December 4, 2020 - ESIT Weekly

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Welcome to the ESIT Weekly


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ESIT Fireside Chats

Mon., Dec. 14 | Jan. 11 | Feb. 8
12:30 – 1:15 p.m.
Phone: (253) 215-8782
Meeting ID: 815 8363 9027
Passcode: 000111
Click Here to Join


Networking Sessions

PT/OT Statewide Networking Sessions
Second Wednesday
of each month 
Dec. 9 | 8-9 a.m.
Click Here to Join


Statewide FRC
Networking Sessions 

Third Thursday of every month Thurs., Dec. 17 | 1-2 p.m.
Click Here to Join


State Connect:
Feeding Therapy Group
Thurs., Dec. 17 | 9-10 a.m.
Click Here to Join

Rainier_JB

Mt. Rainier. Digital art by Jahla Brown, DCYF ESIT Stakeholder Engagement Specialist

“I don’t believe in magic. I believe in the sun and the stars, the water, the tides, the floods, the owls, the hawks flying, the river running, the wind talking. They’re measurements. They tell us how healthy things are. How healthy we are. Because we and they are the same.
That’s what I believe in.”
-Billy Frank, Jr.


Tribal Term of the Week

fish wars - Photograph by Tom Thompson, courtesy of Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Each week, DCYF ESIT Tribal Program Consultant Brian Frisina selects a key term to help support us all in getting to know our Tribal Nations partners better.

This week’s term is: Fish Wars.

The decades-long Fish Wars gained momentum in the mid-1960s. In the homelands of the Nisqually, Puyallup and Muckleshoot Nations, located in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, men, women and children risked all they had to force the state to uphold the treaties that guaranteed their rights to fish in usual and accustomed fishing sites outside reservation borders. Through actions such as building coalitions, launching civil disobedience campaigns and securing increased media attention, Native Peoples and non-Native allies took a stand and refused to accept injustice.
Source: Native Knowledge 360°, The Fish Wars: Strategies for Taking Action, ©2018

Read more about the civil rights issues surrounding the Fish Wars, in Gabriel Chrisman's article:

The Fish-in Protests at Franks Landing

Photograph by Tom Thompson, courtesy of Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission: Billy Frank Jr. (Nisqually) and other Native community members fished the Nisqually River in 1973 in an act of civil disobedience. While their fishing was legal according to the treaties they had signed with the U.S., it was illegal according to Washington State law. Washington State had criminalized off-reservation fishing and officials arrested dozens of tribal fishers, including Frank.


ESIT Spotlight: Parent Institute for Engagement (PIE) Member, Elizabeth Morales

Elizabeth_Morales_photo

PIE is ESIT’s 12-month training program designed for parents or caregivers with children who have received early intervention services through an ESIT program. The goal of PIE is to enhance the leadership and advocacy skills of participants so they can become active leaders in their communities. We’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Morales.

Hi, my name is Elizabeth. My husband and I moved to Washington state a little over two years after he finished college and got his dream job at Boeing. I am finishing my bachelor’s degree at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington.

We live in Mill Creek, have a miniature poodle, Milo, and one beautiful and strong daughter; her name is Amelia, and she is 15 months old. Amelia was born with hearing loss and other orthopedic conditions. We started receiving early intervention programs when Amelia was four months old. The early intervention programs have become our village and the support system we needed to navigate this unknown journey. I joined PIE to have the opportunity to become a better advocate for my daughter and other families. We want other families to feel empowered and receive the best support for their children to have a happy and fulfilled life.

Welcome to PIE, Elizabeth! We are glad you are here.


Joint DCYF & OSPI IDEA 45th Anniversary Celebration Webinar

Celebrating 45 Years of Special Education

DCYF and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) are pleased to join together to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA is the nation's federal special education law that ensures public schools and state agencies provide all children with disabilities with the services they need to thrive in school and beyond.

This hallmark legislation significantly changed the educational trajectory for all children with disabilities. IDEA ensures that all children – regardless of ability – have equitable opportunities to grow, play and learn in inclusive settings.

Virtual Celebration

Join DCYF and OSPI on Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 3-4 p.m. for a virtual celebration of Washington State’s journey over the last 45 years of providing education, resources, supports and services to infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families. The webinar will feature state, regional and local panelists to informally stroll down memory lane and reflect on successes, challenges and potential next steps needed to continuously improve systems to support increases in child, youth and family outcomes. 

Dec. 16 | 3 - 4 p.m.

Register here for the virtual celebration

Read the full media release

If you have questions about the webinar, please email Sue Rose, ESIT Stakeholder Engagement Manager. 


Fireside Chats: You Share. We Listen.

Drop by to share with ESIT Program Administrator Laurie Thomas and ESIT Strategic Innovations Administrator Val Arnold for one of our upcoming Fireside Chats. These are intended to be fluid, informal listening sessions for our ESIT administrators to hear directly from early intervention providers, community partners and families.

The Fireside Chats are an opportunity for our administrators to be active listening to what’s on your mind.

Mark your calendars for the following Mondays. Stop by anytime between 12:30-1:15 p.m. We are listening!

Dec. 14 | Jan. 11 | Feb. 8
12:30 – 1:15p.m.
Phone: (253) 215-8782
Meeting ID: 815 8363 9027
Passcode: 000111

Click here to join any of the ESIT Fireside Chats


ESIT Forms Available in Additional Languages

The ESIT form for Prior Written Notice, Consent and Financial Information is now available in 16 languages:

Prior Written Notice, Consent and Financial Information


ESIT Recruiting for Special Projects Coordinator

Please share widely.

The DCYF Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) Team is looking for an ESIT Special Projects Coordinator to join our team to work toward the common goal of eliminating child and youth outcome disparities based on race and ethnicity. Our vision is that "All Washington's children and youth grow up safe and healthy-thriving physically, emotionally, and educationally, nurtured by family and community."  

The Opportunity:
As the ESIT Special Projects Coordinator, you will be responsible for coordinating and managing complex and multi-dimensional projects using designated technologies. Additionally, you will provide feedback on process improvements, as projects progress, while maintaining the required elements of state and federal early intervention laws/regulations in a manner consistent with DCYF values (integrity, compassion, transparency, respect, and inclusion).

Click here for more information about the position and how to apply. 


Access Training Through the DCYF Training Portal

Please share widely.

Historically, training required by ESIT has been accessed through Educational Service District (ESD) 112 and the ESIT website. All required training is now accessible through the DCYF Training Portal.  Visit the Training Page of the ESIT website for:

  1. A link to the Training Portal.
  2. A description of required trainings based on your role and how much of your required training is already completed.
  3. Instructions for creating an account in the Training Portal.

If you have been identified as having an “admin role” which will allow you to track training completion for your staff, you will receive separate communication and instructions.

Questions regarding access to the Training Portal? Please contact MERIT@dcyf.wa.gov.

Questions regarding required training? Please contact your Regional Program Consultant.


Resources

Unsung Heroes: Please Submit Your Unsung Hero Nominations!

Please help DCYF in honoring 28 more unsung heroes in February 2021 by nominating a parent, primary caregiver or guardian for the Unsung Hero award. For more information on how to submit nominations:

Recognize an Unsung Hero for Parent Recognition Month

All nominations must be submitted by Jan. 11, 2021. For more information, contact strengtheningfamilies@dcyf.wa.gov.


Reduced Cost Services Guide from the Washington State Deptartment of Social & Health Services (DSHS)

DSHS has released a Reduced Cost Services Guide, highlighting a variety of products and services available in or near Washington State that are offered at reduced cost for people meeting certain income levels:

Reduced Cost Services Guide


New WA State Telehealth Training Requirement for Providers- Senate Bill 6061

Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, Senate Bill 6061 will require all health care professionals who provide clinical services through telemedicine, to complete either

  • A telemedicine training made available by the WA State Telehealth Collaborative; or
  • An alternative telemedicine training, which may include training offered by hospitals and other health care facilities, continuing education courses or trainings developed by a health professional board or commission.

Health care professionals must sign and retain an attestation that they completed either the WA Telehealth Collaborative or alternative telemedicine training.

This requirement applies to all ESIT providers who hold a license with the WA State Department of Health, including Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Mental Health Counselors and Physical Therapists.

The new WA Telehealth Collaborative training is expected to be released in early December. ESIT will provide links and additional information when they becomes available.


FREE Workshop on The Ripple Effect - Trauma Informed Practice

King County’s Best Start for Kids Workforce Development, in collaboration with WestEd, bring you a workshop, titled, The Ripple-Effect: Trauma Informed Practice, facilitated by a globally recognized clinician and scholar, Dr. Chandra Gosh Ippen. The workshop provides a deeper exploration into childhood trauma, resilience and healing. We encourage you to register as quickly as you can!

The workshop will be offered in two cohorts, each cohort consisting of two parts. Please select and register for only one of the two cohorts:

Cohort 1:  Part I: Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.;  Part II: Saturday, Dec. 12, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m..

Cohort 2:  Part I: Wednesday, Jan. 6, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.;  Part II: Friday, Jan. 8, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Register Here


New Resources on Remote Screening, Evaluation and Assessment

ECTA and DaSy have produced new resources on remote screening, evaluation and assessment.

They include:


COVID-19 Survey Results & Resource

In an effort to capture some of the challenges, unexpected benefits and anything we hope will evolve out of all we are learning to overcome during COVID-19, the Early Intervention-Early Childhood Professional Development Community of Practice (EI-EC PD CoP) sent out a survey to its community members in August 2020.  This infographic illustrates who participated in the survey (21 states represented), silver linings (unexpected positive outcomes), reported challenges, future system changes participants hope to see and how improved access and use of technology could impact families and professionals.

Overcoming Challenges During COVID-19

The EI-EC PD CoP hopes the information gathered can be used to further activities and discussions around ways we can celebrate success when/where they can be found, support each other (and the field) and plan ahead for any advocacy efforts necessary to preserve positive outcomes that resulted during COVID-19 (e.g., continued use of tele-intervention in some format, coaching practices, family engagement, etc.).

If you have questions, or ideas about how you might use/share the information in the infographic, please email eiecpdcop@gmail.com.