This course is temporarily unavailable.

The post Developmental Disability and Sexuality Online Course first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Developmental Disability and Sexuality Online Course appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Learning objectives:

• Learn what is an intellectual and developmental disability
• Important components to a welcoming place
• Considerations for talking with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Learn what is plain language, how to create accessible written materials and meetings

You will learn about persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This training will give you information that can help you with your work at The Arc.

Please watch the training and complete the SurveyMonkey linked below the video. You will need to complete the SurveyMonkey to show that you completed this training.

Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JD78N2X

Handouts and Resources

Introduction to Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
People First Language by Kathie Snow
Employing People with Disabilities: Disabilities Awareness
Employing People with Disabilities: Myths, Realities and Job Accommodations
Employing People with Disabilities: Workplace Culture

The post Introduction to Persons With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Introduction to Persons With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Jen Johnson, Advocacy Supervisor, The Arc Minnesota and Guthrie Byard

Intended audience: The Arc Program Team employees

Learning objectives:

• Learn what a safety plan is, how to use a safety plan, and the limits of safety planning.
• Learn about community resources.
• Have the opportunity to get familiar with the safety plan tool.

You will learn about safety planning with persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. You will learn about helpful community resources and get familiar with a safety planning tool.

Please watch the training and complete the SurveyMonkey linked below the video. You will need to complete the SurveyMonkey to show that you completed this training.

Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/J9ZXMTY

Handouts and Resources

Arc Guide to Safety Conversations to Empower Persons with IDD PDF 

Safety Planning Powerpoint PDF

Safety Plan Blank Form PDF

Safety Plan Example PDF

The post Safety Planning first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Safety Planning appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Please watch the training and complete the SurveyMonkey linked below the video. You will need to complete the SurveyMonkey to show that you completed this training.

Survey Monkey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/J7ZRWJV

Handouts and Resources:

PDF of PowerPoint presentation

In My Voice: Sexual Self-Advocacy 

Intimacy Denied, an article from the Star Tribune (2012)

The Guest Room, a short film featuring Lauren Potter 

Impact newsletter: “Sexuality & People with Intellectual, Developmental and Other Disabilities” 

The post Romantic Relationships in the Lives of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Romantic Relationships in the Lives of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Presenter: Nancy M. Fitzsimons, PhD, MSW, LISW from Minnesota State University, Mankato

Intended audience: Sexual Violence Center Advocates, The Arc Program Office employees, and Value Village Director Managers and Assistant Managers.

Learning objectives:

• Understand how ableism increases risk for sexual violence
• Understand why people with an intellectual/developmental disability are more “vulnerable” to sexual violence
• Identify barriers that perpetuate sexual violence

Please watch the training and complete the SurveyMonkey linked below the video. You will need to complete the SurveyMonkey to show that you completed this training.

Survey Monkey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JDCBNRG

Handouts and Resources:

PDF of PowerPoint Slides

PDF of Power and Control Wheel

PDF of Equality Wheel 

Arc Guide to Victimization and Abuse

Arc Guide to Guardianship

The post Understanding the “Vulnerability of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to Sexual Violence from a New Lens first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Understanding the “Vulnerability of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to Sexual Violence from a New Lens appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Adults with IDD often have relationships with an imbalance of power and control. This imbalance, combined with barriers to access knowledge and experiences, creates:

• Learned helplessness
• Learned compliance
• A desire to please others
• No sense of personal boundaries

These learned behaviors could increase risk of harm in all areas of their lives. This includes where they live, learn, work, play, and worship.

People with IDD often share common factors that increase risk for harm:

• They often experience relationships where there is an imbalance of power and control.
• They are less likely or able to report.
• When a report is made, they may not be believed.
• They are targeted for the victimization and abuse due to having a disability.
• They often think actions by others are normal and do not realize they have been victimized.
• They are rarely educated about sexuality, healthy relationships, or provided with assertiveness training.
• They are often isolated with very few ways to get help, get to a safe place, or access victim services or counseling.

People with IDD often share common factors that increase risk to harm others:

• They often lack information and understanding about sexual expression and intimacy.
• They have limited education and understanding about safe, healthy relationships and sexual behavior.
• They may have difficulty expressing emotions.
• They may have limited partner relationships.
• They may have experienced sexual or physical abuse.
• They may have exposure to violence or pornography.

People with IDD face many challenges and safety risks when navigating abuse. These are present whether they decide to stay, leave, or return to an abusive relationship. Fear is one of the most powerful reasons for staying. People may stay even when they experience abuse, neglect, sexual, or domestic violence.

Power and Control Dynamics

There are unique power and control dynamics experienced by persons with IDD. Abusers may target people with IDD because they see them as easy targets. Abusers use power and control tactics such as:

• Becoming the primary caregiver before the abuse and then using their power to:
  • Take advantage of persons with IDD who have been taught to obey authority
  • Provide care that stresses the person’s dependency and takes advantage of them
  • Deny the right to privacy
• Exploiting the desire to please others
• Taking advantage of people with IDD who have been denied access to sex education. This denial results in a lack of knowledge about sex and healthy relationships
• Breaking or stealing adaptive equipment
• Limiting access to or breaking equipment for communication, such as phones
• Preventing reporting through threats or force
• Telling the person with IDD they won’t be believed
• Withholding access to food, healthcare, money, and transportation

Additional Factors

• Society questions credibility when persons with disabilities report victimization and abuse
• Society views persons with disabilities as non-sexual
• Victims may not know how or where to report abuse
• Community services may not have knowledge and training to support persons with IDD. This includes sexual violence centers, victim services, and law enforcement
• Disability service providers may not question the caregiver’s actions
• Fear of retaliation by disability service provider if they were to report

Sources

¹Bureau of Justice Statistics, Crime Against Persons with Disabilities, 2009-2015 Statistical Tables, (U.S. Department of Justice, 2017)

Resources

Crime Victims Bill of Rights for Minnesota

RapeHelpMN.org

• Find a sexual assault program near you and connect with an advocate.Most programs have a 24-hour hotline.

Minnesota Day One Crisis Line

• Emergency housing or shelter
• Call 1-866-223-1111 or text 612-399-9995

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

• Call 1-800-273-8255
• Free and confidential support.
• Prevention and crisis resources, and best practices for professionals.

Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC)

• Call 1-844-880-1574
• Report suspected maltreatment of a vulnerable adult.
• If this is an emergency, call 911 first.

MN Office of the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (OMHDD)

• For concerns or complaints about the actions of an agency, facility, or program. This could be a person-specific or a system-wide concern.
• Call 1-800-657-3506.

Arc Guide to Victimization and Abuse PDF  

For more information or advocacy services, contact The Arc Minnesota at 833.450.1494 or visit www.arcminnesota.org. (Please note: This document is not legal advice. No information should replace the advice of an attorney.)

All rights reserved (c) 2020 The Arc Minnesota. Document updated June 2020.

The post Arc Guide About Victimization and Abuse first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Arc Guide About Victimization and Abuse appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Important considerations

• Be open to different ways of communicating
  • Consider the person’s needs. Be respectful of the person in listening and when talking. People may use different ways to communicate. This can include written words, pictures, sign language, or assistive communication technology.
• Plain language
  • Plain language is clear and simple. It avoids jargon. Plain language can help people understand the information the first time they hear or read it. When you use plain language, people can focus on the message instead being confused by your words.
• People first and identity first language
  • People first language puts the person first before the disability. Identity first language can also be preferred by some people with disabilities. Use the language the person uses to describe themselves.
• Gender-neutral language
  • Use language that is gender neutral. Gender-neutral language does not refer to he or she. It gives people the opportunity to self-identify. Use the language the person uses to describe themselves.
• Use language the person is familiar with
  • It is important to listen to understand. If the person shares a situation where they did not feel safe, they may not use the word abuse. Always remain consistent with the words they use to describe the situation. Use well trained interpreters to reduce barriers.
• Check in with the person
  • It is important to check for understanding. People with IDD might not tell you they do not understand. Use open ended questions to assure the person understands what you are saying. Let them know it is okay to ask questions if they do not understand.
• Be mindful of how fast you speak
  • There may be times when you may need to slow down to give the person time to think. There also may be times that you may need to ask the person to repeat themselves, or to slow down so you may understand. You may need to allow for moments of silence.

Safety and Feelings

If someone tells you they have experienced abuse, neglect, sexual violence, or exploitation, listen and believe them. Their experience could be recent or long ago. Understand that they live with a variety of feelings that impact their well-being. It is important to listen. Let them direct the conversation. Support them and offer choices and options.

• If they tell you they have experienced abuse, ask if they know about community advocacy services. Ask what helps them when they think about the abuse.
• Connect the person to community advocacy services.
• It can be helpful to talk about what to do when they are scared even after the abuser is out of their life.
• When the person is no longer in danger, the person can still feel fear, doubt, depressed, and isolated. It is important to talk about and acknowledge their feelings. Identify safe people in their life. Identify ways to feel safe.
• Identify what is important to the person for their emotional safety. This may include calling a friend or hotline, or mindfulness activities.

Use what the person already knows

• They probably know more about planning for safety than you might realize.
• Being in a relationship with an abusive person takes a lot of skill and resourcefulness.
• Ask about what has and has not helped them in the past.

Combine these strategies with other information they have shared about safety. Empower them with their own decisions.

How to support with resources and referrals

Many people may not be aware of community advocacy services, crisis services, and adult protection services. Provide information about different resources. This may include rape crisis and domestic violence centers, crisis lines, and adult protection services.

Become familiar with community resources and services. This will give many choices and help with informed decision-making.

Direct service professionals (DSP) must understand their agency’s policy and procedures for mandated reporting. This includes understanding their role and responsibilities. DSP’s should tell the victim/survivor the reporting requirements. Ask the victim/survivor if they want to be a part of the reporting process to have control of their story.

Resources

RapeHelpMN.org

• This website helps you find a sexual assault program near you. You can connect with an advocate. Most programs have a 24-hour crisis line available.
• Visit their website at org/find-help

Minnesota Day One Crisis Line

• If you are in need of emergency housing or shelter, you can contact the Day One Crisis Line.
• Call them at 1-866-223-1111, text them at 612-399-9995 or visit their website at org

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

• Call 1-800-273-8255 or visit org
• The Lifeline provides free support for people in distress. They have prevention and crisis resources, and best practices for professionals. The Lifeline is confidential.

Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC)

• Call to report suspected maltreatment of a vulnerable adult. Call 1-844-880-1574.
• If it is an emergency, call 911 first.
• Find more information at gov/dhs/people-we-serve/adults/services/adult-protection

MN Office of the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (OMHDD)

• Contact if you have a concern or complaint about the actions of an agency, facility, or program. This can be person-specific or a system-wide concern.
• Call 1-800-657-3506. You can also email, fax or send a letter.
• Find more information at gov/omhdd/client-services/how-to-file-a-complaint.jsp

Downloadable PDF: Arc Guide to Safety Conversations to Empower Persons with IDD

For more information or advocacy services, contact The Arc Minnesota at 833.450.1494 or visit www.arcminnesota.org. (Please note: This document is not legal advice. No information should replace the advice of an attorney.)

All rights reserved (c) 2020 The Arc Minnesota. Document updated June 2020.

The post Arc Guide to Conversations about Safety and Abuse first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Arc Guide to Conversations about Safety and Abuse appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.