Community Connections, Spring 2002
Popping
the Myths About People With Disabilities
By
Catharine McHugh
The
NYS Commission on Quality of Care offers a three-part Disabilities Awareness
program designed to help elementary school students begin to explore some
of the common misconceptions about people with disabilities and learn
facts about mental illness and other disabilities. Through directed discussion,
simulated activities, and hands-on projects, experienced and trained presenters
help students develop more positive attitudes toward people with disabilities
in school, work and neighborhood settings.
The disabilities awareness program has been offered in New York State
elementary schools for the past fifteen years in an effort to support
the placement of children with disabilities in regular education classrooms.
Promoting friendships among students with disabilities and their non-disabled
peers is one of its primary goals. The Program has been designed by staff
from the NYS Commission on Quality of Care and is co-sponsored by nine
state agencies and associations providing advocacy and services to individuals
with disabilities. One of those co-sponsors, the Mental Health Association
of NYS, has taken on a new role this past year in helping to implement
the Disabilities Awareness Program.
Participants from four CMHP teams have expressed interest in the program
and will be trained to serve as presenters in an effort to expand the
program into different areas of the state. Designed to help prepare school
staff and students to better understand mental illness, this new offshoot
of the Program is a welcome addition and one that school personnel have
expressed enthusiastic interest in. Some CMHP teams are already making
presentations in schools. Their involvement in the Disabilities Awareness
Program will help expand and support these efforts. Other team members
are taking on this responsibility for the first time.
As part of the training to become presenters, MHA staff and volunteers
are given a large binder of materials to review for use in implementing
the Disabilities Awareness curriculum. Small group instruction sessions
are scheduled for them in each region. During the sessions, they will
participate in simulated activities similar to the ones presented to students
and learn how to present materials in a classroom setting. Techniques
for working with children including story -telling, role playing, and
puppetry will be covered.
From the first steps needed to contact a school to invite them to participate
in the Program to the follow up required at the conclusion of the Program,
new presenters will learn and practice each step in implementing an effective
Disabilities Awareness curriculum on their own. They will observe the
Program conducted in schools prior to taking on the role of presenter.
Follow up discussion and feedback will take place with CMHP presenters
and staff from the CQC and MHANYS as this project continues. This new
collaborative effort with CMHP participants will greatly enhance the outreach
of the Disabilities Awareness Program.
The CMHP teams currently participating in the program are from the Capital
Region, Chautauqua, Fulton/ Montgomery, and Franklin Counties. Additional
teams may join during the next school year. Please contact Catharine McHugh
at the NYS Commission on Quality of Care at 518-381-7098 or at or Renée
Benson at MHANYS at 518-434-0439 for additional information.
posted
4/9/02
|