Edison High School Travel Training

"We had a fun time riding the bus, it's easier then I thought," said one student.

Students from JP Stevens High School participated in a two-part travel training conducted by Louis Hoffman of the New Jersey Travel Independence Program (NJTIP). This program teaches individuals about traveling independently on NJ Transit buses. The students boarded NJ Transit Bus no. 813 bound for downtown Metuchen outside ACI's offices.

ACI is proud to work with NJTIP and JP Stevens High School in providing the opportunity for students to learn this valuable skill.

Sun Damage Screening

Tara Gunthner from St. Peter's Hospital Community Mobile Health Services and intern Matt, conducted a Sun Damage Screening using a DermaScan machine to detect skin damage due to exposure to the sun. Participants also received information on how to avoid skin damage from the sun. Thank you Tara and Matt for the very informative workshop!

Affordable Care Act Employer Mandate Delayed for One Year

A message from The Arc's Capital Insider newsletter

On July 2, The White House announced that they will be delaying the employer shared responsibility provisions, a key part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Before this announcement, businesses with more than 50 workers were required to provide affordable health insurance beginning in 2014, or face a financial penalty per employee. Now, employers will not face penalties if they do not provide health insurance in 2014.

The decision is intended give employers more time to comply with the new rules and to set up the communication infrastructure needed to comply with the law and properly assess penalties. At the same time, the Administration indicates that the new health insurance exchanges, or marketplaces, will still begin enrollment on time. For more information, see Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement Valerie Jarrett’s blog post.

ACI is proud to work with Partners in Policymaking!

Partners in Policymaking (PIP) is a leadership training program expressly for family members of people with developmental disabilities and individuals with developmental disabilities. Participants [Partners] acquire knowledge about issues related to developmental disabilities, helping build their competency as advocates who can effectively influence public policy. The overall goal is to achieve an effective partnership between people needing and using services and those in a position to effect policy and law.

PIP is designed to provide information, training and skill-building so that participants can influence the services they need and how those services should be delivered. Partners learn about the most up-to-date issues and best practices in the field. They become familiar with the policymaking and legislative processes at the local, state and federal levels.

Each monthly session is devoted to specific topics with nationally known experts as presenters. Partners participants must complete assignments between sessions and commit to one major project, such as serving an internship, organizing a letter writing campaign, organizing special receptions or town meetings for public officials.

In general, session topics may include:

• History of the Independent Living, Parent and Self-Advocacy movements
• Issues in Education for People with Developmental Disabilities
• Self-Directed Living
• Supported Employment and Work
• Family Support
• Positive Behavioral Supports
• Federal Policy and Legislative Issues
• State Policy, Services and Legislative Issues
• Interaction with State Policymakers
• Community Organizing and Successful Advocacy Organization Efforts

A series of monthly training sessions begin in the fall and conclude with graduation in the spring. The monthly sessions begin on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory. The exact dates for this year will be made available with your application.

Interested persons are urged to complete and submit an application as soon as possible  (deadline is Monday, August 12, 2013). An interview is part of the selection process. You will be notified if you are selected for an interview. Space is limited!

Click here to fill out an application and be sure to tell them that ACI sent you! 

For more information, please contact Dennie Todd, PIP Advocacy Training Coordinator, by calling 609-984-4516 or email dennie.todd@njcdd.org.

Over the July 4th Recess, Tell Congress that We All Deserve Freedom from Violence!

A message from the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women

Members of Congress are home in their districts for the July 4th Recess – and as we celebrate what freedom and independence means for each of us, we must remind Congress that we all deserve to be free from domestic and sexual violence!  

• 1 in every 4 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime.
• 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape.  
• Every day in the US, three women are murdered by an intimate partner.
• 15.5 million children are exposed to violence annually.
• 26,000 cases of sexual assault related incidences occurred in the military, 3,374 were reported, and just 300 were prosecuted.
• In one 12-month period, 3.4 million adults were victims of stalking.

Despite the progress we have made toward addressing and preventing these crimes, an overwhelming need for victim services, intervention, and prevention efforts remains. Congress needs to hear from you that responding to the needs of domestic and sexual violence victims is still an urgent priority!

A number of key issues impacting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking are currently being considered by Congress:

• Immigration Reform – While the Senate recently passed a comprehensive bill that will help bring immigrants out of the shadows, provide a path to citizenship, and strengthen protections for immigrant victims of violence, the House of Representatives has yet to take up a similar bill.  As the House moves forward on this issue, they must pass legislation that meets the needs of immigrant victims.  

• Gun Safety – Both the House and the Senate must continue to work towards passing legislation that would require background checks for all gun sales in commercial settings.  There are too many loopholes in current law that allow domestic abusers to access firearms and by providing for commonsense additions to the background check system, we can reduce violence against women and save lives.
  

• Funding – Local service providers have already experienced years of funding cuts and are struggling to keep their lights on and doors open in order to provide safety and support. The Congressionally-mandated sequester cuts are further decimating the resources that victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking need to escape and heal from violence and abuse.Congress must end the sequester and invest in VAWA, FVPSA, and VOCA programs to ensure that lifesaving services will continue to be available to victims of domestic and sexual violence.

• Military Sexual Assault – NTF will be asking that Senator Gillibrand’s Military Justice Improvement Act, S. 967, be adopted when the Senate takes up the National Defense Authorization Act in the weeks ahead. Important reforms are included in this amendment including removing the decision to prosecute from the “chain of command” and placing it with high-ranking experienced and independent military prosecutors.
  

ACTION ITEM 1): CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND ASK THEM TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION AND PROGRAMS THAT HELP VICTIMS FIND FREEDOM FROM VIOLENCE!

Find your Representative’s phone number here.  Find your Senators’ phone numbers here.  Many Members will be out in the community during Fourth of July celebrations, so you can also approach them at events in your area!

Deliver the following message:

1. I am a constituent from [city and state] and my name is _________. 
2. As we celebrate the fourth of July, with its message of freedom, I urge Senator/Representative [insert name] to support legislation and programs that help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault find freedom, independence, and safety.
3. Some of the issues that are most important to me are [reference immigration reform, gun safety, military SA and/or funding, as detailed above].
4. Ask if your House or Senate Member supports any or all of these important improvements and offer to send information or stories from your program or community
5. Thank the staffer or Member for their time.  

ACTION ITEM 2): TWEET THESE MESSAGES TO YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS! 

• Find your Members’ Twitter handles here, and use the sample tweets below.

• [Insert Twitter handle] As we celebrate freedom, remember that all deserve to be free from domestic violence & sexual assault. #endDV #endSA

• [Insert Twitter handle] This July 4th, help victims of abuse gain independence by investing in the resources programs need to provide safety and support!

• [Insert Twitter handle] Freedom means not living in fear of being murdered by an abusive partner. #savewomenslives #DemandAction

• [Insert Twitter handle] Freedom means knowing you can escape abuse and still remain in this country safely & legally. #supportCIR

For more information, fact sheets, press coverage, support letters and updates continue to visit 4vawa.org. 

Follow us on Twitter at @NTFVAWA and “like” our Facebook page!      

If you aren't on one of this email list or want to add members of your staff or state/community leaders to our grassroots alerts e-mail list, send names and contact information including email to ntfvawaalerts@icasa.org.

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Disability Awareness Workshop

On Friday June 21, Colleen Roche, ACI Board Chair, Carole Tonks, Executive Director, and Luke Koppisch, Deputy Director presented a workshop on disability awareness and sensitivity to 18 staff members of Middlesex County Office of Health Services. Division of Nursing. Gabrielle Gault of the Middlesex County Center for Empowerment, organized the workshop. ACI looks forward to strengthening our partnership with the Middlesex County Office of Health Services in the coming months.

For information about our Disability Awareness and Sensitivity workshop and other workshops, contact ACI.