Vol. 52, No. 1 Empowering People. Inspiring Change. Spring, 2009

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The Arc Active During Special Legislative SessionFederal Stimulus Payments Avoid Cuts

After months of work, theIndiana General Assemblyadjourned at the end of Aprilwithout agreement on a statebudget. A key reason whyagreement could not bereached was a shifting staterevenue forecast that by theend of April was over $200million below the earlier rev-enue forecast.

A budget must now beapproved in a special legisla-tive session.

At the heart of this processis the question of how peopleperceive the economy�is theworst of the recession over,

or is more bad news still tocome?

One thing is clear to advo-cates for people with disabili-ties. Without the FederalStimulus Plan, people withdisabilities would be in a dan-gerous situation. Indiana hasalready received the first pay-ments for Medicaid as part ofthe stimulus plan. Withoutthose increases in the federalshare of Medicaid Indianawould be facing massive cutsin Medicaid payments to doc-tors, hospitals and programsthat serve people with dis-abilities.

Keep up to dateon public policyissues by visiting

our website,www.arcind.org.

In another key area for TheArc, local school corporationshave already been notifiedabout federal stimulus fund-ing for IDEA, the Individualswith Disabilities EducationAct. Each school corporationwill receive funds based on

enrollment. These funds sup-port existing budgets for chil-dren as well as direct funds tochildren with disabilities.

The actions by the Presi-dent and Congress to helpstates with Medicaid weredesigned to protect peopleover a two-year timeframe byrequiring states to maintainexisting efforts and make nofurther cuts.

Medicaid is the primaryfunder of health care forpeople with disabilities. Inaddition, Medicaid fundsnearly 86% of the commu-nity-based supports peoplereceive through Medicaid

waivers and group homes.The General Assembly was

scheduled to begin the specialsession on June 11 to developa budget. This is an excellenttime to talk to your electedofficials and let them knowhow important it is for thebudget to address the needs ofpeople with disabilities.

Action on the budget willchange quickly. You can keepup to date by visiting our website at www.arcind.org or bysigning up to receive Legisla-tive Alerts via e-mail byvisiting the Public PolicyAdvocacy section of ourwebsite.

A delegation of 16 peoplerepresenting The Arc of Indi-ana participated in the 2009Disability Policy Seminarheld in Washington, D.C.The Seminar was hosted byThe Arc of the United States,United Cerebral Palsy,American Association onIntellectual and Developmen-tal Disabilities, the NationalAssociation of Councils onDevelopmental Disabilitiesand Self Advocates Becom-ing Empowered.

Over 500 people attendedthe Seminar. Kareem Dale,Special Assistant to the Presi-dent for Disability Policy,welcomed the attendees andlaid out the President�s com-mitment and agenda forpeople with intellectual andother developmental disabili-ties.

After participating in twodays of workshops and ple-nary sessions to learn aboutfederal issues, Indiana�s del-egation met with Indiana�s

Indiana Report from The Arc USDisability Policy Seminar

members of Congress on is-sues including housing, voca-tional rehabilitation, Medicaid,social security, the federal bud-get and education.

The Arc of Indiana willcontinue working with ourfederal representatives toadvocate and support key ini-tiatives in the 111th Congress.

To learn more, visit TheArc of the United States Fed-eral Legislative Action Cen-ter, http://capwiz.com/thearc/issues/.

Visit The Arc of Indiana�s New Websitewww.arcind.orgSee story on page 4

Indiana Congressman BaronHill and self-advocate, BrandonBoas, The Arc of BartholomewCounty.

THE ARC OF INDIANA, SPRING 20092

Reach for the Stars AwardEstablished in Honor of VickieCollins

An award has been established byShares, Inc. to honor Vickie Collins,daughter of long-time Arc volunteerand Past President of The Arc of Indi-ana, Don Collins. Shares is a serviceprovider to people with developmentaldisabilities. The newly established�Reach for the Stars Award� will bepresented annually to the individualwho best exemplifies the traits demon-strated by Vickie, who passed away inMarch, 2008. The names of award re-cipients and a plaque with Vickie�spicture will be on permanent display atShares in Greenfield where Vickieworked for several years.

Family Reunion for Man OnceInstitutionalized, Separatedfrom Family

Jennifer Akers, Family Advocate forThe Arc Network, recently learnedabout an uncle who spent 20 years in aninstitution, completely cut off from hisfamily and never knowing he had fourbrothers. He has long since lived inAlton, Illinois, building a successfulbusiness. Read how he came to bereunited with his family: http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/family-26080-reunion-.html

Easter Seals Arc Awarded Grant forBallroom Dancing Program

Easter Seals Arc, local chapter of TheArc in Allen, DeKalb and SteubenCounties, has received a $1,400 grantfrom Arts United of Greater FortWayne, the Indiana Arts Commissionand the National Endowment for theArts to support their ballroom danceprogram, Dancing with ESArc. ESArcprovides adults with disabilities weeklyballroom dance lessons, taught by pro-fessional ballroom dance instructors ata local dance studio. Dance partnersare community volunteers who do nothave disabilities. As a result of theprogram�s great success, ballroomdancing has been named an officialolympic sport in Indiana Special Olym-pics.

Carey Services� School-to-WorkProgram Leads to Employment ofGraduates with Special Needs

Carey Services, local chapter of TheArc in Grant and Blackford Counties,is partnering with Vocational Reha-bilitation Services and Cass County

schools to help students with specialneeds transition from school to work.The program provides career assess-ments, preparation for post-secondaryeducation, internships, job shadowingand job placement. One of the programparticipants, Cati Gruszczyk, nowworks at Carey Services. When a part-time job opened, Cati applied, washired and completed a certificationcourse and training.

Hopewell Center�s Job Coach/Transition Specialist Makinga Positive Difference

Bill Lantz has found his calling. Aftermedical issues caused Bill to changehis career, he became a job coach andtransition specialist at Hopewell Cen-ter, the local chapter of The Arc inMadison County. He works with youngpeople and adults with special needs.Bill was nominated for the HeraldBulletin�s �Positive People� columnby Sandra Montgomery, a co-workerat Hopewell. Montgomery wrote, �Heworks here at Hopewell Centertransitioning high school students into�life after school.� He does about amillion other non-paid things. Hestarted a Sunday school class for peoplewith disabilities in the nursing homewho couldn�t attend church, and hasstarted programs at several churches toinclude people with disabilities.� Lantzsays his goal is to �plant ministries toshare God�s love everywhere I can andto be an advocate for our friends withdisabilities.�

Medicaid Waiver Success

Tom had been dismissed from manygroup homes due to behavior and wasliving with his sister when he moved toa group home operated by Tangram, aresidential services provider. Onceagain, a group home was not a good fitfor Tom. To prevent him from beinginstitutionalized, Tom was granted aMedicaid waiver. Tom moved into hisown apartment where Tangram helpedhim learn to redirect his anger and findappropriate responses to frustration.Last year Tom moved into a two-bed-room apartment with a roommate. Hisroommate Josh also has challengingbehaviors. They both are supported bybehavioral specialists and staff specifi-cally trained in behavior management.Tom and Josh have become goodfriends, and Tom is doing great. He�slost weight, is a member of the HoundDog Band, and is interested in findinga job.

Good NewsIf you have �good news� to share about your local Arc, a person with adisability, their family, a provider or a local news story, e-mail us at:thearc@arcind.org. Good news stories are shared in The Arc of Indiana E-Newsletter. Sign up to receive our E-newsletter by visiting our new website,www. arcind.org.

Wishing Nanette a Wonderful Retirement

Welcoming Jill as Director of Family Educationand Community Resources

Nanette Whightsel

The Arc of Indiana wishes NanetteWhightsel, The Arc�s Director ofFamily Education and CommunityResources, happiness in her retirement.The Arc also welcomes new director,Jill Ginn.

Nanette became involved with TheArc when the state announced thatNew Castle State Developmental Cen-ter, where her daughter Suzette hadlived for many years, was closing. Whenshe learned that there were new optionsfor community living through the Medi-caid waiver, Nanette quickly becameone of the state�s biggest advocates forclosing state institutions.

Through her work with The Arc,Nanette was instrumental in helpingresidents of Muscatatuck and FortWayne State Developmental Centersand Silvercrest transition to commu-nity placements when those facilitiesclosed. She was also the first leader ofThe Arc Network, a statewide network

of Family Advocates and Self-Advo-cates who now work throughout thestate as a local resource to families andpeople with developmental disabili-ties.

Nanette will continue to work withThe Arc as a consultant to other statesinvolved in closing institutions andmoving people into the community.

Jill Ginn will serve as the newDirector of Family Education andCommunity Resources. To allow timefor transition, for the past few monthsJill has served as Associate Director.Prior to her appointment Jill was aFamily Advocate for The Arc Net-work. She and her husband Jim havethree school-age children who have avariety of diagnoses, including autism,hearing loss, anxiety, depression,asthma and allergies. They currentlyreside in Fishers where their sons at-tend Hamilton Southeastern schools.

Jill Ginn

We Moved!

F

New Address:107 North Pennsylvania Street, Suite 800Indianapolis, IN 46204

Our phone and fax numbers remain the same:317-977-2375800-382-9100317-977-2385 (fax)

www.arcind.org

THE ARC OF INDIANA, SPRING 2009 3

John Dickerson

The 2009 Annual Spring Membership Campaignresulted in an historic record for The Arc. The goalfor the membership drive was 1,000 new membersstatewide. When all was said and done, seventeenchapters recruited 1,592 new members statewide.

Nine Chapters Met �Chapter Challenge�

For the 2009 Membership campaign all localchapters of The Arc were challenged to recruit atleast 25 new members. Eleven chapters met thechallenge.

Chapters who met or exceeded the challenge are:Evansville ARC, KCARC (Knox County), Noble �The Arc of Greater Indianapolis (Marion andHamilton Counties), Easter Seals Arc of Northeast-ern Indiana (Allen, DeKalb, Huntington and SteubenCounties), Hoosier Prairie Arc (Benton, White,Newton and Jasper Counties), Fountain CountyARC, Arc Rehab Services (Boone County), ARC ofWabash County, The Arc of Bartholomew County,and The Arc of Tippecanoe County and Jayland Arc(Jay County).

These chapters will be honored at The Arc�s 2009annual Awards and Recognition program. Two willbe recipients of the Traveling Membership trophy.All chapters reporting new members were eligiblefor a drawing for movie tickets to distribute to localmembers, volunteers, self-advocates and staff. ARCof Wabash County received 40 movie passes andKCARC received 20.

Newly recruited members were also eligible forgifts from The Arc of Indiana and Self-Advocates ofIndiana. Receiving T-shirts, ball caps and/or tote

bags were Kathy Chestnut and Donald Altstadt ofVincennes; Sarah Graves, Tell City; Rachel Weber,Amy Dubber, Annette Gonterman, Brandon Lemon,Janice Schutte and Shawn Angle, Evansville; KatrinaFreeman, Fort Wayne; Mrs. Ivan Wann,Veedersburg; David Guthrie, North Manchester;Gary Baumgartner, Wabash; Doug Lambert, Attica;and Muhammad Abdullah and Patrick Skaggs, In-dianapolis.

During the membership campaign some localchapters incorporated a food drive as part of theiractivities to help give back to the community. Thecampaign message, �Disable the Label� was used toencourage the donation of labeled can foods whichwere then donated to local food pantries and foodbanks. The Arc of Bartholomew County collectedmore than 3,000 canned and boxed food items.

Stone Belt Arc has a long-standing food collec-tion program, �Hand �n Hand.� Neighborhoods areassigned a twice-monthly date when Stone Beltclients and staff collect food donations from specialbags provided by Stone Belt that are left outsidetheir homes and then delivered to area food banks byStone Belt. Gateway Services, The Arc of JohnsonCounty, also collected food items at its annualmeeting.

Membership Totals Over 9,300 Statewide

The Arc of the United States reported that Indi-ana had 9,305 members at the end of 2008, breakingthe 1976 record which reached 8,066.

Leading the way with 3,239 members was Noble-The Arc of Greater Indianapolis. Evansville ARC,

with 741, placed second in total members, and TheArc of Bartholomew County was third with 604.

Rounding out the top five were Easter Seals Arcwith 530 and Arc Bridges (Lake, Porter and LaPorteCounties) with 479 members. Placing six throughten were Stone Belt Arc (Monroe County), 405;KCARC, 322; Arc Opportunities (LaGrangeCounty), 272; Carey Services (Grant and BlackfordCounties), 207; and The Arc of Jackson County, 96.

The Arc also recognizes those chapters whosemembership is rated based on population. The Arc ofBartholomew County has 84.6 members per thou-sand, while KCARC rates second with 82 membersper thousand. The other top five chapters are ArcOpportunities, 77.9 members per thousand; Evans-ville ARC, 43.1 members; and Stone Belt Arc, 33.6.

Chapters ranked sixth through tenth in membersper thousand population are Jayland Arc, 32.1;Noble-The Arc of Greater Indianapolis, 31; TheArc of Decatur County, 29.7; Carey Services, 23.7;and The Arc of Jackson County, 23.2. Other chap-ters that had members in double digits per thousandwere The Arc�s in Owen, Rush, Boone, Brown,Whitley, Noble and Spencer Counties.

The Arc of Indiana saw an increase in at-largestate memberships as well. In 2008 funders of TheArc Master Trust 1, who were not already membersof a local chapter, received an Arc membership as abenefit of the trust service.

As chapters continue to recruit throughout 2009,as well as succeed in retaining current members,The Arc of Indiana could end the year with anamazing new record�more than 10,000 members!

Pulling Together,Reaching Outto OthersJohn Dickerson, Executive Director

In the 53-year history of The Arc wehave lived through many difficult

times. During war, times of great social change andtimes of great uncertainty, one thing remains con-stant�the movement known as The Arc finds a wayto pull people together to achieve the goal ofimproving the lives of people with developmentaldisabilities.

The challenges we face are daunting. As the headof Microsoft said recently, �Our economy is goingto reset, not rebound.� What does this mean for us?We have traditionally been the innovators�the oneto find new paths. That means there is great oppor-tunity to advocate for systems that work to educatechildren and adults, support people to be employedand support people to live in the community.

The Arc was asked to identify how people canshare costs by living with roommates while at thesame time respect the rights of individuals. We areresponding by bringing together self-advocates andfamilies to learn about and discuss this importantissue and draft a policy for review by providers andstate officials.

The Arc is being asked by legislators to addresshow the state budget can best fund programs and

services. We are responding by discussing withpolicy makers how funds are being used, how fundscan be redirected and how what is funded today canbest result in the right investments and direction fortomorrow.

The Arc is being asked by those waiting forservices, �When we will get our turn?�

We are responding by continuing the efforts ofour Waiting List Committee�efforts that have ledIndiana to be one of few states, despite the economy,to still plan to bring over 2,500 people off waitinglists over the next two years.

The Arc of Indiana asked our local chapters toreach out in new ways to families and self-advo-cates throughout the state. Local Arcs responded byhelping us grow to over 9,000 members.

The Arc is also extending a hand to others facingdifficult times. During our spring membership cam-paign, many local Arcs hosted food drives to helplocal food pantries.

We are continuing this effort through a partner-ship with Self-Advocates of Indiana and local Arcs.We are asking local Arcs and self-advocate groupsto hold local food drives in June or July, and acollection will take place at the Self-AdvocatesPicnic in Indianapolis on July 10. For more informa-tion on the picnic, please see the article on page 8,or visit our web site at www.arcind.org.

At the local, state, and national level, the work ofThe Arc will continue, facing the challenges oftoday to build a better tomorrow.

In 1969, The Arc ofIndiana co-sponsoredIndiana�s first SpecialOlympics. Four decadeslater, Special OlympicsIndiana has grown toinclude more than 7,000volunteers, nearly 2,500partners, 16 full-timestaff members andnearly 10,000 athletescompeting in more than20 Olympic-type sportson the state, national andworld levels.

Beyond Special Olym-pics, Indiana is consid-ered a leader in thedevelopment of projectsthat enhance the qualityof its participants� livesthrough athlete leader-ship training, initiativesthat work to improve thehealth of its athletes andprograms that providesports training opportu-nities for young children.

More importantly,Special Olympics Ind-

iana changes the lives ofits participants. By show-ing the world skilled ath-letes with a variety oftalents and strengths,Special Olympics hashelped to change the waythat people with intel-lectual disabilities areviewed by their peers.

In addition, throughvolunteer opportunities,corporate partnershipsand programs that sup-port inclusion of indi-viduals with and withoutintellectual disabilities,Special Olympics fostersa community of respectand acceptance.

The Arc of Indianacongratulates SpecialOlympics Indiana ontheir many achieve-ments as they celebratetheir 40th anniversary.For more informationabout Indiana SpecialOlympics, visitwww.soindiana.org.

The Arc of IndianaCongratulates Special

Olympics on 40thAnniversary

2009 Membership Campaign

NEARLY 1,600 NEW MEMBERS JOIN THE ARC

THE ARC OF INDIANA, SPRING 20094

www.arcind.org

Local Chapters

The Arc Staff

Board of Directors

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The Arc Network

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IAGS

Join The Arc

Donate Now

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Helpful Resources & Links

News & Events Public Policy Advocacy Self-Advocates The Arc Master TrustHelp for FamiliesAbout The Arc

Visit The Arc of Indiana’s New Website: www.arcind.orgThe Arc of Indiana has launched a new andimproved website that we hope will be theplace for families, self-advocates, profes-sionals and the general public to go forinformation.

The website features new ways to getinformation from The Arc, including theability to sign up to receive E-newsletters,RSS news feeds and blogs by Arc staff andself-advocates�plus new ways to connectwith others through Facebook and YouTube.The websites� video gallery features eightshort videos designed to inform, inspire andguide families and self-advocates. The videogallery includes:

� About The Arc, We�re Here to Help

� About Self-Advocacy, Speakingfor Ourselves

� Indiana�s Medicaid Waiver Program, Home andCommunity-Based Services for People withDisabilities

� Indiana�s Support Services Medicaid Waiver,Services for Special Education Graduates & Otherswith Developmental Disabilities

� Help for Aging Caregivers, Indiana�s MedicaidWaiver Program Can Help

� Moving from a Nursing Home, Indiana�s MedicaidWaiver Program Can Make it Happen

� What to Do Next, Steps to Take When You LearnYour Child Has a Developmental Disability

� Planning for the Future, Steps to Take When YourChild Has a Disability

Please visit the new site and explore new information,videos and ways to connect with The Arc. Following

is an overview of the categories of informationyou will find:

Self-Advocates, families and leadersof local Arc chapters came to the StateHouse on Thursday, February 12, tomeet with legislators and give themValentines with the message �Fill YourHeart with Respect.� They also wereable to meet Governor Mitch Daniels,who spoke with them outside of hisoffice.

Local Arcs Deliver Valentinesto Governor, Legislators People who receive Medicaid waiver

services through the DevelopmentalDisabilities and Autism Medicaid waiv-ers should by now be aware of a newprocess that the state wants to imple-ment to allocate individual Medicaidwaiver budgets�a process calledOASIS (Objective Assessment Systemfor Individual Supports) process.

Planned rolloutof OASIS remains

suspended.

The goal of this process is to makethe financial resources given to peopleon the Waiver equitable by basing thebudget allocation on each individual�sneeds rather than the history of what heor she used or received in the past.

The new budget allocation is basedon an individual assessment, called theICAP, and a series of interview ques-tions asked of three people who shouldknow the individual well.

At this time, the planned rollout ofOASIS remains suspended while FSSAreviews Medicaid waiver budget allo-cations of people who received a newbudget allocation under the OASIS pro-cess and who subsequently submitted arequest to have that budget reviewed(OASIS Review Request). Thesereviews are assisting FSSA in identify-ing problems with the assessment tooland the financial modeling used todetermine the allocation under OASIS.

For up-to-date information onOASIS, please visit our web site atwww.arcind.org. If you have any ques-tions, please contact us. We�re here tohelp.

FSSA Continues OASIS Review

Governor Daniels talks with a group ofself-advocates from Stone Belt Arc, thelocal Arc chapter in Monroe County.

A delegation from Arc Opportunities, thelocal Arc chapter in LaGrange County,shares a Valentine�s Day message withtheir state legislators.

THE ARC OF INDIANA, SPRING 2009 5

Brandon Boas received a camera as agift from his dad when he was 14, andso began his love for photography.Now at age 26, he has started his ownphotography business, and his photoswere recently displayed at StillframesGallery in Columbus, Indiana. The col-lection, entitled �Brandon�s Dreams,�included nature, wildlife and landscapeimages.

Love of photography hasled to his own business.

On www.bblovephotos.com, hisweb site, Brandon notes, �You may beasking yourself what makes me uniquefrom other photographers. Well, I amunique in two ways. The first reasonwhy I am unique is because I haveDown syndrome. Even though I haveDown syndrome, that has not stoppedme from reaching my goal of becom-ing a photographer. The second thingthat makes me unique is that I have nospecial training. I have never taken aphotography class of any sort. I havejust reached my goal by working hardand practicing. I am so thankful to havethe ability to take photographs.�

Arc BRIDGES, local Arc chapter in Lake, Porter andLaPorte counties, honored their Direct Support Pro-fessional graduates as a part of Indiana�s first virtualDSP Graduation Ceremony. Friends and familycelebrated this event with Arc BRIDGES staff. Picturedleft to right: Catherine Burnett, Residential DSP; TerriMcCool, Health and Safety Tech; Catherine DeMeyer,DSP; Lilly Cox, DSP; Alice Battle, DSP; Gloria Morson,Health and Safety Tech.

Support Professionals (DSP) initiative on May 15,2009. Provider agencies around the state held cel-ebrations at the conclusion of the ceremony inrecognition of the first 46 graduates of the IndianaDSP Initiative.

DDRS Director Peter Bisbecos, said, �DSPs arecritical in the effective support of individuals withdisabilities and we are thrilled with the success andgrowth this initiative has seen in one short year.�

ADEC, localArc chapter inElkhart County,held agraduationceremony forDirect SupportProfessionalgraduates.Pictured left toright: TheresaShaffer, Deanof Ivy Tech inElkhart; BrendaFalcone, ADECinstructor forIvy Tech; andJennifer Canen,graduate.

Photography of Self-Advocate,Brandon Boas, Featured at Gallery

More on Facebook

Three short videos of Brandon talking about hisphotography can be viewed on The Arc of Indiana�sFacebook page. If you are not yet on Facebook, youcan create a page for yourself by going to:www.facebook.com. Once you have your ownFacebook page, search for The Arc�s page. Thereyou will find Brandon�s videos, plus other items ofinterest.

Virtual Graduation Held for First GraduatingClass of Direct Support Professionals

The DSP Initiative is a collaborative effortbetween the Center on Community Living andCareers (CCLC), providers, professional organiza-tions, DSPs, self-advocates, families, Ivy Tech Com-munity College and a wide range of state agencies.The goal of the initiative is to recruit and retainDSPs in Indiana.

The second class of the initiative will graduate atleast twice as many DSPs at the completion of theircoursework this August.

CCLC, a program of the Indiana Institute onDisability and Community, has coordinated a three-year initiative designed to offer current and newly-hired DSPs the opportunity to advance their skills,further their education and increase their earningpotential.

Funds have been allocated to provide full finan-cial support to train up to 2,300 new and existingDSPs at nine provider agencies. Of those, 720 willbe funded to attend Ivy Tech Community College toearn a Direct Support Professional Certificate inHuman Services, along with 17 hours of transfer-rable college credit.

The CCLC has also developed a six-day compe-tency-based orientation course and partnered withIvy Tech to develop and implement the courseworktaught primarily through distance educationoptions.

For more information on the DSP initiative, visitwww.in.gov/fssa/ddrs.

The Family and Social Services Administration�s(FSSA) Division of Disability and RehabilitativeServices (DDRS) held a �virtual graduation cer-emony� for the first graduating class of the Direct

THE ARC OF INDIANA, SPRING 20096

KCARC, the local chapter of The Arcin Knox County, has developed a newprogram, KCARC for Life. Theprogram is designed specifically toconnect with families who have schoolage children with disabilities.

The effort began when KCARCrealized that the strong relationshipthey have with families whose chil-dren participate in their early interven-tion program was not continuing oncepublic school education began.

Of greater concern was that many ofthe children were not transitioning toadult programs and services once theirpublic education concluded.

Through KCARC for Life, manyavenues have been developed to con-nect with students and their familiesthroughout their school years. The pro-gram includes KCARC�s support ofBuddy Ball (a division of the BabeRuth League) which provides buddiesto assist players with disabilities whoenjoy baseball.

The School-to-Work Transition Pro-

KKKKKCARCARCARCARCARC fC fC fC fC for Life: Seekingor Life: Seekingor Life: Seekingor Life: Seekingor Life: SeekingConnections to Last aConnections to Last aConnections to Last aConnections to Last aConnections to Last aLifetimeLifetimeLifetimeLifetimeLifetime

The Arc in Knox County reaches outto school age children and families

Indiana University OffersNew Programs for Studentswith Disabilities

gram allows students with special needsto acquire job skills by working at oneof KCARC�s plants.

The School-to-WorkTransition Programallows students toacquire job skills.

In addition, KCARC�s recreationcoordinator regularly visits areaschools. Students with special needsand their families are provided infor-mation about opportunities for activi-ties such as Special Olympics,conferences and workshops, and ses-sions to help them navigate the maze ofgovernment programs.

KCARC for Life believes that TheArc can play an important, life-longrole for people with disabilitiesand their families. You can learnmore about KCARC by visitingwww.knoxcountyarc.com.

Students with special needs due to aphysical or cognitive disability can takecourses through the Indiana UniversitySchool of Continuing Studies� (SCS)distance education program.

SCS offers a wide variety of educa-tional options including high schooland undergraduate courses, a highschool diploma and an associate andbachelor�s degree in general studies.Other options include self-paced onlineand correspondence courses andsemester-based online courses.

Students may register year round,have up to one year to complete acourse (extensions are available) andreceive personalized feedback and sup-port from instructors. In addition, SCScan provide disability support servicesand/or auxiliary aids to eligible studentswith temporary or permanent disabilities.

Program offers disabilitysupport services andeducational options.

Through SCS, the Adaptive Tech-nology Center (ATC) is expanding itsservices to students with disabilitieswho are learning at a distance. Thecenter provides services for studentswho need assistance due to blindnessand low vision, mobility and hearingand learning disabilities (dyslexia,ADHD and others).

For more information contact dis-abilities coordinator Eileen Balliet at:scs@indiana.edu, 800-334-1011, or visitscs.indiana.edu/special_needs.html orwww.indiana.edu/~iuadapts.

The Arc of Indiana and FUSE arepartnering to host the 2nd bi-annualconference for middle and high schoolstudents with special needs and fami-lies. The conference will take placeSaturday, September 12, 2009.

As we go to press, the location is notyet confirmed. Please visit our website

Conference for Middle andHigh School Students withSpecial Needs and FamiliesChampion Your Future, Reaching New Heights

Angie Cain's joyful skydiveis symbolic of the theme,�Champion your Future,Reaching New Heights�� a conference formiddle and high schoolstudents.

Champion Your Future Conference at a Glance

Keynote Speaker � Inspirational Speaker and Athlete, Mike SchlappiWorkshops for Parents

Fasten Your Seatbelts: An Overview of Changes to Article 7

Vocational Rehabilitation as your Co-pilot

Navigating Adult Services: What to Expect from Adult Service Providers

Develop Your Flight Plan: Accessing Government Benefits

Flying Solo: Accessing Supports in College

Blast Off to After School & Summer Activities

Workshops for StudentsMaking Friends and Gliding Through Social Situations

Spread Your Wings: Learning about Leadership with Special Olympics / Best Buddies

Pilot Your IEP Meeting

Bridging the Gap: Transition to Life on Campus

Soar Above Bullying

Rising to New Challenges: How We Moved from High School to Community

at www.arcind.org for up-to-dateinformation and to register online.

Families and students who attendedthis conference in 2007 gave it ravereviews. We hope those who attendedin 2007 will attend again, and that wewill reach many new students andfamilies.

The Indiana Protection and Advo-cacy Services Commission haspublished a study, �Time-out,Seclusion, and Restraint in Ind-iana Public Schools.� IPAS hopesthis will begin a serious dialogueabout the unregulated applicationof restraints and seclusion in Indi-ana schools�with the goal thatevery student in Indiana be pro-tected through policies and prac-

Study published

“Time-out, Seclusion, and Restraintin Indiana Public Schools”

Saturday, September 12, 2009

tices that define and carefully regu-late their use. Contact IPAS at800-622-4645 to request a copy of�Time-Out, Seclusion, andRestraint in Indiana Schools;Analysis of Current Policies� and�Time-Out, Seclusion, andRestraint in Indiana Schools; Lit-erature Review.� Visit http://www.in.gov/ipas/2760.htm to reador download the reports.

THE ARC OF INDIANA, SPRING 2009 7

The Arc Master Trust Continues Historyof Conservative Investment Strategy

Kevin D. Hampton

Kevin Hampton is Vice President & Sr. PortfolioManager, Diamond Capital Management, with TheNational Bank of Indianapolis.

The Arc of Indiana has always taken a conservativeapproach to the management of The Arc MasterTrust to assure the assets of Trust beneficiaries areprotected. The standing allocation allows for thefollowing allocation:

Cash and Cash Equivalents 5%Fixed Income 35%

Equities 60%

This allocation is achieved through the use of highquality mutual funds. These funds are reviewedquarterly to insure that they are compliant with theobjectives and strategies of The Arc Master Trust.

In response to the dramatic market decline thatstarted in the second quarter of 2007, the assetallocation of The Arc of Indiana Master Trust port-folio was slightly altered. A more conservativeallocation was recommended and implemented toallow for a greater exposure to fixed income andcash equivalents, thereby reducing the exposure toequity securities. The revised allocation resulted inthe following allocation:

Cash and Cash Equivalents 8%Fixed Income 45%

Equities 47%

While The Arc Master Trust posted a moderate lossfor the 12-month period ending December 31, 2008,it was significantly less than that of most portfolioswith greater equity exposure.

While The Arc Master Trust posted amoderate loss..., it was significantlyless than that of most portfolios with

greater equity exposure.

What can be foreseen in the current market?Since the lows of March 9th, the S & P 500 hasappreciated approximately 35%. This has been thelargest bear market rally dating back to 1929. It isthe magnitude of the rebound that has some econo-mists, strategists and investors suggesting that theworst of the downturn is over. While elements ofsuch may be true, it ignores the fact that typical bearmarkets have a series of peaks and troughs. And,there is nothing to suggest that this recovery will bedifferent. The worst of the credit issues are behindus, as is the uncertainty and fear created by ques-tions surrounding the solvency of several majorU.S. banks. However, there remain economic hurdleswhich require resolution prior to our seeing a newbull market.

The Arc Master Trust�s Investment Decisions

How will this effect investment decisions for TheArc Master Trust? It reinforces the need forpatience. Yes, we have had a significant rebound.Yes, there is a hint of economic optimism. Yes,consumer sentiment is improving. And yes, there isexcess capital waiting to be spent. However, throw-

ing caution to the wind and immediately jumpingback into the market would not be prudent.

The National Bank of Indianapolis and The Arcof Indiana will continue to monitor and review theinvestment strategy for The Arc Master Trust andmake adjustments where appropriate. The focuswill continue to be on patiently investing in highquality, fundamentally sound companies and mutualfunds.

For more information about The Arc MasterTrust, contact Melissa Justice, Trust Director, atmjustice@arcind.org, call us at 317-977-2375 or800-382-9100, or learn more about us by visitingThe Arc Master Trust section of our website,www.arcind.org.

Diamond Capital ManagementSM is a fee-onlyportfolio management group that is a wholly-owned division of The National Bank of Ind-ianapolis. On deposit at The National Bank ofIndianapolis is the Trust I pool; its balance iscurrently over $20 Million.

The Indiana Adult Guardianship Services Project(IAGS) is a project of The Arc of Indiana. Themission of IAGS is to improve the quality andprovision of guardianship services in Indiana. Thefollowing information on guardianship has beenadapted from The Arc of the United States� positionstatement on guardianship.

The majority of people with intellectual andother developmental disabilities can manage theirown affairs with informal assistance and guidancefrom others, such as family and friends. If guardian-ship is necessary, it should be tailored to the person�sneeds, and should be monitored to ensure that thebest interests of the individual are protected. Theappointment of a guardian is a serious matter becauseit limits a person�s independence and rights.

Guardianship has been overused by those whowere unaware of less intrusive alternatives or whosimply wanted to have their views prevail over thewishes of the individual. Frequently, lesser forms oflegal intervention such as limited guardianship anduse of powers of attorney have been either over-looked, intentionally avoided or unavailable. If

guardianship is essential, it should be used only tothe extent necessary with a presumption in favor oflimited rather than full guardianship. Following areimportant issues to be aware of regarding guardian-ship:

� Appointment of a guardian should be madeonly to the extent necessary for the protectionand welfare of the individual and not for theconvenience of the family, the service systemor society.

� Less intrusive alternatives to full guardianship,like limited guardianship or power of attorney,should always be considered first. If used at all,these restrictions on the individual�s rights anddecision-making powers should be confined tothose areas in which the individual clearlycannot understand the serious consequencesof his or her decisions or the person lacksforesight.

� Guardians should be knowledgeable ofservices, supports and systems that couldsignificantly affect the life of the individual;and must be committed to the well-being ofthe individual, know and understand theindividual�s needs and wishes, and actin accordance with them whenever possible.

Family members are preferable when theymeet these criteria.

� Guardians should take the person�s preferencesinto account.

� Since guardianship represents a transfer of theresponsibility for exercising an individual�srights, adequate safeguards, including the rightto counsel, are needed to assure the individualretains as much decision-making power aspossible.

� Guardians should be accountable for theiractions, and those actions should be reviewedperiodically.

GuardianshipIssues and Responsibilities

The Arc of Indianatakes a conservativeapproach to themanagement of TheArc Master Trust toassure assets forTrust beneficiaries,like Kyle, areprotected.

IAGS is a project of The Arc of Indiana.Learn more about future planning andguardianship by visiting www.arcind.org

THE ARC OF INDIANA, SPRING 20098

Former Indiana Pacer and IU Basket-ball star Steve Green will host the 20thannual charity golf tournament to bene-fit The Arc of Indiana on June 26,2009. The highlight of this year�s eventwill be an appearance by Indiana Uni-versity Men�s Basketball Coach TomCrean.

The tournament will be held at TheLegends of Indiana Golf Course inFranklin, Indiana. Lunch will begin at11:00 a.m., followed by a shotgunstart at 12:00 p.m. Prizes will beawarded at approximately 5:00 p.m.after the round is completed. The tour-nament is open to both advanced andrecreational golfers.

The tournament is opento both advanced andrecreational golfers.

Named Indiana University�s 28thhead basketball coach in 2008, TomCrean has been relentless in embracingthe tradition of Indiana University andbuilding bridges for future fans of Indi-ana Basketball. He and his staff haverecruited one of the top 10 classes inthe country for 2009, and the top classin the Big Ten.

Before taking the reins for theHoosiers, Coach Crean averaged over20 wins a season in nine years atMarquette and led the Golden Eaglesto five NCAA Tournament appear-ances including the 2003 Final Four.

In 10 years as a head coach on thecollegiate level, he is 196-121 and hasseen all 27 of the seniors who haveplayed for him earn college degrees.

Coach Crean will be available tomeet individuals during lunch and willkick off the tournament with a few

comments at 11:45 a.m. Tickets foronly the lunch portion of the dayare available for individuals whowould like to meet Coach Creanbut not golf.

Win Up to $1,000 in TheArc�s 3rd Annual Golf BallBounce

At the start of the 20th An-nual Steve Green�s Golf Tour-nament to Benefit The Arc, June26, 2009, 1,000 numbered golfballs will be dropped from ap-proximately 100 feet onto the driv-ing range at The Legend�s of Indiana.

The lucky participant whose golfball lands the closest to the markedhole will win $1,000! The golf ballsecond closest to the hole will receive$500, and $250 will be rewarded to thethird closest ball. In addition, the per-son whose golf ball lands the farthestaway will receive $250.

Tickets for the golf balls, numbered1 to 1,000, are on sale now for only $10each. Whether you are a golfer or justwant to support The Arc of Indiana,everyone can participate, and you donot have to be present to win.

Second Annual TexasHold �Em PokerTournament GreatSuccessThe Arc of Indiana would like to thankthe players and sponsors who madethis year�s Texas Hold �Em Tourna-ment a great success. Players fromaround the state joined in to raiseimportant funds to help people withdisabilities and their families throughThe Arc of Indiana.

The winner of this year�s tourna-ment was Chris Kleck of Fishers. Inaddition to a cash prize, Chris wasawarded a seat in the World Series ofPoker Circuit Event to be held this fall.An additional circuit seat was won in araffle by Don Crail. We wish Chris andDon the best of luck as they competefor a spot in Las Vegas.

This year�s event would not havebeen possible without the support ofour incredible sponsors:

Title Sponsors: Harrah�s HorseshoeCasino in Southern Indiana, and Horse-shoe Casino in Hammond.

Event Sponsors: Buffalo WildWings Grill & Bar, Coors Light,Insights Consulting, Inc., Outside theBox, T & T Sales & Promotions andWPT APL Indiana.

Table Sponsors: Fraternal Order ofEagles #347, Fraternal Order of Eagles#3207, Ice Miller LLP, Loyal Order ofMoose #500 and St. Malachy Knightsof Columbus.

Next year�s event is planned forFebruary 21. Watch for complete detailsin the fall.

20th Annual Golf Outing to FeatureSpecial Guest, Coach Tom Crean

To register online for the golf tour-nament and to purchase your chancein the golf ball bounce, please visitthe News and Events section of ourwebsite, www.arcind.org. Or, you maycall the office at 317-977-2375 or800-382-9100.

This is The Arc�s primary fundrais-ing event. All proceeds will go towardsenriching the lives of people withdevelopmental disabilities. Your sup-port helps make this important workpossible and will positively impact thelives of many people.

THE ARC NEWS

IN INDIANA107 N. Pennsylvania St., Suite800, Indianapolis, IN 46204

317-977-2375 or 800-382-9100www.arcind.org andwww.TheArcLink.org

Join in the Fun at the Self-Advocates of Indiana Annual PicnicSelf-Advocates of Indiana invites self-advocates throughout the state to joinin a day of fun and fellowship at theirAnnual Picnic:

Friday, July 10, 2009, 10:00 a.m. �3:00 p.m. Post Road CommunityPark, 1313 S. Post Road,Indianapolis

There will be bingo, dancing to themusic of D.J. Shawn Fulton, a cateredlunch and photo portraits provided byThe Arc of Indiana�s Executive Direc-tor, John Dickerson. Candidates forthe Self-Advocates of Indiana board

will also be campaigning for theirboard seats.

As a way to give back to the com-munity, Self-Advocates of Indiana is

holding a food drive at the picnic. Pleasebring a canned food item (or severalitems) with you to the picnic to donateto Gleaners Food Bank.

Picnic Schedule

10:00 a.m. � 11:30 a.m. Registration / Food Drive Collection

10:00 a.m. � 11:30 a.m. Self-Advocates of Indiana Board Member Candidate Campaigns

11:30 a.m. � 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. � 3:00 p.m. Bingo, Dancing, Photos and More!

To guarantee lunch, please register and pay the $5.00 registration fee beforeFriday, June 26, 2009. For complete registration information, please visit ourwebsite, www.arcind.org or call us at 317-977-2375 or 800-382-9100.

You can also register on-line at www.arcind.org in "News and Events"