001Good evening, everyone. The time now is 6:07 p.m. and welcome to the June 2022 Oh my goodness, the June 20 22nd 2026 meeting of the Disability Issues Advisory Board. My name is Teresa Smith and I serve as chair of the Disability Issues Advisory Board. For those unable to observe now, the meeting is being recorded and can be accessed on the PGCPS YouTube channel for later viewing. For members, as a reminder, please keep your audio muted unless you are speaking. As we open up this evening, some of you may be aware that there are recent changes at the federal level. Civil rights oversight has been shifted to the Department of Justice and special education was shifted to the Department of Health and Human Services. The fundamental protections under the Americans with Disability Act remain absolute. Although
002these agreements are in place, navigating them at the federal level may become more complex for our families and the work of this board becomes even more critical regarding civil rights and equal access of individuals with disabilities. So, I would like to encourage our community to stay informed and be engaged. Lastly, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our special guests. Joining us evening from The Arc of Prince George's County, Ms. Melanie Clark, Director of Education and Community Engagement, Ms. Katherine Lopez, Sorry about my background noise. Ms. Natuma Kamara and Ms. Lauren Lewis. A little later in this meeting, they will provide an overview of the Arc of Prince George's County and share information about the organization's programs, services, and resources that support individuals with disabilities and their families. Ms. Vickery, can you please
003take the roll? >> Yes, thank you. Good evening, everybody. Apologies for my background noise. I have two passengers with me and it's unfortunately a thunderstorm, so sorry I'm off camera. Um Ms. Blackwell >> Present. >> Ms. Amaya Mr. Dwyer >> Present. >> Ms. Doyle Board member Ajikaiye >> Present. >> Ms. Bowman Ms. Torian Myers Ms. Cotrell Board member Olivo >> Present. >> Ms. Wingate Robinson >> Present. >> Uh Chair Smith >> Present. >> Vice Chair Patrick Myself, recording secretary, Ms. Vickery, I'm present. And I believe that I missed anyone, Chair Smith or Ms. Johnson? >> No. >> Okay, great. I do not believe we hold a quorum, but I do know that we can proceed with the meeting. We just cannot, um, vote on any business. >> With no quorum present, the committee is unable
004to conduct business. We will proceed to our presentation for this evening. I would like to recognize I'm sorry. I actually don't know who would be leading us this evening since Ms. Clark is not here. Is it >> Entuma, I will be presenting. And my colleague will also jump in, um, in the presentation, too, but I'll introduce her. >> Excellent. >> Chair Smith, I'm sorry. Before we proceed, can we please acknowledge board member Brown is present? >> Yes, we may. Thank you, Ms. Brown. >> Present. >> [laughter and gasps] >> All right. Ms. Natuma, we thank you for being here this evening and highlighting the programs and services that are being offered by The Arc of Prince George's County. You may proceed with your presentation. >> Okay, thank you so much. Good evening, everyone. My name
005is Entuma Kamara. I am the resource navigator for a mental health program at The Arc called Project Live, and I'll gladly talk about that, um, further in in the presentation, but it's so good to be with you all this evening. I will be presenting alongside my colleague, Lauren Lewis, who is our outreach coordinator for Project Live. Um, so glad to have her here with me, as well. So, for this presentation, we'll be giving an overview of The Arc of Prince George's County. With just a show of hands or perhaps populating in the chat, how many of you are familiar with The Arc of Prince George's County? Have a feeling probably all of you are. Wonderful, wonderful. So, this will just be a brief overview of the various programs that we offer. So, as you all
006have indicated, you are aware that the mission of The Arc is to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and those navigating life-changing circumstances, such as seniors and others in need of assistance, access in health care and essential services. And so, we try to do this, provide a lifetime of support and opportunities to help them reach their greatest potential by providing various programs that are tailored for individuals at various life stages. So, from birth up until the end of life. So, on the next slide, uh we have an overview of some of the programs that we offer to children and youth. Some of these programs, such as the Infants and Toddlers Program and the Autism Waiver, are more so case management-based, meaning we aren't the actual provider of these services, but we do
007offer service coordinators that arrange for certain services to be provided to the individuals that are served. So, The Arc provides case management services to approximately 1,500 children ages zero to to three in the Infants and Toddlers Program, which is funded by the Maryland State Department of Education and ran through Prince George's County Public School System. So, through this program, the Infants and Toddlers Program, uh children with developmental disabilities and delays receive early intervention services. And these include therapy services, family training, assistive technology, and home visits. And then we also offer case management for young people on the autism waiver. So, how many of you all know what ages are served by the autism waiver? Feel free to put that in the chat or maybe unmute and share. Is anyone aware of the ages served by
008the autism waiver? All right, I'm not sure if the answer is in >> Oh, I'm sorry. I was just going to say does it start from when the child gets a diagnosis and they >> Absolutely. Yep, correct. Yep, you you hit it nail on the head. Yes, so it's usually from birth up until the age of 21 and yes, it does start with having that initial diagnosis of you know, being on the autism spectrum. Um we also provide uh child care through the JC Learning Center and we'll discuss that on the next slide. Okay, so through the JC's Early Learning Center, the Arc serves 12 children between the ages of two and five and these children have developmental delays, physical disabilities, behavioral delays, and medical needs. So, the program offers two on-site nurses and behavior
009support staff for these children. And we're able to offer this program in partnership with JC Early Early Learning Center through a grant from the Maryland State Department of Education. So, this allows us to support children with disabilities in an inclusive setting within the J. C. Early Learning Center. And that center is located in Fort Washington. So, it appears that there are openings. We have openings for children with um complex medical needs. And so, if you know anyone who has a child who may benefit from um from daycare services through J. C.'s Early Learning Center, please feel free to contact Sheila Woods. She's the one who heads that program. And her email is on the slide, but also let us know after and we'll be sure to put that email for you in the chat. And
010then um on the next slide, we're going to go a little further into the autism waiver. So, again, we are the provider of autism waiver services. We just have the service coordinators to help families to access and navigate the you know, these different services that the autism waiver provides, such as home adaptations, respite care, and therapeutic services to promote socialization and help with behavioral needs. So, families of young children with an autism diagnosis can call the waiver service registry. The number is on the slide in order to be added to the waitlist. Unfortunately, there is a waitlist, but the sooner you can get the child's name on there the better cuz after 21, they can't get on because services end around age 21, 22. All right, next slide. So, now we're going to transition into
011our transitioning youth programs, and I see your hand raised, Ms. Sherrice, but we can take questions at the end if you don't mind. So, um Ready at 21 is a pre-employment transition service that we offer to youth between the ages of 14 and 21 who are still in school and receiving services through DORS. And DORS is the Division of Rehabilitation Services. So, through our Ready at 21 program, our students receive training on work readiness specifically. So, under pre-employment services, there are a bucket of services that child that young people can receive. So, those include work readiness, career discovery, post-secondary instruction, and self-advocacy. But, our specific program at The Arc zeros in on that work readiness training, where we work or walk students through soft skills that are needed in order to obtain and hopefully maintain
012employment. So, those soft skills could be how to manage a time your time and and a schedule, how to dress professionally for for the job and maintain proper hygiene, how to communicate effectively with one's peers and and and um employer. So, we're able to offer this program through a 10-session through 10 sessions either virtually or in person or both, right? Through a hybrid hybrid model. In order to enroll in our Ready at 21 program, the individual, again, must be receiving services through DORS cuz it's doors that provides the funding and authorization to individuals to enroll in Ready at 21. All right, next slide. So, now we're going to talk about our Benefits Enrollment Center or BEC for short. Our Benefits Enrollment Center screens, educates, and assists Prince George's County residents ages 18 and older with
013a disability. And we assist them with applying for different state and federal benefits. So, things supplemental security income, Medicaid, um SNAP, also known as food stamps, temporary disability assistance, etc. So, once you make contact with our Benefits Enrollment Center, one of our benefits navigator will work with you to figure out what list of services you may be you or your loved one may be eligible for. And although this program is tailored for people ages 18 and older, we still welcome anyone regardless of the age through our doors, right? Cuz we want to make sure families are aware of the benefits that exist and of the timeline for when to apply to those various benefits because as you all may know, you know, while individuals are in school, they are entitled to receive certain services that
014are documented on their IEP, but once they graduate and leave school, it's all eligibility based. You have to complete the application within the set time limits in order to qualify for the service and receive funding. Okay, so next slide. So, now we're getting to the good part. >> [laughter] >> So, this is the program that I mentioned earlier, Project Live Healthy Transitions. Live stands for living with intention, vision, and empowerment. This program, we're able to offer it through a 5-year grant that we received from the federal agency, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA for short. So, through the grant, we're able to connect young people between the ages of 16 and 25 with a mental health therapist. And we're able to connect them to a therapist through a local outpatient mental
015health clinic called Synergy Family Services. So, when an individual comes to us, and they let us know, you know, oh, they're between the ages of 16 to 25, they live in Prince George's County, that is a criteria, and they need assistance, they need help with navigating adulthood, building confidence as they're, you know, transitioning through this stage of life, well, then, um, provide them a Well, we'll, of course, do a one-on-one with them, where we let them know about Project Live services, and I'll talk a little bit more about the the other, um, aspects of our program. Um, but once they indicate interest in Project Live, I will create for them a referral to Synergy Family Services. They'll then complete intake with Synergy Family Services, get connected with a mental health therapist, so they can be
016having 45-minute virtual sessions with a mental health therapist on the weekly or bi-weekly basis. Um, so, in addition to the mental health service component, we also offer for management, and our case management is unique in a way in that we're also assisting families and clients with applying for those state and federal benefits that I mentioned earlier, as well as services through the Developmental Disabilities Administration for long-term funding of supports and services, as well as helping them complete that request services form on the website for Doors. So, on the next slide, there's actually an incentive. So, if an individual connects with a member of our Project LIFE team for a one-on-one session, and they complete their intake appointment with Synergy Family Services, and participate in three therapy sessions, they will be eligible to receive a $25
017gift card. So, if you know any young individual who has a disability, is between the ages of 16 and 25, lives in Prince George's County, who you feel may benefit from this free program, please let them know. Our phone number is on the slide. Our email is also on the slide. And of course, you can scan that QR code too as another way to get in contact with us. All right, next slide. So, Ready for Advocacy is a fellowship program that falls under Project LIFE. And through this program, we have the privilege working with 12 youth and young adults between the ages of 16 and 25. We call them our fellows, or Ready for Advocacy fellows. And they go through just different engagement opportunities to develop leadership and professional skills. They've done work in Annapolis,
018where they've participated in Developmental Disabilities Day and Calendar Day, and um just also engage in professional development days, where they're gaining skills toward personal growth. They're also helping us outreach, um in order to advertise Project LIFE to their peers. Um and one of the very unique aspect of this program is that they're learning about the eight dimensions of wellness. So, occupational wellness, financial wellness, emotional wellness, spiritual wellness. They're learning about these things in order to, of course, implement them in their lives, right, toward living a well-balanced life, but also to share with their peers as they are out and about in their community. So, Ready for Advocacy is a great great program, and it's ran by our youth and young adult coordinator, who's also a certified peer specialist. All right, next slide. So, The Arc
019also has a or was involved in this initiative called Project SEARCH. It's an initiative whereby The Arc collaborates with Andrews Air Force Base, Doors, and Prince Prince George's County Public Schools. And it's an It's a pre-ed service that pretty much provides like an internship opportunity to young people who are still in school in their in their last year of school in order to build job skills, develop independence, and successfully transition into competitive employment. So, this is one of the the partnerships the Arc has for transition youth. Okay, so now we're going to transition to our adult services. So, on the next slide, I'm going to um get to one of the programs that fall under our adult adult services. Before we even get into that, I do want to preference that or um make a
020note rather that our adult services are for individuals ages 21 and older who are receiving funding from the Developmental Disabilities Administration. Um so, our services aren't out of pocket. These specific adult services aren't out of pocket. You must be receiving funding from DDA in order to access the the list of um programs that we'll go through. So, on the next slide, we'll be discussing our um meaningful day program. So, our meaningful day program focuses on building a life full of meaning based on a person-centered outcome for the individual as well as their interests and needs. And it supports community inclusion and provides exciting experiences. It enables participants to engage in various activities as well as assist them with arranging transportation for said activities. And we provide these services in three locations. Meaningful day is also
021a term used to describe the entire menu of Maryland DDA's employment and day services. All right, next slide, please. So, one of the other um Um, services we provide at the Arc is called Bridges and this is a program that supports individuals with various medical needs on site at our 1401 McCormick office. So, it offers these individuals small group community-based activities and the target of this program are our clients who have complex medical needs such as vision and hearing hearing impairments or complex cognitive requirements such as seizure disorders or um, a the condition requiring um, G-tube feedings. So, with this program we have two nurses on site who monitor, assess, and provide necessary medical interventions when needed. So, that's our Bridges program. And then, we also offer on the next slide, we offer um, employment
022services, personal support, and transportation. Okay, and can you actually advance the slide so we can dive a little bit more into employment services? Sorry, there there seems to be a lag. It might be the weather. Uh, okay. So, with our employment services um, the goal is to offer our clients the opportunity to maximize their employment potential in an integrated work setting. And it also at the same time enables businesses and other organizations to access our pool of skilled workers. So, it goes both way, but we're wanting to open up integrated competitive employment opportunities to our clients. All right, next slide. And then we also have personal supports, which includes a range of services all aimed at fostering community integration for our clients while providing them with personal assistance, support, and supervision to enable them to
023actively participate in their home as well as in the community. So, these services can be delivered in the individual's own residence, in their family home, or within the community at large. And the primary emphasis of personal support is centered on promoting integration in the community. All right, so we're at the very end of the list of programs at the Arc. And then my colleague is going to introduce some of the um outreach opportunities we have and some upcoming events. We hope you will share with your network. But the last of the service we provide is transportation to our Arc clients. So, for individuals who are wanting services from us, adult services specifically from us, um they will need to acquire a Metro Access card in order to um utilize our transportation um um vehicles. And
024some of you may have seen our Arc vans going up and down in the community. So, with the Metro Access card, that is an application that we assist our clients with accessing through our benefits enrollment center. And also too, if the individual is involved in Project LIVE, I myself will assist with completing that Metro Access application. Okay, so I'm going to pass it to Lauren Lewis to talk about some additional outreach programs at the Arc. >> Hello everyone. It's so nice to be here. Like into my set, my name is Lauren Lewis and I am the outreach coordinator for Project Live, a mental health initiative. So, I'm just going to briefly go over some of our outreach programs and then upcoming events. So, we do have hope, which is our Hispanic outreach through positive engagement.
025It's a partnership um between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington um and Prince George's County Arc. Through this partnership, we work together to connect children, teens, adults, >> [clears throat] >> and adults with disabilities and their families to inclusive opportunities, supportive communities, educational resources, and meaningful engagement. So, hope is rooted in the belief that by building strong community partnerships, we can create a more welcoming, accessible, and supportive environment where all individuals can thrive. Next, we have our ready to travel program. Um this is our travel readiness training. Um we're actually in the middle of one. It just ended last week and then our next one is coming up at the end of this month, I believe, but we have virtual sessions. We also have had in-person, but right now we're just doing virtual. And it
026primarily focuses on travel training, pedestrian community safety, community and transportation signs, public transportation options. So, we go over how to ride the metro, how to take Ubers, um how to cross the street safely, taking the bus, and stuff like that. So, it's very useful for our fellows. And then also, we have families involved in transition. So, this is kind of a newer program that we have. It's in partnership with Prince George's County Public Schools. Um, and it's just transition navigation. So, those that are just graduating from high school, we're helping them transition into adulthood. So, making sure that they have the services they need, all the benefits that they're eligible for, and kind of just guiding them through that process. So, we help assist them with their application, um, code with their report card, and
027then we do also have assistance for Spanish-speaking families if they need that as well. Next, I just want to briefly talk about Charting the Life Course. So, this is, um, one of the main tools that we use in transition planning. So, this framework helps families and individuals with disabilities think about what a good life looks like for them and how to plan it. So, it encourages you to reflect on your loved one's goals, strengths, and support needs across different life domains like daily living, employment, relationships, and community involvement as well. So, we use tools like the Life Course trajectory framework sheet to help you map out your vision and identify the steps and supports needed to get there. So, it's definitely a great way to start meaningful conversations and make sure that your planning is
028person-centered to you and future-focused as well. And then, I can definitely, um, share all of these things in the chat at the end or I can email them over to you guys and then you can share as well. Um, and then next, I do want to just go over some of our outreach events that we have had and do have coming up. So, our Ready to Be Healthy Youth Family Fun and Fitness Fest just ended actually. We had it on June 6th. It was a great time. We had a lot of vendors come out, a lot of exhibitors. It was around 22 exhibitors and a lot of vendors. We had artworks out there. We had CareFirst doing screenings. We had a DJ. We had ice cream. It was a great time. Um, they enjoyed it,
029but it basically is just to promote that physical health is also mental health and vice versa. You need both in order to maintain a healthy life balance, and this was just kind of to give back to our community and let everybody join in one space and have a good time. And then we do have ready for advocacy. Um, I know that Intuma kind of already touched on this, but basically it is um, our fellowship group. So, our fellows do kind of go out in the into the community and advocate for themselves. I know that she mentioned VDDAY, like calendar day. So, they participate in events like that, and it's a great time for them as well as us to watch them um, go and [snorts] advocate for themselves. Next, we're going to talk about our
030caregivers retreat. So, this is a day-long pampering for caregivers. Um, our very first retreat was in 2024, and our caregivers loved that there was a day just for them to relax and enjoy community. So, anyone who is a caregiver for someone with a disability can participate. Moms, dads, grandmas, granddads, aunts, uncles, anybody. Um, we've had acupuncture, yoga, nutritionists, massages, and so on. So, our next one is going to be October 23rd of this year. So, please stay engaged, mark it in your calendars. You don't want to miss it. There is a small fee. I'mma say like $15 each if I'm not um, mistaken, but definitely tickets go quick. So, keep this on your radar. You don't want to miss this. And then I'm going to briefly go over some upcoming events that we have. We
031have internet safety training for families and providers. And this is virtual, so it's basically just a time that um, families and parents and caregivers can come and learn how um, kind of the signs to look for internet safety for their individuals. So, what to look for, what are some signs that they're using it properly, and probably what they should be keeping a lookout for when um they're using their devices as well. And it's 3 days, so from the 23rd to the 25th, and it's from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. You can scan the QR code here, but I can also share the flyer in the chat afterwards. And then we have our brunch bunch. So, we have our brunch bunch monthly. It is the fourth Thursday of every month from 11:00 to 12:00, and it's
032a place where we basically talk about resources and events coming up within the community for our individuals with developmental and individuals with developmental disabilities. And actually this month we're talking about charting the life course that I just went over. So, this was actually a really good one to come to if you guys are interested, and I can share that flyer as well. And next we do offer adult mental health first aid training. It is virtual. It's from 9:00 to 3:00. The next one is Thursday, July 9th, but if you're unable to make it to that one, this QR code does actually list all of the upcoming dates as well. So, if that doesn't work for you, you can scan the QR code and look at the dates listed, but I can also share this flyer
033in the chat as well. And then we do have a digital literacy camp coming up for self-advocates. It is going to be in person at our Bright Seat location. It's 1802 Bright Seat Road on the fourth floor, but I can send that information out as well after this. It's from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. That's a Monday through a Friday. And basically it's just for our advocates to learn how to use um kind of any technology. So, it's hard enough for us, but it's basically it's just an in-depth training so they can understand what they're doing, um how to do it, and then how to make the most of it. All right. And then we also do have a self-advocacy committee that is open to everyone. So, it's open to those with um
034intellectual and developmental disabilities, it's open to caregivers, it's open to anyone wants to join, honestly, and be an advocate for those with intellectual developmental disabilities. Um the head person for this is April. So, if you do have any questions, you can take her email down, but we will be more than happy for you guys to join us. Um we're always looking for more advocates in the community. All right. And then lastly, just if you guys could follow us on social media. For our Instagram is The Arc of PGC, and then on Facebook it's just The Arc PGC. Other than that, that is all I have for us today. >> Who's that? >> All right. Intuma and Ms. Lewis, or is it Is your last name Kamara? I want to make sure I'm getting this right.
035>> It's Kamara, yes. >> Okay, I'm sorry. I apologize. So, Ms. Kamara, Ms. Lewis, thank you so much for this presentation. >> Not a problem. >> So, strong partnerships with organizations like The Arc of Prince George's County is very important to our community. You guys gave me information that I didn't know all existed with you all. So, thank you for coming out this evening. I do want to give our members an opportunity to ask you all some questions. And if you don't have the answer, that is fine. Um I did share with Ms. Clark, I believe DI app will be more than willing to invite you all again or perhaps information can be shared via email over to us. So, I do see Ms. Blackwell's hand. You have the floor. >> Good evening, Ms. Lewis
036and Ms. Kamara. I have one question. The age limit for Project Search, is there age limit for Project Search? >> There is. Let me I know it's for students in high school. Let me I would have to pull up the document cuz I don't want to misquote. >> Okay. >> So, okay. So, between the ages of 19 and 21. >> Okay. >> And And they have to be in their final year of high school. >> Okay. I forgot to ask. Do they still have um partners um the Arc still have the partners in the training for advocacy for the whole year program? Do they still have that? >> That if it's a specific program, I'm unaware of that. What's the name of it so I can ask? >> Um it's um I participated in it.
037It's a whole year program for advocates and parents who want training regarding advocacy. I think it's through the Arc I think it's through the Arc of Maryland. It's called grass policy making. >> Okay. Yeah, so I'm not too familiar with that program. So, I will let Ms. Melanie know. >> Okay. >> And then, would you like me to send information to your email? Could you provide it in the chat if you don't mind? >> Um you can actually send it to the group. >> actually has our email for D app so it can just be shared there and we can distribute it further. >> Okay. Sounds good. >> I'll put it in the chat with everyone in case anyone wants to do the advocacy training. >> Okay, thank you. >> All right, I'll be outside.
038Yep, absolutely. >> Ms. Vickery. >> Thank you. Um, I just I have one question that I think you kind of answered. So, I just want clarification and please forgive me. Um, as I said earlier, I live all the way in South County. Um, all the way. And so, the storm has come back around again um down this end. Um, you talk about the benefit enrollment center and you said that families can also engage with it. When they engage with it, are you guys helping them navigate enrollment or are you just informing them of the ability to enroll in >> It's both. So, we are primarily well, we are information and referral. So, that's whenever you come to us, you will receive information. Um, but we also help families understand the nuances of certain application processes.
039So, we do try to coach them on, okay, you've gone through the application but then also through any interviews that may be required like DDA as an interview component. So, we try to coach families through that as well. >> Okay, I'm sorry. I missed part of it again. Storm took me out for a second. I'll catch it I'll catch it from the recording. Thank you. >> question. >> Thank you. Ms. Olivo. Board member Olivo, my apologies. >> Oh, don't apologize at all. Thank you so much. Um, and thank you to our wonderful friends from the Arc for this great presentation. Um, thank you both. You know, I'm a huge fan of your work and so grateful for it. Um, could you tell us just a little bit more if you're able to about the um
040families involved in transition. Um, I know that that is um, kind of we're in the first year of that and I think that this group would be an amazing group to continue to advocate to PGCPS um, to um, to support that program and to potentially continue to fund it. Um, so if either of you have more information about that, Ms. Lewis or Ms. Kamara, um, I think it'd be great just to share a little bit more. Thank you. >> Yeah, um, Lauren, do you mind sharing? Do you have additional information cuz I have the surface level. >> I was going to say I kind of also just have the surface level, but I know it is newer. Um, we're mainly focused on that transition from high school to adulthood, right? So just helping them get
041all the information they need, coaching them through the application process. I know we had a couple sessions um, maybe in April-ish and we kind of actually like went over the application. So we went over the DDA application, we went over the doors application, helped walk them through it, whatever um, benefits and eligibility they needed. But we do actually have um, a virtual parent session coming up. It's going to be on July 14th. It's our next one and I can definitely share that information and that link with you. And then you guys will definitely be able to learn more. So give me one second while I pull up the link. >> Ms. Wingate-Robinson, I do see your hand, but I have a follow-up to this particular question. Um, remember Olivio, thank you for bringing this up.
042I know what I have experienced and I know what I have heard from other families and this is across the state. When it comes to that transition point, there are things that the school system needs to make sure that they do um, in order to help families in that transition point. So, such as the DDA application. So, my question is and and perhaps you all do this in some of your trainings, but how can families be more informed so that when while their child is still in the school system and that you know, some check boxes need to happen, how can families be more informed so that once that child does transition over and they need access to different programs at the state level, they would have already done what needed to have happened in
043order to access the programs that you have because I know you guys mentioned one of the programs requires that child to have have um or or have had an approval for DDA. >> Mhm. Yes. Yeah, I think the main thing is attending, we encourage families to attend outreach events. Of course, The Arc is constantly hosting different event opportunities. And even our Ready to Be Healthy Health Fair, that was an opportunity for them for parents to get in front of these um agencies that are providing the services that their loved ones need. So, it's that, it's attending webinars. We've hosted informational parent information nights. Um we've we hosted a few at the beginning of this year and it's cyclical, so we plan on hosting more, but that information is sent out to transition youth coordinators and
044you know, we we we believe that they are sending out the information to parents. So, it's a matter of them, you know, um hopping onto the calls. We try to host them at times that we feel would be convenient for them, usually in the evenings on a weekday. Um but yeah, I would say attending webinars and sometimes it takes going to more than one in order for the information to really, to really, you know, settle in cuz it is a lot of information. There's so many different programs. So, it takes attending several in order to at least understand what the next steps might be for your loved one. And then, of course, too, we have our Benefits Enrollment Center. We've are constantly doing outreach to schools to provide them with our informational flyers so that
045families can reach out to us and begin that process as early as possible cuz we we truly are having no wrong door policy. You can come to us at the Arc at any age, and we'll do our best to connect you with at least one resource um to help you along the process. >> And do you all have a distribution list or a listserv? >> We have several um email contact list. Um so, yes, we do. Like the Benefits Enrollment Center has a list. Um so, whenever events come through our we have our colleague who sends out those emails to the individuals on that contact list. So, for families who want to be added, I mean, let us know, and we'll be more than happy to include them on that list. >> Awesome. Thank you.
046>> You're welcome. >> And then, just to add to that as well, um I was going to say, I know going to TY fairs as well, I know she kind of mentioned that, but our transition youth fairs are very important. And then, kind of just asking the schools, I know not all schools have stuff, but some schools do. So, like I know Parkdale hosts a lot of events, and then it's kind of open. So, I know some of them are high school, some of them are elementary schools, but they do offer information that's useful for all ages. So, I know Parkdale has a lot of events, C. E. Brehm has a lot of events. So, I know even if your school doesn't have it, kind of like going to other schools and asking them if
047they offer any of the stuff as well because they have a lot of good resources at those events, too. >> Awesome. Thank you. Ms. Wingate Robinson? >> Hi. I was wondering, I know that the autism waiver program has a waitlist and that's not fully under you all, but do any of your other programs have waitlists? And if so, like how long are the is the wait for the programs? >> Oh. Um again, we have a variety of programs targeting different ages. Is Do you have a particular program in mind so I can narrow it down a little bit? >> No, I was just wondering in general, just cuz I know like the autism waitlist can be years. So I >> Yes. Yes, it can be years. I don't think um our services or programs at
048The Arc um if we have a waitlist extends that long. I know for Project Live, currently we do have um a waitlist. It's not necessarily going to be a year long, but more so 1 to 2 months of clients waiting to be connected to a mental health therapist. We did recently hire a an in-house therapist to be doing in-person sessions with our clients, so we're hoping now that that would get the ball moving a bit more. Um in terms of our Ready at 21 Pre-ETS service, with that I wouldn't say there's a waitlist. Um again, it depends on the client's ability to um you know, speak with doors in order to get that authorization to enroll in in our program. And it is cyclical, so if sessions are full, although lately there's been room for
049more participants, but if sessions are full, the individual would just wait until the next installment, which isn't too long of a wait. As for adult services, I'm not really too sure what the wait list look like. Lauren and I most more so work under the transitioning youth programs. >> And just as a follow-up to the question that was asked cuz I had a similar question. Because families are like in this waiting period, does The Arc provide any tangible support or some type of case management to families while they're waiting for a decision or waiting to be able to participate in whatever the program is? >> Yeah, good question. Um in terms of like of course we have our events, but in terms of I don't know something similar to like a day program or you
050know that provides that kind of service away from home, not at this moment. I wish that was the case, but as far as I'm aware, we just don't have that program or the funding for that program at this moment. You know, I think the closest thing would be either ready for advocacy, I mean not ready for advocacy, ready at 21, but even with that it's just for like like 1 to 2 hours and sometimes it's virtual, sometimes it's in-person sessions and it's a Saturday. So I can't say that we have something along that lines. I wish we did and hopefully one day when we get the funding cuz we're constantly trying to create you know new services that can meet the needs that are present. >> Awesome, thank you. Mr. Dwyer. >> Hello, thank you
051so much for being here today. This is actually Natalie who's here. She just kind of popped in, but I just was sort of bringing her over because she is a I guess you could call it a graduate of the Infants and Toddlers program that you all have. We received in home visits um you know, for speech pathology, fine motor skills. We even met over at I guess it was a almost like a gymnasium kind of place where they had a bunch of mats. You know, that's a that's really a fantastic program. I don't really have a question, but I just wanted to point out that um you know, I really appreciate that you two are here and telling us about the programs, but I also want to point out the the commitment of the people
052that go to these homes that you know, essentially because and it's kind of like what what teachers are as well. They become a part of your family for a short period of time and then they sort of have to step away and and let the kids grow up themselves, but um you know, the the passion that you all have that come into the house, um you know, I I I think it's 30 minutes to an hour. Sometimes they would stay a little bit longer if they didn't feel like they had the right expertise about someone they would say, "Next time we're going to have two people come. It's going to be me and my friend. We're going to come and we're going to make sure that she doesn't have X, Y, and Z." Um so
053you know, I I just want to advocate for them and and and point out that these are are are true champions of our children and I you know, I feel blessed to have been a part of that system and that's all. >> Absolutely. Thank you so much for that that feedback. We greatly appreciate that. Um yeah, thank you so much. Yeah, testimonies are always great. And you know, sometimes families may be hesitant on you know, taking that next step with a certain program cuz you just really don't know what is going to yield. But, Mr. Dwyer, thank you and Natalie. We're so happy for the the growth that you've had. Excellent. So, Miss um Miss Lewis and Miss Kamara, I do have I have three questions, but one of them have been addressed. Um one
054is a policy question, so you guys may not be able to answer it, but I do I do want to ask it. My first question is centered around um >> What is that? >> Actually, I think you guys addressed this. It was around Project Live. Um I wanted to know about the capacity and the waitlist for that. And then, also like if someone is participating because it's mental health services, I think for me I was trying to understand will there be any implications if someone participates in this program, but they might be receiving services through their health provider. >> Okay, so do you mean in terms of maybe double double dipping into services? >> Yes. >> Okay. Um no no input. Um sorry, no implications. Um the program doesn't require that you have Medicaid. It's
055again free. Um Of course, Medicaid is needed for DDA services, so we are always saying, "Please, please, please make sure your loved one has Medicaid." But, no implications whatsoever. Um and in terms of the capacity, um you know, again, we do have a short waitlist. So, whereas before, you know, we could probably promise that once you've sent in the consent form, we've submitted a referral, and you've completed an intake with our partner Synergy Family Services, you might expect maybe a 1 to 2 weeks turnaround with being connected to a therapist. That's as of now isn't the case. It's more so like 1 to 2 months out that you'd be assigned a therapist, but while the family's waiting for that therapist assignment, we can still assist with completing those applications. So, at least get the ball
056rolling in that um in that direction. And then too, we have many of our clients in in Project LIVE. Right now, we have about um maybe 36 35 clients on our roster um roster. Uh many of our clients are already receiving DDA services, you know, or they may be receiving services from Doors and you know, majority have Medicaid. And if they don't have Medicaid, we're helping them toward getting that. So, there's no um there there's no need to be worried about if you know, you're receiving such and such service, involvement in Project LIVE may hinder that. There's none of that. >> Okay, excellent. And then, my policy question and it's it's twofold. Um I wanted to know what are the most common systematic barriers that you all see that prevents our families from accessing your
057programs? And then, how can this body here or perhaps other advisory bodies that we have within our school system kind of help dismantle that barrier? Cuz as you guys said, you guys got some awesome programs and some services, but there there may be some barriers. So, I'm just kind of curious, what type of feedback have you all heard from families? And then, the other parts of this question just over the weekend, um we heard about an opinion Well, some people may have heard about an opinion memo um that was issued from the Department of Justice. And it relates to community-based programs and services for individuals with disabilities. And my question there is how can And we all partner and work together to help keep these things in place so that, you know, the the families
058get what they need, but from a community-based perspective. >> Oh, wow. That's a a great question. And I need Miss Lois. >> [laughter] >> Um oh, boy. The first question in terms of barriers, um as of now, I don't have specific barrier that comes to mind in terms of families accessing our services other than perhaps just not knowing that it exists, even with the outreach that we're we're doing, you know, at schools, at different community events. Um and then too, perhaps just, you know, time. Families may not always have the energy to complete another, you know, application or form for a particular service. Of course, we at in our particular program at the Arc Project LIFE, try to make the process as simple as possible. Um we've removed several few other um I guess aspects
059of the enrollment process to just to help families smoothly transition their loved one into our program. And our consent form too, it's IRB approved. Um um so, it's readable for the client and also for for their family members. And it's online fillable, whereas before our clients would need to print it out, you know, and and physically write out their name, signature, date it, take a picture of it to upload it and send via email. Now, they can they have that that opportunity to fill it out online and then email it back to us. So, we just try as much as possible in Project LIB, but I also want to say at The Arc to make our services as um accessible as possible for our clients. Um you know, The Arc has many programs, but of
060course, with these things, it's always money. It's funding, right? If we had the right amount of money, you know, we would love to offer programs that meet every sort of individuals' needs. And you know, some of these needs are unique. Um so, we just ask and hope for just more funding opportunities for um community organizations to have the leeway to pro- to come up with and implement innovative programs that meet those specific needs for our clients and individuals, especially those who, you know, they're in that gap between they've they've graduated high school, but they aren't quite you know, there for entering and accessing um adult services because oh, they're not 21, right? Like for DDA, funding doesn't come into play until the age of 21. So, that's what I would say. Um but please, Ms.
061Lewis, what's your thought? >> [laughter] >> Um you kind of hit it right on the nose to everything I was going to say. I was going to say I feel like the biggest barrier we know is just the lack of knowledge. So, really getting um spreading the word, getting people to come to events, getting them to actually sit through the information sessions. And then, like um my colleague said earlier, it is kind of doing it multiple times. So, sitting through one webinar once is not going to be digestible just because it is so much information and it's so much to take in. So, it does require multiple sessions and maybe just a breaking it up at that. But, definitely the lack of knowledge and just getting those resources and word out there so that people
062can kind of get the resources that they need, come visit us, go to events. And whether that's through the Arc or elsewhere, people do need to know about these resources. So, I think she hit it right on the nose. >> Excellent. Well, ladies, again, thank you so much for presenting to us tonight. Thank you for being flexible with your schedule, as well. And we will make note to invite you all back to one of our meetings so that you can share any more information you have on your services, as as well as your programs. >> Absolutely. And I'm so sorry, Ms. Smith. We do have an evaluation we would love for your members to complete. Can I send that to you via the email that I have just for members to complete at their convenience?
063>> I think you can send it and then I would I'm just going to have to get some verification from our board office to make sure that we can distribute it. And then if we can, we'll definitely get it completed. >> Absolutely. Thank you so much. >> No problem. So, I do not believe that we have a quorum, so I will have to adjourn this meeting. The chair would like to inform the public that the next meeting for the Disability Issues Advisory Board is scheduled for August 18th, 2026. Please continue to visit the Prince George's County Board of Education's website for meeting details and any updates. Thank you all for attending this evening. And to all of the board members who have served, thank you for your commitment and dedication to move the work of
064this board. It has been a pleasure working with each of you. The time now is 7:08 p.m., the June 22nd, 2026 Disability Issues Advisory Board meeting is adjourned. Have a great summer break, everyone. >> Thank you. >> Enjoy yourself. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Goodbye.