Upcoming Training, Events and Products

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Learn As You Earn Program: College Degrees in Disability Support

These distance delivered courses can lead to a Certificate and A.A.S. Degree from Prince William Sound Community College.  They are designed for direct care staff and others interested in providing community-based support for children and adults who experience disabilities, and are available statewide.

For information about the distance courses and scholarships, please contact Dr. Margy Kassier at 907-264-6240 or ayclass@uaa.alaska.edu

College Access Program of Rural Alaska (CAPRA)

The purpose of the CAPRA project is to increase the capacity of small rural university campuses to provide students with disabilities a higher quality post secondary education by training 200 faculty members during the grant period (2005-2008).

Visit the website for more information!

Reel Eyes Showcase of Films By and About People with Disabilities

The fifth annual Reel Eyes showcase of films by and about people with disabilities will take place this March. Films will be shown on eight campuses including Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Palmer, Soldotna, Homer, Kodiak, and Valdez. Please encourage students and members of the community to attend these free film showings. There is also 500 level credit available for those who are interested. The full schedule is available on the DSS website at http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/dss/information/reeleyes.cfm. If you would like to have copies of flyers to distribute in your class please email aydss@uaa.alaska.edu or call 786-4530.

Trust Training Cooperative Website

The Trust Training Cooperative coordinates and provides training, education and career development opportunities for the current and future workforce engaged with Alaska Mental Health Trust Beneficiaries including:

• People with Mental Illness
• People with Developmental Disabilities
• People with Chronic Alcoholism
• People with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders
• People with Traumatic Head Injury Resulting in Permanent Brain Injury

For more information on this program, click on the link above.

Quality Education in the Last Frontier (QELF) Alaska Department of Education and Early Development State Improvement Grant Research Reports

Partners in Policymaking Alaska

Based on a national model, the Partners in Policymaking Project is intended to help individuals become more knowledgeable, involved and active in public policymaking.  The internships offered twice yearly teaches organizing philosophy, methods and skills that enable ordinary people to actively participate in the democratic process.

I Vote, I Count

Visit the I Vote, I Count web site to learn how to empower Alaskans with disabilities and other Alaska Mental Health Trust beneficiaries to become active voters and part of the political process by eliminating voting barriers, promoting awareness of the voting process and helping people access their right to vote.

Alaska’s Justice Initiative

Addressing Violence and Abuse of Alaskan Seniors, People with Disabilities, and Vulnerable Adults

Promoting Safety and Dignity for Women with Disabilities

In response to the growing concern for violence towards Alaskan women with disabilities, the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education, in partnership with the UAA Center for Human Development and AWAIC, applied and received grant funds from the Office of Violence Against Women to present training, outreach, and technical assistance to victim advocates, provider agencies, individuals with disabilities, and families. Alaskans Speak Up: Ending Violence Against Women with Disabilities is a collaborative effort between the disability field and the victim advocate field. Goals of the campaign include:

• Promote training of risk reduction skills;
• Increase the ability of providers to recognize symptoms of victimization;
• Increase access to and satisfaction with victim services;
• Increase awareness of victims rights and choices;
• Increase knowledge of criminal justice system, and
• Promote the dignity of women with disabilities.

For more information about the Alaskans Speak Up project, contact Karen Ward, Director at afkmw@uaa.alaska.edu, UAA Center for Human Development at (907) 264-6239.

Children's Residential Services (CRS) Certificate

The Children's Residential Services (CRS) Certificate Program was designed for people who work with kids, usually in some form of out of home care.

Students in this program earn academic credits that count toward other degree programs in the University of Alaska system.

Interested people can take just a course or two, or can commit to completing all five courses in the program.

Self-determination Guide for Parents

This guide will was made to assist parents interested in helping their children transition from high school to the next step whether it be college or something else.

Microenterprise Resource Guide

MERG - The Microenterprise Resource Guide is a site to assist individuals and agencies interested in starting a Micro Business. In it, you will find information about resources available in the Anchorage area to develop and launch a micro business successfully.

The purpose of the guide is:

• To provide information about the nature of self-employment and to help you decide if this is a good path for you.
• To provide resources which will help you find out more about your business idea.
• To guide future microenterprise owners to helpful internet and local resources for business development.

Teaching Self-Determination in Alaskan Schools: A Toolkit for Educators

Teaching Self-Determination in Alaskan Schools: A Toolkit for Educators is now online at www.alaskachd.org/toolkit. The Self-Determination Project promotes student-directed learning and capturing dreams. The Toolkit is a project sponsored by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. The kit has been developed for teachers, parents, students and other professionals who are interested in promoting self-determination within home, school and community settings. If students with disabilities are to be successful in maximizing opportunities for self-determination in adulthood, they need to be equipped with the knowledge, beliefs, and skills that lead to self-determination in their educational programs. 

Employment Barriers Survey Reports

The Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education (GCDSE) contracted with the Center for Human Development (CHD) of the University of Alaska Anchorage to provide evaluation services for the Alaska Works Initiative. The Alaska Works Initiative helps individuals with disabilities find and/or maintain employment, and is administered by the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education. This study was requested by the GCDSE to gather information about the population of people who received disability benefits through Alaska’s Division of Health Care Services (DHCS). The primary goal of the survey was to gather information from a population of people with disabilities to learn about their experiences with employment. The Governor’s Council wanted information to provide informed policy recommendations regarding the reduction or removal of barriers that prevent people with disabilities from being employed.

http://www.alaskaworksinitiative.org/reports/

Far North Parent-Professional Partnerships

There is a growing acceptance that families and professionals working together as partners, rather than client and provider, are the best resource for children and family members with disabilities. However, the partnership framework is radically different from the family/provider association in which most professionals and families were educated.

This manual was written to provide a foundation for establishing collegial family and professional alliances. The manual is divided into three sections: Building Parent & Professional Partnerships, Understanding Basic Systems and Best Outcomes: Person Centered and Self-directed.

Check out this newly-produced manual on our Far North Parent-Professional Partnerships page.

Guide to Developmental Disability Services

A comprehensive guide to Developmental Disability Services in the state of Alaska. For more information or to download a pdf version visit the DD Guide page.

Information and Provider Lists

The Center for Human Development maintains a database with a number of different lists to provide easy access to program information. If you would like to receive information on the Full Lives Conference, UA Gerontology Program, People First of Alaska, Partners in Policymaking, Grantsmanship Training or Learn As You Earn please join our mailing list. This form can also be used to add or update a listing in the Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Senior Provider lists.