ANNUAL REPORT 2004

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2004 Business Results: PDF  TXT

The Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is part of the Minnesota network of programs funded under P.L. 106-402, the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act).  The DD Act also funds the Minnesota Disability Law Center, the designated Protection and Advocacy System, and the Institute on Community Integration, a University Center for Excellence, at the University of Minnesota.

The business of the GCDD is to provide information, education, and training to increase knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) of people with developmental disabilities and their families.

COUNCIL MEMBERS – FFY 2004

Independence:  Personal freedom to make choices and have control over services, supports, and other assistance the individual receives;

Self-determination:  Authority to make decisions, control resources and develop personal leadership skills;

Productivity:  Meaningful income-producing work or volunteer work that contributes to a household or the community;

Integration and Inclusion:  Full participation in the same community activities as people without disabilities.

RESULTS

The Minnesota GCDD received $1,041,526 from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities for FFY 2004.  Of that amount, 70% was allocated for grants and contracts to fulfill the goals of the GCDD's Five-Year State Plan approved by the federal government.

1. Partners in Policymaking^®:  The Minnesota GCDD has sponsored Partners in Policymaking courses since May 1, 1987.  In FFY 2004, Class 21 graduated 11 self advocates and 14 family members.  Participants evaluated themselves at the beginning of the program year on the federal outcomes of IPSII and again at graduation.  The following IPSII changes were reported:  On a 5 point scale, independence increased from 3.9 to 4.4; productivity increased from 3.9 to 4.4; self determination increased from 2.7 to 4.4; and integration and inclusion increased from 3.3 to 4.2.  Graduates rated knowledge gained at 4.7, usefulness of the course at 4.7, and quality of training at 4.7. 

Minnesota now has over 630 graduates.  A survey of all Partners programs was conducted in 2003, and there are now 12,300 graduates in the United States and less than 1,000 in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

QUOTES

Supplier:  Government Training Service

 2.  Partners Online:  The Partners in Policymaking course is being converted to five online e-learning courses during this five-year planning cycle. The first online course, Making Your Case, teaches the competencies of communicating effectively with public officials and community organizing.  The second course, Employment, teaches people with disabilities and families how to become employed and seek a career.  The third course, Education, will be launched in FFY 05. 

QUOTES

"The Making Your Case course is very interesting and I am enjoying it thoroughly."

"I just wanted to thank you for the e-learning course that I recently completed.  I enjoyed the experience.  I will be advising people to take the course and I will keep an eye out on your site as to additional courses that you may be offering."

"This course was excellent, thank you, thank you, thank you so very much for sharing this wonderful information."

Supplier:  ZenMation, Inc.

3. Cultural Outreach:  The GCDD funded cultural outreach programs in the African American, Asian and Hispanic communities in FFY 2004.  A total of 30 individuals graduated from these training programs.  In assessing IPSII, the graduates rated themselves on a 5 point scale.  Independence increased from 4.1 to 4.5, productivity increased from 4.1 to 4.5, self determination increased from 3.8 to 4.5, integration and inclusion increased from 3.7 to 4.6.  The graduates also rated the programs as 4.3 in knowledge gained, 4.7 for usefulness, and 4.8 for quality of training.

QUOTES

Suppliers:  IPSII, Inc. (African American program), WISE (Asian program), and CLUES (Hispanic program).

4. Longitudinal Studies of Partners in Policymaking:  Since 1988, Tom Zirpoli has conducted external evaluations of the Partners classes.  During FFY 2004, Dr. Zirpoli surveyed graduates from the previous four classes.  The results indicated that 100% of the respondents rate their ability to get the services and supports they need as good to excellent; 100% have the advocacy skills they need to get necessary services and supports most or some of the time; and 100% rate their leadership skills as good to excellent.  In terms of federal outcomes, 92% have increased independence, 79% have increased productivity, 100% have increased self determination, and 93%have increased integration and inclusion. 

Supplier:  Tim Zirpoli, Ph.D.

5. Partners in Policymaking Graduate Workshops:  In FFY 2004, four workshops were held on the topics of data practices, grantwriting (two workshops), and networking and media relations.  A total of 82 graduates attended and evaluated the workshops as follows: 4.4 for knowledge gained, 4.3 for usefulness, and 4.3 for quality of training on a 5 point scale.

QUOTES

"I walked away with good tips and specific things to be aware of in grantwriting, what things are important and need to be included".

"I learned what I don't know.  The proposal checklists for putting together a grant request in an orderly manner were most helpful." (Grantwriting)

"I didn't realize there was a logical way to access information…Everything was very enlightening.  I have more access to information than I ever knew." (Data Practices)

Supplier:  Government Training Service

6. Partners in Employment:  Since 1998, the GCDD has worked with employers to increase the employment of people with developmental disabilities through education and training activities. A six hour self directed e-learning course, Partners in Employment, was completed and tested.  This course teaches people how to find a job of their own choice, prepare a resume, approach the hiring process, handle interviews, and career planning. 

Supplier:  ZenMation, Inc.

  In addition, eight individuals with developmental disabilities were employed in preparing resource packets for the Partners in Policymaking program.  Eighteen individuals were employed scanning approximately 28,600 pages of grant records, Partners in Policymaking records, and historical documents about Minnesota's deinstitutionalization efforts; and burning CD ROMs for transfer to the GCDD's web site.

   This demonstration project resulted in creating a resource package on how to replicate the digital imaging project.  The resource package has been shared with hundreds of agencies and a live demonstration was given at the December 2003 Association of Minnesota Counties conference in Minneapolis.  As a result, 22 individuals with developmental disabilities were employed by two government agencies to scan records.

QUOTE

  "We received 12 applications for a digital imaging project with the Department of Corrections in Olmsted County and two people with developmental disabilities were hired.  After four weeks on the job, one individual was doing as much work in 4 to 6 hours as the previous employee without disabilities was doing in an 8-hour day.  This is a great opportunity and can definitely be a win-win for all involved."

The Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
10,000 pages of publications converted to digital formats

(CD-ROM and Internet)

Supplier:  Metro Work Center, Minnesota Department of Human Services, Olmsted County Department of Corrections

7. Self Advocacy:  The GCDD funded self advocacy projects to strengthen self advocacy in Minnesota.  A total of 136 self advocates attended national and state conferences; two local groups sponsored conferences/workshops, attended by 237 self advocates, to promote self advocacy and self determination; and 20 self advocates made presentations on self determination and voting rights at training sessions attended by 793 self advocates.

Self advocates evaluated themselves on IPSII changes – 77% reported increased independence, 69% increased productivity, 87% increased self determination, and 91% increased integration and inclusion.

Suppliers:  Local self advocacy groups: New Ulm People First, People First Kandiyohi County, People First Sherburne County, People First McLeod County, STARS of Dakota Communities, Inc., People First Central, and Arc Southwest People First.

QUOTES

"I had the best time of my life. I like the workshops."

"It is awesome, I am impressed, I loved it."

"The speakers did a good job."

"I liked all the people. I want to go next year."

"The chicken was small. Next year I will order something different."

8. Publications:  In FFY 2004, the GCDD disseminated 45,151 print publications and 48,967 downloads from the GCDD web site.  The evaluation scores averaged 9.4 on a 10 point scale and 100% percent of the respondents indicated the publications were useful.

"I want to say how impressed I was with It's My Choice and how useful I find it."

"It's My Choice gives individuals time to think about what matters to them and then they have a nice book to show new people who come into their lives."

"My daughter has a brand new case manager who has a master's degree, but is just starting his first job and he is truly a willing, but blank slate, regarding person centered planning. I gave him It's My Choice last night so he could begin to think about planning in the context of soliciting my daughter's goals, dreams, and vision.  So thanks!"

CD-ROM – Parallels in Time

Making Your Case

It's Never Too Early, It's Never Too Late

Stories of Leadership

Supplier:  Advantage Business Center (dissemination); Destiny 2 (design work); Ann Marsden (photographer)

9. E-Government Services:  The GCDD web site is one of the largest on the state of Minnesota server with a total of 343 products and services converted to electronic formats during the past year.  In FFY 2004, there were 109,218 unique visitors to the GCDD web sites.

QUOTES

COUNCIL WEB SITE

WITH AN EYE TO THE PAST

PARTNERS IN POLICYMAKING WEB SITE

Supplier:  Master Communications Group (GCDD web site), ZenMation, Inc. (Partners web site)

10. Training Co-sponsorships:  The GCDD cosponsored eight training conferences; the total number of conference attendees was 3,245.  The overall rating of the conferences was 9.2 (10 point scale) and 99% of the participants rated the conferences as useful/helpful.

QUOTES

Suppliers:  Down Syndrome Association of Minnesota, The Autism Society of Minnesota, MnDACA, Arc Midstate, Fraser, Arc Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties, Arc Waseca County, and The Arc of Minnesota.

11. Customer Research:  In FFY 2004, the GCDD conducted a Health Care Opinion Poll Survey to support and supplement the work undertaken by Senator Dave Durenberger and the Minnesota Citizens Forum on Health Care Costs.  A total of 800 Minnesotans participated in the survey.  The topics included health care quality and costs; and attitudes and values about insurance coverage, service costs, and social responsibility issues.  People with developmental disabilities and families were oversampled and provided insight into specific barriers experienced in the health care system.

QUOTES

Supplier:  MarketResponse International

12.  Quality Improvement:  Since 1997, the GCDD has aligned its work to the Baldrige Criteria.  In FFY 2004, staff and GCDD members received a total of 328.5 hours of training on quality.  Three GCDD members were trained as Minnesota Council for Quality evaluators. 

QUOTES

Suppliers:  Minnesota Council for Quality and Quality Culture Institute.

During this year, the GCDD had 5,650 customer contacts about individual issues or problems and 195 contacts about the Partners program. 

Technical Assistance

QUOTES

Presentations

A total of 54 presentations reached 5,034 people.

QUOTES

We addressed the following public policy issues during FFY 2004 at the state level: 

The following public policy issues were addressed at the federal level during FFY 2004:

During FFY 2004, our collaboration activities with the Minnesota Disability Law Center (MDLC) and the Institute on Community Integration (UCE) included: