On May 24th, 14 members of the ACI social rec group enjoyed a production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, directed by David Esbjornson. This popular play about life and love in the early 20th century marked the finale of George Street Playhouse's 40th season. Natalia Lapidus, ACI's head volunteer, brought her whole family and said "The play was great, we all had a really good time."
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.
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.”
Thank you Beverly Burns, Director of Prevention Education at Advancing Opportunities, for training ACI staff in co-occurring disabilities and substance abuse.
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.
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.
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.
