COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 120

July 25, 2003

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Jo Lynne DeMary Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	2003-2004 Training Opportunity on Abuse and Neglect of Students with Disabilities

The Virginia Department of Education is pleased to announce a training opportunity for five school divisions and their community partners involving abuse and neglect of students with disabilities. This interdisciplinary training will be offered through funding provided by the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia Department of Social Services, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and the Virginia Commonwealth University Partnership for People with Disabilities.

This two-day training program will be offered in a local setting by a multi-disciplinary team of trainers, consisting of educators, social workers, parents, and law enforcement personnel. Each training session can accommodate 40 participants, including 20 participants from the school division. School division staff members should include special and regular educators, school administrators, and others responsible for identifying and reporting suspected child abuse or neglect, including school nurses and guidance counselors. Preference will be given to those school divisions that have not previously participated in this training.

Child protective services workers, foster care/adoption workers, law enforcement officers, school resource officers, court appointed special advocates(CASA) volunteers, victim witness staff, and parents of children with disabilities also will be included in the training.

The training will address the following topics:

• overview and prevalence of abuse and neglect of students with disabilities
• risk factors for abuse and neglect
• dynamics of abuse
• indicators of abuse and neglect of students with disabilities
• family and cultural issues
• roles of school and community partners
• use of community resources
• recognizing and responding to abuse and neglect
• fostering resiliency in students with disabilities
• managing challenging behavior with positive behavioral support.

As a condition for approval, school division applicants must provide letters of support from their community partners, including the local department of social services, local police and sheriffs departments, and parents of children with disabilities, stating that they intend to participate in the training. Each school division also must provide an accessible training facility and lunches for participants. The Department of Education will reimburse school divisions for the cost of substitute teachers.

School divisions interested in being considered for this training opportunity must complete the attached application. Applications should be returned by August 29, 2003, to Lanett Willis Brailey, education specialist, Division of Special Education and Student Services, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120. Applications may be submitted by fax at (804) 371-8796. Notification of divisions selected will be made by September 15, 2003. Questions and technical assistance requests may be directed to Ms. Brailey at (mailto:lbrailey@mail.vak12ed.edu) or (804) 786-0308.

JLD/lwb

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/administrators/superintendents_memos/2003/inf120a.pdf