for blind people to operate vending stands in federal and state buildings. The Independent Living and Rehabilitation program provides services to seniors who are legally blind. The services include mobility and orientation, adaptive daily living skills, low vision services, adjustment counseling, family counseling and peer support. There are monthly support groups in various locations. The Commission for the Blind has a comprehensive live-in rehabilitation facility in Kalamazoo, Mich. The Jewish Community Center 6600 W. Maple Rd. W. Bloomfield, MI 48033 661-1000, ext. 314, 661-1900 TDD Margo Weitzer The Maple-Drake building has a monthly Low Vision support group run in conjunction with Sinai Hospital. There is transportation from designated areas. The JPM building in Oak Park and the Maple-Drake building offer weekly exercise classes for people with low vision. There is no charge for the support group, but there is for the exercise classes. Oakland County Library for the Blind. and Physically Handicapped 32737 W. 12 Mile Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Carol Hund 553-0300 Voice, 553-0320 TDD Oakland County Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is part of a National Library system providing talking books and equipment for people with reading disabilities. Visual aids are available for borrowing and special adaptive switches for equipment may be special ordered. Oakland County residents with hearing impairments may borrow a closed caption device for the television. Head phones with special amplifiers are also available for loan. HEARING IMPAIRMENT Special education services are available through the public schools for students from birth to age 26. If deafness or hearing impairment is the primary handicapping condition, most students graduate at 18 or 19. Some students are in "center" programs and some students are part of the typical classroom. Ancillary services include speech pathology, teacher consultant, and listening devices needed for an appropriate education. Call the local special education director or Oakland Schools at 858-2121. Community Services for the Hearing Impaired 50 Wayne Street, Suite 201 Pontiac, MI 48341 Mary Colton 332-3323 Voice or TDD Community Services for the Hearing Impaired has referral for an interpreter. They have information and referral services as well as direct client services. They offer programs and workshops, sign language classes, and offer TDD/Voice relay services. CSHI has a speakers bureau and consultation service. For free AIDS information for deaf and hearing impaired people, call 1-800-AIDS- TTY. They offer community awareness and education activities as well as social activities. They sponsor captioned movies. Oakland Community Mental Health Deaf Connections of Oakland County 31 Oakland Avenue Pontiac, MI 48058 Len Switras 858-5331 TDD, 858-5326 Voice Deaf Connections offers services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and/or their family members. Some of the areas that may be covered in counseling are: depression, adjusting or coping with hearing loss, loss through divorce or death, parenting, difficulty in school, family or work related problems. Sign language interpreters are provided as needed. Costs are covered by health insurance including Medicaid and Medicare or on a sliding fee scale. After hours crisis service is available through Common Ground (North, 338-7450, South, 543-2900 both Voice or TDD). Sinai Hospital Hearing Impaired Professional Services 15440 W. McNichols Detroit, MI 48235 Dr. Keith Lepard 493-6274 Voice, 493-6277 TDD Sinai Hospital Hearing Impaired Professional Services offers the same services as Deaf Connections of Oakland County as well as having a psychiatrist as director to oversee medical services as may be related to the hearing impairment. SHHIPS also offers a symposium open to anyone interested in learning about the impact of deafness on the individual and family, examining the many facets of deafness and other hearing impairments and providing participants with information they can use in their own work or life. The symposium is taught by SHHIPS staff and is free. Jewish Community Center 6600 W. Maple Road W. Bloomfield, MI 48033 Margo Weitzer 661-1000 ext. 314, 661-1900 TDD The JCC runs a bi-weekly peer support group for people experiencing hearing loss. Most of the attendees are seniors. The group is facilitated by an audiologist from Sinai Hospital. There are monthly movies shown in subtitles. The JCC has a portable infrared listening system available for any program. Please call first for a reservation. Many temples and synagogues have assistive listening devices. A reservation may be made in advance or just ask the usher the day of services. Check with your temple or synagogue. Temple Emanu-El has a sign language interpreter on the third Friday of the month Shabbat service. the services that the child is getting and makes sure the family is aware of all the available resources for both the child and the family, and will act as an advocate when necessary. CSHCS is involved in areas of prevention as well. Some families are automatically eligible for free services while other families share in the cost of care according to an established schedule. MENTAL ILLNESS Kadima 29200 Southfield Road, Suite 205 Southfield, MI 48076 Miriam lwrey 559-8235 Kadima offers support services for adults with mental illness. There is one home for 6 residents and an apartment program designed for mentally ill adults to live semi- independently in the community. Services provided by Kadima include but are not limited to: solving daily living problems, structuring leisure time, utilizing community resources, gaining and/or maintaining employment. Psychiatric, social work and nursing services are also available. Kadima has an outreach program to help individuals and families obtain services needed for a client to live independently. Oakland County Community Mental Health 20300 Civic Center Drive, Suite 320 Southfield, MI 48076 Pete Hartman 354-7530 Community Mental Health offers services for people with a mental illness. They have counseling services including case management and medication reviews. CMH contracts for Community Living Centers, an apartment program for mentally ill adults. See Jewish Vocational Service and New Horizons for opportunities for people with mental illness. 29699 Southfield Southfield, MI 48076 Albert Ascher 559-1500 (This is only one of many programs offered at JVS.) Participants in the Jewish Vocational Services' Adult Day program use a variety of skill-building techniques to achieve their maximum potential. Clients receive counseling and advocacy services. Work skills are developed at on and off-site locations with appropriate support. Clients learn activities of daily living in order to become fully integrated into the community. These may include money management, shopping and restaurant skills or personal hygiene and grooming skills. Physical conditioning and leisure interests are also developed. Case management services are provided. New Horizons of Oakland County 117 Turk Pontiac, MI 48053 Israel Hochberg 338-6176 A variety of work experiences are available to clients at New Horizons to capitalize on their skills. After assessment, clients develop their talents to work with the most independence possible. Work sites may be in-house or on-site. Job coaches are used as needed. The ultimate goal is competitive employment. The Jewish Community Center 6600 E. Maple Rd. West Bloomfield, MI 48033 Leannie Gunsberg 661-1000 Voice, 661-1900 TDD Mrs. Gunsberg coordinates a Thursday night social group for adults in the community with developmental disabilities. Activities include coffee houses, dances, cultural events, and movies. Some attractive arts and crafts and projects are included. DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES Special education services are available through the public school system for students from birth to age 26. Contact the local special education director or Oakland Schools, 858-2121. Community Mental Health 1200 N. Telegraph Road Pontiac, MI 48058 Tom Woodard 858-1225 Respite care services are available for families that have a child with developmental disabilities (The waiting list is long). There are several centers in the county that have Jewish Information Service 15110 W. Ten Mile Road Oak Park, MI 48237 Carol Kaczander or Barbara Lefton 967-4357 Voice, 967-0460 TDD The Jewish Information Service is an information and referral service. They are currently set up to be a relay system between the deaf community and helping agencies. Children's Special Health Care Services 1200 N. Telegraph Pontiac, MI 48058 Elaine Sinkule 858-5409 Children's Special Health Care Services covers chronic physical conditions that require care by medical or surgical specialists until age 21. If a child is suspected of having a condition of this type, CSHCS will provide a free medical evaluation. The public health nurse oversees Jewish Vocational Service JARC 28366 Franklin Road Southfield, MI 48034 Joyce Keller 352-5272 JARC helps prepare place and supervise mentally impaired adults in residential settings. These settings may be a Haverim home or in the DeRoy Independent Apartment Program. JARC does Coordinated Intervention Services, which is case management for clients with dual diagnosis of mental retardation and mental illness. JARC offers a Family Assistance Program that provides information, referral, some counseling, and case management for families and clients on the waiting list. OTHER PROGRAMS after school and Saturday respite programs (call Pat Shiflet, 858-1010). Counseling, individual or family, may be accessed through CMH. Community Mental Health is the first step in the system for families that will be making an out-of-home placement for their child eventually. CMH has limited space in a day program for people over 26. Chaverim The Jewish Community Center 6600 W. Maple Road West Bloomfield, MI 48322 Leannie Gunsberg 661-1000 Voice, 661-1900 TDD Social, cultural and recreational program meets twice a month for persons 20-45 with some sort of physical disability. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS L 7 -