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The Arc of Aurora Self-Advocates' |
| Our Mission The Arc of Aurora (CO) advocates for and with people with intellectual and/or other developmental disabilities and their families through individual and systems change advocacy, training and education, and individual, family and class support. | 
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| April 19-25 is National Crime Victims' Rights' Week (NCVRW)
And it was welcomed here in Colorado with an announcement of appallingly heinous allegations:
from The Denver Post, 4/22/2015 State places 11 on leave at Pueblo mental health facility, allegations of physical, sexual abuse State officials on Wednesday said they have placed 11 employees on leave at the Pueblo Regional Center - which treats those with developmental disabilities - amid allegations of physical and verbal abuse and unlawful sexual contact. Officials in Pueblo County and the Colorado Department of Human Services are investigating reports of "significant care concerns" at the center, which provides specialized services to adult patients. Many of the allegations "appear to have been unreported or underreported," state department executive director Reggie Bicha said in a statement. Read more The mistreatment, abuse, neglect and exploitation (MANE) of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout the country, including here in our own backyard, is staggeringly pervasive. And while we all have successes in educating law enforcement and other professionals about responding to that MANE, our work is CLEARLY not done!
In recognition of NCVRW, we joined some of our collaborating partners
| | The Arc of Aurora Board member Ann leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the City of Aurora's NCVRW Proclamation Ceremony April 21. |
earlier this week at our local police department's national Crime Victims' Rights' Week Proclamation Ceremony. Both the Mayor of Aurora and Police Chief spoke about the importance of victims' rights and victim services. And thus it is that we are breathing deeply and carrying on tenaciously. Continue to let us know how we might support you in doing so in your community!
Jean Solis
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Opportunity
(events/activities to increase and/or support our skills in identifying and working with crime victims with I/DD in our communities) The Arc US' White Paper Series: Violence in the Lives of People with Disabilities: Emerging Issues and Solutions for 2015 and Beyond  Webinar - April 30th, 1:30-3:30 p.m. EST Webinar participants will be the first to obtain NCCJD's white paper on the topic of violence, abuse, and bullying which delves even deeper into the issues addressed on the webinar. For more information, click here. (on desktop) To register, click here. _______________________________________ |
Resources
(tools to help us in our work to address crime victimization of people with I/DD in our communities) The National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), along with project partners, is working to integrate findings from  cutting-edge research into everyday APS practices with the Research to Practice ("R2P") series. The R2P series includes webinars and publications to assist APS workers and administrators nationwide. A new Research to Practice (R2P) Brief titled Forensic Markers of Elder Abuse is now available and can be viewed on the NAPSA website. This brief is in conjunction with the webinar of the same name presented by Dr. Laura Mosqueda on 1/12/15. You may view the recording of that webinar here. Ending Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) Resources Exploring Alternative Reporting Methods In earlier publications (included in previous month's VTrails), EVAWI introduced key terms and concepts, as well as three communities that have successfully implemented alternative reporting methods. EVAWI also examined the importance of developing a multidisciplinary response protocol. Following are subsequent  resources produced on the topic of alternative reporting methods:
It's Time To Talk About: Victimization The rate of victimization is twice as high for people with disabilities... Having an intellectual disability, makes you 4 to 10 times more likely to be a victim. #ItsTimeToTalkAboutIt
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Articles (Abuse of people with I/DD occurs throughout the country, including in our own communities...)
Leon County Woman Arrested for Abuse of Disabled Patient Attorney General Pam Bondi's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit today arrested a former Florida State Hospital employee, Arlesia Richardson, 50, for abuse of a disabled adult. Acting on a referral by Adult Protective Services, a division of the Department of Children and Family Services, MFCU investigators discovered that Richardson provoked a disabled adult resident, with a history of self-injurious behavior, into hitting his head against a door multiple times. Richardson is no longer employed at the Florida State Hospital. March 25 (Florida)
Former Worker Accused of Beating Disabled Resident with Hanger As a result, Currie completed a "Marks card" on the victim, who is diagnosed as "profoundly mentally retarded," the court document stated. Following ... --- KAIT --- March 27, 2015 (ARKANSAS) Inside $2.2M Jury Award over Special Needs Child Kept in Restraint Desk This week, a U.S. District jury awarded $2.2 million in damages in the case of a special-needs child who attended Bessemer Academy in Pueblo as a ... --- Westword --- March 27, 2015 (COLORADO) Sarasota School Bus Driver Charged with Battering Special Needs Student You'll sometimes hear of students getting into fights on the school bus, but it's rare for that fight to include the bus driver ... --- WWSB ABC 7 --- March 26, 2015 (FLORIDA) Man Receives 25-Year Sentence for Rape of Autistic Athens Boy A man recently received a 25-year sentence in Clarke County Superior Court for his participation in the 2013 knifepoint rape of a 10-year-old Athens ... --- Online Athens --- March 26, 2015 (GEORGIA) Bourbonnais: Jury Finds Man Guilty of Raping Disabled Woman A 23-year-old man was convicted Thursday of raping a developmentally disabled woman last year, the verdict coming more than an hour after his ... --- Kankakee Daily Journal --- March 27, 2015 (ILLINOIS) Plea Deal: Natchitoches Man Gets 25 Years for Rape of Mentally-Challenged Client A Natchitoches man accused of raping a mentally impaired person will avoid life in prison, thanks to a plea deal that gets him 25 years without parole. --- KSLA-TV --- March 30, 2015 (LOUISIANA) Special Education Director in Maine School District on Leave after Assault Charges The special education director of a Maine school district is on paid administrative leave in the wake of his arrest on domestic violence ... --- Daily Journal --- March 25, 2015 (MAINE) Family: Bus Driver Dropped off Man with Severe Disabilities at Wrong House The family of an Allegheny County man with severe disabilities say he was dropped off at the wrong house and left alone after being discharged last ... --- WPXI Pittsburgh --- April 6, 2015 (PENNSYLVANIA) Teacher Accused of Sexually Assaulting Special Ed Student Pleads Not Guilty A North Fond du Lac teacher entered a not guilty plea Wednesday to multiple counts of sexually assaulting a special education student and now faces ... --- Fond du Lac Reporter --- April 1, 2015 (WISCONSIN) Special Needs Child from Shelbyville Allegedly Beat by Relative A 9-year-old special needs child from Shelbyville continues to recover from injuries allegedly inflicted by a caregiver. Maurice and Rochelle Clayton ... --- Wgnsradio --- April 5, 2015 (TENNESSEE) Report: Manager at NY Center to Protect Disabled Charged with Sex Crime An Albany County man -- who is a manager at the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs ... --- Syracuse.com --- March 31, 2015 (NEW YORK) Father Angry after Autistic Son Leaves School, Principal Doesn't Respond for 1.5 Hours He says the same school that diagnosed his son with autism didn't seem very concerned Monday when he disappeared from school. 11-year-old Jose ... --- KOB.com --- April 13, 2015 (NEW MEXICO) Disbarred Attorney Charged with Stealing $1.2 Million from Disabled Client, Prosecutors Say ... an eminent domain case after she convinced court officials that the physically and mentally-challenged woman wanted Jessup to collect it for her. --- Newsday --- April 9, 2015 (NEW YORK)
Jackson County Man Arrested for Aggravated Abuse of Developmentally Disabled Patient Attorney General Pam Bondi's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office today arrested a former employee of Sunland Center, in Marianna, Fla., for aggravated abuse of a disabled adult. While employed at Sunland, an intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled, Justin Holmes, 20, antagonized a wheelchair bound resident to charge his wheelchair into Holmes. According to the investigation, Holmes then reacted by throwing the resident out of his wheelchair and onto the floor. As a result of the altercation, the resident sustained a broken neck. March 31 (Florida)
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| | The Arc of Aurora 1342 South Chambers Road Aurora, CO 80017 720.213.1420 |
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designed to provide a basic understanding of what these rights are, as well as outlining the requirements for informing victims about their rights, explaining the process for asserting those rights, and exploring the procedures to follow when victims feel their rights have been violated during a criminal or civil proceeding. This general information must be supplemented with information that is specific to your own jurisdiction.
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