Cassandra Sines

Yes!

Well we rolled ourselves in to Disability Pride Month. The flag (yes there is one) looks pretty similar to last month’s flag. Do we really need a flag? 🙄 I mean I have a severely disabled child and the whole thing gets a big yawn from me. I certainly don’t get up everyday this month and celebrate the fact that a team of trained medical professionals made a series of negligent errors causing my son to be profoundly disabled and with a set of life-limiting challenges and thereby altering the lives of every family member he has. Noah himself isn’t waiving a little flag proud to lay on the floor because he has limited mobility and is confined to a wheelchair. Yes confined. No it’s not glamorous, it’s not pretty, it’s not something any of us is proud about.

I’m proud Noah fought to be here, grateful to God that he said yes to more time. But I’m not proud that a preventable series of actions and events caused him to be this way. I’m not proud that nurses and doctors MADE him disabled.

Maybe if you chose to be disabled you celebrate it. Yes, there are those who mame and mutilate themselves because they identify as disabled. Maybe then you think it’s so cool that you need an entire month.

Every single day is a reminder of where we have been and how hard we fight each day. We don’t need a month - or a flag. I certainly don’t need a month of attention, don’t feel the need to broadcast the obvious. Noah himself isn’t looking for the attention or to be noticed. We can’t ever blend or fade into the background. We are the constant elephant in every room 365 days a year.

I had the day off last Friday to visit my daughter.
She lives in a high rise apartment building.

We were on our way to the elevators and as we were opening the doors to the elevator lobby, there was a woman in a wheelchair, and 2 other people coming through.

We, of course, held the door, stepped aside and motioned for her to come through.
But she asked us to come into the lobby and close the door.

She was actually touring the apartment building as a potential rental.
She said to the employee giving the tour “I would like to make sure I will be able to open the door on my own.”

As we were walking past her on the way to the elevators, another person also tried to hold the door and she laughed, told them to close the door, too, and said “wow, everyone is so nice here.”

That moment really stuck with me.

Independence.

It’s what we all strive for in life, isn’t it?

From our earliest days, we work to roll over on our own and sit up without assistance, and we are celebrated when we take our first steps.

Right through toddler and teenage years, we are always demonstrating how independent we could be in our thinking and in our actions.

As a young adult, we are excited when we begin to financially support ourselves and move out of our parents house to start adulting on our own.

And finally, the elders in our lives long to retain the independence of their lives. Trying to stay fit and active so they can keep on living in their own home, driving a car, managing their own self-care and hopefully maintaining an active social life.

Within all of those stages, there is another important group of individuals striving for independence.

People like the woman in the wheelchair.
People like my son.
People like all of our special needs loved ones.

Every single day is a chance to teach and learn independent living skills.

Sometimes it’s hard not to hover or micro manage or helicopter-parent.
Sometimes we believe we are helping.

But that brief interaction in the apartment building lobby taught me a very valuable lesson.

Sometimes we have to step aside and make sure our loved ones can open their own doors to independence.

—Mrs. B.

YES!

You know this doesn't have to be a life calling, right? You know that getting a license to foster doesn't mean you must forever be a foster parent?

What we need: people who are willing to step in for children. But there's no one saying how many or how long.

Maybe it's one child one, once. Maybe you open your home for a year. Maybe you provide respite periodically, maybe you reunity or adopt your first placement and you're done. Maybe, just maybe, you'll find yourself ten years and 30 kids in with 7 kids in your home and no end in sight...but maybe you won't. And each and every one of these cases is a foster care "job well done."

Being a foster parent doesn't have to be seen as a forever life calling. It can simply be an opportunity to serve, a way to help. You don't need faith for the whole journey, you only need it for the first step.

Do you have a heart to serve children and families? Do you have the resources, stability, support to do so? Do you have one space, one bed, one crib, one year?

That's enough, that's all you need.

Foster care isn't—doesn't have to be—a lifelong calling. First and foremost, it's an opportunity to serve.

Are you able to serve? Are you willing?
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Follow our adventures in family & foster care: instagram.com/fosterthefamilyblog

My next business book read. ®️

Caregivers do NEED breaks ! ❤️

Why these kids thought this was ok in any way! And why dad thought it was ok to come up with a gun!

Now, people’s lives are changed for the rest of their lives!!!!! Over what, a stupid senior prank!

Court docs: Goddard Walmart shooting started as high school game 'senior assassin' After the shooting, police say Contreras remained at the scene where he was arrested and found with a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun.

Kansas, the first state to legislate that ALL community mental health centers are to go through the process to become Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), has been selected to be one of the first 10 states to a part of the CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration program as set out in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This will expand access to mental health and substance use services.

This is extremely important for our state, as we are 51st in the nation for mental health care in the nation, behind Peurto Rico for adult mental health, and 50th for pediatric and adolescent mental health.

I truly hope this makes a difference in Kansas!

The 9 additional states added to the CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration program EW: Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Biden-Harris Administration Expands Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Services with Addition of 10 New States to CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration Program The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act gave HHS the authority to add 10 states to the CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration program every two years, starting with the 10 being announced today

Amen !

This is a crisis across the country, I/DD services being cut. What are families to do? A lot of families do not have the luxury of having one parent stay home with their child. What if they are a single-parent household? We are talking about a child with a disability’s life! Someone flipping burgers should not make more money than someone taking care of someone with a disability. It takes a special kind of someone to take care of someone with I/DD. Sometimes they are hit, bit, spit on. Sometimes they have to feed them, change their diapers. Don’t you think that deserves more than $11 an hour?!?!?!?

Something needs to be done! I don’t understand why states are turning away Federal money their tax payers are paying to other states that they could utilize in their state! It makes no sense to me. It’s hustling allowing other states to use their tax dollars! States that haven’t expanded Medicaid, need to do so! The money is there and you’re paying into it! Bring it to your state. The least of these are the ones that are suffering!

Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities waiver at risk for cuts These cuts have put agencies in a tough position regarding how they can continue caring for those in need of care.

Ready for my second training of a new group of Parent Peer Support Specialists in Training to become Certified Parent Peer Support Specialists for Kansas Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers. Love what I do!

Absolutely love my new shirt! Thank you April Cobarrubia!

Having found out one of my links wasn't working right, I took the opportunity to update my website today!

Are having panic attacks when you see your child's school come up on the Caller ID? You're not alone. I did, too! Let me help you work with your child's educational team to make sure they are meeting your child's needs.

Please check out my website at www.cassandrasines.com to learn about my services and how you can book a Free 20-Minute Consultation with me.

Also, if you would like to be added to my email list, please DM me your email address and I'll add you.

"No chocolates, no flowers, not even a card.
You say to yourself “that’s OK, what I really wanted was a nap anyway.”
But you didn’t get that either.
The dishes still lay untouched in the sink. The baskets of unfolded clothes are stacked on top of each other like planes circling the airport..."

Read more here:
https://www.risingaboveministries.org/blog-2/valentinelettertomom

Interesting!

PBS Kids has announced a new show premiering this Fall, centered on Autistic characters!

'Carl the Collector' is an animated series for children ages 4-8 and their first show featuring a lead character on the autism spectrum! Carl - a warm-hearted autistic raccoon - loves collecting.

Learn more: https://buff.ly/3sE9hFw

I have a work partner today! He’s looking over my Worksheet for my CHW Train the Trainer class I have this afternoon The section he’s reviewing is on Popular Education talking about adult learners and how to make sure you engage ALL learner types

The special needs journey is a marathon, not a sprint. I'm one that likes to fix things. When things don't go right or I have to wait for answers, I'm not very patient. So, I post this as much for me as for anyone! Please reach out if you need help with the educational journey!

Express your deepest values with the profound words of Renee Laporte: "When someone is truly included, no one will question their presence – only their absence."

This isn't just a t-shirt. It's a statement. A declaration that you believe in a world where every child is not only seen but felt, where their absence echoes as profoundly as their presence.

Gift this shirt to yourself or to a friend who speaks up for inclusion. It's more than fabric and print; it symbolizes the world we are creating.

The link is in the comments. Let’s wear our hearts on our sleeves and keep working for change.



Image: Black T-shirt with bright yellow and turquoise text that reads, When someone is truly included, no one will question their presence. – Only their absence. ~ Renee Laporte

Your child’s inclusion benefits from great collaborators.

Who have been some people in your child's life that you treasure working with?

Can you think of others that you could start collaborating more with?



Image: A border of colored pencils, in the middle, the text reads, Collaboration in itself is a demonstration of inclusivity. ~ Charmaine Thaner iep.today/Charmaine

Truth!

Thank you The Therapist Parent for this beautiful reminder.

Without connection, we have to rely on force. We fall back on threats, bribes and harsh punishments. But force usually causes damage. If you want to have influence, connection is the key.

This would be my plan!

YES!

Respect ABILITY Law Center HOW DO WE KNOW THEY ARE LEARNING? © 2015 Patricia D. Luker - There is a lot of talk today about assessing i.e. measuring what a student has learned. The basic question is “What particular areas of knowledge do you intend to assess?” Up until recently, you could count on most people agreeing tha...

Don’t ever fall for this! If it’s not in the IEP, it doesn’t exist! Call me if you need help!

Self-care. What is self-care? A necessary evil for families with children with disabilities. Necessary because it is so important to recharge batteries. An evil because it is so hard to work into our days because so many things take priority to our needs. The needs of our children, their disability, making sure they are getting the services they need, getting to their therapies, making sure they get their medications, fighting with insurance companies, making sure their IEP is being followed. It took me way too long to figure out how to make sure I made time for self-care. Then I found my self-care in advocacy. Advocacy fills my cup. That's why I help families. Helping families fills my cup. I don't want other families to struggle the way my family did.

#CaregiverTruth: How is self-care challenging as a caregiver? Finding the time and support necessary for self-care can seem impossible at times for caregivers. What's your experience?We’re partnering with Carewell (http...