with employers in the City of Muncie exemplify the types of community-based collaborations that fuel the mission of the IIACC. Visit the Erskine Green Training Institute’s website (https://www.erskinegreeninstitute.org/) to learn more or to apply for admission.