MONTHLY TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Submitted by Clarissa McMurtry\ New Employee Orientation October 6 - 10 November 3 - 7 MANDT Recertification (call 6078 for information) All classes in Meridian Oct. 13 - 14 Oct. 15 - 16 Oct. 27 - 28 CPR Class Oct. 17 @ 9:00 a.m. (on campus) Oct. 22 & 23 (in Morton) (call 6071 for information) Important Dates JDRF ROAD BLOCK Mississippi State Fair Oktoberfest Blood Drive Halloween Activities October 1 October 4 - 10 October 23-24 October 28 October 31 Your free hamburger during Oktoberfest is purchased by the Friends of Hudspeth Center. Enjoy! HUDSPETH REGIONAL CENTER CAMPUS NEWS October 2014 A Newsletter for HRC Employees HRC’s Second Quarter Employees of the Quarter Mandated Topic - Abuse, Neglect, Reporting, & Investigation Tours - MC Nursing Students - Oct. 23 & 24 Professional Development Topic: Is the community ready to accept persons with ID and/or multiple disabilities in their neighborhood? Title: Inclusive Communities, Stigma and Supporting a Diverse ID Population When: Tuesday, October 21 Time: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Registration is 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Presenters: Clarissa McMurtry & Donis Upshaw Objectives: To understand the relationship between community inclusion and stigma; to discuss the relationship between inclusion and transitioning individuals into community life; and to share the ideas for enhancing existing services or designing programs that can address the diverse needs of people with disabilities. CEs: CEs have been submitted for teacher, social work, and DMH licenses. Please cal Clarissa at extension 6072 to reserve seating as space is limited to 60. Marvin United Methodist Church members visited the HRC campus on Sunday, September 21. The group brought school supplies for individuals residing on campus. The group was welcomed by some of the individuals served at HRC, Angela Alexander, David Williams, Nan Christian, Delisa Crosby, Trena Travis, Gloria Boyd, Ed Parker, and Tonya Bolden. The individuals in attendance were treated to cupcakes and lemonade from the church members. Pictured above back row left to right: Nicole Keene and Anna Broome. Front row l to r: Dawn Rodgers, Belinda Peacher, and Karla Easterling. Verna Mae, pictured to the left, proudly shows off her certificate of appreciation from TJ Maxx. Verna Mae has been working at TJ Maxx for 3 years. She is an individual served by HRC’s Supported Employment. October 16, 2014 is National Boss’s Day Thad Weisenberger, pictured above holding certificate, poses with Dogwood staff and members of the EIRC committee. Mr. Weisenberger, a social worker for Unit 1 is always the professional. He spends much of his time working on programs for the individuals we serve and implementing the programs with the clients. His compassion for people, especially the people he serves, is overwhelming. His fellow staff enjoy his positive attitude and the fact that he is always a team player no matter what is asked of him. Shirley Payne is a direct care supervisor at the Meridian Group Home. She is a quiet and humble person, but her communication skills are exemplary. Where change is hard for many, Ms. Payne has worked very hard helping transition individuals served at Meridian Group Home. She does this with such a positive attitude that her supervisor considers her “amazing.” And to boot, Ms. Payne’s attendance at work is exceptional! Ms. Payne is pictured to left holding her certificate. TRI COUNTY INDUSTRIES TOUR NORTH AMERICAN COAL CORPORATION October is Dyslexia Awareness Month By: Karine Gandy Submitted by Bonnie Creekmore Several of the individuals and staff from Tri-County Industries toured Liberty Fuels Company which is part of the North American Coal Corporation in Kemper County. At the beginning of the tour at Liberty Fuels staff took us to a room where there was a model of Liberty Fuels Company. An employee of Liberty Fuels went through each process, from digging, to what the land would look like after Liberty Fuels had completed all the digging of the coal. We also loaded on a bus that transported us around the grounds. The individuals were able to ride onto the land where they were actually digging the coal. Each process was explained again as the individuals watched employees working at their various jobs. At the end of the tour, the individuals were allowed to climb on some of the new machinery. The CAT 6040 (shown in picture) cost millions of dollars and was bought at Puckett Machinery in Flowood. When the tour was complete, the individuals understood more about where the coal came from and how it was processed. It was a very informative and fun day! According to The International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. So, in layman terms, dyslexia is a language based learning disability. People with dyslexia have difficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading. Children who have dyslexia experience difficulties with other language skills, such as spelling, writing, and pronouncing words. Dyslexia affects individuals throughout their lives; however, its impact can change at different stages in a person’s life. Did you know dyslexia affects 1 in 5 children? That means in a typical classroom of 25 students, 5 of those students could be dyslexic. Dyslexia is a phonological processing deficit that is evident in students that have had the opportunity and the ability to learn. Having dyslexia does not mean that a child cannot learn or that he or she is lacking intelligence. It just means they need to learn and be taught a different way compared to other students who do not have dyslexia. Dyslexia is real. Dyslexia is not a disease, so there is no cure. But, instead with the proper diagnosis, appropriate and timely instruction, hard work, and support from family, individuals with dyslexia can succeed in school and later in life. Take a look at the lives of Whoopi Goldberg, Tommy Hilfiger, Orlando Bloom, Albert Einstein, Erin Brockovich, and George Patton just to name a few. All of these famous people are dyslexic, but look at their lives now and you’ll see they have come a long way. Dyslexia is a weakness in these people, but at the same time they are also extremely smart. If you suspect your child has dyslexia don’t wait to get the help they need. With the right kind of direct and explicit multi-sensory phonetic tutoring you will help your child learn to manage the dyslexia and be successful in school. By waiting the dyslexia can have an effect on a child’s social and emotional development. Hudspeth Hope Staff and individuals pose by a bucket truck used to scoop coal. The Tri-County group climb atop new machinery. Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases. Alzheimer's disease (AD), is one form of dementia that gradually gets worse over time. It affects memory, thinking, and behavior. Staff on campus showed their support of research and awareness of the disease by wearing purple on September 19. Hudspeth Hope Making Strides for the Fight Against Breast Cancer Please join the Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on October 25. Team t-shirts will be sold for $25 each. Proceeds from the t-shirts will be donated to the American Cancer Society. Staff will join together again this year in downtown Jackson to walk in the American Cancer Society’s Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the breast. The damaged cells can invade surrounding tissues, but with early detection and treatment most people can continue a normal life.  One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.  Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women.  Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women  Each year it is estimated over 220,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die.  Although breast cancer is rare among men, an estimated 2,150 will be diagnosed and approximately 410 will die each year. Hudspeth Regional Center is proud to support Alzheimer Awareness Day. Dozens of employees Showed their support in their purple attire! NEAGLE and FRIENDS DONATION Submitted by Robin McNair Holly House received a large donation of toys, activities, dvd players, cd players for individuals who reside on Holly House. The donation was given from Kristen Neagle, family and friends. Thank you for such a generous gift! Meridian Group Home’s Up, Up, and Away