• Workgroup sitting around office table.

    Ginger Porter, Guam CEDDERS faculty provided supports to Self-Advocates during a planning meeting in preparation for the policymaker orientation. Clockwise from left: Ginger; Kirsten Bamba, Interpreter; Melanie Ebuen; Tina Artero; Evelyn Duenas and Victor Tuquero.

  • Lecture room full of people. Speaker and Sign language interpreter standing.

    Lynn Tydingco, Guam CEDDERS Advisory Council Chairperson (standing at podium), facilitates the “Update from Advocates on Guam’s Disability Agenda Forum.”

  • Senator BJ Cruz with hand extended toward Clifford Wooten.

    Clifford Wooten, Self-Advocate (right), mangingi’s Senator Benjamin Cruz (center), to show respect while Senator Aline Yamashita, Ph.D., and Hank Parker, JD, Executive Director of Guam Legal Services Corporation - Disability Law Center (back) look on.

  • Top angle group photo.

    Participants of the “Update from Advocates on Guam’s Disability Agenda Forum” held on December 3 pose for a group photo in the atrium of the Eugenia and Jesus Leon Guerrero School of Business and Public Administration Building, University of Guam.

Policy Makers Hear Updates From Advocates on Guam’s Disability Agenda

by Guam CEDDERS Self-Advocacy Uncategorized

Territorial UCEDD Reps Meet with AUCD Leaders

by Guam CEDDERS AUCD

 

Representatives from territorial UCEDDs pose for photo.
Representatives from the University Centers on Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) from the U.S. territories met with Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Board Members and staff after the association’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. on November 13, to provide an orientation on each of the entities and to begin discussions on the collective and unique needs of the group. Seated (L-R): Tafaimamao Tua-Tupuola, American Samoa UCEDD Direcotor; Floyd Masga, CNMI UCEDD Project Coordinator; Leslie Cohen, J.D., Sonora UCEDD Director and AUCD President; Olivia Raynor, Ph.D., Tarjan UCEDD Director, UCLA & AUCD President-Elect; Terrie Fejarang, Guam CEDDERS Associate Director. Second Row (L-R): Annie Alonzo Amador, PsyD, Puerto Rico UCEDD Director; June De Leon, Guam CEDDERS Associate Director; Carol Salas Pagan, PsyD, Puerto Rico UCEDD Associate Director; Rachel Paterson, AUCD Policy Manager; Tanisha Clark, AUCD Program Specialist; Kelly Roberts, Ph.D., Pacific Basin UCEDD Director. Back Row (L-R): Andrew Imparato, J.D., AUCD Executive Director; Yegin Habtes, Ph.D., Virgin Islands UCEDD Director; Dawn Rudolph, AUCD Director for Technical Assistance; Michael Gamel-McCormick, Ph.D., AUCD Associate Executive Director for Research & Policy.
People at meeting looking at presentation on screen.
Floyd Masga (standing) describes programs and services available in the CNMI during the Territories Meeting with AUCD Board and staff members.

Early Childhood Providers Attend ASQ Training

by Guam CEDDERS Department of Public Health & Social Services Early Childhood
Vera Blaz presenting to a crowded room.
Vera Blaz (standing), Project TInituhon Project Coordinator, talks about the islandwide Developmental and Behavioral Screening System (iDBSS) pilot program on November 8 at the UOG School of Business and Public Administration.
Elaine Eclavea presenting to a crowded room.
Elaine Eclavea (standing), Project Tinituhon Project Director, talks about the importance of early intervention and the benefits of screening.
Service provider in a large group photo.
Early Childhood providers from the island’s child care centers pose for a group picture at the end of training.

Early Intervention Receives SSIP Support

by Guam CEDDERS Guam Department of Education Guam Early Intervention System
Participants listen to consultant on screen.
Guam Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC)/Guam Early Intervention System (GEIS) State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) work session, at the Guam System for Assistive Technology (GSAT) conference room, on October 30. The work session took place via video teleconference with consultants from the Center for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Early Childhood Data Systems also known as DaSy and the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) to provide technical assistance to GEIS, on their SSIP. Present: GEIS Staff, ICC Members, on screen – Taletha Derrington from DaSy, ECTA consultants Evelyn Shaw & Anne Lucas via telephone conference call.  Guam CEDDERS provides various supports to their partnering agencies, including video conferencing capabilities using a state of the art high definition Polycom video teleconference system.

Students Connect History to Current Disability Issues

by Guam CEDDERS Disability Studies
Students looking at screen.
John Acfalle​ (standing pointing to screen)​, student of the Historical and Contemporary Perspectives of Disability class, shares his experiences of bringing two individuals, who grew up in an institutional setting, into his family home.​ ​His video depicts the advantage and normalcy of small family settings over group home housing.​ ​John shared his experiences of camping up and down the western states with his new family members, Willie and Charlie, and the experience of Charlie meeting his sisters for the first time. Engaged in the presentation are Guam CEDDERS staff members​.​ Standing from left to right: Leilani ​Lafaele, Tia Pereda​, and Sherr​y​ Guerrero.

Child Care Staff Receive TA on Guam’s Plan for Professional Development

by Guam CEDDERS Department of Public Health & Social Services Early Childhood
Child caregivers meeting around table
Two sessions were coordinated by the Department of Public Health & Social Services, Bureau of Social Services Administration and facilitated by Guam CEDDERS to provide information and technical assistance for child care centers in preparation on the new process around professional development for all staff.

Pyramid Model Implementation Training Continues on Guam

by Guam CEDDERS Bureau of Social Services Administration Department of Public Health & Social Services Early Childhood
Dr. Corso stands with hand in air addressing crowd.
Dr. Robert Corso, consultant from the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL), talks about intervention at the top of the pyramid during training with early childhood service providers on Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation October 20-22.
Service providers engaged in discussion around table.
Service providers from the Department of Public Health and Social Services, Bureau of Social Services Administration discuss their action plan for implementing the Pyramid Model in their agency.

Service Providers Complete Early Childhood Diagnostic Toolkit Training

by Guam CEDDERS Early Childhood Project Kariñu
Dr. Bellis addressing a large lecture room.
Dr. Kirk Bellis addresses participants during the Early Childhood Mental Health: Diagnostic Frameworks for Clinician’s Tool Kit training on October 3 at the University of Guam.
Group photo of training participants.
Early childhood service providers from various Government of Guam and Federal Government agencies as well as private and non-profit entities completed a 2-day training on Early Childhood Mental Health: Diagnostic Frameworks for Clinician’s Tool Kit on October 2 & 3. The training was facilitated by Dr. Lilli Perez from Project Kariñu in collaboration with Guam CEDDERS.