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Welcome to: “Project Find Helping Young People Succeed” Christy Callahan Director, Early On ® Training and Technical Assistance Victoria Meeder Marketing/Public Awareness Supervisor 67 th Annual Council for Exceptional Children Conference March 1st, 2007 11:00 – 12 noon

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Clinton County RESA Office of Innovative Projects <ul><ul><li>Project Find </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Child find for Special Education, birth – 26 </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Early On Public Awareness </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Child find for Infants and Toddlers, birth – 3 </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Early On ® Training and Technical Assistance </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Personnel development for Early On </li></ul></ul></ul>

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Project Find Michigan <ul><li>Project Find </li></ul><ul><li>Child Find Components - Part B of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act </li></ul><ul><li>Birth to Age 26 (Special Education) </li></ul><ul><li>Outreach to Communities through Public Awareness Activities </li></ul><ul><li>Outreach to Project Find Coordinators </li></ul><ul><li>Statewide Toll-free Referral Line: 1-800-252-0052 </li></ul>

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What is Early On ® ? <ul><li>Early On is the system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers, birth to three years of age, with disabilities or delays, and their families. Early On is supported by funding from Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Early Childhood Education and Family Services. </li></ul>

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What is Early On ® Public Awareness? The Office of Innovative Projects Clinton County Regional Educational Service Agency <ul><li>State mandated project </li></ul><ul><li>Assist in the child find component of Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act </li></ul><ul><li>Identify and locate children birth to 3 who are in need of early intervention services </li></ul><ul><li>Responsibilities: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Operate the statewide toll-free referral line </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Celebrated 1 Year Anniversary, referred over 3,340 (Oct. 1, 2005) </li></ul></ul>

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What Is Early On Public Awareness? (cont….) <ul><ul><li>Provide outreach to communities </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Develop informational materials for Early On </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Clearinghouse for Local Central Directories </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>In collaboration with CEN Statewide Central Directory for Infants, Toddlers & Students with Disabilities www.cenmi.org </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Early On Traveling Display Boards </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Maintain the website for www.1800EarlyOn.org </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Assist locals with graphic art for display boards, promotional items, business cards </li></ul></ul>

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Project Find for Michigan <ul><li>What does Project Find look like across the State of Michigan? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Each county in the State of Michigan has a designated Project Find/Child Find Coordinator (57 Coordinators) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Housed in Intermediate School Districts/Regional Educational Service Agencies </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Required component of ISD Plan for Special Education Programs and Services </li></ul></ul>

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<ul><li>The public awareness program must provide for informing the public about– </li></ul><ul><li>(a) The State's early intervention program; </li></ul><ul><li>(b) The child find system, including– </li></ul><ul><li>(1) The purpose and scope of the system; </li></ul><ul><li>(2) How to make referrals; and </li></ul><ul><li>(3) How to gain access to a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation and other early intervention services; and </li></ul><ul><li>(c) The central directory. </li></ul>Early On Public Awareness Federal Guidelines

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<ul><li>Sec. 303.321 Comprehensive child find system. The child find system must include the policies and procedures that the State will follow to ensure that– </li></ul><ul><li>(1) All infants and toddlers … who are eligible for services … are identified, located, and evaluated… </li></ul><ul><li>(1) The child find system must include procedures for use by primary referral sources for referring a child to the appropriate public agency within the system for– </li></ul><ul><ul><li>(i) Evaluation and assessment… </li></ul></ul><ul><li>(2) The procedures must… </li></ul><ul><ul><li>(ii) Ensure that referrals are made no more than two working days after a child has been identified… </li></ul></ul>Early On Child Find – Federal Guidelines

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Special Education Child Find (300.111) <ul><li>All children with disabilities residing in the State, …regardless of the severity of their disability and who are in need of special education and relates services, are identified, located, and evaluated. </li></ul><ul><li>Mandated: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Homeless children </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Migrant children </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Children advancing from grade to grade with a suspected disability </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Native Americans </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>(Federal Register/Vol. 71, No. 156/Monday, August 14, 2006/Rules and Regulations) </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Priority Audiences: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Non-English Speaking Communities (Spanish & Arabic) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Parents of younger youth (Pre-K – 6 th grade) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>High school drop outs </li></ul></ul>

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Public Awareness – How do we provide outreach? <ul><ul><li>Connect with Project Find and Early On Coordinators. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Present and display at conferences for professionals who may refer children, youth, and young adults </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Offer a Web presence </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Disseminate promotional items, ie posters & brochures </li></ul></ul>

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Public Awareness – How do we provide outreach? <ul><ul><li>Email campaigns </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Work with special education stakeholders </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Michigan Alliance for Families </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Center for Educational Networking </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Michigan Family-to-Family Health Information Education Center </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Training and Technical Assistance staff members work with ISDs to provide training and TA for Early On </li></ul></ul>

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Statewide Referral Line Project Find <ul><li>1-800-EarlyOn </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Referred over 3032 to Early On </li></ul></ul><ul><li>1-800-252-0052 </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Referred over 658 to Special Education(3-26) </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Other Referral Modalities </li></ul><ul><ul><li>NEW! Online process </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Fax </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Email </li></ul></ul>

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Examples of Support (Statewide Level) <ul><li>Provide written materials </li></ul><ul><li>Early On ® brochure (supplied to READY kits, that were shipped to every licensed childcare provider in the State) (Available in English, Spanish, and Arabic) </li></ul><ul><li>Guidebooks (1-4) </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Welcome to Early On </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Our Individualized Family Service Plan </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Transition: Leaving Early On </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Early On Family Rights </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>(All Available in English, Spanish, and Arabic) </li></ul></ul></ul>

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Examples of Support (continued) <ul><li>Child Developmental Wheels (reprinted 30,000. Now aligns with the “Immunize Your Little Michigander” campaign) Available in English, Spanish, and Arabic </li></ul><ul><li>“ Baby Steps” developmental poster (distributed 7,000) </li></ul><ul><li>NEW Baby emergency numbers magnet (distributed 11,000) </li></ul>

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Directory for Infants and Toddlers <ul><li>To download a copy, visit our </li></ul><ul><li>Website at www.1800EarlyOn.org </li></ul><ul><li>Highlights of the Directory include: </li></ul><ul><li>Contact information for the </li></ul><ul><li>Office of Early Childhood Education </li></ul><ul><li>And Family Services </li></ul><ul><li>MDCH and MDE </li></ul><ul><li>IDEA Mandated Activities </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Part C & B </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Early On Coordinators </li></ul><ul><li>Intermediate School Districts </li></ul><ul><li>Institutions of Higher Education </li></ul><ul><li>Neonatal Intensive Care Units </li></ul>

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Physicians Outreach <ul><li>“ Guide for Physicians” /Pocketguide </li></ul><ul><li>59% of our referrals are from hospitals/ physicians/health care providers </li></ul><ul><li>Michigan Department of Community Health – Genetics Program </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Creating 2500 Birth Defects Tool Kits </li></ul></ul>

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Contact Media - TV Early On ® Michigan Public Service Announcement “Sitting Still” October 2005 – March 2006 Aired 78,535 Versions Available in English, Spanish, and African-American Dialect

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Project Find Coordinators <ul><li>57 Project Find Coordinators in the State of Michigan </li></ul><ul><li>Networking Meetings </li></ul><ul><li>Spiderphone Conversations </li></ul><ul><li>Public Awareness updates via email </li></ul><ul><li>Yahoo! Listserv </li></ul>

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Examples of Outreach <ul><li>A Calendar for Michigan Families </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Potential to reach thousands </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Available in English and Spanish </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Family and Consumer Sciences, MSU Extension </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>(517) 432-8204 </li></ul></ul>

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Project Find Youth K-6 <ul><li>1-800-252-0052 </li></ul><ul><li>TTY Line: 517-668-2505 </li></ul><ul><li>www.projectfindmichigan.org </li></ul>

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Project Find Translated Spanish Arabic

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Project Find Michigan Older Youth Dropped Out

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Project Find Michigan Arabic, Older Youth Arabic, Dropped Out

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Project Find Michigan Spanish, Older Youth Spanish, Dropped Out

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Traveling Display Boards <ul><li>One Statewide Early On Traveling Display Board </li></ul><ul><li>Mike Bobo, Public Awareness staff member </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Michigan Chapter of the Academy of Pediatrics Conference </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Scheduled for 11 conferences during the 2006-2007 year </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Calendar can be found at website at www.1800EarlyOn.org </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Two (small) Early On boards </li></ul><ul><ul><li>available to locals for community use </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>To schedule the small display boards for an event, contact Early On Public Awareness at </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>1-800-Early-On (327-5966) </li></ul></ul>

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Project Find Display Board

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Launch NEW Website www.1800EarlyOn.org

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Other Examples of Generating Awareness – Transit <ul><li>Kalamazoo County: Metro Transit Buses, 8 buses </li></ul><ul><li>Genesee County: MTA/Flint Buses, 20 buses </li></ul><ul><li>Macomb County: SMART Buses, 40 buses </li></ul><ul><li>Washtenaw County: SMART Buses, 25 buses </li></ul><ul><li>(Kick-off began September 15, 2006: 6-8 week duration) </li></ul>

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TRANSIT - continued Captive Audience – U of M (Washtenaw) September 23 – Wisconsin October 7 – M.S.U. (potential of reaching over 107,000 at each game)

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Thank You for Attending Project Find Public Awareness “ Helping Young People Succeed”