Learning Collaborative – Session 4 – September 25, 2019, What You Need to Know About Victim Compensation
Presented by Ann Meola, Director, MA Victim Compensation and Assistance Division.
Hosted by the Disabled Persons Protection Commission VOCA-funded project.
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office is committed to empowering crime victims and providing them with the tools and support they need to begin the healing process. The Victim Compensation and Assistance Division is able to provide financial assistance to eligible victims of violent crime for uninsured medical and dental care, mental health counseling, funeral and burial costs, and income lost due to the inability to work. Please join the Webinar to hear about the Victim Compensation program in Massachusetts and how it can be utilized to assist victims of crime.
Participants will learn:
- Background on Victim Compensation
- Eligibility Requirements
- How to Access Victim’s Compensation
- How providers can use these funds to work with survivors
Learning Collaborative – Session 3 – September 13, 2017, Guidelines for Massachusetts Rape Crisis Centers (MA RCCs): Working with Survivors with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD)
Presented by Mariah C. Freark, Assistant General Counsel, Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC); Jeni Prater, Special Projects Coordinator at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (Boston Area RCC); and Susan Vickers, Former Director of DPPC’s Sexual Assault Response Unit (SARU).
The webinar:
- Introduces the concept ‘disability humility’
- Provides an overview of three key accommodations to support persons with I/DD-
- Communication accommodations
- Involvement of third parties trying to facilitate survivors’ access to MA RCCs
- Involvement of guardians
- Introduces RCCs to new ‘sample tools’ to aid communication with survivors with I/DD
- Reviews mandated reporting of suspected abuse or neglect of a person with a disability by a caregiver
Learning Collaborative – Session 2 – April 27, 2017, Sexual Decision-Making among Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Presented by Patricia A. Carney, M.Ed., DDS.
Care providers sometime struggle to promote the free exercise of rights of the individuals they support while, simultaneously, meeting obligations as service providers. The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is tasked with determining what ‘reasonable risk’ is for an individual with an intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD) and when additional supports or limitations on liberty are necessary for people to enjoy the freedoms to which they are entitled. Often, incorrectly, an obligation to ensure health and safety is weighed against the exercise of the rights of an individual with a disability. When the topic at hand is sexual decision-making and activity, these struggles seem much larger. In this Webinar, Ms. Carney focuses on the responsibility of care providers to use available resources, including DDS regulations, an Individual Service Plan (ISP) support team, individualized observation and assessment of the individual to help determine the best course of action in a given situation. This webinar is intended for all the professions included in the ACL project: DDS, Rape Crisis Centers (RCC), Awareness & Action (A&A), Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC) and other agency staff. The goal is to provide a comprehensive introduction to how folks within DDS currently, and ideally, approach the subject of sexual relationships and decision-making among adults with I/DD.
- ‘How Teams Can Help Individuals Understand Sexuality and Develop Healthy Relationships’ an article by Pat Carney
Learning Collaborative – Session 1 – February 16, 2017, Communication Strategies for Staff working with Sexual Assault Survivors with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities
Presented by Tom Hall, Assistant Vice President, Clinical Services, Riverside Community Care. The presentation focuses on: “The things they never taught me in school, but I now know after more than 25 years working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
The webinar discusses:
- Communication tips
- Case examples with Q&A
- Types of communication disorders
- Augmentative communication
- The role of learning and memory