Achieve with us.                                                                                               www.arcoftippecanoe.org

Executive Director Update
Hello Everyone!

October was a fun month for The Arc of Tippecanoe County. Adult Recreation held its Halloween Party at Pi Kappa Phi fraternity in West Lafayette. We had over 100 people attend the event including 73 clients, staff, Purdue Best Buddies and Arc Board members and staff. The event was co-sponsored by Purdue Special Olympics. The fraternity members have a band that performed at the event and even took requests. We had a costume contest and a raffle at the event. We raised $400, plus the fraternity is making a donation from their bike-a-thon, for our Holiday Dinner Dance. I would like to thank the men of Pi Kappa Phi, Purdue Special Olympics, Purdue Best Buddies, Katie Mills, Cari Carpenter, Jill Vaught, Cindy Roberts, Shawn Rector, Dave Meadows, Katy Dietrich, Michael O'Hern and Ron Clark for all your help with this event.

The Arc also unveiled a new additional to our Super Star Social Club in late September. It is called Super Star Social Club Juniors for kids in 2nd-5th grade. We had our call out in late September and had over 17 children along with their parents in attendance. Look for more information below. A special thanks to Cari Carpenter, Mad Mushroom Pizza, Faith Church and Purdue Special Olympics for their help with the call out.

The Arc would also like to thank the Greater Lafayette Community Foundation for donating $797.98 to purchase office equipment. This will give us the tools we need to move The Arc forward.

The United Way Campaign is moving on this month. Please consider making a donation to the United Way. They make our work at The Arc possible. We will have a jar for freewill donations at the Annual Holiday Dinner Dance on November 18th. As a reminder, we will be collecting food for Food Finders Food Bank as admission to the Dinner Dance. Food Finders is in great need this year. Yesterday at the United Way meeting Food Finders was talking about the increase demand for food this year. They are running very low on many items. They have a great need for peanut butter.

We are collecting new information sheets for all participants in our direct services programs. This information sheet has current medical information, contact information, permission to seek medical treatment in case of an emergency and has photo and information releases as well. It is very important that we have current information on everyone. Everyone needs to complete a new sheet by the end of the year in order to participate in Arc events in 2012.

Adult Recreation Information Sheet
SuperStar Social Club and SuperStar Social Club Jr Information Sheet

Whew! As you can see it has been a busy and fun month.

I look forward to seeing you all at our November events.

Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving.

Milissa

Adult Recreation Holiday Dinner and Dance
The biggest and best event of the year....The Holiday Dinner and Dance. The Dinner Dance will be on Friday, November 18th from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the YWCA. The cost to attend the event will be one non-perishable food item or $5.00 per person. This includes all staff, family and visitors. No exceptions will be made.

We are inviting several "Friends of The Arc" from the Lafayette Community including the United Way, elected officials and companies who have helped us over the past year. This is our chance to thank them for their support of The Arc.

All the proceeds from this event will go to Food Finders Food Bank. We will have a van from Food Finders at the event to pick up our donations. Last year we donated over 200 pounds of food for those in need in our Lafayette Community.

Please RSVP for the event by November 4th. We need a list of names of everyone attending including staff, special guests and visitors. This will help us know how much food to prepare.

Kids Night Out
Need some time to get Christmas shopping or wrapping done without little eyes watching? How about some "me-time" before the Christmas rush begins? Let us enjoy your kids while you enjoy those things!

Our next Kids Night Out is on Friday, December 2, 2011 from 6pm - 9pm at T.C. Harris School. We'll have dinner and play games and possibly watch a movie. We'll also have several volunteers from the Special Olympics College @ Purdue group. They helped out at Kids Night Out in February and we all had a a great time with them!

To RSVP by November 28 please visit our Kids Night Out website or call 765-476-3277.

The Arc Honors one of our own -- Representative Tim Brown
The Arc honored State Senator Vaneta Becker and State Representative Tim Brown at our annual Legislative Breakfast on October the 5th. Senator Becker received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Representative Brown was recognized with the Public Policy Award.

Last fall, Representative Brown took a strong interest in The Arc’s Building Pathways to Empowerment Campaign and attended meetings with key House leaders on the goals of the campaign. He appreciated the Campaign’s message of a system that asks for responsible use of public resources, but in return empowers individuals to use those resources in ways that best helps them as an individual, as a family and as a community.

During the 2011 legislative session, services and supports for people with I/DD faced heavy scrutiny. As the state looked for ways to pass a balanced state budget, many programs were at risk for substantial cuts and significant policy changes. As Chairman of the House Public Health Committee, Representative Brown used his position to influence changes in important services and programs, including First Steps. He worked closely with The Arc of Indiana on amendments and strategies to protect the programs that people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities depend upon to lead more independent lives in Hoosier communities.

Representative Brown played a key role in making sure drastic measures were not taken that would have jeopardized critical services and programs to Indiana’s most vulnerable Hoosiers. There is no doubt that without his leadership this past legislative session, services and programs for people with disabilities would have been subject to significant reductions and changes

Senator Becker has played a role in countless initiatives to improve the lives of all Hoosiers, including women and children, as well as often overlooked and vulnerable populations, including the elderly, those with disabilities and those living in poverty.

Senator Becker has worked to ensure access to medical care for vulnerable Hoosier families who otherwise would not easily be able to access medical care. She was a key player in the implementation and development of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) which covers children in low-income families that are not eligible for Medicaid coverage. She also authored legislation leading to the establishment of the Hoosier Healthwise program for children, pregnant women and low-income families in Indiana.

Senator Becker has been a tenacious advocate for funding for home and community based services for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. She dedicated herself to make sure the state invested in the 317 Plan, which has improved the lives of thousands of Hoosiers with developmental disabilities through the Medicaid Waiver program. In recent years, Senator Becker worked tirelessly to improve the Welfare Modernization Project and make sure vulnerable populations had access to a system that worked quickly and effectively to get critical services to those in need.

Congratulations, and thanks, from The Arc to Senator Becker and Representative Brown.

Blueprint for Change from The Arc of Indiana
We just received details of this exciting plan today at The Arc of Indiana 2011 Conference! There was a lot of positive feedback and energy surrounding this report, including a surprise televideo from Tim Shriver, the CEO of Special Olympics!

The Blueprint for Change sets forth a transformational plan to build a successful system that empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families to shape their own future, nurture and create natural systems of support, and strengthen the foundation of publically funded services for those who need supports.

We invite you to read the full Blueprint for Change report - unveiled at The Arc of Indiana’s Conference on November 1.

We also invite you to vist the special Blueprint for Change section of The Arc's website where you can talk with each others in Forums; share videos, photos, and stories in Innovation; and find links to the latest news, events, and ways to sign up to stay informed through our E-Newsletter and Action Alerts.

The Blueprint for Change is the result of 18 months of work by national leaders in the field of developmental disabilities and families, people with disabilities, and professionals in Indiana, coming out of The Arc’s Building Pathways to Empowerment campaign.

The Arc realized several months ago that the stakes are higher than at any time in our past. The status quo cannot be maintained. There are 20,000 people in Indiana with I/DD officially waiting for services to support them in their home and community. We are facing a time of cutbacks and economic strife. Something has to change. True reform and progress will not happen by simple nibbling around the edges of reform. Now is the time for bold action. The Blueprint for Change sets out a bold, and some may say controversial plan, to reform and change how we as a state embrace and support people with I/DD and their families. Key Guiding Principles which drive the Blueprint include:
The Arc believes that for major change to take place there must a shift in culture, along with major structural changes and shifts in funding for programs and services.

The transformational change called for in the Blueprint will not be easy and will not happen through the work of The Arc alone. It will take many hands, joined together in a united effort for the Blueprint to move from paper to making a real and meaningful difference in the lives of people with I/DD and their families.

Read the report, share it with others, and please join us on this journey. We also have printed copies of the report in Milissa's office.

Pictures on Facebook
Have you visited our Facebook Page lately? Lots of great pictures from recent activities have been posted, including pictures from the Halloween Dance!

Visit www.facebook.com/thearcoftippecanoe!

New Medicaid Resource available from The Arc
The Arc is excited to announce a valuable new resource available at www.thearc.org to help guide people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families through the complexities of Medicaid benefits, services and supports. The Medicaid Reference Desk offers detailed, state-by-state information about Medicaid benefits, a glossary of terms, answers to frequently asked questions, person-centered planning resources and a blog from The Arc’s training specialist about issues related to Medicaid, self-advocacy and person-centered planning.

Medicaid is the largest source of financing for disabilities services in the United States. For people with disabilities and for those who provide their care, Medicaid serves as a valuable safety net. Often the only source of financial assistance for health care, Medicaid plays a critical role for people with disabilities in providing coverage and access to care. Medicaid is, however, extremely complicated. At least half of the funds for Medicaid programs come from the Federal government with the remainder coming from state funds. Federal law contains detailed requirements and limitations on eligibility, services, and financing. But, state law varies widely.

This project was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Developmental Disabilities (Grant No. 90 DN0215). We encourage you to explore the Medicaid Reference Desk via the Resources section of www.thearc.org or www.thedesk.info.

United Way Campaign Update
The United Way campaign is almost over and we have almost reached our goal. United Way has already raised over $3 million -- over 65% there! Thank you!

Interested in some good chili and donating to United Way? Come out to the Community Chili Cook-Off on Sunday, November 6 12pm-2pm at the McAllister Center. All proceeds benefit United Way.

Two of our own, Katy Dietrich and Ken Schwieterman, are contestants in this year's battle for the best chili. For $5 (kids 10 and under are free!) you can eat all the chili your taste buds can handle. Come out and cheer for Katy and Ken!

Milissa's Office Hours
The Arc office is housed in the IU Health-Arnett building at 1500 Salem Street in Lafayette in Room 146. Office Hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 to 12, and Thursday 3:30 to 5:30. Please stop by and visit us at our new office.

Calendar of Events

Try out our new Calendar of Events!

Sun, Nov 6, 2011: Community Chili Cook-Off. 12pm-2pm. McAllister Center, 2351 N 20th St, Lafayette. All proceeds benefit United Way and two of our own (Katy Dietrich and Ken Schwieterman) are contestants for the best chili! Come out to cheer them on!
Fri, Nov 11, 2011: SuperStar Social Club (teens) Holiday Dinner and Dance. 5:30pm - 7:30pm. RSVP to Julie.
Fri, Nov 18, 2011: Adult Recreation Holiday Dinner and Dance. 5:30pm - 8:30pm. YWCA. RSVP by November 4.
Mon, Nov 21, 2011: G.L.A.S.S. Transition Information Night. 5:30pm - 8:30pm. Ivy Hall Community Rooms, Ivy Tech Campus, 3101 S. Creasy Lane, Lafayette.
Fri, Dec 2, 2011: Kids Night Out, 6pm - 9pm T.C. Harris School, 3700 Rome Drive, Lafayette. RSVP here by Nov 28.

For more information, please ask:
PO Box 1222
Lafayette, IN 47902-1222
765-476-3277
Email Milissa
www.arcoftippecanoe.org