Guam State Rehabilitation Council General Membership Meeting

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Training Guam Systems for Assistive Technology
Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio provides input on the SRC’s Policies / Standard Operating Procedures during the SRC General Membership Meeting on September 20, 2018.
On September 20, 2019, the Guam State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) held their General Membership Meeting at the Guam System for Assistive Technology (GSAT) Conference Room. Amendments to the Policies/ Standard Operating Procedures, Resolutions and SRC Contractual Needs were discussed. In attendance were (Sitting L-R) Benito Servino, DISID Director; Leah Abelon, SRC Outreach Committee Chairperson; Lourdes Ann Mesa, SRC Chairperson; Rodney Calimlim, Member; second row L-R: Gina Arca, Member; Marie Libria, Disability Advocacy Group Representative; Barbara Johnson, Member; Marie Leon Guerrero, Member; Carol Darlow, Parent Training and Information Center Representative; Conchita San Nicolas Taitano, Member; Therese Matanane, Member; third row L-R: Eddy Reyes, SRC Treasurer; Peter Barcinas, SRC Secretary; Sam Ilesugam, Services Committee Vice Chair; and Tim Murphy, State Independent Living Council Representative. The Guam State Rehabilitation Council provides clients of the Division of Vocation Rehabilitation with a mechanism to influence the direction of rehabilitation programs in Guam at the systemic policy level. During the meeting, Conchita Taitano and Gina Arca were sworn in by Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio as new members of the SRC.

LTSAE: Tips and Tools for Monitoring and Tracking Children’s Early Development Training for Headstart Family Advocates

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Technical Assistance Community Services: Training Continuing Education
On June 22, Jenika Ballesta, Guam CEDDERS Research Associate (seated left), facilitated training on “Learn the Signs. Act Early,” for Headstart Family Advocates. The “Learn the Signs. Act Early” Program aims to improve early identification of autism and other developmental disabilities in children to enable families to access needed services and supports. Not shown in picture: Vera Blaz, Guam CEDDERS Training Associate.

Help Me Grow Care Coordinators Training

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Training Department of Public Health & Social Services Guam Early Intervention System

Elaine Eclavea, Guam CEDDERS Early Childhood Consultant, and Vera Blaz, CEDDERS Training Associate (not pictured), facilitated the Help Me Grow Care Coordinators training on April 30, 2018 at the GSAT Conference Room.  Twenty staff from Guam Early Intervention System (GEIS) and Department of Public Health and Social Services attended the training.

Guam EHDI Audiologist Conducts Orientation for Northern Regional Community Health Center Staff

by Jenika Ballesta Community Services: Technical Assistance Community Services: Training Continuing Education Guam Early Hearing Detection & Intervention
On February 23, 2018, Renee Koffend, AuD., CCC-A, Guam EHDI Audiology Consultant, conducted an orientation on the Guam Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program for the clinic staff based at the Department of Public Health & Social Services Northern Regional Community Health Center

State Rehabilitation Council Outreach Committee Training and Work Session

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Training Guam Systems for Assistive Technology
The State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) Outreach Committee held their Training and Work Session Meeting on February 5 at GSAT House 19 Dean Circle. Attendees included, (Sitting, L-R) Lou Mesa, SRC Chairperson; Jeanette Yamashita, Member; (Standing, L-R) Leah Abelon, Outreach Chairperson; Erlinda Tydingco, SRC Vice Chairperson and Outreach Committee Member; and Laura Taisipic. The SRC Outreach Committee oversees all program planning and program review related to providing outreach to the disability community and state and federal collaborators.

Training Focuses on Refinement of Continuous Improvement Road Map for Improving Reading Achievement

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Technical Assistance Community Services: Training
Dr. Nieves Flores (standing, middle), Guam CEDDERS Consultant, checks in with the 5th grade teachers from J.M. Guerrero Elementary School as they work on the aimsweb practice activities on October 23.

Guam CEDDERS facilitated the second SY2017-2018 Guam Department of Education professional development (PD)session for the four State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) schools on October 23, 2017 at the Westin Resort Guam.

As a continuation from the August PD, the full day training focused on navigating the aimsweb screening system to generate reports and using the reading screening data for improving reading instruction, refining their continuous improvement steps, including the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, for implementation; and reaching agreement on the activities and timelines for implementing the screening/assessment and progress monitoring procedures for school year 2017-2018.

The morning session of the training had each school’s grade level logged into the aimsweb program to practice inputting scores, generating reports, graphing and analyzing screening results, and determining the level of intervention needed.

The afternoon session was facilitated by the Instructional Coaches and Consulting Resource Teachers – Technical Assistance, who provided participants with a review of the eight continuous improvement steps as well as identifying what’s working, challenges, and questions participants had with completing each step. The grade level teams worked together to complete the activities, learning from each other on how PDSAs are implemented in the four SSIP schools. Photos and videos taken in the classrooms on “what’s working” were also shared with the participants as encouragement for the teachers to continue implementing PDSAs in their classrooms.

Guam CEDDERS Facilitated Training on “Learn the Signs. Act Early.”

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Technical Assistance Community Services: Training
On Nov. 11, Elaine Eclavea, Guam CEDDERS Consultant (not pictured), and Jenika Ballesta, Guam CEDDERS Research Associate (center), facilitated training on “Learn the Signs. Act Early,” for Family Day Care Home Providers. The “Learn the Signs. Act Early” Program aims to improve early identification of autism and other developmental disabilities in children to enable families to access needed services and supports. Pictured (L-R): Cassandra Gutierrez and Lehualanu Kahete, Reach for the Stars Learning Center; Jenika Ballesta, Guam CEDDERS Research Associate; and Cecilia Guerrero, Humiko Tostiw​o, and Marie Lynn Iriarte, Tan Victoria’s Chamoru Day Care.