August 2009
The articles published in the ALERT represent the opinions of the authors and are not an endorsement by the Association or necessarily representative of the views of the Association.
- Letter from the Editor
- Message from AHEAD President Mike Shuttic
- Professional Development. Take advantage of these upcoming events, conferences, and other opportunities to increase and share your knowledge.
- REFRAMING DISABILITY: Shifting Our Perspective: A Collaborative Approach to Student Mental Health
- AHEAD Recognizes Jean Ashmore with Ronald E. Blosser Dedicated Service Award
- AHEAD 2009 Student Recognition Award Recipient: Alberto Guzman
- NCDE Highlights Study Abroad Opportunities for Student Athletes with Disabilities
- The Votes are In: Universal Design Photo Contest “People’s ChoiceᾠAward
- Career Planning and Placement SIG Partners AHEAD with National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP)
- DISABOOM Launches Scholarship Directory for Students with Disabilities
Letter from the Editor
Dear AHEAD Colleagues,
First off, thank you to all those who helped make the AHEAD 2009 Conference in Louisville, KY a great success. In this issue of the ALERT, AHEAD President Mike Shuttic continues the conversation on ensuring access for returning veterans with some suggestions for creating coalitions across our campuses to prepare for and address their needs. Be sure to check out the latest in the Reframing Disability series, “Shifting Our Perspective: A Collaborative Approach to Student Mental Health,ᾠin which the authors review the results of a federal grant, “The Needs Assessment Project: Exploring Barriers and Opportunities for College Students with Psychiatric Disabilities.ᾠAlso in this issue, take note of a few great opportunities for students with disabilities, including a new scholarship directory put out by DISABOOM and study abroad options for student athletes through MIUSA / NCDE.
I hope you enjoy this issue of ALERT, please keep sending articles and information on events and opportunities to alvaro@unc.edu.
Sincerely,
Alvaro Gomez
ALERT Editor
Message from AHEAD President Mike Shuttic
Uncertainty and change cause us to reflect on our values, goals, and dedication. Oftentimes it is the impetus for new or re-invigorated thinking. It is a chance to break from the routine. If we are standing still, then no progress is made, and complacency becomes our nemesis.
The start of the academic year lends itself to re-evaluation. What shall we do? How will we accomplish it? The changes that have occurred (and continue) may be upon you or nearing you, which dictates whether action is “reactiveᾊ or “proactive.ᾠIn either case, action is necessary and information, skills, knowledge, and resources are important to be effective. It is our role on our campuses to raise the issues; to inform others; to prompt/compel/partner. There is no need, however, to assume primary responsibility for achieving all that needs to be done. It is infeasible, but also undermines the perspective of a shared responsibility—an institutional responsibility. DS offices can take the lead in creating a coalition across campus to prepare for and address needs for returning veterans, and then simply be a part of the working group. DS offices can visit with Admissions personnel about the potential impact and/or concerns regarding students with Intellectual Disabilities and the changes in HEOA and how that might affect institutional policies, procedures, and services provided, and then offer availability for consultation. DS professionals can broach the emerging use of e-books and online learning systems with IT or faculty course development departments to note issues of access/inclusiveness, and share examples of real or impending lawsuits. And DS folks can talk with Housing about service animals v. therapy animals v. support animals to identify what the appropriate process is and if/how they differ.
Uncertainty exists as regulations continue to be defined (e.g. DOJ definition of “service animalᾩ and new case law is created. There is value in asking questions and opening dialogue without having a definitive answer. In that forum reasoned, deliberative thought can be given in determining how best to resolve those questions. Be empowered and empower students to do the same.
Professional Development. Take advantage of these upcoming events, conferences, and other opportunities to increase and share your knowledge.
Calls for Presentations and Articles:
ALERT submission and publication dates:
The ALERT is now being published every 2-3 months. Here is the schedule for
submissions:
| Submissions Due: | Publication Date: |
| November 25, 2009 |
December 04, 2009 |
| February 12, 2010 | February 26, 2010 |
AHEAD and Affiliate Events:
AHEAD Fall 2009 Workshops
Two timely training opportunities designed just for you in two great locations! Top-quality, budget conscious, professional development opportunities featuring Nationally recognized expert faculty. For more information, please visit the AHEAD website.
October 9 & 10, 2009, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Constructing A New Framework: Evolving the Service Delivery Paradigm
Disability Services in the Community College: Key Issues and Best Practices
November 6 & 7, 2009, Orlando, Florida, USA
Co-sponsored by Florida AHEAD
Transforming our Campuses to Work with Students with Asperger Syndrome
Constructing A New Framework: Evolving the Service Delivery Paradigm
November 15-17, 2009, Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Washington, DC.
"
CAS Standards, Self-Assessment, and Student Learning Outcomes in Higher Education"
CAS has announced that it will hold a National Symposium on "CAS
Standards, Self-Assessment, and Student Learning Outcomes in Higher Education," November 15-17, 2009, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Washington, DC.
The goal of the national symposium is to strengthen the higher education community's
understanding of the CAS standards and guidelines. For more information, please
visit http://www.cas.edu/
July 25–27, 2010, Renaissance Hotel, Washington, D.C.
National Summit on Disability Policy 2010: ADA 1990–2010 Retrospective
and Future Policy Directions
The National Council on Disability is hosting a disability policy summit to help shape disability policy for the next decade. AHEAD is supporting this event and is encouraging its member to submit applications. AHEAD members represent a tremendous pool of talent touching all ten policy areas to be addressed (Employment, Civil Rights, Education, Healthcare, Transportation, Housing, Telecommunications and Technology, International Affairs, Emergency Management and Statistics and Data). Please consider offering your experience, perspective and expertise.
NCD is interested in broad representation and would like to see applications from graduate and undergraduate students so feel free to share this announcement with them This summit commemorates the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with a reception, an ADA retrospective and a series of working meetings.
This National Summit is an invitation-only, working meeting to develop recommendations to guide improvements in disability policy and programs for the next decade. The topics and issues are national in scope and relevant to all people with disabilities. To achieve NCD goals and objectives for the Summit, invited participants must be knowledgeable in various areas of disability policy and represent the diversity of disability in the United States.
Consumers and individuals representing grassroots organizations are encouraged to complete a delegate application form. All participants should be self-nominated so that the selection committee is assured the individual is committed to attend if selected. The deadline for submitting your application is October 15, 2009.
Other Opportunities:
Job Opportunity: Coordinator of Disability Services
Pace University in lower Manhattan has an opening for an experienced Coordinator
of Disability Services.
To apply, please go to http://www.pace.edu/hr/ and click on “Careers@Paceᾊ and click on the Staff Positions link. Submit cover letter, resume, and three
references.
Pace University is committed to achieving full equal opportunity in all aspects
of University life. Pursuant to this commitment, the University does not
discriminate on the basis of sex, race, age, ethnicity, marital status, national
origin, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or veteran status.
REFRAMING DISABILITY:
Shifting Our Perspective: A Collaborative Approach to Student Mental Health
Betty Benson and Barbara Blacklock
For more than 30 years, Disability Services staff at the University of Minnesota has been actively working to address the needs of the growing numbers of students with psychiatric disabilities on our campus. The Needs Assessment Project: Exploring Barriers and Opportunities for College Students with Psychiatric Disabilities (FIPSE #P116B010800, 2001-2003) was a federal grant that laid the groundwork and set in motion a series of developments that have transformed how our campus addresses the barriers faced by these students. This grant was written and administered through Disability Services. Barbara Blacklock served as the Project Coordinator, and Betty Benson served as the Project Consultant. This article reviews the results of that grant and describes how we have built upon these results by working collaboratively with key stakeholders to change our campus climate. We will also discuss how the focus of this work has evolved from a narrow perspective on improving conditions for individual students with psychiatric disabilities to a focus on creating a more inclusive environment for all students who experience a range of mental health issues that result in barriers to learning.
The Needs Assessment Project: Exploring Barriers and Opportunities for College Students with Psychiatric Disabilities was an assessment project that used a qualitative research approach for examining the barriers and opportunities for college students with psychiatric disabilities on college campuses. Through 39 semi-structured focus group interviews on 13 college campuses, the project explored and described the experiences of college students with psychiatric disabilities, the service providers who support them, and the college faculty and administrators who provide educational opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. The qualitative data gathered from the focus group participants identified the common barriers that students faced across institutions: (1) stigma and stereotypes, (2) complex nature of psychiatric disabilities (e.g., medication management and multiple appointments), (3) organizational and institutional barriers, (4) limited student access to resources and insurance, and (5) limited access to information and services. The qualitative data also provided insight into potentially beneficial strategies for addressing these barriers: (1) improve coordination and collaboration of mental health services, (2) ensure access to resources and training, (3) use the principles of universal instructional design, and (4) reduce student isolation.
At the end of one of our final student focus groups we discussed our
plans for evaluating the focus group information, compiling that information,
and
writing our final report. We will never forget the student who turned to
us and said, Promise us that this information won’t sit on a bookshelf
somewhere. We kept those words in mind as the grant concluded and our funding
ended
in
2003. That fall semester we began presenting the results of the grant to
a variety of campus audiences. We spoke with mental health providers, administrators,
advisors, faculty, and staff in a number of offices. At each presentation
we
asked for volunteers willing to serve on a campus committee to address
barriers faced by students with psychiatric disabilities. As a result of these
efforts
we were able to begin meeting in 2004 with a small group of our interested
colleagues. During that year we came to two conclusions in our monthly
meetings: (1) we needed to focus on increasing the coordination among mental
health
services on our campus
and (2) in order to make that happen, we needed to get support from our top
university administration. We were not certain how to accomplish either.
In late 2004, however, with the assistance of one of our committee members
and the Vice Provost of Student Affairs, we were able to get a 20-minute
appointment with the Senior Vice President and Provost in Academic Affairs.
We presented
a condensed version of our work—the 20-minute meeting lasted 45 minutes—and
we had the support we needed for the first meeting of the Provost’s Committee
on Student Mental Health.
The Committee first met in the fall of 2005 and was charged by the Provost to raise awareness about issues related to student mental health, to affect policy change, to improve conditions on the University of Minnesota campus for students with mental health conditions, and to serve as a model for campus collaboration. With the support of the Provost we were able to bring together representatives of undergraduate, graduate, and international students, staff and faculty, campus providers of mental health care and disability services, housing, student affairs, campus police and other stakeholders. Because our top priority was to look at the coordination of services, one of our first efforts was to develop a central resource for student mental health, www.mentalhealth.umn.edu. This Web site was designed to coordinate all campus mental health resources, provide information for targeted audiences, and present information on a variety of mental health related topics. As we worked on the design of the Web site, the multiple perspectives of the committee members shaped our work, and the Web site began to emerge as a product of our collaboration. The more we discussed the Web site, the more we found ourselves moving from a strict focus on individuals with psychiatric disabilities and their accommodations toward an emphasis on student mental health. This perspective included not only services for those individuals with documented psychiatric diagnoses, but also services and information offered proactively for all students interested in exploring confidential, productive ways to manage their stressful lives, address their concerns about drug and alcohol use, or find information about medication management. Although this movement began as a subtle shift in our thinking, it foreshadowed a deeper realization: We needed to be thinking about the mental health needs of all students on our campus.
Our thinking solidified as we began discussing faculty and staff recommendations for an online training (see www.mentalhealth.umn.edu). Committee members who are mental health providers (a psychiatrist and a psychologist) led the way in these discussions. The Committee members concluded that we could not assume that all students who needed mental health services would recognize that need and seek services. As a result, we looked to a public health approach as our framework for engaging all members of our campus community in promoting student mental health.
This engagement has taken a number of forms that may be useful for similar audiences on other campuses. First, we recognized that faculty and staff play a key role in assisting students and connecting them to mental health services. Through in-person training for faculty and staff we learned that many individuals felt uncomfortable approaching students about mental health concerns. As a result we developed a teaching module, Talking with Students about Your Concerns; this module is available in the Library section of the online training. Second, we recognized that faculty and staff are busy and faced with multiple demands on a daily basis. With that in mind we drafted an email that is now sent out each semester by the Office of Student Affairs to faculty and staff a few weeks before final exams. This email serves as a reminder of mental health resources, including the mental health Web site, and the importance of a campus-wide commitment to student mental health. Third, we recognized that students play a key role in providing support and referral for each other. We invited two students from our campus Active Minds chapter to serve on the Committee. Active Minds is a student-run advocacy group dedicated to educating students about mental health. Having student representation from this group has helped us keep the student perspective in the forefront of our work and has resulted in several partnerships between the Committee and student-sponsored events. In addition, we recently developed Helping a Friend, guidelines on the Web site for students that provide information about how to support a friend experiencing distress. Finally, we have partnered with other groups on campus to reduce the stigma associated with mental health concerns. In particular, we worked with the Stamp Out Stigma committee, administered through our counseling services. The Committee worked as a part of a campus-wide educational campaign to reduce the myths associated with mental health conditions and to increase access to mental health services on our campus.
Since our federal grant ended in 2003, we have experienced a positive shift in our campus climate regarding student mental health. We are aware that our work continues to evolve; however, we have recognized a movement in our thinking about student mental health. We believe this is the direct result of campus-wide collaboration. The work of the Provost’s Committee on Student Mental Health has created the framework that is moving our campus from a medical model approach, with an emphasis on psychiatric conditions and disability, to a public health approach to student mental health. Although a need for individual accommodations remains, our campus has become a more inclusive environment for all students who experience a range of mental health conditions. This shift encompasses far more than rethinking the words we choose to describe our work. Rather, this shift reflects a fundamental change in how we value and support the mental health of every student and how we move forward together in transforming our campus.
AHEAD Recognizes Jean Ashmore with Ronald E. Blosser Dedicated Service Award
Nominee:
Jean Ashmore
Rice University
ashmore@
rice.edu
Nominator:
Carol Funckes
University of Arizona
carolf@u.arizona.edu
Nomination:
I am pleased to nominate Jean Ashmore, the Director of Disability Support Services
at Rice University, for the Ronald E. Blosser Dedicated Service Award. AHEAD’s
highest honor, the Blosser Award was established to publicly honor individual
members who have given extraordinarily outstanding, selfless, and quality
dedication and service to AHEAD and whose service to the Association has
consistently been of the utmost quality. As a long-time, active member of
AHEAD, a dedicated Board member, a selfless mentor, and an engaging presenter,
Jean’s level of commitment to the Association exemplifies the qualities the
award was established to recognize.
Like many others, I have had the privilege of collaborating with Jean as she’s applied her unique talents in service to AHEAD over the past 10+ years. Jean is smart, creative, questioning, flexible, supportive, and dedicated to professional service. She is always prepared, willing to listen to and consider different points of view, and tactful in the presentation of her own well-considered points. In her role as a Director-at-Large on the AHEAD Board of Directors, Jean has taken a leadership role in the areas of Affiliate growth and development, research, and professional development… she is always the first to volunteer to work on challenging or provocative issues. Jean provides a voice of reason in difficult discussions and has the ability to help a group find the essence of a point and the humor that is often helpful in reaching its resolution.
Jean gives generously of her time and energy and is a constant, steady presence in her service of the Association:
When Jean began her Board service, AHEAD had 10 state Affiliate chapters
and a fledgling, loosely defined Affiliate program. Through Jean’s creative
‘care and feeding,’ AHEAD now has 31 state Affiliates, and additional state
chapters come forward each year to affiliate with the national Association.
Jean has shepherded new Affiliates through organizational hurdles and supported
new state leaders. In addition to overseeing a growth in the number of Affiliates,
Jean has also enhanced the Affiliate program itself: adding quarterly conference
calls, opportunities for funding to support professional development, a half-day
pre-conference session on organizational structure and issues, and conference
registration waivers for Affiliate representatives.
Jean stepped forward to serve as the Board Liaison to AHEAD’s Curriculum Advisory
Council when it had lost its founding leader and was in the face of challenging
direction from the Board. Her sensitivity and support led to a positive outcome
for the group as it rallied and was able to produce materials to assist AHEAD
in implementing a planned professional development agenda.
Jean led in the development of AHEAD’s formal research agenda, assisting in the creation of a template for members to apply for research support and guiding novice researchers as they developed their proposals.
Jean fostered professional relationships with numerous members and co-presents with a diverse group of professionals, from Jane Jarrow to Stan Shaw. She was an instructor at one of AHEAD’s first Management Institutes and represented AHEAD at the International Conference in Innsbruck and at the University of Pennsylvania’s annual Disability Symposium.
Jean is an attentive, supportive mentor to developing service providers. She always volunteers to work with new members at each annual conference, and the relationships she has developed through that program have led two of her mentees to Board positions.
Jean Ashmore has been a quiet, tireless worker on behalf of AHEAD. She doesn’t ask for recognition or put herself in the spotlight, yet her work has had a profound impact on both individual members and the Association. The Blosser Award is meant to recognize exactly those types of people: the ones whose personal commitment and dedication have made AHEAD the quality organization it is today. I strongly encourage the committee to honor Jean with the 2009 Blosser Award.
AHEAD 2009 Student Recognition Award Recipient: Alberto Guzman
Rare among Disability Studies students, Alberto Guzman had an early and abiding interest in exploring how theories and research from Disability Studies can be applied to the field of disability services. As a visiting scholar at the University of Arizona and San Francisco State University, Alberto learned about service provision through hands-on exposure and impacted both staffs by sharing perspectives from disability studies. Having successfully defended his dissertation in November at the University of Illinois, Chicago, he returned to the University of Arizona where he is teaching Disability Studies courses to undergraduates in the minor program he helped establish. His cross-pollination between the fields of Disability Studies and services has contributed to the disability service programs at both the UA and SFSU and the Disability Studies program at UIC UA.
Alberto is also an active member of both AHEAD and the Society for Disability
Studies (SDS), serving on the Board of SDS. He has participated in AHEAD’s
Universal Design Initiative Leadership Institute, and presented several concurrent
sessions at AHEAD conferences. In his dissertation research, he blended theories
and research from disability studies with the practical application of disability
services in higher education. This unique perspective offers AHEAD members
the opportunity to blend philosophy and current research on disability and
apply it to the service industry.
Melanie Thornton
University of Arkansas Little Rock
NCDE Highlights Study Abroad Opportunities for Student Athletes with Disabilities
As with students in science and engineering majors, student athletes often times have difficulty finding the time to study abroad while in college. This year, the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) is highlighting opportunities athletes with disabilities have for international exchange, both while in school and after graduation. Find success stories and tip sheets you can share with your students at http://www.miusa.org/ncde/spotlight/sports/index_html
A few quick tips:
If you are working with a student athlete who expresses interest in study abroad, encourage him/her to start planning early so he/she can find a program that will fit in with his/her training schedule – remember to consider summer and winter break programs!
For student athletes who study abroad, there may be teams they can join in their host communities so they don’t get out of practice while away.
If a student is going abroad for a sports competition, remember that adding some time before or after the competition to volunteer at a local organization can be a great way for the student to see more of the host culture while promoting positive images of people with disabilities around the world.
Contact the NCDE, a project administered by Mobility International USA and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with related questions or suggestions at clearinghouse@miusa.org or 541-343-1284 (tel/tty), or visit http://www.miusa.org/ncde.
The Votes are In: Universal Design Photo Contest “People’s ChoiceᾠAward
This spring, AHEAD sponsored a photo contest to document examples of campus/organizational environments that demonstrate inclusive or universal design. This contest offered AHEAD members the opportunity to identify ways in which their campus thinks about and responds to disability and design in all types of environments (e.g. physical, service, and learning environments). Those who chose to participate were asked to “practiceᾠtheir commitment to inclusive design by submitting a text description along with their photo entry.
A total of 22 photos were submitted and evaluated by a 10-judge panel representing the AHEAD Board of Directors, several AHEAD SIGs, and the universal design and disability perspectives. Using an on-line rubric designed for this contest by members of the AHEAD UD Initiative group, the judges rated the 22 photos and offered comments. The twelve top photos were displayed at the AHEAD conference in Louisville, and attendees were asked to vote for “The People’s Choiceᾊ Award from these photos.
Congratulations to Trey Duffy, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, whose photo titled UD LOGO was the winner of “The People’s ChoiceᾠAward. As the contributor of the winning photo, Trey won a one year silver institutional AHEAD membership.
AHEAD would like to thank all those who submitted photos that demonstrated universal design on their campuses, to the judges, and to the AHEAD members who took the time look at the photo display and vote for “The People’s Choice.ᾠ
We hope that the photo contest provided everyone with the opportunity to think and talk about the importance of inclusive or universal design in everything we do.
Beth Harrison,
Director, Student Learning Services, University of Dayton
Title of Photo: Universal Design Logo
Career Planning and Placement SIG Partners AHEAD with National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP)
Stephan Smith and Paula Sotnik, Director, National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP), participated in the Career Planning and Placement SIG meeting at the national conference to discuss the new AHEAD-NSIP partnership. NSIP, a Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) training and technical assistance provider, works closely with AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and Senior Service Corps programs to provide training that will allow more people with disabilities to effectively participate in National Service opportunities. The partnership with AHEAD was formed in 2009 to increase the number of college students and graduates who become involved with National Service programs. We invite all of you to discuss National Service with students as a fulfilling part of a career plan, either during college or after graduation.
If you are interested in helping students consider if these opportunities are a good fit, go to the National Service link on the AHEAD home page. At the How to Get Involved link, you’ll learn what AmeriCorps members do and the benefits they receive, including a modest living allowance, health insurance, a child care subsidy, and a scholarship ($4,725 for full-time service) to pay for higher education or to repay qualified student loans. Members also receive training, career connections, marketable skills, and the chance to make a real difference in people's lives.
If you are interested in keeping up with developing news about AmeriCorps opportunities and other career issues, please join the Career Planning and Placement SIG listserv by emailing Kathy McCreedy. With the challenging economy affecting employment outcomes for graduates, there seems to be increased interest in finding resources to support students’ successful transitions from college to employment. Don’t delay – email Kathy McCreedy right now to join the listserv that just might make a difference!
Kathy McCreedy, Co-chair, Career Planning and Placement SIG
DISABOOM Launches Scholarship Directory for Students with Disabilities
Disaboom.com, an online resource for people with disabilities, recently launched its Disability Scholarships Directory, which describes more than 125 financial aid programs that encompass a broad range of providers, conditions, and financial packages. Some of these programs provide award amounts up to $20,000, while most are not less than $1,000, and can be applied for annually.
The directory includes scholarships and financial aid programs in three broad categories: Comprehensive disability-related scholarships, available to students with any type of disability; Condition-specific scholarships (including such conditions as autism, vision and hearing impairments, cystic fibrosis, learning disabilities, lupus, and wheelchair use); Group-specific disability scholarships (for example, caregiver scholarships and scholarships for disabled veterans).
For each entry, the directory notes the name of the scholarship, the amount of the award, specifications and restrictions, application deadline, and the contact URL for further information. In addition to the scholarships already identified in the Directory, the Disaboom research team will continue to add new financial aid sources on a regular basis. For information about scholarships that should be added, please contact Kim Dority, Disaboom Vice President of Content and Strategy, at kdority@disaboom.com.
