Monthly ArchiveApril 2007
General Assembly MTH on 25 Apr 2007
A Glimmer of Hope and Thanks to Senator Burchett
For more than two months the Tennessee Disability Coalition, its friends and partners have mobilized to defeat legislation that was filed specifically to cut funding to Coalition programs like Family Voices, Project Brain as well as support for other disability organizations.
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We are happy to report that your voices were heard. The calls, the faxes, the e-mails and personal visits made a difference. On Tuesday, April 23rd Senator Tim Burchett moved the legislation to “General Subcommittee.” Typically moving a bill to “general sub” means that no further action will be taken on the bill during the current spring meeting of the General Assembly.
This doesn’t mean the legislation is dead, because it may be revived in January 2008. However, it gives us breathing room to focus on real legislation that can have a positive impact on the lives of people with disabilities, their family and friends. Legislation such as the Coalition’s Long-Term Care Identification and Assessment Bill; the Arc of Tennessee’s Seclusion and Restraint legislation; and so much more.
Things are a little different in the House. The House version of the legislation, HB 457, is still alive but we do not anticipate that it will be brought up in Committee for the remainder of this spring.
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In conclusion, it is a day to celebrate and say thanks! Thanks to all of our friends and partners who took time to support us and thanks to the legislators who stood up for the disability community.
In the meantime, if you are a constituent of Senator Tim Burchett or live in the Knoxville area, please drop him a line or give his office a call and thank him for sending SB 441 to the General Subcommittee. His office line is (615) 741-1766 and his staff contact is Alice.
Misc. MTH on 24 Apr 2007
Autism Workshops at Vanderbilt April 26th
ASMT Workshops (Dual Session) Presented This Thursday
In honor of National Autism Awareness Month, the Education Committee of ASMT has scheduled two workshops to run simultaneously during the regular Autism Education Series held at the Kennedy Center, 21st &Edgehill, Nashville, TN 37203. Both will take place this Thursday, April 26th, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Following is a brief outline of both:
I. “Ordinary Families Doing Extraordinary Things” (ABA Program on a Budget)
Juli Liske, family consultant, author, and parent of a boy with autism, will discuss the whys and hows of setting up your own Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program in the home and, most importantly, how to do so on a budget! She’ll walk you through the most common pitfalls that occur and give you the knowledge and empowerment to make your plan a reality.
II. “Moral/Ethical/Social Sexuality Issues Facing Parents of and People with Autism.”
In this workshop the presenters will discuss the importance of sexuality issues such as the vulnerability of the disability population, sexual and social deficits, and puberty. They will cover in-depth critical issues of both male and female sexuality including sexual urges, masturbation, birth control methods (stopping/delaying periods, new hormone options, sterilization, etc.), self-determination, preventing and handling sexual assaults, and other relevant topics. This workshop is geared toward family members of individuals with autism (but is also relevant to the disability community). The panel will speak frankly about these issues and answer questions, while understanding that these are critical issues and difficult choices have to be made by families according to their own value systems.
Presenters for this workshop are Stephen Sloan, Ph.D., a Human Sexuality Specialist in private practice and Amy Weeks, M.D., Asst. Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
There is still time to register for either of these presentations by contacting ASMT at 615-385-2077. Child care is available if you make your reservation by Tuesday. Both workshops are free to ASMT members; nonmembers pay only $5.00/family. Open to all in the community. For a detailed map, go to http://www.kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy/about/location.html
Misc. MTH on 23 Apr 2007
Therapeutic Horseback Riding in TN
In a recent E-news we featured a short article about the new Seven Gables Therapeutic Riding Stable in Dickson and since then we have heard about a number of other therapeutic riding programs. Information about those programs is below.
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840 Osage Crossland Road, Puryear, TN 38251. Phone: (731) 782-6141. Is a therapeutic horseback riding program designed for individuals with physical and mental challenges. We are a non-profit organization that runs entirely on grants, donations, a small fee for services and with the assistance of volunteer workers. We were chartered in July 2002 and have started riding classes since April 2003.
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Seven Gables Farm 135 Sullivan Road, Dickson, TN 37055. Phone: (615) 218-4100 Email: bharper47@hotmail.com To establish a safe, experiential learning environment which utilizes the multi-faceted concepts of equine therapy to promote the total well-being of the Physically and Cognitively Challenged Community.
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Angel Heart Farm, Inc.
9840 Sam Donald Road ~ Nolensville, TN 37135 ~ (615) 566-4976
Angel Heart Farm, Inc. is the only non-profit therapeutic program in Middle Tennessee that uses equine-assisted therapy for children with chronic and life threatening illnesses and their families.
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Saddle Up!
1549 Old Hillsboro Road ~ Franklin, TN 37069 ~ (615) 794-1150
Saddle Up! is a therapeutic recreational horseback riding program designed for children with mental and physical disabilities. It is the oldest therapeutic riding program in the area serving a broad range of children living throughout Middle Tennessee.
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Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding - STAR
11800 Highway 11E ~ Lenoir City, TN 37772 ~ (865) 988-4711
The prescribed program may include grooming, saddling, and learning riding skills or may be passive in nature. With some riders we position them so the movement of the horse can relax tight muscles, increase range of motion, improve trunk stability, and balance.
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Southern STARRS
4050 Cairo Bend Road ~ Lebanon, TN 37087 ~ (615) 453-2592
Southern STARRS, Inc. is dedicated to providing safe and goal oriented therapeutic and recreational horseback riding and animal assisted activities to special needs children and adults.
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Therapeutic Riding Academy of Knoxville - TRAK
6810 East Raccoon Valley Road ~ Knoxville, TN 37938 ~ (865) 922-8223
Our mission at TRAK is to provide those with a wide range of disabilities with a “whole” treatment of mind, body, and soul through physical, occupational, nutritional, and speech-language therapies provided with therapeutic horseback riding.
Events MTH on 20 Apr 2007
Project BRAIN Brings Essential TBI Resources to the Army
In late summer of 2006, plans were developed to focus on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and the military community at Fort Campbell. Recognizing March as National Brain Injury Awareness Month, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (BACH) in collaboration with Tennessee’s Project B.R.A.I.N. (Brain Resource & Information Network) offered Soldiers, Families and Healthcare Providers a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) Symposium.
The event featured two tracks on MTBI: one for families and soldiers and one for professionals. Presenters for the symposium are recognized TBI specialists with knowledge of available TBI resources. Exhibitor tables highlighted a variety of local, state and national TBI resources including TBI Peer Mentoring, Family Outreach, and Mental Health Programs.
“As a community resource and a Federal TBI Grant funded program, we are very proud and excited about our new partnership with Fort Campbell,” said Paula Denslow, Coordinator, Project BRAIN.
“Establishing ongoing effective communication links between hospitals, families and the community are critical in supporting the needs of individuals with TBI. “Providing TBI education and resources ensures a positive impact improving the quality of life for soldiers with TBI and their families.”
“We want to raise TBI awareness within the medical, military and civilian communities and reassure everyone that we are taking these conditions seriously in order to help Soldiers return to a normal life,” said Dr. David Twillie, Chief, Deployment Health Services, BACH.
“This event is the beginning of ongoing relationships between our communities; military and civilian alike,” said Denslow.
Soldiers and their families had questions answered such as: What do I need to know about MTBI? What does a TBI look like? What does the future hold? Where can I get help? Attendees learned how to navigate the community based resources.
The healthcare community became acquainted with available assessment tools, diagnostic criteria, historical data, and treatment options for MTBI. “Networking with professionals and others who have experience with TBI will offer education and empowerment for everyone,” said Jennifer Jones, Resource Specialist, Project BRAIN.
For information about Fort Campbell’s TBI Support Group meetings, contact Angela Webster, awebster@epilepsytn.org (615) 269-7091 (800) 244-0768.
For more information about Project Brain, contact Coordinator Paula Denslow at paula_d@tndisability.org
Top Photo: State Senator Rosalind Kurita with a soldier and Commander Gallagher (right).
Lower Photo: Dr. Twillie; Jennifer Jones and Paula Denslow of Project BRAIN; and Lt. Col. Place.
DID YOU KNOW: Blast injuries are the leading cause of TBI for active duty military personnel in war zones, reported by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. www.DVBIC.org