Get Inspired in Denver!

The Peer Support Specialists team is presenting at The Arc’s 2023 Annual Convention in Denver, CO this week. Our session is called Building Better Lives Together: Peer Support that Works! We will share our challenges and successes. We hope to inspire others to try peer support.

Our session is Friday, 11/11, at 10:15 AM. If you can’t make it, you can view our slide deck on our Resources page.

The Latest from Seen and Heard: IDD Community

And I was trying so hard to make friends but instead they used me

This month, James taught us about:

Loneliness

  • How hard it can be to make friends
  • How not being able to see friends outside of school hurts

Recovery Activities

  • How creative writing helped James to be more strong as a person
  • How creative writing helped James to write out his feelings
  • James’ ability to write and share his thoughts with others

We are thrilled to congratulate James Meadours! James has been appointed to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID). We can’t think of a more deserving self-advocate.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more great videos! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

#SexualAssaultSurvivor #IDD #txcdd

The Latest from Seen and Heard: IDD Community

This month, James taught us about:

Sexual Assault 

– How it feels to be sexually assaulted as a teenager.

– How hard it is to talk to people about sexual assault.

– Learning to stand up for yourself.

Family Support

– How families can support sexual assault survivors.

-Why families should become good listeners.

– How families can help sexual assault survivors get counseling and other services.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more great videos! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

#SexualAssaultSurvivor #IDD #txcdd

The Latest from Seen and Heard: IDD Community

This month, James taught us about:

Recovery

– How relationships for survivors can be hard.

Unsupportive Family

– Why survivors might be afraid to tell their families about their assault.

– How it feels when your family doesn’t believe or support you.

– Healing from a broken family relationship.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more great videos! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

#SexualAssaultSurvivor #IDD #txcdd

See You at The Arc’s National Convention

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been invited to present at The Arc’s National Convention in Denver, CO. The conference takes place November 10-12, 2022, at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel.

Our session is called Building Better Lives Together: Peer Support that Works! We’ll be sharing some of the great work being done by peer support specialists at our Beaumont pilot site. Senior Peer Support Specialists Lisa Simmons and Ashley Sattler and Peer Support Specialist Katie Sheffield will lead the team. Hope to see you there!

Self-advocates with IDD and Mental Health Needs Wanted

Texas Complex Mental Health Needs (CMHN)

· Would you like to help us test our new Texas Complex Mental Health Needs website?

· Do you live in Texas?

· Do you have mental health needs?

· Would you like to get gift cards for being a tester?

If you do, please fill out this form.

We will ask you to answer some questions. If you are picked, you will test our website. You will be asked for your feedback. Your feedback is important.

Thank you!

Help amplify self-advocate voices!

Our Seen and Heard: IDD Community team has submitted proposals for SXSW and SXSWEdu 2023. Community voting is an important part of getting picked. Please support us by clicking the links below, voting thumbs up, and leaving a comment. Comments help evaluators know that this topic is important and interesting. Voting closes August 20, so vote soon. Thanks!

SXSW: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/121432

SXSWEdu: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/121420

#txcdd#DisabilityAwareness#advocacy#SXSW#SXSWedu