Project Lifesaver – Washington County

From the Project Lifesaver website:

When children or adults with autism, Down’s Syndrome, Alzheimer’s Disease, or other memory-related illnesses wander from the safety of caregivers, your Sheriff’s Office and its Search and Rescue personnel are called to action.

Now, law enforcement in Washington County has another great tool to help us find and rescue your loved ones more quickly with the Project Lifesaver Program. A search that might have taken days may now be successfully concluded quickly – saving lives and thousands of taxpayer dollars!

Project Lifesaver participants will receive a plastic bracelet containing a waterproof radio transmitter. Each participant’s transmitter is assigned a radio frequency that is unique both to them and to their geographical area. The bracelets may be worn on the participant’s wrist or ankle.

When a Project Lifesaver client is discovered to be missing, a caregiver will report the situation to the Sheriff’s Office via the 9-1-1 dispatch center. Trained deputies will respond at once to search for the missing person using Project Lifesaver radio-frequency tracking equipment.

Project Lifesaver is a voluntary program. In order to qualify, the client must:

  • Live in Washington County;

  • Be diagnosed by a certified physician as having Alzheimer’s Disease, other dementia disorders, autism, Down’s Syndrome or other similar disorders; and

  • Be known to wander away from caregivers.

In order to participate, caregivers must agree to assume the following responsibilities:

  • Test the client’s radio transmitter battery daily

  • Check the condition of the bracelet daily

  • Maintain a monthly log sheet provided by the Project Lifesaver Team

  • Most importantly, call 911 immediately if a Project Lifesaver client goes missing!

Thanks to Angela Bradach for the tip.

Solar Waffle Works – Benefits Young Adults in Portland Public Schools

Portland Public Schools has partnered with Soltrekker to develop Solar Waffle Works, NE Portland’s first solar-powered waffle cart. The cart is a training program in a socially responsible business and entrepreneurship, designed and operated by young adults in the community transition program.

Visit them at: NE 23rd Avenue and Alberta Street

Hours: 11am – 2pm Monday through Friday | 9am – 3pm Saturday and Sunday.

Thanks to Allison Hintzman for the tip.

From PPS News:

A new solar-powered food cart in Northeast Portland serves up more than waffles.

Located at Northeast Alberta Street and 23rd Avenue (map), Solar Waffle Works is a nonprofit project that helps high school graduates gain independent living skills and vocational training.

The young adults involved are part of the PPS Community Transition Program, which helps recent graduates transition to life after high school.

Corinne Thomas-Kersting, CTP administrator, says Solar Waffle Works benefits students by making them active partners in the creation and management of a socially responsible start-up.

“This project gets them out of the classroom and into the real world,” Thomas-Kersting says. “That hands-on experience is incredibly valuable.”

Students designed the cart, which is a small blue trailer, from start to finish: They helped create the business plan, the logo, the marketing concepts and the menu, and worked on preparing it for service. They work in the cart preparing and serving food, and assist with accounting and advertising.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Weekday revenue supports the Community Transition Program.The cart is the result of a partnership between PPS and SolTrekker, a Northeast Portland-based nonprofit dedicated to renewable energy education. A solar panel array on the cart’s roof supplies much of its power.

“It’s about a lot more than CTP students learning how to flip waffles,” says Allison Hintzmann, a CTP transition specialist who envisioned and co-created Solar Waffle Works with students and SolTrekker. “This fosters entrepreneurship while also teaching skills that will make them more employable.”

In addition to job training, Solar Waffle Works emphasizes the importance of conserving resources and reducing impact on the environment.

SolTrekker provided the trailer and added plumbing and solar components. It also contributed labor, funds and materials. Funding also came from PPS and the Spirit Mountain Community Fund.

Ty Adams, founder and board chairman of SolTrekker, says his organization didn’t need any convincing to participate.

“This is a project that’s not just unique to Portland, but one that is unique nationwide,” Adams says. “It’s definitely the tastiest project we’ve ever been a part of.”

More on Community Transition Program

The Community Transition Program helps young adults achieve the greatest degree of independence and quality of life as they transition to life after high school; functions include integrating young adults into the community, increasing their access to social and leisure activities and making appropriate referrals to other services and agencies.

Multnomah County Transition Resource Fair – April 9th in Portland

Reynolds School District in collaboration with Multnomah County School Districts presents the 2010 Multnomah County Transition Resource Fair.

Time – 10am – 6pm on April 9th, 2010

Place: Four Corners, Reynolds School District
14513 SE Stark Street, Portland, OR  97233

Independence Northwest will be sharing a table with several other metro area brokerages.

The fair will include resources on jobs, self-determination, health care, housing and training available to individuals living in Multnomah County and receiving (or preparing to receive) high school transition services.

For questions, please contact Shirley Burns (503.328.0428) or Shannon Selby (503.328.0423), the co-chairs of the 2010 Transition Resource Fair.

Excellent Autism Transition Guide Now Available

Danya International Inc., Organization for Autism Research and Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center have put together an invaluable transition document entitled Life Journey Through Autism: A Guide for Transition to Adulthood.

If you’re preparing, in the midst of or finishing up a transition program, this document has tons of information on IDEA, Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act.) The guide is designed “to give parents, teachers and other education professionals an introduction to the transition to adulthood process.”

While written for the parent reader, the guide proves useful to a much more expansive group. Arm yourself with this document before your next IEP meeting. As Lewis Carroll wrote, “If you don’t know where you are going, any path will take you there.” A good transition plan will be your path to a successful adulthood for your
young adult with ASD.

Chapters include:

  • Agency Help/Legal Information
  • Transition Plan
  • Student-Centered Transition Plan
  • Vocation and Employment
  • Post-secondary Education
  • Life Skills
  • Looking Ahead

Please forward this important document on to anyone you kn0w who might benefit from it. There’s a slew of appendices in the back and we can’t recommend this rich resource enough.

Special thanks to the Oregon Commission on Autism Transition Subcommittee for the heads up.

Direct link to guide

Local Options for the Uninsured

211 info has published a great article on local insurance options:

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, “Yes, the Uninsured Can Get Care,” Kristen Gerencher outlined health care options for the uninsured:

Lack of insurance doesn’t have to mean going without needed health care.

If you’re uninsured and seeking stop-gap care until you find coverage, you can triage your way to better health by understanding the tradeoffs of several care options.

With hundreds of thousands of people in Oregon and Southwest Washington left uninsured, we provide solutions to people seeking health care every day. It is a problem that is affecting everyone in our communities, not just those with extremely-low income. So, we thought we’d be proactive and suggest some local solutions to the issue the WSJ addressed — getting health care without having insurance. For phone numbers, addresses and more information about these services you can visit 211info.org a search your zip code and services under the “CLINIC” and “HEALTH” keywords or call 2-1-1.

The Oregon Health Plan is available for children, and some adults are being added through a lottery system. To apply, visit a DHS office or call 1-800-359-9517. Call 1-800-SAFENET to find out the address of the nearest DHS office.

Here’s a look at the types of health care available for uninsured people in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

  • Community health clinics: Sometimes called “free clinics,” these typically operate on a sliding-scale fee system based on patients’ income. Some will treat patients who are unable to pay even the sliding-scale fee. These nonprofits serve low-income uninsured people with chronic conditions such as diabetes and frequently offer other services such as immunizations. Some are specialized for specific populations, such as women or members of federally recognized Native American tribes. Many clinics have very limited hours and long wait lists for appointments. Some have walk-in services.
  • Retail clinics: These clinics, often operated by hospitals or pharmacy chains, offer walk-in visits with nurse practitioners or physician’s assistants. Prices for a visit are posted and generally are less than $100. The clinics often are open on nights and weekends. Providers can diagnose routine ailments such as flu or strep throat and prescribe medications as needed. The clinics generally don’t have doctors, diagnostic equipment such as X-rays or labs on site.
  • Urgent care centers:  Doctors provide treatment for infections, injuries, back aches and simple fractures. Prices are generally higher than those at retail clinics but may be less than $200. For example, the 211info database shows one urgent care clinic that posts its price as $55, with prescriptions and lab work costing extra. The centers often are open on nights and weekends. Doctors can stitch wounds, set broken bones, prescribe medicine for infections and treat other mid-level conditions.
  • Emergency rooms:  The most expensive option often requires long wait times for people with non-emergency conditions. Doctors have access to extensive diagnostic equipment, and people with serious conditions are often admitted to hospitals. Emergency rooms are open 24/7. People who are uninsured and low income can often request financial assistance or charity care if they need to be hospitalized.

If someone you know does not have access to the internet they can call 2-1-1 Monday-Friday 8am-6pm for answers to their health care questions.

Contributing Author: Deborah Willoughby, Call Center Specialist