Applications for the 2021 Community Investment Fund are now being accepted! The Community Investment Fund is made available annually for innovative projects that help people with disabilities live, learn, work and play in their communities alongside people without disabilities. Any Montana organization, agency, non-profit group, or individual with a creative idea developed by/with people with disabilities to promote community inclusion is eligible to apply. To learn more, watch the CIF video and visit the CIF website.

Being a decision-maker for your own healthcare is important. Families and healthcare providers want children to become good decision-makers. For some children this takes more support, practice, and some special tools. Learning this skill should begin in childhood and continue into adulthood. The Skills and Strategies for Health Care Decision-Making guide helps families and healthcare providers support children to learn the skills they need.

The Montana Deaf-Blind Project is pleased to welcome Julie Maier, California Deafblind Services Educational Specialist, to provide an introduction to and overview of interveners. Attend this free webinar for answers to questions such as:

• What is an Intervener?
• How do they differ from paraprofessionals and interpreters?
• Why might students with deaf-blindness need an intervener?
• How do you determine that an individual student needs an intervener?
• What skills and training does someone need to be an intervener?
• Where can they learn those skills/obtain that training?
• What is the Cogswell-Macy Act and what does it have to do with intervener services?