The Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador initiative is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) effort to formally recognize NOAA partners who are improving the nation’s readiness, responsiveness, and overall resilience against extreme weather, water, and climate events. As a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador, ACI is committed to work with NOAA and other Ambassadors to strengthen national resilience against extreme weather.
Mental Health First Aid Certification Training
ACI staff participated in the Mental Health First Aid course. MHFA is a 8-hour training certification course which teaches participants a five-step action plan to assess a situation, select and implement interventions and secure appropriate care for the individual, the certification program introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact and overviews common treatments.
“We are thrilled to bring Mental Health First Aid to our community,” said Joni Jones, owner of Koala Cares LLC. “This important educational effort goes a lot further than emergency intervention; it really helps people understand the shroud of fear and misjudgment facing individuals and families who experience mental illnesses and addiction. It will help rid this community of the associated stigma and move more and more people toward recovery.”
Disability Substance Abuse Training
Thank you Beverly Burns, Director of Prevention Education at Advancing Opportunities, for training ACI staff in co-occurring disabilities and substance abuse.
Partnership with NJCDD for People First NJ
The NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD) is making some exciting new changes, revamping its statewide and local advocacy efforts and adapting the mission and philosophy of People First, by bringing this movement to New Jersey.
The NJCDD is calling on advocates all over New Jersey to join in this movement and to create a new network of People First New Jersey chapters in every county; uniting to affect real changes in their local communities, and coming together as a solid force to advance the rights and opportunities of people with developmental disabilities on the state level.
ACI is proud to partner with the NJCDD in starting a Middlesex County Chapter of People First New Jersey.
For more information contact Frank Latham, NJCDD Youth Leadership Coordinator at frank.latham@njcdd.org or 609-292-3453. For information on joining the Middlesex County Chapter please contact Carole Tonks at ctonks@adacil.org.
Crime Prevention for People with Disabilties
On May 15th, 2014, ACI hosted a presentation conducted by Sgt. Dudash from the Edison Police Department about Crime Prevention and Safety Tips for People with Disabilities. Topics discussed included: home safety, scams, personal safety, keeping safe while using public transportation and internet safety. Thank you Sgt. Dudash for a very useful workshop.
Take Control of Your Health
On May 8th, 12 individuals received certificates for completing Take Control of Your Health, a 6 session workshop on self-managing chronic health conditions and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The program was conducted by the Middlesex County Office of Health Services. Thank you to Viviana DeLosAngels and Marta Perez for facilitating this beneficial program.
"We all enjoyed the presentation of topics and interaction among the facilitators and participants. [The topics] were really thought provoking." - Madhusudan Butala, Workshop Participant
The Faces and Facts of Disability
A message from SocialSecurity.gov
We are proud to announce the launch of Social Security’s disability education and awareness initiative, “The Faces and Facts of Disability.” Through this campaign, we hope to educate the public about the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and dispel common misconceptions. To learn more about the campaign, visit our Faces and Facts of Disability website at www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityfacts.
Please help us spread the word. Please share this information with your staff, clients, colleagues, and the general public. If you are able, please post this information on your website or other social media sites.
