UCEDD and Seminary Preservice and Community Education

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UCEDD and Seminary Preservice and Community
Education

• Harold Kleinert
• November 13, 2007
• AUCD

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A Step Towards Community Education.

• Call to Hospitality conference, co-sponsored by
  the Human Development Institute (Kentucky UCEDD)
  and the Lexington Theological Seminary in
  November 2006.
• Designed to bring clergy, professionals, and
  families together to learn about establishing
  truly inclusive faith communities.

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A Joint Endeavor.

• Included national speakers (Dr. Nancy Eiesland,
  Rev. Bill Gaventa, Kathy Buldoc) who touched upon
  
• Theology of disability and inclusion
• Practical strategies for faith inclusion directed
  towards clergy and seminary students, individuals
  with disabilities, families, and developmental
  disability professionals.

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A Joint Endeavor Cont.

• With a Local Inter-faith Panel
• That explored dimensions of hospitality within
  varying faith traditions
• And the approaches that specific congregations
  have taken to make their faith communities more
  inclusive.

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Building Upon Initial Efforts. A Pre-service
Dimension

• A Family Mentorship Approach for Seminary
  Students
• Inclusion of a parent panel in the Pastoral Care
  class January 2008
• Development of individual family mentorships for
  seminary students (based on the model used for
  our pediatric developmental rotation) January
  2008

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Family Mentors

• Will Be Assigned to Individual Seminary Students
• Seminary Students Will Participate in a Minimum
  of Two Activities with the Family
• Hopefully One of Those Will Be a Religious
  Participation Activity!

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Evaluating This Effort

• We Will Ask Seminary Students How This Has
  Changed Their Outlook or Awareness of the Needs
  of Families and Individuals with Developmental
  Disabilities
• The Challenges They Noted for the Familys and
  Individuals Faith Participation
• Effective Strategies They Noted For Their Family
• And Their Own Recommendations!

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Contact Info

• Harold L. Kleinert, Ed.D.
• KY UCEDD Human Development Institute
• hklein_at_uky.edu