Council Project History
Third Generation
Council projects of the third generation are characterized by the systemic efforts of the grants. By the mid 1990s, the Council was writing more strategic goals and objectives for its State Plan. Although all previous projects had been successful, no longer was the Council interested in simply filling gaps in services. These projects, again, falling under the four federal priority areas of Child Development, Community Living, Employment, and Systems Coordination and Community Education, were broader in scope and concentrated more heavily in true systemic change and capacity building.
Third Generation Specific Priority Areas
Child Development
Community Living
Employment
Systems Coordination and Community Education
Child Development Priority Area
Transition from School to Work Project, contracted with Oklahomans for Independent Living, McAlester
Oklahomans for Independent Living (OIL) is a Center for Independent Living in a rural part of Oklahoma. Historically, little effort had been made to assist students in Pittsburgh County to move from school to work. Through coordination efforts with high schools, the Department of Rehabilitation Services, the Department of Human Services, Kiamichi Vocational-Technical School, area providers, the local Chambers of Commerce, local business owners, and others, OIL was able to assist 25 students per year plan for life beyond high school.
Keeping Families Together, contracted with the University Affiliated Program of Oklahoma (now the Center for Learning and Leadership)
A model program carried out by the University Affiliated Program, “Keeping Families Together” provides assistance to families which include infants with developmental health care needs. Families are assisted and strengthened through a common sense, coordinated effort of training and resource development focused on keeping families together. The program is designed to keep infants from being institutionalized because their families are not ready or able to take them home from neonatal intensive care facilities. Activities included training for health care professionals, training for a state-level resource team, and development and training of alternative family environments.
Learning Together at Home, contracted with Idabel Public Schools
Learning
Together at Home contracted with Idabel Public Schools McCurtain County,
in extreme southeast Oklahoma, has long been one of the state’s most
economically disadvantaged counties. Because of its isolation, there is a large
population of children considered “at-risk” for developmental delay.
Learning Together at Home is a school-readiness model which trains parents
to work on preschool skills with their 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds, with the goal
of preventing placement in special education classes. The curriculum
is based on a national model, HIPPY, but was extensively rewritten so schools
with limited budgets could participate in the program. The curriculum was distributed
to all schools in Oklahoma with active Head Start programs.
Family Services Coordinator, contracted with the Lee Mitchener Tolbert
Center, OUHSC
Sooner Start, the state’s early intervention program for infants and
children age birth to 36 months, has been a strong link in the chain of services
for persons with disabilities. This project furthers Sooner Start’s
commitment to family-centered care by creating the position of Family Services
Coordinator. The Family Services Coordinator is primarily responsible for
keeping Sooner Start families apprised of current issues and policies that
may affect their services. This is accomplished through the publication of
a newsletter, extensive family contacts across the state, and the coordination
of parent networks.
Community Living Priority Area
“Living in the Freedom World”, contracted with the University of Minnesota
In the late 1980s the State of Oklahoma began the deinstitutionalization of The Hissom Memorial Center, one of the three large public intermediate care facilities for persons with mental retardation (ICF/MR). The closure was the result of a court order and was a huge and controversial undertaking. Wanting to assure that the outstanding results of that closure were highlighted, the Council contracted with the University of Minnesota to produce a monograph and video featuring the lives of persons who had previously lived in public and private ICFs/MR. The video received an “honorable mention” at the prestigious Chris Awards in Columbus, Ohio; and has been distributed throughout the United States, as well as Russia, Japan and Australia. The video continues to be the Council’s most requested publication and clips from it are now part of the Minnesota Governor’s Council’s “Parallel Lives” on-line history of developmental disabilities services in the U.S.
Network of Master Trainers for Aging and Developmental Disabilities, contracted with The Nigh Institute/University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond
This multidisciplinary collaborative project developed an extensive training curriculum for consumers and professionals in the fields of aging and developmental disabilities. The curriculum was designed specifically to assure professionals in the field of aging had general information about issues related to developmental disabilities, and vice versa. Partnering in this effort were The Nigh Institute for State Government, The Donna Nigh Foundation, the Department of Human Services Aging Services Division and Developmental Disabilities Services Division, Oklahoma Community-Based Providers, Oklahoma People First, and the Long-Term Care Authority of Tulsa.
Demand-Response Transportation Model, contracted with The Gatesway Foundation,
Broken Arrow, Red River Transportation Model, contracted with The Power
Shop, Duncan, and Community Transportation Model, contracted with Oklahomans
for Independent Living, McAlester
These three transportation models helped the Council to determine best practices
in community public transportation. The Broken Arrow model was essentially
an accessible para-transit service. The established routes connected with
the accessible Tulsa Transit bus lines so individuals with disabilities who
wished to work, shop, or visit friends in Tulsa had a ride. The Duncan model
helped an established transportation system, Red River, become more accessible
to persons with disabilities. Lifts were purchased and installed and dispatchers
were trained in how to assist persons with disabilities to get to their destinations.
The McAlester model demonstrated that collaboration among agencies and organization
can assure people with disabilities can get to their destination of choice.
Existing vans, with and without lifts and other accessibility features, were
organized and a central dispatch assured any person (with or without a disability)
needing a ride could get one. The City of McAlester provided funding for
gas and vehicle maintenance.
Spirit of Families Together (SOFT) Project, contracted with Grand Lake
Mental Health Center Inc., Nowata
SOFT is a family support model which worked with persons with cognitive disabilities
or with a dual-diagnosis of both cognitive and psychiatric disability; the
goal of the project was to support families to prevent out-of-home placement
in congregate settings for either cognitive or psychiatric disability. The
project served the extreme northeastern counties of Oklahoma (Craig, Delaware,
Mayes, Nowata, Ottawa, Rogers, and Washington), where there is a large population
of American Indians, particularly Cherokee. Because of the high percentage
of American Indians, SOFT personnel worked hard to assure that assistance
and supports were delivered in a culturally responsive manner; staff members
were trained in the Cherokee language.
Work-Study Program, contracted with Cushing Public Schools, Cushing
This contract with the Cushing Special Services Coop provided assistance to 29 school districts in five rural counties of Oklahoma: Payne, Creek, Pawnee, Okfuskee, and Lincoln. Transition from school to work for students with disabilities was the main goal of the project, and students in the program were provided with traditional job supports – training, job coaching, resume building, and the like, all based on the Elsmere Project model.
A Better Choice (ABC), contracted with Whitebead School, Whitebead
Neither parents nor teachers at Whitebead School, a small public school serving grades K-8, understood why children with disabilities who grew up in Whitebead needed to be bused to the local educational co-op for middle school. They didn’t believe it made sense to remove these children from their friends and siblings, so school administrators withdrew from the Pauls Valley Co-op and used Council funding to assure that the children had appropriate supports, including accessible computers, on-staff occupational, physical and speech therapists, and a respite room for the children. In spite of the project promoting child development, this project is very deliberately placed in the Community Living priority area.
Oklahoma Aging Advocacy Leadership Academy, contracted with the Aging Services Division, Department of Human Services, Oklahoma City
The Council helped fund the development of a 10-month advocacy training
program in partnership with the Aging Services Division of the Department
of Human Services. This program identifies, trains and develops caring people
with and without disabilities to become informed leaders about issues affecting
those in later phases of life.
Persons accepted and graduated from its training are empowered, committed
advocates for their own and later generations to help Oklahoma’s older
population with and without developmental disabilities.
Project Access, contracted with Ability Resources, Tulsa, and the Department of Rehabilitation Services training – contracted with Nanopac, Tulsa
With the wealth of information on the Web, the Council wanted
to ensure that physical access to computers was available throughout Oklahoma.
Ability Resources, a Tulsa Center for Independent Living, surveyed libraries
throughout Oklahoma about their computer systems and accessibility. Following
the survey, the Council placed 56 computers with accessible hardware and
software in local libraries throughout the state. In addition, the Council
sponsored five training sessions throughout the state for library staff so
they knew how to operate the accessibility features.
Employment Priority Area
I-TEMP, contracted with TransVoc Inc., Tulsa
I-TEMP is an employment service that specializes in assisting persons with disabilities to get and keep jobs consistent with their interests, skills, and abilities. Key to the success of this project was the partnership with local businesses. These partnerships enabled I-TEMP to place persons with disabilities so both the employer and employee could test the waters before making a job permanent.
Sheltered Workshop Conversion Project, contracted with SHOW Inc., Sapulpa, and ARC Industries Inc., Bartlesville
SHOW Inc. had been moving in the direction of closing out its workshop “slots” and
serving their clients in community-based jobs. Funding from the Council helped
to convert the last 26 workshop clients and move those persons into jobs
in Sapulpa.
ARC Industries used Council funding to convert several sheltered workshop
slots to community-based employment. This project was particularly effective
in raising the profile of persons with disabilities in Bartlesville through
extensive public relations efforts.
Supported Training and Employment (STEP) Program, contracted with the Panhandle Area Sheltered Workshop, Guymon
The Oklahoma Panhandle is arguably the most remote part of the state. The three counties which make up the Panhandle (Cimarron, Texas and Beaver) are rural, sparsely populated, and receive minimal state agency services. In fact, prior to this project of the Council, there were no integrated employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in this region. With Council assistance, community integrated employment was modeled for the first time.
Valley Laser, contracted with Garvin County Community Living Center Inc., Pauls Valley
Cartridge King is a national supported employment model which trains persons with disabilities to work in the field of computer toner cartridge recycling. Using that model, Valley Laser was created to provide clients with the opportunity learned how to recycle and resell several kinds of computer printer cartridges. Valley Laser has won several state contracts for their product. Based on the skills of several workers, Valley Laser also trains workers to be computer printer repair technicians.
Access Careers, contracted with Ability Resources Inc., Tulsa
Ability Resources is the state’s largest Center for Independent Living. The project was a collaborative effort of Ability Resources, local Tulsa businesses, local social service agencies, and the Department of Rehabilitation Services. Access Careers provides services in the areas of job development and placement, career guidance, training necessary for job retention, literacy training, resume writing, and the like. The project, working with a business roundtable, assisted individuals with disabilities to try jobs available in the community, both to learn practical skills and test interests, skills and abilities.
“Count Us In” Job Fair,
contracted with Community Service Council, Tulsa
As part of the larger “Count Us In” community awareness effort
in Tulsa, this job fair was specifically designed for persons with disabilities
and community employers looking to hire persons with disabilities.
Vermiculture and Composting Micro-enterprise, contracted with Green Country
Community Mental Health Services, Muskogee
Originally designed as an entrepreneurial demonstration project, this project
evolved into a training project which provided an opportunity for individuals
with disabilities to develop and improve work skills in the areas of accountability,
decision making, responsibility, and commitment to work schedules.
Systems Coordination
and Community Education Priority Area
The Habilitation Center/Joseph Harp Correctional Facility, contracted with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Oklahoma City
One of the most unique systems change projects that Council undertook was the project which served minimum- and medium-security offenders with cognitive disabilities at the Joseph Harp Facility in Lexington, Oklahoma. The Department of Corrections saw a need to provide some specialized training to assure that, once released from prison, these individuals had the academic, social, and work skills to help prevent a return to the criminal justice system. The Council helped the Habilitation Center to complete assessments and develop academic, social, and work skill curricula. Joseph Harp now houses all minimum- and medium-security offenders determined to have developmental delay or disability.
Oklahoma Assistive Technology Consortium Network, contracted with the
Community Partnership Development Foundation, Stillwater
The Community Partnership Development Foundation was a consortium of several
advocacy and provider organizations in northeastern Oklahoma. OATCN’s
goals were to assist persons with disabilities already living in the community
to access already-existing recreational and educational opportunities. The
project worked with several community colleges in northeast Oklahoma to make
their curriculum more accessible and appealing to persons with disabilities.
El Centro Ensenado, contracted with The Power Shop, Duncan
The City of Duncan, like other rural parts of Oklahoma, recognized a growing
population of Spanish-speaking agricultural workers and their families. As
a way of providing state agency services – not just for those with
developmental disabilities, The Power Shop staffed an office called El Centro
Ensenado (The Learning Center.) Not only were staff bilingual, they were
able to convince state agencies to print brochures about their services in
Spanish for the first time. In addition to linking people to needed services,
El Centro Ensenado also helped match people with available jobs in the community,
notably a Spanish-speaking dispatcher with a disability at the Red River
Transportation Service, another collaboration between the Council and The
Power Shop.
Inclusion Now for School and Work, contracted with the Community Services
Council, Tulsa
The goal of this project was to create a local model of inclusive elementary
education and use that model to work with other area schools to achieve education
throughout Tulsa. In addition to helping one elementary school to be completely
inclusive of children with disabilities, the project spread the word about
inclusion by hosting breakfast meetings for principals, providing technical
assistance, and providing a best practices newsletter.
Access Roundtable, contracted with Ability Resources Inc., Tulsa
Roundtable discussions were hosted by Ability Resources and facilitated by
the Statewide Independent Living Council in six locations throughout the
state. Those participating were state agency personnel, local social service
agencies, and consumers. Consumers were able to discuss their needs and
agency personnel were able to explain their agency’s services and
supports. From these discussions, barriers and gaps in services were identified
and a final report was broadly disseminated.
Oklahoma Respite Resource Network Marketing, contracted with Naukam Marketing,
Oklahoma City
The Oklahoma Respite Resource Network (ORRN) is a multi-agency collaboration
which provides respite vouchers for families caring for children and adults
with disabilities. This program has garnered well-deserved national attention.
The Council provided initial funding to market ORRN to families and providers.
ArcLink, contracted with TARC, Tulsa
ArcLink is a national web-based information and referral system affiliated
with the Arc of the U.S. This site allows users to format a personal profile
based on their service needs, age, income, and ZIP code. The information
provided then matches the eligibility criteria and service location so users
can easily sort through potential services. The Council provided funding
for the research and uploading of the Oklahoma page. Annual support for the
site is provided by the DHS Developmental Disabilities Services Division.
Partners in Policymaking, originally contracted with TARC, Tulsa, and now
an in-house Council project.
Oklahoma Partners in Policymaking follows the national model developed by
the Minnesota Governor’s Conference on Developmental Disabilities.
This advocacy training course, taught one weekend per month for nine months,
provides self-advocates, parents of young children with developmental disabilities,
and other advocates and providers with state-of-the-art training related
to services for people with disabilities, inclusion in all aspects of community
life, and building positive working relationships with policymakers.
Conference Support, various contractors throughout Oklahoma
During this generation of project development, the Council developed instructions to staff related to sponsoring or co-sponsoring Oklahoma conferences with a focus on people with disabilities. This sponsorship continues today and has included annual sponsorship of the Oklahoma Governor’s Conference on Developmental Disabilities, the Autism Symposium, Oklahoma Association of Persons in Supported Employment, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Conference, and the State Conference on Aging.