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Self-advocacy Group Update
Our NEW Blog!
NDIS Update
Supports for People Accessing the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Assault
Interesting Links & Resources
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Making Control & Choice Real
Supporting Self-advocacy Workshop

Make Control and Choice real for people with disabilities with our Supporting Self-advocacy Workshop.

• Gain confidence to support people with disabilities making their own decisions
• Recognise when you are supporting self-advocacy and how not to overstep the mark
• Gain skills in this emerging contemporary service development
• Support people with disabilities to take advantage of the NDIS and self-directed funding

Who:  Anyone who wants to support people with disabilities to speak up for themselves: Community and support workers, family members, teachers, coaches, neighbours - you.

In this course you will learn about:

• Advocacy, self-advocacy and supported decision making
• Skills and strategies to assist people to develop their self-advocacy skills
• Human rights for people with disabilities
• Balancing duty of care, dignity of risk and self-advocacy
• Local resources & information

Where:  Griffin Centre, 20 Genge St, City
Tip: parking on top of the Canberra Centre is $11 per day

When: Wednesday 26 February NOTE change of date!
9:30 - 4 pm

Cost:  $110 per community organisation participant + GST
$150 per government / corporate participant + GST
  
Please give our training team a call on 6257 4005 for further information or complete the registration form on our website http://www.advocacyforinclusion.org to book a place

New Self-advocacy courses planned!

Due to the overwhelming demand for our Men's Self-advocacy Course this month we have tweaked our training calendar to bring forward our Women's Self-advocacy Course, and add another Men's course.

Our Self-advocacy courses are tailored to meet the needs of the participants in each course but include topics such as:

• Assertiveness
• Rights
• Relationships and Sexuality
• Health and Wellbeing
• Dealing with Crisis and Stress
• Being Heard
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Making Decisions and much much more!

If you or anyone you know might be interested in attending one of these FREE courses please give our training team a call on 6257 4005 for further information or visit our website http://www.advocacyforinclusion.org for more details.

Next Meeting

'Money Matters"

This coming Monday 17 February we will have a guest speaker from Care Inc. (Financial Counselling).
http://www.carefcs.org/

If you've been wanting more information about budgeting and managing your money please join us!

Level 3, Griffin Centre
10 - 11:30am

March's meeting will be on Monday 17th and we will be talking about "Getting your Message Out".

Last Meeting

Last month we "Cooked and Ate". Those who came chose to make French Onion Dip which turned out to be delicious! We shopped, cooked and ate together.

We also had the opportunity to watch the new Self-advocacy DVD from DSS (previously FaCHSIA).

Note: Our Self-advocacy Group is for all who have attended one of our self-advocacy courses.

Advocacy for Inclusion now has a Blog!

For all the latest updates, position statements and news relating to disability, the sector and our work please visit and subscribe today.

http://www.advocacyforinclusion.org/index.php?option=com_easyblog&view=latest&Itemid=292

NDIS Webinar, ‘A Strong Voice: Self Advocacy
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) presents the third NDIS Webinar on the theme ‘A Strong Voice: Self Advocacy’.

The third event in the highly successful series of interactive webinars takes place on Thursday 27 February at 12:00 midday (EST). Please join us online.

‘A Strong Voice’ will focus on self-advocacy, and how people with disability take control of their own lives to speak for themselves with greater confidence. Our panel of guests will discuss ways that self-advocacy has helped them to make informed choices about their reasonable and necessary supports and achieve their personal goals as valued, contributing and included members of the community. Strong self-advocates will bring stories from their own lives and share with you their insights into self-advocacy as part of a panel discussion. Our guests will answer your questions about how to build self-advocacy into your own life.

The NDIA invites people with disability, family members, carers, advocates, support providers and community members to join the discussion online and contribute to the conversation.

Please register your attendance at engagement@ndis.gov.au or phone 1800 800 110.

Send through your questions to engagement@ndis.gov.au or tweet live on the day using the hashtag #NDISwebinar.

A link to join the live event will be provided closer to the day.

http://www.ndis.gov.au/news-1

Capacity Building Workshops
Imagine More and ADACAS are running "Capacity Building Workshops" to help parents, carers and people with disabilities prepare for the NDIS. Find out more on Imagine More's website: http://imaginemore.org.au/capacity-building-workshops/

Self-advocacy & Supporting Self-advocacy
Our Self-advocacy courses and Supporting Self-advocacy workshops are fantastic for building skills and knowledge needed for the increased control and choice the NDIS will bring. Find out more on our website:
http://advocacyforinclusion.org/index.php/training/2013-training-calendar

This could be very important for people with disabilities to know about.

Royal Commission Community-Based Support Services

For many people taking part in the Royal Commission will not be easy, and telling their story will open up old wounds.

It’s important for victims and survivors to have a choice in where they access support, so a broad range of organisations have been funded. These include national, local and specialist organisations that can all provide a broad range of services including counselling, support and case management.

These community-based support services are part of a suite of services to support people affected by the Royal Commission.

A list of these support services, along with their contact details, is available at

http://www.dss.gov.au/royal-commission-into-institutional-responses-to-child-sexual-abuse-support-service-organisations

Assistance Available to Witnesses

Grants for legal financial assistance and witnesses’ expenses for witnesses appearing before the Royal Commission are available.  A witness is anyone called, or given leave to appear, at a public or private hearing of the Royal Commission.

Information on how to apply for legal financial assistance and witness expenses (including guidelines, fact sheets and application forms) can be found on the AGD website at www.ag.gov.au. Alternatively, you can contact the financial assistance section within AGD on 02 6141 4770.

National Legal Advisory Service – knowmore

The Australian Government has also funded knowmore, an independent, free, national legal advisory service to provide procedural information and advice to persons engaging, or considering engaging, with the Royal Commission.

Knowmore’s key role is to provide legal advice but it also employs experienced counsellors and social workers to provide short-term support and help people link with other agencies to assist them in the longer term.

It also has a list of Specialist Counselling Services and Support Groups both local and national.

People can call the knowmore advice line on 1800 605 762 or visit the knowmore website at www.knowmore.org.au for further information about the service.

Job in Jeopardy Assistance

Assistance for people at risk of losing their job because of illness, injury or disability.  This service does not help you to find a new job but assists you in helping keep your job.

This service is FREE and is available through direct registration with a Disability Employment Provider.  You do not need to be receiving a payment from the Department of Human Services or have an Employment Services Assessment to access Job in Jeopardy assistance. 

Please contact the Department of Human Services for information on the local provider.  You can find out more on the DHS website: http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/job-in-jeopardy

People with a disability unequal before the law, HRC report says

Discrimination against people with a disability is widespread in Australia's justice system, according to a damning report soon to be released by the Human Rights Commission (HRC).

It will recommend that each state urgently develop a strategy to ensure people with a disability are treated fairly before the courts and their rights are respected.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-04/people-with-a-disability-unequal-before-the-law/5238452

Sponsored Places - Julia Farr Youth Conference in Adelaide

Disability ACT is sponsoring two young people with disability and one professional to attend the Julia Farr Youth Conference in Adelaide in April on issues affecting young people living with disability. It's an opportunity for the voice of young people with disability to be heard widely in the community and those attending will be able to share their learnings with peers and colleagues on their return to Canberra.

The sponsorship will include registration, flights, accommodation and appropriate support if required. Expressions of interest close Monday 3 March. For more info visit http://www.communityservices.act.gov.au/disability_act