Issue XXXX—April 2002

EVENTS IS A PUBLICATION OF THE WISCONSIN BIRTH TO 3 PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WITH FUNDING FROM THE WISCONSIN BIRTH TO 3 PROGRAM, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, AND THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

In this issue:
To Our Readers New Employees
Family Corner DPI Update
Family Training  WDEC
Birth to 3 Update Resources and Ideas
Sound Beginnings Wisconsin Events Calendar (April-June)
RESource National Trainings

 To Our Readers
Spring in early intervention usually means change and transition. IFSPs turn to IEPs as kids graduate from Birth to 3 to Early Childhood. Staff often turns over as we head into summer months. Change can be difficult. This is especially true for families with children with special needs. This issue of EVENTS will tell you about some of the staff changes we have had here at the Wisconsin Personnel Development Project (WPDP) and how our new outlook and resources can better meet your needs. Consider attending an upcoming WPDP training to learn how new information and insight can make transitions easier on us all.

WPDP Trainings Calendar
For updates on Wisconsin Personnel Development Project as well as other Wisconsin and national trainings, access the community training calendar on the Waisman Center website at: www.waisman.wisc.edu/cte/index.html

Orientation for Service Coordinators – April 4 & 5
Hotel Mead - Wisconsin Rapids
Service coordination in Birth to 3 presents a variety of challenges. Veteran trainer, Meredith Green, will join with new staff member Belinda Velazquez and service coordinator and RESource staff Amy Wilson to help service coordinators problem solve using real family stories. Learn new techniques or refresh your knowledge. Get a boost by networking with other staff. This workshop is one way to fill the HFS90 orientation requirements.

***RESERVE THESE DATES - June 12 & 13***
Birth to 3 Program Coordinator’s/Administrator’s Meeting
Location T.B.A.
Program coordinators and administrators are always in the position to make difficult decisions about the Birth to 3 program. Attend this workshop to update your knowledge of Birth to 3, explore your leadership role, and receive the support and information you need. Check our website for updates at: www.waisman.wisc.edu/earlyint/natenvir/index.html


 Thoughts to Ponder
“Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Beating the Transition Blues
By Lisa Pugh
Speaking of change – our family is going through a doozy! March finds us registering one child for kindergarten and graduating another from Birth to 3. I have the unique opportunity to compare these two experiences as they unfold side by side.

As with any family shooing little chicks from the nest, this change is bittersweet. I am excited that my girls, McKenna and Erika, are learning and growing, but unsure of what the future holds. Many of our neighbors are also preparing kids for kindergarten this fall. We’re off to registration events, screenings and open houses. It’s all very exciting and McKenna can hardly contain herself. Mom and Dad are also ready for her to be occupied elsewhere.
Erika is a different story. She’ll turn three in June and the readiness (hers and mine) for this transition to “school” isn’t as clear.
My own indecisiveness reminds me of a time shortly after Erika’s birth when she underwent heart surgery. She entered the hospital on oxygen, but right after surgeons repaired her heart, nurses removed the oxygen tubes. After months of watching oxygen monitors, I was shocked. “Doesn’t she still need that?” I remember asking the nurse.
The doctors assured me that Erika was now ready to be weaned from oxygen and was perfectly capable of surviving without it now that her heart was repaired. They also explained, very respectfully, that it was often more difficult to “wean” parents from that security than the child.
That statement has stuck with me through these last three years and has meaning for me in all aspects of Erika’s life. I may not be sure about my ability to leave Birth to 3, but Erika is growing and changing. For families, it is the professionals in our lives who can give us the confidence to move forward and assure us that the best is yet to come.
Lisa Pugh is a Parent Facilitator and Training Specialist for the Wisconsin Personnel Development Project and is the parent of two girls, one of which has special needs.


 Family Training

Parents as Leaders: Uplifting. Rewarding. Empowering.
For families with young children with special needs, the questions are endless while the answers are often daunting. The Parents As Leaders (PALs) program brightens this picture. Parents are now being recruited for this FREE five-session training which gives families the tools and friendships they need to move forward. Uplifting. Rewarding. Empowering. Register soon – attendance is limited. Weekends are: October 4-5; November 15-16; January 24-25; March 14-15; May 9-10. Call 608-263-6745.
People Can’t Wait Trainings
Looming funding cuts at the state and local levels may have significant implications for families with children with special needs and the programs that support them during April and May, parents and professionals will have the opportunity to attend regional trainings to understand these issues, voice opinions, gain skills, and work together for change.
Log onto www.dawninfo.org for more detailed information or call Julie Schears to register at 608-265-2063, email schears@waisman.wisc.edu
Public Hearing Notice
The Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Waisman Center and the Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy will hold joint public hearings from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at most sites following the training event. Go to www.wcdd.org for a schedule.

 Toll-Free Help For Families
Wisconsin First Step 1-800-642-STEP (7837)


Regional Training Dates

Milwaukee- March 19
Oshkosh-April 3
Green Bay-April 4
Stevens Point-April 9
Prairie du Chien-April 17
La Crosse -April 18
Madison-April 19
West Bend-April 23
Ashland-May 2
Eau Claire-May 3
Racine-May 7

Birth to 3 Update

New State Funding for the Birth to 3 Program!
For the first time in five years, the Birth to 3 Program received new funding in the State budget. Families with children in the Birth to 3 Program played a significant role in educating legislators about the value of these services and the need for additional funds to keep up with the increasing numbers of children benefiting from these services. The base funding for the Birth to 3 Program was increased by 2.1 million per year beginning Jan. 1, 2002 - a 30% increase in State funds. State funding is about 25% of the total budget, another 25% is federal funding and the remaining 50% is county funding.

Another less visible increase in the State budget was the decision to approve an enhanced reimbursement rate for Medicaid services provided to children in the Birth to 3 Program in the child’s natural environment. Providers of occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech and language therapy receive the enhanced rate when they provide therapy to a child eligible for MA who receives the therapy in the natural environment (the home or usual child care site). It is hoped that this increased reimbursement will fairly compensate providers for any increased costs associated with providing service in the home and the additional provider revenue will allow therapists to attend more training and team meetings.

Fiscal Workgroup
Now that there is additional funding for Birth to 3, dedicated folks have been working diligently to assure those dollars are distributed equitably. Initially, the Joint Finance Committee in the Legislature determined the distribution of these new funds. The intent was to limit the amount of county dollars required for this entitlement program. Counties contributing more than 40% of the total cost of Birth to 3 services in their county in 1999 received an increase. Under this methodology, 30% of counties did not receive any increase in funding. This distribution method did not take into account the number of children needing services in a county. The Department of Health and Family Services convened a workgroup of county Birth to 3 staff from all regions of the state, parents and advocates, to discuss allocation methodologies and recommend a way to distribute future funds. The workgroup’s recommendation was to allocate new funds based on a combined factor of the zero to three population in a county and the total number of children served in that county. Thank you for all the hard work!

You can contact members of the Birth to 3 state team at (608) 266-8276 or by e-mail at gribbb@dhfs.state.wi.us

Birth to 3
ETN Schedule

The ETN, or Electronic Telecommunications Network, Training Program is an excellent way to network with other Birth to 3 providers around the state and gain information on the latest topics affecting your work with

  • Recent topics have included Assistive Technology, Working with Adoptive Families and Parental
    Cost Share.
  • Consider joining the brand new Birth to 3 ETN list-serv which provides ETN dates and materials, valuable updates and notices about other trainings.
  • Find more information and check the latest ETN schedule at:
    www.dhfs.state.wi.us/BDDS/B3ETN

Wisconsin Sound Beginnings:
Birth to 3 Intensive Training


Universal Newborn Hearing Screening
By Linda Tuchman
Early on a Saturday morning in February a group of people are seated around a table, sipping their morning coffee while deeply engaged in lively conversation. You may think I’m describing the scene at your local neighborhood café, but I’m not. I’m referring to the activities of a small group of committed individuals who have given up part of their weekends for the past five months to participate in the Wisconsin Sound Beginnings Birth to 3 Training Program. The purpose of the training has been to enhance the knowledge, skills and experiences of the group so that they can help local Birth to 3 programs respond to the needs of families who have infants that have been newly confirmed as deaf or hard of hearing as a result of newborn hearing screening.

If you were to have continued your observations of the group’s activities, you would have found them viewing video tapes of mothers interacting with their babies and recording communication behaviors or having a serious discussion about how to share unbiased information with families about communication modality options. You may also have seen the group wired up to experience newborn hearing screening, trying out new hearing aid technology, learning about cochlear implants, or communicating with one another in sign language. You would have been delighted with the demonstration of story telling in sign language as well as the exploration of other early literacy skills for young children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Additionally, you would have heard from a panel of parents, a panel of adults who are hard of hearing, and members of the Deaf Culture and Community.

One of the things we discovered early in the training series was that we each had much to learn from one another - participants and trainers alike. Those who know early intervention or the family perspective may not have had the deaf and hard of hearing background while those who had the deaf and hard of hearing background needed to learn about the Birth to 3 processes and the focus on family-based interventions.

Who makes up the Birth to 3 Sound Beginnings Team?
The Birth to 3 Sound Beginnings team is comprised of 16 participants and a 10 person, collaborative training team, representing multiple agencies and perspectives. Participants represent the five, Department of Health and Family Service regions and include 2-4 people on each regional team. Team members are from diverse, but complementary backgrounds and include early childhood special education teachers, parents, teachers of deaf and hard of hearing, deaf mentors, audiologists, speech and language pathologists, and service coordinators.

How will the training team use what they have learned in their local communities?
Regional Training: Upon completion of this year’s training, each regional team will offer one training event in their region sometime in the next year. Team members will work with WPDP, Sound Beginnings and Birth to 3 RESource staff to identify local needs and integrate this training with other Birth to 3 regional RESource and WPDP activities.

Consultation to Local Birth to 3 Programs: Sound Beginnings will provide each regional training team with a small amount of seed funding to provide consultation to local Birth to 3 Programs who want assistance in planning for and providing intervention to newly identified infants who are deaf and hard of hearing. We have established this consultation resource for counties who identify they need help serving infants who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families.

How can I find out who has been trained in my region?
Each regional team will write a letter of introduction to each county program in their region this spring. Additionally, a Birth to 3 Consultant Directory will be available, in hard copy and online, this summer. The directory will include the participants and training team for the Birth to 3 Sound Beginnings training as well as other qualified persons who want to be included. Audiologists qualified to confirm hearing loss in infants and toddlers will also be included.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the directory based on your skills and experience working with infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families, please contact Linda Tuchman (tuchman@waisman.wisc.edu; 608-263-6467).

Wisconsin Sound Beginnings is supported by a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau grant through collaboration with WPDP and the Wisconsin Association of Perinatal Care (WAPC). Other Birth to 3 Sound Beginnings supporters have included the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Bureau for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Birth to 3 Program. Additionally, we acknowledge the coordination provided by Sherry Kimball along with support from Mary Shaw and Lynn Sankey. We could not have accomplished this event without them.
Other Sound Beginnings activities have included a Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) Champions meeting held at the American Club in Kohler, WI on February 7 & 8. For additional information about the Wisconsin Sound Beginnings and other Universal Newborn Hearing Screening initiatives, visit the UNHS website: http://www.perinatalweb.org/association/unhs.html

Linda Tuchman is the Director of the Early Intervention Program at the Waisman Center, UW-Madison.

News and Ideas from RESource

Reflections on Interventions
By Karen Wollenburg
The RESource regional technical assistance for Birth to 3 programs has been in place for a little over a year. During that time the RESource staff has been reminded repeatedly of the parallels between this technical assistance work and the role of providers in a family context.

1. In both situations, professionals are given the privilege and honor of entering into the home or “life space” of the people they are working with.

In animal science, discussions of “territory” remind us of the natural instinct to protect the living area in which the major life transactions of the species take place. When we are allowed to enter into the life space of families, counties or programs, we are given the honor of being allowed in to the places where major life/work transactions take place. In both cases we are allowed because we are perceived to have a possible beneficial function that will support in some way the goals and success of the “family” within.

2. In the family’s home and with RESource interactions, the development of a positive relationship is critical for successful, mutually beneficial long-term relations. The development of a secure base of trust, respect and security underlies the ability of all parties to speak honestly, partner or collaborate around difficult issues, and explore new and creative ways to support growth, development and continuous learning .

3. In both cases the technical assistance staff and early intervention providers are entering an “unknown land” where they must discover how to best share their experience and knowledge in a way that is useful to and respectful of those who actually live there . It is the family, or “work family” that has intimate knowledge of what motivates and engages them, how things are typically done, and what is taboo, They also know the availability of personal and external resources, the long-standing cultural ways, and understand the influence of past history on current beliefs and actions.

4. Both must have a clear vision of their role and understand the expectations of their work. Defining boundaries and clarifying expectations is an ongoing consideration in both family-based intervention and the provision of technical assistance with programs. The ability to talk with others about who you are and what you do helps clarify the boundaries of the relationship. In order to do this, providers and technical assistance staff need to be supported to define the principles and beliefs that guide their work, have a unified vision of purpose, and be supported with clear policies and procedures.

5. Interventionists and technical assistance providers need and deserve support and supervision while doing the complex work with families or program families. Many times the demands of the workload push action. We are doing, doing, doing. Supervision and team support can help the staff to pause and wonder about the “why” and” how”, as well as the costs and benefits of their actions to the families and programs with which they work. If we can consider that we should “do onto others as you would have others do onto others” (Geri Pawl) ,then support and supervision is essential if providers and technical support staff are to successfully support the” families” they work with.
Karen Wollenburg, a RESource Birth to 3 Facilitator, can be reached by phone at 608-742-8814 or by e-mail: wollenburgk@cesa5.k12.wi.us. Contact her with Birth to 3 technical assistance questions or to find the local RESource person in your area.
Welcome to New Employees

Belinda Velazquez,
Facilitator and Trainer for WPDP and IDTrain Program
I started my position in January as Facilitator and Trainer for two programs in Early Childhood (WPDP and IDTrain Program). My academic background is in Social Work. Previous to this position, I was an advisor for undergraduate students at UW-Madison. I’m originally from Puerto Rico and my primary language is Spanish. My language, heritage and culture are very important to me and I integrate it in the work that I do, as it is part of who I am personally and professionally.

I’m excited to be on board with the staff at the Waisman Center in Early Intervention. The part about my work that I would like to bring to your attention most immediately is the IDTrain Program. It is a training program for students in a variety of professional programs, such as special education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, communicative disorders, and social work, (among others) to be better prepared to meet the developmental and educational needs of young children with low-incidence disabilities.

I am in the process of setting up short summer placements intended to be a cultural immersion experience for the students. The focus of the cultural immersion component is to give students an opportunity to work and participate in settings that are different from their own cultures. As our demographics change, we want students to gain a perspective of living and working in a different setting. If you think that your organization can provide one of our students this opportunity, I would love to hear from you! Please email Belinda at velazquez@waisman.wisc.edu

Morgan Groves,
Birth to 3 Fiscal Policy Analyst
I was hired in November 2001 as a fiscal policy analyst for the Birth to 3 Program. I have 10 years of experience with fiscal policy for the COP-W and CIP II waiver programs in the Bureau of Aging and Long Term Care and am now enjoying learning about children’s issues. Most recently I was the Coordinator of the Family Care Independent Advocacy Project at the Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy, providing advocacy for individuals receiving services from Care Management Organizations in Family Care pilots.
Contact Morgan at grovemp@dhfs.state.wi.us

Lisa Pugh,
Parent Facilitator and Training Specialist for WPDP
I started my career with the Waisman Center on January 7, but my real on-the-job training began nearly three years ago with the birth of my daughter, Erika. Due to a rare diagnosis, Erika has been enrolled in Birth to 3 since she was just a month old. We have had a variety of challenges and have been involved in four separate early intervention programs! My background as a former television reporter (in Green Bay, Wisconsin) and as a public relations professional offers a unique perspective (I hope!) to this job. My main role, in addition to editing this newsletter, will be to help train folks on best practices in Birth to 3 and provide a first-hand family/parent view. I have already met some of you at conferences or workshops and I look forward to working with you in the future. Please feel free to contact me by phone at 608-263-5947 or by e-mail at pugh@waisman.wisc.edu

Amy Wilson
Be sure to check our next edition of Birth to 6 Events for more information on our latest new employee – Amy Wilson. Amy, an educator in the Fond du Lac County Birth to 3 program, has added RESource staff responsibilities to her title. She will have resposibility for providing technical assistance to the eastern region of the state. (See RESource article)

 The Birth to 3 Families
are the Foundation
booklet is now available in Spanish!
Call or e-mail to
request copies:
(608) 266-8276
gribbb@dhfs.state.wi.us

DPI Update


Promoting Collaboration
By Jill Haglund
Spring brings new opportunities and important information alerts to the early childhood community and parents. Two new department policy bulletins are in the process of being sent out. The first is an advisory related to four-year-old kindergarten. With the dramatic increase in these programs, this information is meant to assist districts in understanding the program and promoting collaborative approaches. It can be found on the website
at www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dfm/pb/pdf/advis3.pdf

The second notice, a special education bulletin, is a copy of the new state- level interagency agreement between the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services Birth to 3 Program, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, the Wisconsin Sovereign Tribal Nations, Wisconsin Head Start Programs, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The purpose of this agreement is to provide a state level framework that guides and supports the development of collaborative efforts and local interagency agreements related to services for young children with disabilities and their families. It will soon be on our website at www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dlsea/een/bulindex.html
We strongly believe that through collaborative four-year-old kindergartens and renewed interagency efforts, communities will find new and improved methods to establish systems to better support young children with disabilities and their families.

Grant $$ Available
It is collaboration mini-grant time again! The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Preschool Part B discretionary funding in Wisconsin offers schools districts small planning and implementation grants to support the development of an expanded array of preschool settings. Grants range in amount from $2,000 to $7,000 and are available through CESA 2 or CESA 4. The CESA 2 planning grants will assist communities in aligning the delivery of high quality education, special services, and care for all children. Through CESA 4, grants are aimed at facilitating meaningful interactions between young children with disabilities and those without special needs. Grant specifics and further contact information can be found on the DPI website at: http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dlsea/een/grt_prds01.html or contact CESA 2: 608-758-6232 or CESA 4: 608-786-4844.

Offering Support to Jenny Lange
Our early childhood special education community is sending best wishes for a full recovery to Jenny Lange. Jenny is the early childhood special education consultant at the Department of Public Instruction. Jenny suffered a serious stroke early in January and has been out of work since that time. She is currently out of the hospital and working hard every day on her recovery. We hope to see her back with us in several months.

Jill Haglund is an Early Childhood Consultant with the Department of Public Instruction. You can contact Jill through e-mail at: jill.haglund@dpi.state.wi.us

Milestones

The recent changes and additions to WPDP mean other team members have had the opportunity to move on to new, exciting projects and careers. Lori Brandt, former Birth to 3 program reviewer and RESource staff, is now working
in the Manitowoc School District helping to identify children with special needs for the kindergarten program. Beth Swedeen and Deb Wisniewski are still facilitators with the WPDP Parents As Leaders (PALs) program, but they are also lending their talents to a new grant called Healthy and Ready to Work. The goal of this national five-year project is to better prepare young adults with disabilities for the sometimes difficult transitions from school into the workforce. We look forward to seeing results!

Wisconsin Division for Early Childhood

Mark Your Calendars for Mental Health Event

In response to the growing public concern for information about mental illnesses/brain disorders in infants and children, the Wisconsin Division for Early Childhood (WDEC) and its partners* are pleased to sponsor the
3rd Bi-Annual JoLyn Beeman Memorial Lecture Series:
Mental Health Challenges in Young Children: Identification & Intervention
May 3, 2002
Howard Johnson Resort & Conference Center
(formerly Antiqua Bay Resort)
Wisconsin Dells, WI
The featured speaker, David Fassler, M..D., is a practicing child & adolescent psychiatrist from Burlington, Vermont. A graduate of Yale University School of Medicine, Dr. Fassler is also a clinical associate professor in the Dept. of Psychiatry at the University of Vermont; the director of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry for Choate Health Systems; and founder of the PlayCare Center preschool programs. Dr. Fassler also chairs the Committee on Psychiatry and Mental Health in the Schools for the American Psychiatric Association.
In addition to Dr. Fassler, participants at this event will learn about initiatives and services available in our state from Wisconsin professionals in the field of mental health, and parents who will share their family experiences.
The cost to attend is $75 ($60 if you are a WDEC member, parent of a child with a disability, or full-time student) and includes lunch and a copy of Dr. Fassler’s book, Help Me, I’m Sad: Recognizing, Treating, and Preventing Childhood and Adolescent Depression (Viking/Penguin Putnam, Inc., revised ed., 1998).
Service providers of all disciplines who work with young children and their families, and parents are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact a member of the WDEC planning committee, Mary Joslin (715) 720-2158, Sheila Behrendt (715) 262-5562, or Gaye Tylka, (608) 786-4844.
Watch your mail for a brochure in mid-March.
*Co-sponsors include WI Dept. of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Personnel Development Project, and CESA 4 & 10.


 Wisconsin EVENTS Calendar
APRIL-JUNE

April

MAY

JUNE

 National Trainings

Resources

www.bookshare.org
This new website allows book sharing by people who have disabilities that hamper or prevent them from reading printed text.

www.visionsurvey.net
This new tool can help to assess vision problems in very young children. On-line resources parents or professionals can use in the home or at school.

www.nfcacares.org
NFCA is a grass roots organization created to educate, support, empower and speak up for the millions of Americans who care for chronically ill, aged or disabled loved ones.

Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for
Education, Training and Support
(FACETS) Has established a new statewide parent training and information center with a variety of supports available to families.
Call 877-374-4677 or www.wifacets.org

EVENTS Editors:

Wisconsin Personnel Development Project
Editor: Lisa Pugh, WPDP
Contributors: Morgan Groves, Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program
Linda Tuchman, WPDP
Jill Haglund, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Gaye Tylka, Wisconsin Division for Early Childhood
Karen Wollenburg, RESource
Belinda Velazquez, WPDP, ID Train
Desktop Publishing: Cheri Sanders, Media Specialist, WPDP
Director: Linda Tuchman
EVENTS is published three times each year by the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Personnel Development Project with funding from the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program, Department of Health and Family Services, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and the Head Start QNet. WPDP, housed at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, is funded by the Birth to 3 Program to address the need for well qualified early intervention service providers in the state. WPDP offers a wide range of educational opportunities for parents, service providers from all disciplines, and program managers/administrators, through a multifaceted program. Activities include statewide and regional in-service workshops, Parents as Leaders (PALS), a video lending library, technical assistance, a web site, and materials development and dissemination.
For additional information, call 608-263-5022, 1-800-532-3321, or email pugh@waisman.wisc.edu

Deadline for submissions to next EVENTS: May 15, 2002

WPDP website: www.waisman.wisc.edu/earlyint/ei_perso.html
Natural Enviroments website: www.waisman.wisc.edu/earlyint/natenvir/index.html

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