MAG Human Services Transportation Newsletter - November 2024
Maricopa Association of Governments sent this bulletin at 11/06/2024 09:56 AM MST
Photo courtesy of Maricopa Association of Governments
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ANNOUNCEMENTSTransportation Ambassador Program (TAP) FEATURED STORIES
Photo courtesy of The Opportunity Tree The Opportunity Tree was recently featured on AZ Family's "In the Community with Susan Casper". The feature highlighted The Opportunity Tree’s programs and services available to people with disabilities which support over 250 members across four campuses and 20 community living homes statewide. Offering a continuum of care and wrap-around lifetime support to members and their families ranging from three years old through end-of-life care. Six core services are offered at campuses and homes in Phoenix, Avondale, Casa Grande, and Maricopa, including SEEDS Employment Services, Tree Fort Youth Programs, LEAF Adult Day Programs, Supported Aging programming for seniors, Community Living In-Home and Residential Services, and the Fireslammers Special Olympics sports team. Doors are always open for the community to connect with The Opportunity Tree! Article provided by Neal Hallihan, Chief Operating Officer at The Opportunity Tree
Photo courtesy of Circle the City Circle the City partners with A New Leaf! In October, Circle the City CEO Dr. Kim Despres spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony for A New Leaf's new 30-unit housing project at the East Valley Men's Center. The event highlighted the power of partnerships in addressing homelessness and healthcare needs in Maricopa County. A New Leaf's expertise in housing and support services complements Circle the City's medical care, creating a holistic approach to helping individuals regain stability and health. For more information on Circle the City's partnerships or to explore collaboration opportunities, please contact Wendy Nelson, Chief Development Officer, at wnelson@circlethecity.org. Article provided by Circle the City.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Photo courtesy of National Aging and Disability Transportation Center The Administration for Community Living (ACL) National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) is announcing new Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program open funding opportunities. ARRT grants are intended to increase the number of high-quality disability and rehabilitation researchers to institutions of higher education, eligible to individuals with doctorates or similar advanced degrees. The grants available include, Community Living and Participation, Employment, Disability Policy Research, and Health and Function. The researcher trained by these grants will improve community living, employment, and health for people with disabilities. Applications for the grants are due Monday, December 2, 2024.
Photo courtesy of National Aging and Disability Center The Administration for Community Living (ACL)’s National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) is announcing new funding opportunities for the Field Initiated Projects (FIPs) program. The purpose of the FIPs program is to generate new knowledge through research or to develop methods to support self-sufficiency of people with disabilities. The FIP Research grant is to conduct formal research directed toward producing new scientific knowledge or better understanding of the subject, problem studied, or body of knowledge. The FIP Development grant is to create materials, techniques, tools, prototypes, processes, or intervention protocols, that are beneficial to the target population. Applications are due Monday, December 9, 2024.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Photo coutresy of National Aging and Disability Transportation Center The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is hosting a webinar in conjunction with the State of California Community Access Division, the San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services, and the Marin Center for Independent Living. The webinar will highlight successful aging and disability collaborative initiatives. Presenters will discuss how grassroots advocacy efforts have impacted state policies, programs, and initiatives, including the California Master Plan on Aging. The webinar will be held on November 14, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Arizona Time. Registration for the webinar can be completed by following this link.
RESOURCES
Photo courtesy of National Aging and Disability Transportation Center The Administration for Community Living in recognition of Ageism Awareness Day posted an article on their blog titled “Let’s Rethink How We Talk About Aging”. It was noted there are 77 million people over the age of 60 in the US. In an effort to further the discussion on older adults, the National Center to Reframe Aging created a tip sheet on ways to reframe the words used when talking about aging. For more information read the full ACL article here, and resources from the National Center to Reframe Aging here.
TAP RECOGNITION NOMINATIONSNominations are now open to recognize an Outstanding Driver or staff member Years of Service at your agency. Selected nominees will be recognized at the TAP meeting in November. Nomination forms for Outstanding Drivers and Years of Service are also available on our website. Nominations are due November 11, 2024. We greatly appreciate the support you provide for our community members! MAG HOSTED WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGSMAG offers monthly human services transportation provider trainings and workshops facilitated by subregional mobility managers. The trainings and workshops cover topics such as drivers’ safety, fleet management, and include an opportunity to discuss current service providers topics. November Workshops De-Escalation
Fleet Management and Data Reporting
Lemme Outta This Box
December Workshops Preventative Maintenance
Passenger Assistance, Safety and Sensitivity (PASS) Training
Workshop Wrap-Up Workshops facilitated by subregional mobility managers provide valuable information about a wide variety of topics. Below are a few key takeaways provided by subregional mobility managers who facilitated the previous month’s workshops. Driver Safety Tip With cooler weather upon us, now is the time to make sure your vehicle’s heater is working properly. Make sure you have an ice scraper for early morning runs, windshields can ice over during the winter months. Provided by Justin MacGregor, Subregional Mobility Manager – West Valley Recordings and materials of previous workshops hosted by MAG can be viewed on the Human Services Transportation Workshops webpage. SUBREGIONAL MOBILITY MANAGERS CORNER
Photo courtesy of Maricopa Association of Governments Passenger Assistance, Safety, and Sensitivity (PASS) is a certified driver training program designed to ensure passengers are transported in the most safe, sensitive, and careful manner possible. Certified drivers will learn safety techniques and sensitivity skills appropriate for transporting older adults and individuals with disabilities. PASS training is sponsored by the Community Transportation Association of America. Lauren Marshall, MAG Human Services Transportation Planner, will resume conducting PASS Trainings beginning December 13, 2024. Information on how to register is located in the MAG Hosted Training and Workshop section above. Provided by Lauren Marshall, Human Services Transportation Planner  Photo courtesy of Maricopa Assoiation of Governments Gompers has had the pleasure of supporting MAG as a subregional mobility manager for many years. Gompers has an agency-wide approach to supporting the program such as providing feedback to develop best practices on how to minimize the theft of catalytic converters. Gompers supports agencies receiving vehicles with necessary paperwork and maintenance routines and has provided transportation to another agency to attend special trips. In conjunction with our trainer Heather Peralta, we have provided training to assist people transporting people with disabilities, which has been added to the Federal Transit Administration training database. At Gompers, we're taking bold steps to advance our longstanding commitment to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities by sharpening our focus on equality. This renewed mission direction, "Equality in Disabilities," represents our dedication to breaking down systemic barriers that often stand between our members and their full participation in society. Through strategic community partnerships and innovative programming like our Create and Design initiative, we're demonstrating that when organizations center equality in their mission, transformative change becomes possible. This new approach will also enable us to provide enhanced support as a subregional mobility manager. As Gompers embarks on a new exciting future in our programs, we also are excited to continue to provide mobility management support. If you would like to learn more about Gompers, or to access mobility management support, please feel free to reach out to Andrea Williams, Vice President of Operations at 602-336-0061 x 121. Provided by Andrea Williams, Central Area Subregional Mobility Manager RESOURCES
If you have a suggestion for a story, an announcement you would like to share, questions about transportation program best practices, or would like to provide feedback for the newsletter, contact Lauren Read at LRead@azmag.gov. MAG fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related authorities and regulations in all programs and activities. For more information on rights afforded under Title VI, relevant activities at MAG, or if you feel these rights have been violated, please visit the agency website at www.azmag.gov or call 602-254-6300. MAG, para todos sus programas y actividades, cumple totalmente con el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 y con las relacionadas autoridades y regulaciones. Para obtener más información sobre los derechos reconocidos en el Título VI, las actividades pertinentes de MAG, o si siente que sus derechos han sido violados, por favor visite el sitio web de la agencia en www.azmag.gov o llame al 602-254-6300.
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Maricopa Association of Governments | 302 N. First Avenue, #300, Phoenix 85003, AZ Phone: (602) 254-6300 | Email: mag@azmag.gov |
