NOTE THIS WAS SENT VIA EMAIL TO ALL CAN DO MEMBERS ON MARCH 23, 2010.
Greetings,
This e-mail seeks to provide direction for the future of CAN DO as a way for individuals to come together to take action on issues important to them in their local community to improve the lives of people with disabilities. This e-mail describes CAN DO’s plan to consolidate their efforts with a similar statewide initiative: Communities for a Lifetime.
The last official communication was sent out in June 2009. At that time, most activities were put on hold due to unresolved questions about the initiative and limited time and resources at both the community and state level. However, interest in the central goals of the initiative—supporting collaborative action and innovative community level projects to improve the lives of people with disabilities—has remained strong. Even as this initiative has sought a clear direction, we offer our sincere thanks for your continued work to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Minnesota.
New Developments
A Legislative Report
http://www.mnaging.org/admin/cflDocs/CFL_FinalReport_2-22-10.pdf on the concept of Communities for a Lifetime (CFL) led to conversations about how CFL and CAN DO goals and approaches are related. The Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA)
http://www.mnaging.org was responsible for the report and has been a promoter of the CFL concept along with key partners: Transform 2010
http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&dDocName=id_054450&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased (a project of the Dept of Human Services or DHS) and Minnesota’s seven Area Agencies on Aging.
http://www.mn4a.org/
The table below illustrates the alignment between the goals of the two initiatives.
CAN DO CFL Comparison Table.doc
Like CAN DO, the CFL approach emphasizes community-level collaborative action and works to spread successful strategies around the state, through public speaking, regular videoconferences, occasional in-person forums, and a recent publication. The CFL initiative is currently working on the first version of a website to better connect community leaders with useful resources and tools, and each other, as the CAN DO website sought to do.
To date, CFL has been promoted primarily by organizations and advocates in aging. However, many CFL stakeholders consulted through the Legislative report process supported the use of CFL principles and strategies to improve community life for
people of all ages and abilities. In fact, 84 percent of respondents to an online survey indicated that they viewed CFL as a concept for all ages, not just older residents. Increasingly, CAN DO stakeholders have also seen the similarity between the two initiatives.
Plans for the future
Since Communities for a Lifetime is gaining more attention across the state, resources are in short supply, and CFL aligns well with CAN DO goals and approaches, DHS
Disabilities Services Division (DSD) has decided to consolidate their CAN DO efforts with the CFL initiative. Moving forward, the CFL initiative will be sponsored by MBA and the Continuing Care Administration of DHS, including DSD, the Aging and Adult Services Division and Transform 2010.
Ways to stay involved
1. Receive, review and act on e-mail updates from the CFL initiative
If you are not interested in CFL initiative activities, please send an email to: Peter Spuit, email:
Peter.Spuit@state.mn.us with your request and we will remove you from the CFL e-mail list. You can also remove yourself from this list at any time in the future.
2. Contact the CFL initiative coordinator with questions or feedback
Peter.Spuit@state.mn.us or 651-431-2359
3. Visit the future CFL website http://www.mnaging.org/admin/cfl.htm (intended launch date: April 15, 2010)
The CFL initiative will keep you informed about website developments. The site will be a place to learn more about the initiative, access a wealth of resources and tools, and connect with others engaged in community-level work.
CAN DO plans to discontinue its website on or before April 15, 2010. Valuable content and resources from the CAN DO website will be made available on the CFL website.
4. Attend a CFL videoconference session (offered at sites throughout the state)
The next session is scheduled for April 8, 2010 from 9:00-12:00. See the CFL website (website listed above in in 3.) for more details. CFL videoconferences typically feature presentations from 2-3 community-level initiatives. A variety of communities, e.g., rural and urban, small and larger, and a variety of projects are presented.
We hope you will consider continued involvement with the important work of CAN DO through the CFL initiative. CFL sponsors and partners see great promise in working together to build livable communities for people as they live and age with disabilities!
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Welcome to the Collaborative Action Network Developing Opportunities or often called CAN DO Network for short.
CAN DO is a statewide effort to bring people together who share one common purpose: to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Minnesota.
CAN DO believes local communities often find new and creative ways to provide services and opportunities that allow people with disabilities to achieve their goals and realize their potential. This network seeks to support innovative solutions through a forum that allows people to:
1.) Communicate 2.) Share Ideas 3.) Build Partnerships & 4.) Improve CHOICES. The CHOICES are the life domains that CAN DO focuses on:
C ommunity Membership
H ealth, Wellness and Safety
O wn Place to Live
I mportant long-term Relationships
C ontrol Over Supports
E mployment Earnings & Income
Our goal is to Turn Talk into Action!
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