What's New at DRS
Newsletter: Age in Action Volume 25, Number 1 - Winter 2010
Winter 2010 issue of Age in Action, published by the Virginia Center on Aging and the Virginia Department for the Aging, contains an important case study on brain injury and aging, both aging with a brain injury and acquiring a brain injury in later life. Download the PDF Newsletter to learn more.
Local Center for Independent Living Assists Community During Winter Storm
During the December snowstorm, which blanketed most of Virginia, the Clinch Independent Living Services (CILS) in Grundy, Virginia assisted members of their community.
Staff and volunteers provided over 300 hot meals to cold and hungry Southwest Virginians. In addition, the Center provided more than 300 box lunches to their neighbors.
This effort provided needed refuge for people stuck, in some way, because of the massive snow storm. The needed assistance also provided focus on the Center for Independent Living.
CILS, or "Clinch" as the Center is sometimes called, was founded over 10 years ago and is located in a very rural Center for Independent Living serving a wide geographic area, Planning District 2.
Last year, Clinch served over 750 consumers and provided community and individual advocacy to an area where few services are available.
Thank you Clinch for providing shelter in the storm! Download the Thank You letter in Word Format to learn more.
Letter from Governor McDonnell to State Employees
"Dear Fellow State Employee: It is great to join you, again, in public service to the citizens of our Commonwealth. I have enjoyed working with you over the past two decades, first as a prosecutor, then as a state delegate, and most recently as Attorney General. Having the privilege to now serve as the 71st Governor of Virginia is a very high honor." Download the Full Letter in Word Format for more.
2009 Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - Should I Claim It?
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day is on January 29, 2010, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) wants you to know about this potentially life-changing tax credit. The EITC is for people who do not earn high incomes; it can reduce their taxes and result in a refund. In simple terms, workers keep more of what they earn. To find out if you may be eligible for the EITC take the eligibility test, which is also available in Spanish.
The IRS has alternate formats available for many of its tax forms, including “speech friendly” or “talking tax forms.” Businesses interested in hiring people with disabilities should check out the Mid-Atlantic ADA & IT Information Center’s fact sheet Tax Credits and Deductions for Barrier Removal Hiring, and Accommodations.
For more tax-related information visit Disability.gov’s Employment section
Wounded Warrior Program reaches out to veterans who need help
Since terrorists struck the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, more than 230,000 troops have been deployed to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq from Virginia military bases.
Now, a state program is trying to help those coming back to find help for problems they might not even want to discuss.
The Virginia Wounded Warrior Program is using a tiny budget to reach a big problem -- veterans with behavioral-health problems, ranging from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to traumatic brain injuries. The full article can be found at: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/military/article/VETS071_20100106-232802/315942/.
In 2008, legislation was passed by the Virginia General Assembly to create Virginia’s Wounded Warrior Program. The Department of Veterans Services, in cooperation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and the Department of Rehabilitative Services were charged with developing a program to monitor and coordinate mental health and rehabilitative services for Virginia veterans, including Virginia National Guard members and Virginians in the Armed Forces Reserves not in active federal service. The program included supports to family members affected by the covered military member’s service and deployments. The purpose of the program is to ensure that adequate and timely assessment, treatment, and support are available to veterans, service members, and affected family members.
Wounded Warrior Program reaches out to veterans who need help
Since terrorists struck the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, more than 230,000 troops have been deployed to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq from Virginia military bases.
Now, a state program is trying to help those coming back to find help for problems they might not even want to discuss.
The Virginia Wounded Warrior Program is using a tiny budget to reach a big problem -- veterans with behavioral-health problems, ranging from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to traumatic brain injuries. The full article can be found at: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/military/article/VETS071_20100106-232802/315942/.
In 2008, legislation was passed by the Virginia General Assembly to create Virginia’s Wounded Warrior Program. The Department of Veterans Services, in cooperation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and the Department of Rehabilitative Services were charged with developing a program to monitor and coordinate mental health and rehabilitative services for Virginia veterans, including Virginia National Guard members and Virginians in the Armed Forces Reserves not in active federal service. The program included supports to family members affected by the covered military member’s service and deployments. The purpose of the program is to ensure that adequate and timely assessment, treatment, and support are available to veterans, service members, and affected family members.
Virginia Currents feature segment on DRS
Virginia Currents host May-Lily Lee interviews DRS Commissioner Jim Rothrock. Virginia Currents is an award-winning newsmagazine series produced in the studios of the Commonwealth Public Broadcasting.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Nine Receive Honors for ‘Championing’ Disability Employment
On October 2, 2009, the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS), in partnership with Dominion, will host its Fourth Annual Disability Employment Champions Awards Luncheon to honor nine new recipients for outstanding practices in hiring, accommodating, and supporting workers with disabilities. Read more of the News Release.
Brain Injury Report Out Day
On Friday July 24, 2009, the Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS), in partnership with the Virginia Brain Injury Council and the Brain Injury Association of Virginia, hosted "Brain Injury Report Out Day" at the Science Museum of Virginia, to present the Virginia Brain Injury State Action Plan 2009-2013. The event provided an opportunity for several state agencies and partners to meet and discuss the goals and accomplishments of brain injury services in Virginia. The 2009-2013 Brain Injury Action Plan was created to shape the development of a comprehensive service system for Virginians with brain injuries. It involves collaboration among persons with brain injury, family caregivers, state agencies, and community partners serving persons with brain injury throughout the Commonwealth. Read More, Download Presentation Materials and View the PhotoGallery of the Event at the Community Based Services Brain Injury Report Out Day Page.
WWRC Celebrates Grand Opening of Rothrock Hall
The Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center (WWRC) opened the doors to its new medical building, Rothrock Hall, on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 in a dedication ceremony on the WWRC Campus in Fishersville, Virginia. The medical building, which was closed almost a decade ago due to structural problems with the foundation, is a modern residential facility for clients who require nursing and attendant care, while enrolled in a vocational rehabilitation program. The building was named in honor of James A. Rothrock, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS), in recognition for his commitment and tireless work on behalf of Virginians with disabilities.
Virginia Easy Access: New on-line resource tool for seniors, adults with disabilities, caregivers, and providers
Virginia Easy Access is an on-line resource developed for seniors, adults with disabilities, their caregivers, and the providers that support them. The web site. provides helpful information on a variety of topics including Community Supports, Emergency Preparedness, Financial Help, Housing, Transportation, and connects users to community resources available across the Commonwealth. The web site. also features a search-based directory called "Virginia Navigator", which includes more than 21,000 providers and services.
Go to www.easyaccess.virginia.gov. Don’t have a computer? Simply dial 2-1-1 and speak to community resource specialist for 24 hour, 7-day-a-week assistance.
Firm Recycles Medical Supplies: More people need medical supplies as they lose insurance coverage
Article published in the Free Lance-Star (March 2, 2009) features The Equipment Connection of Fredericksburg, one of 14 AT collection and distribution sites established across the Commonwealth to sort, sanitize, refurbish, and distribute reused AT to individuals who do not have the means to purchase AT through their healthcare insurance or private funds. To read the article, please click here.
To learn more information about the Assistive Technology Reutilization Program, please click here.
Comprehensive Preparedness Guide for Special Needs Populations
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released a Comprehensive Emergency Management Planning Guide for Special Needs Populations. The guide is designed to aid tribal, state, territorial and local governments in planning for individuals with special needs during an emergency. Following an assessment of emergency operations plans in 2006, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) concluded that "substantial improvement is necessary to integrate people with disabilities in emergency planning and readiness." The guide was developed to address this shortfall with respect to people with disabilities, the elderly, and other individuals with special needs. This is the second of a series of guides being released by DHS/FEMA to provide comprehensive guidance on developing emergency plans, and its release commemorates the Americans with Disabilities Act and promotes the inclusion of individuals with special needs in emergency management. Read more at the FEMA web site.
Own Your Future
No one ever said aging would be easy, but there are steps you can take to age well! Take time now to prepare for your long-term care needs. Long-term care refers to a broad range of supportive medical, personal, and social services required by people who are unable to meet their basic living needs for an extended period of time. Learn more about how you can Own Your Future by reviewing the resources available at www.vda.virginia.gov/oyf.
To view archived stories, click here.
