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Logo Connections for Community Leadership Engaging People in the Adventure of Leadership

Newsletter 3-4
July - September 2007

 

Welcome | New Developments | CONNECT | Proud and Powerful | Last Quarter Highlights | Featured Leader | News and Upcoming Events | Subscription Information

Welcome

Welcome to the Connections for Community Leadership (CCL) newsletter. These newsletters will be published quarterly and will be used to update the community on developments within CCL, as well as feature individuals, groups, and organizations that are taking leadership to a new definition. Subscription information can be found at the end of this newsletter and all issues are published on our website.

New Developments

Building Alliances for Disability Leadership

CCL has teamed up with Michigan State University (MSU) and Michigan Statewide Independent Living Council (MiSILC) to implement a leadership project funded by the Families and Communities Together (FACT) grant through MSU. This project is a 2-year mentor program based in Lansing and Flint, where leadership teams will work together in their community to engage in multiple developmental and action learning experiences around specific systems change initiatives. Young adults (ages 20-35) with disabilities will be paired with existing leaders in their community and these teams will engage in multiple developmental and action learning experiences. To foster opportunities for practice, leadership teams will pursue a mini-grant project within their community. Mini-grants provide an action-learning activity that connects future leaders, their mentors, and communities to social change. The project planning has begun and the program begins in November 2007. If you would like more information about this project or would like to apply to be a participant, contact Carolyn Lejuste at 1-800-760-4600 ext. 321 or clejuste@prosynergy.org. Deadline for applications is October 1, 2007.

Leadership for Anti-Stigma

CCL is working with Resource One and Partners in Care (PIC) in Petoskey to create a leadership program focused on addressing stigma in the mental health community. Lead by the members of the PIC group, consumers in 13 northern Michigan counties will implement an anti-stigma campaign called “Faces of Recovery” using the Life in Focus model. As part of Mental Health Month (May 2008), the PIC group will organize a Leadership Symposium for consumers throughout the 13 counties and will assist CCL staff in the facilitation of the program. For more information about this program, contact CCL. For more information about Life in Focus, contact Glenn Ashley at ashley@ucpmichigan.org or 1-800-828-2714.

Peer Support

MDRC Leadership staff delivered a one and a half day leadership intensive workshop at the Peer Support Specialist Training sponsored by the Department of Community Health. Employed by local CMH Authorities, Peer Support Specialists support the recovery of mental health consumers by building relationships with their peers who are receiving CMH services. The Recovery Movement has the potential of transforming Michigan’s mental health system.

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CONNECT

CONNECT is one of the many areas of CCL. CONNECT is a statewide network connecting college students with disabilities involved with disability organization on their campuses to each other and the resources available to them in their communities. This fall is a very active time for the CONNECT program. There are several ways you can benefit from CONNECT including:

CONNECT Retreat – September 14-16, 2007

Fall Disability Leadership Retreat is for students involved with student ran disability organizations on college campuses across the state of Michigan. The retreat will cover; statewide networking, event planning, and activism strategies. To register, contact CONNECT@prosynergy.org.

CONNECT Workshops- October 13 and October 20

CONNECT is sponsoring two, day-long workshops for students and faculty members who want to join the movement and start an organization on their campus. These workshops will cover how to start a student group on your campus and all participants will receive a copy of the “Lead On” Handbook. To register, contact CONNECT@prosynergy.org.

Monthly E-zine

The CONNECT E-zine is an electronic newsletter that connects subscribers to leadership opportunities, scholarship information, internships, and networking opportunities for college students with disabilities.

If you would like to attend any of the CONNECT events, receive the E-zine, or get additional information, please contact Theresa Squires at 1-866-532-2669, email connect@prosynergy.org, or visit the CONNECT website.

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Proud and Powerful

Anonymous Photo Submission

Housing Rally

 

 

 


"A great big group of people walked to the Capitol to advocate for housing. We need places we can afford to live. I saw a lot of people in wheelchairs." ~Anonymous

“Untitled” by Cheryl Flowers

“I have dealing with a mental illness all my life, but became aware of it since the early 90's . . . then one day I heard the word Recovery and I decided to check it out and see if there was anything that would fit me. Oh what a fit I found. I found there were lots of folks just like me who lost their lives through mental illness. I found out that I could do whatever I wanted to do with some work and an honest look at me. That was the first time I actually felt empowered and had hope that I could have a better future. I felt that maybe there was a light at the end of the tunnel and I could get my life back . . . The first thing I heard about was the Peer Support Movement . . . I found the program "fit" me like a glove. I learned a "pay it forward" kind of relationship with my "peers" that when we share and when we talk we heal ourselves. It was the most powerful feeling I have ever had in my life. My life goes on. I found out that I (little old me) could help folks just like myself by following the principle of the 5 Recovery Stages that would allow me to continue to grow as well as the folks I will work with . . I am no longer; "My name is Bipolar nice to meet you", but rather, “My name is Cheryl nice to meet you.” My illness no longer consumes me but is a part a me along with all the rest of the things that make me who I am. My wish for anyone that reads this is that you find peace, hope and empowerment and go for those hopes and dreams. Thank you for allowing me to share a piece of my story with you.” ~ Cheryl Flowers

Would you like to share your story or picture of feeling proud and powerful? We are interested in gathering such personal pride and power intellectual paraphernalia to share with others with the goal of inspiring leaders and showing the world what a difference people with disabilities can make. By submitting you work, you agree that your submissions can be shared publicly with through our newsletter, website, E-zine, and other publicity materials.

Proud and Powerful submissions can be made by:
* Email: leadership@prosynergy.org
* Fax: (517) 333-2677
* Mail: Connections for Community Leadership, 780 W. Lake Lansing Rd., Ste 200, East Lansing, MI 48823 (submissions will not be returned)

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Last Quarter Highlights

Informed Communities

The purpose of Informed Communities is to educate people with disabilities, friends, families, and advocates about public policy issues that affect the disability community by providing forums throughout the state. At these forums, attendees will hear from “experts” on a public policy issue and will work together to create an action plan to address the issue in their community.

The firstSpeaker pointing at screen forum was held on July 20th in Kalamazoo and the topic was home ownership. Far too often, people with disabilities don’t even realize that owning a home is an option. At the forum, participants learned that owning a home is possible and that several programs can assist people in following that dream.

CCL is in the process of planning future forums to be held in Mount Pleasant, Bay City, Gaylord, and Owosso. If you or your organization would like more information or would like to have a forum held near you, please contact Melinda Haus-Johnson at 1-866-532-2669 (toll free) or leadership@prosynergy.org.

Funding for Leadership Development Initiatives

CCL awarded funding to support local leadership development initiatives. After reviewing 19 applications, CCL partially funded the following programs:

  • Social Justice Retreats – Leaven – Conducted outreach and provided scholarships to people with disabilities to attend a variety of social justice retreats.
  • We Lead! Kent – ARC of Kent County – Used the We Lead! Curriculum as written. Huron County RICC Members participating in We Lead
  • We Lead! Huron County – Huron RICC – Used the We Lead! Curriculum adapted it to an eight week program for young adults aged 18-30.
  • Road to Freedom – Pathways Community Mental Health – 12 week skill building program that promoted the Road to Freedom Bus tour.
  • We Lead! Oakland-Macomb – Disability Network: Oakland/Macomb – Used the We Lead! Curriculum for high school juniors through post-secondary aged students.
  • Leaders for Action – The Disability Network – Community housing leaders collaborated, investigated, educated, and legislated with the Flint Housing Commission.
  • Camp Central – Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District – A teen summer camp with local community service.
  • Consumer Leadership Training – Peer Choices – Leadership training for CMH consumers and Drop-In Centers.
  • Leadership Institute Program – Michigan Association for Deaf and Hard of Hearing – Leadership program for deaf and hard of hearing high school students ages 16-19.
  • Young Adult Project – Washtenaw Association for Community Advocacy – Advocacy training for students ages 18-26.

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Featured Leader

Leaven Logo This quarter we would like to feature a partnership between CCL and The Leaven Center. In March 2000, The Leaven Center was opened as a retreat and study center for people engaged in movements for social change. The Leaven Center is a place of beauty where you can find rest and nourishment for your body and spirit. It is also a context for bold and innovative programming that addresses significant issues of our day. The Leaven Center was born of the conviction that the spiritual life cannot be divorced from an active concern for the world, and that those who work for justice need resources for spiritual renewal and vitality. The Leaven Center offers approximately 30 workshops, retreats, and seminars each year, facilitated by outstanding leaders from different communities in the United States, Canada, and other countries. Currently, CCL and the Leaven Center are collaborating to get funding for a program called “Project BUILD” which would develop leadership while increasing the accessibility of the land at the Leaven Center. For more information about the Leaven Center, visit Leaven's website .

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News and Upcoming Events

Assistive Technology Exchange

http://www.atxchange.org/v3/home.php
Introducing a free, classified ad website to help people with disabilities get the tools they need. Find what you need … sell or donate what you don’t.

Assistive technology, or AT for short, is any item, product, system, or equipment that improves life for people with disabilities. AT includes everything from walkers, reachers, grab bars, and hospital beds, to power scooters, custom vans, Braille machines, and software that reads computer screens out loud.

ATXchange.org is a nonprofit, Michigan-based web site where people can buy, sell, or give away assistive technology. This free, easy-to-use web site is designed to help people exchange both low- and high-tech assistive technology. If you don’t have a personal computer handy—or Internet access—simply visit the ATXchange.org web site through your public library or nearest Center for Independent Living.

For more information, contact Michigan Disability Rights Coalition at 1-800-760-4600 or email atx@prosynergy.org.

Increasing Safe, Accessible, and Affordable Housing in Your Community

September 26, 2007 – 9:30am-3:30pm – Flint, Michigan
Come learn about accessible and affordable housing in Genesee County. This workshop is for people with disabilities, senior citizens, and their allies to learn about what is currently available, how to evaluate and negotiate accessibility issues, and ways you can participate in the movement to increase the amount of safe accessible and affordable housing opportunities in Genesee County. For more information or to register, contact Carolyn Lejuste at 1-800-760-4600 ext. 321 or email leadership@prosynergy.org. Registration deadline is September 20th.

Leadership Development Seminars

CCL will be holding two additional Leadership Development Seminars for organizers promoting disability leadership. This seminar will cover leadership, teaching leadership skills, and give an introduction to the We Lead! Curriculum.

* October 19, 2007 – Grand Rapids – Registration deadline – October 10th.
* November 2, 2007 – Detroit – Registration deadline – October 24th.

There is a $25 registration fee per participant for lunch and a copy of the We Lead! Curriculum. For more information or to register, please call 1-866-532-2669 or email leadership@prosynergy.org.

Eli Clare – Stories in Motion: Listening to the Marrow
October 27, 2007 – 10:00am – 4:00pm

Join Eli Clare for an exploration of storytelling. Which stories do we tell about our embodied experiences of race, disability, violence, class, gender identity, and sexuality? What words, ideas, images emerge from the hollow center of our bones, from the marrow itself? How do these stories shift, settle, or become tangled over time as our bodies change? Through poetry, discussion, journal writing, and, of course, the telling of – and listening to – story; we’ll spend the day with these questions.  We will delve into the ways our stories not only repeat, but also contradict, each other. We will create space for the telling of privilege as well as oppression. We will acknowledge the power of story to reach across chasms of power, to struggle against willful unknowing, to stand on fault lines between people most similar, and to insist upon wholeness. Join us in chasing stories down to the marrow.  Cost of event is $50 – Scholarships are available. For more information or to register, visit www.leaven.org.

Postsecondary Opportunities for Students with Cognitive/Intellectual Disabilities
November 5, 2007

The Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI) is pleased to announce an upcoming Symposium on Postsecondary Opportunities for Students with Cognitive/Intellectual Disabilities. The first ever Michigan event will take place at the Fairlane Center at the University of Michigan in Dearborn. The Symposium brings together leading experts, researchers, practitioners, and consumers to provide an overview of PSE opportunities and discuss current trends, issues, and solutions for postsecondary education initiatives. Two of the pioneers and researchers in the field, Dr. Meg Grigal and Dr. Debra Hart will present at the Symposium. The goal of the Symposium is to foster the growth of the knowledge and interest in providing opportunities for students with cognitive/intellectual disabilities to continue to learn in inclusive, post high school settings. For more information about the event, contact Janice Fialka at ruaw@aol.com or 248-546-4870. Scholarships are available for persons with disabilities and family members. For information about the scholarships, contact Elizabeth Janks at ejanks@wayne.edu or 313-577-6368.

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Subscription Information

To subscribe to the CCL newsletter, please send an email to leadership@prosynergy.org with "Subscribe" in the subject line. If you need to receive the newsletter in an alternative format such as large print or plain text, please note that in the email or call 1-866-532-2669.

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Connections for Community Leadership is funded by the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council.

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