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Human Development Center supports developmental screening for over 600 young children

LEND scholar receives fellowship position at RWJF

2020-21 LEND scholar Natasha M. Lee-Johnson has been selected for a competitive fellowship from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) as a Health Policy Research Scholar. Natasha is currently a doctoral student in the School of Social Work at Louisiana State University. She is the first person in Louisiana to receive this prestigious RWJF fellowship. 

A Book List for Parents New to Autism

Check out this book list for parents learning about neurodiversity. These beginner books were selected by members of That Au-some Book Club and Not an Autism Mom blog. To learn about the book club and find other titles about autism and neurodiversity, read the full article here:

DISCLAIMER: These resources are external to HDC. HDC has shared them for educational purposes only, and the products to which shopping links have been added by their original authors are not endorsed by HDC.

September is FASD Awareness Month

Please monitor our website for additional information on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) coming soon. We want to introduce you to FASD United (www.fasdunited.org) the newly branded national voice on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, formerly known as NOFAS, the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Webinar

From the Administration for Community Living (ACL):

Are you serving people at risk of eviction or who have been evicted? Are you working with landlords whose tenants are behind on rent as a result of COVID-19? Do you serve people facing housing instability or economic hardships? 

If you answered, “yes,” to any of those questions, then this webinar is for you!

ACL Webinar: Pandemic-Related Disaster Assistance for SSI Recipients

Tuesday, September 21, 2021, 1:00-2:00 pm ET

From the Association on Community Living (ACL):

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently changed their rules about how pandemic-related financial assistance can affect an individual’s eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or monthly SSI benefit amount. Previously, SSA had been counting many types of assistance as income and resources for SSI purposes, resulting in individuals having their SSI benefits reduced or suspended, or having their applications for SSI benefits denied. However, due to the severity of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, SSA has decided they will not count most types of pandemic-related financial assistance against SSI eligibility or benefit amount, even if the money from these financial assistance programs is retained for 12 or more months.

Join ACL’s National Center on Law and Elder Rights for a training that will review the guidance issued by SSA on what types of financial assistance they now consider pandemic-related disaster assistance, what steps they will be taking to restore individuals’ SSI benefits, and what advocates can do to assist clients with contacting SSA to access or restore SSI benefits. The training will will be presented by Kate Lang of Justice in Aging.

Closed captioning will be available for this webcast. A link with access to the captions will be shared through GoToWebinar’s chat box shortly before the webcast start time. The webcast will be recorded and available on NCLER’s website shortly after the presentation. The recording and training materials will also be emailed to all registrants within a few days after the training.

HDC Spotlight: Maria Blanco, M.Ed.

Maria Blanco, M.Ed. has worked at HDC for 15-years. She designs projects that increase access to quality early learning experiences for young children and families; she supports early childhood staff to implement projects with a high level of excellence; and she represents HDC’s interests, and those of children and families, on state and local policymaking bodies. Maria is currently the Director for the Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) and the Director for HDC’s newest program, Inclusive Practices in Early Childhood (IPEC).

See the IPEC flyer here

Hurricane Ida Resources

Here is a collection of hurricane resources collected by HDC staff that benefit individuals, children, and families.

Social Security Announces Electronic Self-Reporting Forms

Social Security recently announced a new online service that allows disability beneficiaries to electronically complete, sign, and submit the Work Activity Report for Wage Employment (Form SSA-821) and Self-Employment (Form SSA-820). Beneficiaries may use this online service as an alternative to completing a paper version of this form. To complete the form online, beneficiaries need a valid email address. Simply click on the web links below to find the online forms with instructions.

• SSA-820 – Work Activity Report (Self-Employed Person) Provides Social Security with work activity information for self-employed individuals applying for or receiving disability benefits.
• SSA-821 – Work Activity Report – Provides Social Security with work activity information for individuals applying for or receiving disability benefits.

Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) Launched

Administration for Community Living (ACL) announces the launch of the Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) to help people with disabilities access vaccinations and to connect to information and services to overcome barriers to vaccination. Please share the attached infographic with your constituents. For more information, see https://acl.gov/news-and-events/announcements/hhs-launches-hotline-improve-access-covid-19-vaccines-people.