Independence, Productivity, Self
Determination, Integration & Inclusion (IPSII)
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Pathways MN Emergency Preparedness Family Support Center Planning Grant Center's Planning Committee will meet four times in the planning year. Information will be disseminated quarterly via e-mail. Planning Committee members include: Local elected official: Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities: Will provide technical assistance on Emergency Preparedness efforts in other states; The Council is creating materials on Emergency Preparedness for individuals who are non-readers; And a general statement from the GCDD letter of support, ‘We are committed to providing on-going support in any way that we possibly can” Minnesota Disability Law Center [MN P&A]: University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration: C enter for Independent Living:Hennepin County: Jordan New Life Hub: All planning year alpha trainings will be held at the Hub; Hub staff will work with Center participants providing outreach and support to those individuals who need additional family services. City of Minneapolis Department of Health; The Quality Institute: Will share their focus groups on the need for Emergency Preparedness Training, and Emergency tools and techniques; Continue to coach Julie Kenney of the Baldrige framework and core values to ensure the Center is transparent and customer driven. Review of Center's proposed plan and products:
Center's Alpha Trainings will test our proposed training materials with at least 30 people with developmental disabilities and their families. The results from the Alpha Trainings will be evaluated, reported to Pathways Advisory Committee and Center's planning committee and will be integrated into our proposed plan Need for Pathways Emergency Preparedness Family Support Center Problem: I n Minnesota, disabled individuals residing in nursing homes or who have a behavioral disability are included as a special population in the State of Minnesota’s Healthcare System Preparedness Program, individuals with developmental disabilities, including those residing in group homes or ICF/MR’s are left out. Minnesota’s counties provide information and training on emergency preparedness to providers who serve individuals with developmental disabilities, however currently there is no training or supports for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families to develop their own emergency preparedness plans.Minnesota Department of Health[i] includes individuals residing in nursing homes and individuals requiring mental health services[ii] in its special population outreach, requiring behavioral health responders to give a course on Psychological First Aid to a variety of audience, schools, faith based organizations, emergency services organizations.[iii] Counties in Minnesota require training of staff in group home settings and other congregate living situation, however there is no training designed for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. In ‘Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning’ National Council on Disability, April 13, 2005 reports “Group homes did not have plans for emergency housing of residents, with the result that some people were deinstitutionalized (Queen 1993). The Center’s Solution: Through the Center, individuals with developmental disabilities and their families will develop their own Emergency Preparedness Plan that will address winter storms and H1N1 pandemic. Training participants will receive in-depth training on the health and safety issues associated with Minnesota’s winter storms and the H1N1 pandemic. The Need for Emergency Preparedness for Minnesota’s Winter Storms: The State of Minnesota averages between 70 and 116 storms each year.[iv] Individuals with developmental disabilities and their families are at risk from loss of heat and power in their homes, closed support services and impassable roads. The record minimum temperature in Minnesota in -60 degrees F with a maximum seasonal snow fall of 170 inches. Each winter we have many days of – 20 degree F weather. Unless you’ve experienced a Minnesota winter it is difficult to understand how dangerous winter weather can be. For example, at -20 degree F with no wind, a person will get frostbite on unexposed skin in 30 minutes. The Pathways Advisory Committee was very concerned about winter storms, Catrice Williams writes in her letter of support for this project, “In our region it is extremely important to know how to react in a snow storm.” H1N1 Pandemic: Individuals with developmental disabilities are considered ‘at risk’ [v]to severe illness from the H1N1 flu, however they are not included in the emergency preparedness plans at the state or county level. [i] Minnesota Health Department. “Psychological First Aid Training” Personal communication with Caroline Barnhill, March 7, 2008 [ii] See: http://www.health.state.mn.us/oep/heathcare/index.html Healthcare System Preparedness Program Work Deliverables ‘Nursing Homes, Completed needs assessment of nursing home emergency preparedness’; Behavioral Health, Written Regional Behavioral Health Plan signed by all counties mental health authorities, Regional behavioral health mutual aid agreements with community behavioral health service providers, Increased registration of behavioral health responders in MN Responses [iii] Astho ‘At Risk Populations in Emergencies: A Review of State and Local Stories, Tools, and Practices. April 2008. [iv] See www.fema.gov/areyouready/winter.shtm FEMA’s winter storm page. [v] http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm, Clinician Guidance: CDC [Centers for Disease Control] has issued interim guidance for clinicians on identifying and caring for patients with novel H1N`, in addition to providing interim guidance on the use of antiviral drugs…the priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak is to treat people hospitalized with influenza illness and to treat people at risk of severe illness…persons with neurological or neuromuscular disease. [vi] ’10 at muscular dystrophy camp get swine flu’, Paul Walsh, Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 21, 2009 [vii] http:www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/flu/h1n1/index.html Need more information?
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