Projects and Programs

Guam CEDDERS continues to make progress towards its mission to “create pathways that enhance, improve, and support the quality of life of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.” Working in partnership with individuals with disabilities, their families, agencies, organizations, and service providers, provides a wide array of services and supports through 42 projects to address critical needs in the Guam and Pacific Basin community. A summary of these projects is organized under three Initiative Areas.

1. Leadership & Systems Change
   • Core Grant
2. Health, Wellness, & Prevention
   • Guam Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (Guam EDHI) Projects
   • Guam State Early Learning Advisory Council
   • Project Kariñu
   • Project Tinituhon (“The Beginning”)
3. Inclusive Communities
   • Guam System for Assistive Technology (GSAT)
   • IDEA Part B and Part C Technical Assistance for: CNMI Pubic School System, FSM National Department of Education, Guam Public School System
   • Project REAL (Realize, Empower and Apply Locally)
   • The Pacific Assessment Consortium to Implement Fully Innovative Change (PACIFIC) Project
   • Pacific Vision Instruction Project (Pacific VIP) Master’s Degree Program

1. Leadership & Systems Change (LSC)

Projects and activities under this Initiative Area focus on the facilitation of ongoing systems change and program development efforts within the community that reflect and respond to emerging and persistent needs affecting the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families. The areas of emphasis included in this Initiative Area are: Transportation, Employment, Quality Assurance, and Quality of Life.

For more information on CLSC projects and activities, contact Ginger Porter at (671) 735-2369 or email ginger.porter@guamcedders.org.

Core Grant

As its title suggests, the Core Grant from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities supports the central administration and operation, “the Core” of Guam CEDDERS, and maintains the infrastructure for managing grants, contracts, the work with the Guam CEDDERS Advisory Council, and various projects that fall under the Consumer Leadership and Systems Change Initiative Area.

It provides support to leverage funding for a range of needs addressed by Guam CEDDERS that require direct incubation support. Two such examples addressed this year are the development of emergency preparedness plans and training of direct service personnel for individuals with disabilities. The Core also supports product development, overall reporting, and the dissemination process.

Projects under the Core Grant include:

• Self-Advocacy Training

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• Pripåra Hao - Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities

In collaboration with Guam Homeland Security, Office of Civil Defense, Guam CEDDERS prepared several products with information on emergency preparedness for individuals with disabilities and their families. A detailed guidebook and checklist, as well as TV commercials featuring individuals with disabilities were developed to implore the public to “get ready” and “be prepared” in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.

To find out more about Pripåra Hao and to download Emergency Preparedness Resources visit www.guamcedders.org/priparahao.

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• Transportation Policy Development and Training

Identified as one of the top three issues and challenges for people with disabilities who live on the island, Guam CEDDERS continues to provide critical technical assistance, training, legislative testimony, and research for policy development in the area of transportation with support from our Core funding. A major initiative was a concerted effort to re-establish a mass transit authority. Guam CEDDERS has also established strong links with the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) which is providing key technical assistance and training in this area.

In addition, Guam CEDDERS conducts training for passengers and operators. The Passenger Service and Safety (PASS) training is nationally certified by CTAA. This 16-hour training educates transit operators on safety and service for customers with disabilities. Guam CEDDERS also trains transit riders on rights and responsibilities through the training of peer riders who mentor other riders to have a better understanding and improved utilization of public transportation.

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2. Health, Wellness and Prevention (HWP)

Efforts in this area include facilitation of technical assistance, training, and evaluation activities which specifically address early childhood, child care, and health care issues affecting persons with disabilities throughout their lifespan. The areas of emphasis included in this Initiative Area are: Early Intervention, Child Care, and Health.

For more information on HWP projects and activities, contact Elaine Eclavea at (671) 735-2466 or email elaine.eclavea@guamcedders.org.

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Guam Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (Guam EDHI) Projects

Now in its eighth year, the Guam EHDI projects have made significant resources available to provide and maintain a system of standards of care in the area of universal newborn hearing and related supports on Guam. Two projects under this initiative include:

For more information about the Guam EHDI Projects, visit online at www.guamehdi.org.

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Guam State Early Learning Advisory Council

Guam CEDDERS provides technical assistance and training to the Guam Early Learning Council to improve coordination and collaboration among early childhood education and care programs and services in Guam.

• Goal 1: The Guam Early Learning Council will have staff to assist and implement the desired outcomes in social marketing, professional development, and family support.
• Goal 2: Guam will have a Social Marketing Plan that covers an array of media outlets.
• Goal 3: Guam will have a plan for ensuring all young children enter school ready for kindergarten.
• Goal 4: Guam will have a process for data collection and sharing, aligned with the early childhood performance indicators, across various early childhood serving agencies and programs.

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Project Kariñu

Project Kariñu is an early childhood initiative using a Public Health approach that will serve children ages birth through five years by providing screening, assessment, mental health promotion, family education, mental health consultation, and individualized services and supports.

Guam CEDDERS, through contracts with the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS), has primary responsibilities in cultural and linguistic competence (CLC), the design and implementation of the evaluation of the project, and in the technical assistance and training of stakeholders.

Project Kariñu is funded through the Child Mental Health Initiative (CMHI), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and is a collaboration of:

• The Department of Public Health & Social Services (DPHSS) (lead agency)
• University Of Guam’s Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (Guam CEDDERS)
• Guam’s Positive Parents Together (GPPT)
• Guam Identifies Families’ Terrific Strengths (G.I.F.T.S.)
• Guam Early Learning Council (GELC)
• Guam Department of Education (GDOE)
• Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse (DMHSA)
• Other community-based organizations and providers.

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Project Tinituhon (“The Beginning”)

Funded through the Maternal Child Health State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Grant, Project Tinituhon provides support to the Governor’s Early Learning Council. A major activity of this project was the Governor’s Early Childhood Summit, involving stakeholders representing various constituencies, which formulated a comprehensive plan to address needs in the areas of early childhood education, access to health services, social emotional development and mental health, and family support and parent education. Other activities include hosting a Family Fairs and the development and dissemination of public awareness materials.

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3. Inclusive Communities

Facilitating activities that provide a variety of training and technical assistance opportunities that promote the increase of meaningful community involvement of individuals with disabilities and their families is the focus of the Inclusive Communities Initiative Area. The areas of emphasis included in this Initiative Area are: Education and Assistive Technology

For more information on IC projects and activities, contact June Quitugua at (671) 735-2495 or email june.quitugua@guamcedders.org.

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Guam System for Assistive Technology (GSAT)

GSAT’s mission is to enhance the independence, productivity and quality of life for all residents of Guam, through increased access and acquisition of AT devices and services. To fulfill this mission, GSAT offered the following services and programs:

• GSAT Demonstration and Resource Center allows community members to visit, learn, and make an informed decision in selecting the best AT to meet their needs through AT device demonstrations and equipment displays.
• AT Device Lending Library provides the community with the opportunity to experience any device available at the center for a period of 30-days or less, free of charge, to assist them in making a decision about assistive technology.
• AT Recycling & Exchange Program is a service that helps get “previously owned” AT devices into the hands of people with disabilities that need them, usually at a lower price than buying new.
• Alternative Funding Programs provide the community a means to purchase AT or pursue home-based employment with low-interest loans.
• The Guam Options for Alternative Loans – Assistive Technology Loan Program (GOAL-AT) is a federally funded island-wide program available to individuals with disabilities that provides affordable financial loans for the purchase of assistive technology devices and services.
• Get Guam Teleworking (GGT) Loan Program is a federally funded program administered by GSAT. The mission of the program is to offer affordable financial loans to help individuals with disabilities purchase equipment in order to telework. Telework is defined as paid employment that is regularly performed at a place other than the employer’s office or place of business, such as the worker’s home or a telework center.

To find out more about GSAT, visit online at: www.gsatcedders.org.

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IDEA Part B and Part C Technical Assistance for: CNMI Pubic School System, FSM National Department of Education, Guam Public School System

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires each entity to report annually on the performance of compliance and results-oriented measures through the development of State Performance Plans (SPPs) and Annual Performance Reports (APRs). Guam CEDDERS is contracted to provide technical support for the development of these entity’s SPPs and APRs for IDEA Part B, the requirements for special education and IDEA Part C, the requirements for early intervention. Technical support also includes facilitation of prioritized SPP improvement activities, such as the review of parent and family surveys.

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Project REAL (Realize, Empower and Apply Locally)

Through Project REAL, Guam CEDDERS provided technical assistance to the Federated States of Micronesia National Department of Education to assist them in meeting established priorities for the national and state Special Education programs. Areas addressed included program development, implementation of the Local Monitoring Systems, development of the State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report.

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The Pacific Assessment Consortium to Implement Fully Innovative Change (PACIFIC) Project

This project provides for the facilitation of the continued collaborative commitment of the six Pacific Basin entities to build regional and local capacity for the development and full implementation of high-quality alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAS). These six entities, known as the Pacific Assessment Consortium (PAC6) for this project (American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau), use alternate academic achievement standards to obtain accurate reporting and analysis of participation and performance data of students with significant cognitive disabilities in each entity’s inclusive assessment system. The concerted efforts to build regional and local capacity speaks to the commitment of the PAC6 to “implement fully innovative change” in how research and best practices can be effectively applied in multi-lingual, multi-cultural island communities with varying infrastructure capacities for economic, health, and educational development.

Find out more about PAC6 and the Pacific Project online at www.pac6.org.

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Pacific Vision Instruction Project (Pacific VIP) Master’s Degree Program

The Pacific Vision Instruction Project (Pacific VIP) Master’s Degree Program will be providing up to 20 scholarships for a four-year Master of Education in Special Education degree plus dual credentials in Teacher of Visual Impairments (TVI) and Orientation and Mobility (O&M). Guam CEDDERS is now accepting applications!

Click for more information.

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