9 April 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Further Information Contact:
Steve Hamerdinger, President
steve.hamerdinger@...

ADARA FORUMS PRESENTS
"RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCACY"

As part of the continuing series of on-line discussions, ADARA will be
offering a session on health care and the deaf community. The
discussion on " Religious Organizations and advocacy" will be led by
Rev. Jay Croft, on Monday, April 17th at 8:00 PM Central Time (9 PM
Eastern time, 6 PM Pacific Time) in the ADARA Chat Room.

Rev. Jay Croft was an Episcopal priest for 37 years before retiring
recently and has a well-earned reputation as an effective advocate for
Deaf Rights. He was instrumental in the successful prosecution of
several civil rights complaints in Alabama, which have had tremendous
impact on medical and mental health service there. Rev. Croft will
share some "lessons learned" as he leads what is sure to be a
provocative discussion on the role of religious organizations in
advocating for deaf consumers.

ADARA wants to remind members that continuing education credits will be
awarded for members who participate in the discussion. Each session
will be worth 1.5 contact hours. Please be sure to check the website
(www.adara.org) prior to the discussion for information on how to obtain
CE credits. More enhancements are planned, including expanded CEU
eligibility.

Upcoming forums include "Emerging Trends in Vocational Rehabilitation,
facilitated by Dan LaBrosse on May 15th, Emerging Technology and
Deafness, led by Cindy Camp on June 19th.and "Counselor Credentialing"
by Dr. Barry Stephens on August 21st. Other exciting forums are in
development and will be announced in the weeks ahead.

If you missed the previous forums, you will find transcripts on the
ADARA website.

To log onto the chat or to get transcripts, go to www.adara.org, scroll
down to the "Community" box and click on the "Chat Room" button. Follow
the instructions to log in.

ADARA is an organization of professionals networking for excellence in
service delivery with individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. ADARA
strives to be the leader among professional organizations in
transforming the paradigm of rehabilitation of Deaf people to enhancing
the quality of life with people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
##

Steve Hamerdinger, Director
Office of Deaf Services
Alabama Department of Mental Health
and Mental Retardation
(334) 353-4701 (TTY)