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Friday Mail News
July 2, 2009
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Events:
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The Arc Detroit, as part of its community awareness
project, is offering the following free training
opportunities. For all events, please RSVP to Barbara R.
Cardinal, Mental Health Navigator at 313.831.0202.
Other items:
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Make the Most Out of the
Independence Day Congressional Recess
Congress is in the process of putting together health
care reform legislation. We desperately want long term
services and supports (LTSS) to be addressed as part of
health care reform. The Arc’s chapters must communicate
this view directly to Congressional offices right away!
We
realize that most of you have been focused on fighting
severe cuts to your state budgets for developmental
disabilities services. This is exactly why your voice
is so important now – to help Members of Congress
understand the connection between
state Medicaid budget
crises and the need to include
sustainable long term
care financing and program improvements
in federal health care reform legislation.
We
particularly need to bring this message to Members of
Congress who serve on the key committees that will be
considering health care reform legislation:
TAKE ACTION
Many Members of Congress will spend the weeklong Fourth
of July recess in their home districts. Please participate in one or more of the following over
the Independence Day recess between:
Saturday, July 4th
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Town Hall meetings sponsored by your Members of
Congress. You
may be able to find a list of town halls on your
Senators’ and Representative's Web sites. Locate
your Senators' Web sites by selecting your state at
the top of
http://www.senate.gov/ and your Representative’s
website by entering you zip code at the top of
http://www.house.gov. If you cannot locate this
information on the websites, please call their main
offices and ask to speak to the scheduler.
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In–district meetings with your Members of Congress. Please
contact your local Members offices NOW to schedule a
meeting. Guidance on requesting in-district
meetings is usually provided under a “Constituent
Services” section of your Senators' and
Representative's websites. Again, you can also call
their main offices and ask to speak to their
schedulers.
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Other Community calendar events. Many
local newspapers have extensive listings of fairs,
parades, concerts, and other community events where
Members of Congress might show up
Please feel free to utilize the following materials to
help guide your LTSS advocacy:
Please note that you are receiving this alert because of
your leadership role in The Arc. We will be issuing a
similar alert to our broader grassroots network through
our e-advocacy system in the next few days. We will be
encouraging them to contact their local and state
chapters to lend their support to any LTSS-related
activities over the Independence Day Congressional recess.
For additional LTSS information and resources, visit
www.passtheclassact.org. If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact me at
202-783-2229 or
acosta@thedpc.org
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Current AARP
Congressional LTC Agenda in Healthcare Reform Proposals
AARP continues to advocate in Congress for inclusion of LTC
as part of national health reform legislation being
debated. Below is a list of currently identified
proposals they are pursuing. Please share and join in!
Go to
www.healthactionnow.org for more information on AARP
efforts and opportunities for you and others to get
involved. It's getting VERY busy in DC now, "District
Work Periods" notwithstanding!
Overview
AARP believes any final health care package must improve
long-term care (LTC) so more Americans can receive
services at home rather than in often more costly
institutions. Long-term care reform should address two
critical issues: expanding access to home-and
community-based services; and improving help for family
caregivers so they are better able to provide the
services and supports individuals need to receive care
at home.
Surveys show that 89% of Americans age 50 or older
prefer to live in their homes as long as possible. Yet
Medicaid, the largest payer of long-term care in the
country, is biased towards institutional care;
nationally, 73% of Medicaid LTC spending for older
people and adults with physical disabilities pays for
institutional services, with only 27% going to
home-and-community-based services (HCBS) that people
prefer. However, HCBS can often be provided at less cost
than institutionalized care. According to an AARP
report, on average, Medicaid dollars spent on HCBS can
support nearly three people for every one person in a
nursing home. In addition, states that invest in HCBS
can, over time, slow their rate of Medicaid spending on
long-term care (LTC).
That’s why AARP is calling on Congress to support
several important pieces of legislation that would help
make it possible for more Americans to receive care at
home rather than in a more costly institution.
Empowered at Home Act of 2009 (S. 434/H.R. 2688)
The Empowered at Home Act of 2009 (S.434/H.R. 2688),
sponsored by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and Sen. Chuck
Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Rep.
Diana DeGette (D-CO) would:
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Provide states with additional financial incentives
so more Americans can receive care at home;
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Give states more flexibility to fund home and
community-based services (HCBS) rather
than just institutional care;
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Provide the spouses of HCBS recipients the same
protections
against poverty as are provided for the spouses of
nursing home residents;
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Change the “asset limit” for HCBS so that
individuals who
receive services at home can still afford to
maintain their homes and pay for other necessary
expenses; and
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Make other improvements in Medicaid HCBS.
AARP is calling on Congress to ensure S. 434/H.R. 2688
is included in any final health care reform package.
Retooling the Health Care Workforce for an Aging America
Act of 2009
The Retooling the Health Care Workforce for an Aging
America Act of 2009 (S. 245/H.R. 468), sponsored by Sen.
Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) would
improve long-term care by providing family caregivers
with:
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Help to ensure that caregivers’ needs are addressed
as part of routine assessment procedures done for
people in Medicaid who receive home-and
community-based services;
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Information and referral resources to help reduce
gaps in care that often occur during the transition
from one care setting to another; and
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Training opportunities, including courses and free
online training materials.
The bill also helps make sure the health care workforce
will be ready to care for an aging population, such as
by expanding training for faculty and practitioners in
geriatrics, chronic care management, and long-term care
and improving training for direct care workers.
AARP is calling on Congress to ensure S. 245/H.R. 468 is
included in any final health care reform package.
Home and Community Balanced Incentives Act (S. 1256)
The Home and Community Balanced Incentives Act (S.
1256), sponsored by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Sen.
Herb Kohl (D-WI), would:
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Give financial incentives to states to provide new
or expanded home and community-based services;
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Develop a statewide services and information
clearinghouse so people can have one, easy to use
point-of-contact to learn about their home and
community based options;
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Allow consumers to be in charge of their own home
care;
Provide a coordinated system that assists
individuals with getting the services and supports
they need, including those transitioning from
nursing homes back to the community;
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Allow for expedited eligibility for home and
community-based services;
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Create standardized, state-wide assessment tools to
determine eligibility for home and community-based
services; and
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Make other improvements in Medicaid HCBS
AARP is calling on Congress to ensure S. 1256 is
included in any final health care reform package.
Project 2020: Building on the Promise of Home and
Community-Based Services Act (S. 1257/H.R. 2852)
The Project 2020: Building on the Promise of Home and
Community-Based Services Act (S. 1257/H.R. 2852),
sponsored by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Sen. Debbie
Stabenow (D-MI) and Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) and Rep.
John Sarbanes (D-MD), would:
AARP is calling on Congress to ensure S. 1257/H.R. 2852
is included in any final health care reform package
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(posted 07/02/09) |
Action on Mental Health Parity
Promised
Earlier this week, the
state House passed House Bills 4183 and 4476, which
would require insurers to cover the diagnosis and
treatment of autism spectrum disorders. The bills as
passed contain significant changes - including
several definitions, a coverage cap of $50,000 for
Applied Behavior Analysis, and requirements for a
“treatment review” - from earlier versions of the
bills. HB 4183 and 4476 were referred to the Senate
Committee on Economic Development and Regulatory
Reform.
During debate on the
House floor, numerous legislators spearheaded an
effort to “substitute in” comprehensive mental
health and substance abuse parity language. They
withdrew these efforts after securing a commitment
from House Speaker Andy Dillon that committee and
floor action on the mental health parity package
will take place in the late summer or early fall.
Now that the House leadership
has committed to bringing the Mental health parity
bills (HB 4597 - HB 4600) to the floor, it is
important to ensure that your state representative
supports them. If your state representative is
already a co-sponsor, write a thank
you letter or make a phone call.
If your state
representative is not yet a co-sponsor, urge him or
her to support the bills. If you don't know who your
state representative is, click
here and enter your county and zip code. Learn
more about the
Michigan Partners for Parity grass roots effort
and review The Arc Michigan's
talking points on mental health
parity.
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(posted 06/26/09)
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President Backtracks on
Community Choice Act
Ten years ago, the
U.S. Supreme Court said
that bias amounted to discrimination. Now, as
disability advocates celebrate the anniversary of
that landmark ruling
known as the "Olmstead Decision", they worry
the Obama administration is backing away from a
pledge to give more people with disabilities the
option to live at home.
As a senator,
Barack Obama co-sponsored the
Community Choice Act, pending legislation that
would give Medicaid recipients equal access to
services in the community and not force them into
institutions. But the administration recently said
it
would not address the issue
as part of its proposed health care overhaul.
Disability rights
advocates were so angered that at least 90 were
arrested during an April protest outside the White
House. For some, the dispute was a blunt reminder of
how hard it has been to put an end to discrimination
even with affirmation from the Supreme Court.
Obama's staff
wouldn't say what his current position is on making
community programs mandatory. The White House Web
site had said Obama would support the Community
Choice Act. Recently,
the site was changed
to say he would "build on existing efforts to
encourage states to shift more of their services
away from institutions."
Read more about the bias
towards institutions and the
Olmstead Decision at
Pro Publica.
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(posted 06/26/09)
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Changes Proposed to Medicaid Waiver
The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services is
proposing regulatory changes to the administration
of the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services
Waiver. It is seeking public comment until August 21.
The waiver funds support services for persons with
disabilities to live in the community instead of
institutions. The proposed changes would impact how
people are determined to be qualified for waiver
services and where they are allowed to live with waiver
funding.
The proposal follows this week's launch of President
Barack Obama’s initiative, “The Year of Community
Living,” in honor of the tenth anniversary of the
Supreme Court’s decision in the case Olmstead v. LC and
EW. In the Olmstead decision, the court determined that
states have an obligation to provide community-based
living options for people with disabilities.
Further information about the proposed changes and
instructions for commenting on them can be found
here. top
(posted 6/24/09)
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Key Issues Update: Supports for
Persons with Developmental Disabilities
The Arc Michigan 2009
Conference presentation by Michael J. Head, Director,
Mental Health Substance Abuse Administration, MDCH.
Click here for
PPT,
HTML or
PDF version of the presentation.
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(posted 6/22/09)
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MDDC Newsletter Restarted
The Michigan Developmental
Disabilities Council has restarted its monthly
newsletter. Here is the first issue of The
DD Community Update.
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(posted 6/18/09)
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2009 Americans with Disabilities (ADA)
Tool Kit
The
DBTAC
- Network of ADA Centers has
announced the release of the
2009 Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Anniversary Tool
Kit. Together with its
Affiliate Networks and Partners, the network has
accomplished significant results toward voluntary ADA
compliance. The Tool Kit captures the collective
achievements and offers informative materials designed
to help you plan and publicize your ADA activities
during the ADA Anniversary and throughout the year. The
Tool Kit includes:
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Overview of the
Americans with Disabilities Act and the ADA
Amendments Act of 2008
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ADA - Findings,
Purpose, and History
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The Americans with
Disabilities Act from a Civil Rights Perspective
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Americans with
Disabilities Act Resources and Publications
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Americans with
Disabilities Act and Olmstead Resources
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ADA Amendments Act of
2008 (ADAAA) Summary and Resources
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Statistics You Can Use
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The White House Agenda
on Disabilities
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Tips on Writing a News
Release
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Sample
Proclamation:ADA Anniversary
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National DBTAC
Initiatives
The 2009 ADA Anniversary
Tool Kit can be downloaded at
http://adaanniversary.org
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(posted 6/18/09)
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New Air Carrier Access
Act Rule
The Department of
Transportation is amending its Air Carrier Access
Act (ACAA) rules
for passengers with disabilities to apply to
foreign carriers. The final rule also adds new
provisions concerning passengers who use medical
oxygen and passengers who are deaf or
hard-of-hearing. The rule also reorganizes and
updates the entire ACAA rule. The Department will
respond to some matters raised in this rulemaking by
issuing a subsequent supplemental notice of proposed
rulemaking.
The new rules that
became effective on May 13, 2009 and Frequently
Asked Questions can be downloaded from
here
as Word or PDF files.
The Association for
Airline Passenger Rights (AAPR) is hosting a webinar
examining the new ACAA rule on June 25 from 1:00 to
2:30 pm. Go
here
for more information.
(posted 6/17/09)
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Show us what YOU can do!
The What Can YOU Do?
Video Contest is an opportunity for young - and
young-at-heart - filmmakers to promote positive
change by illustrating that at work, it’s what
people CAN do that matters. Any type of
video can be submitted—serious, surprising, or even
funny. So be creative! The point is to make people
think and challenge their opinions about people with
disabilities and employment. How you do this is up
to you!
The contest runs from June 8, 2009 - July 15, 2009,
and is sponsored by the Campaign for Disability
Employment, a collaborative effort to promote
the talent and skills that people with disabilities
bring to America’s workforce and economy.
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Olmstead's Anniversary and Disability Civil Rights
June 22, 2009, marks the 10th anniversary of the Supreme
Court's Olmstead ruling for disability civil rights.
Some people have made an analogy between the Olmstead
decision and the Brown v. Board of Education decision in
1954. Let's compare them.
Nearly ten years after the black civil rights movement's
victory in Brown, incremental, albeit not overwhelming,
progress had occurred. Nonetheless, some people thought
the black civil rights struggle had stalled.
Nearly ten years after the disability civil rights
movement's victory in the Olmstead decision, incremental
progress has occurred as well.
But still, more than 313,000 people with disabilities in
nursing homes (23% of the total) want to live in the
community, and yet are denied their civil right to
integration, primarily because of Medicaid's historical
bias in favor of segregation. Many of them are on
"waiting lists" for their civil rights. Can you imagine
a "waiting list" for black civil rights?
While the black civil rights movement achieved its share
of victories, it took the March on Washington for
Congress to enact both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and
the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And even then, it took
the U.S. Department of Justice to take the right actions
and really enforce these civil rights.
Remember that Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
prohibited federal subsidies for racially segregated
institutions.
So why not similarly rectify segregation for people with
disabilities? Does not the Olmstead decision, together
with the ADA/Section 504, already provide the necessary
handles to prohibit federal subsidies to States that
limit services only to segregated institutions, thus
denying real choices that would enable 313,000 people to
reside in the community.
Some say the disability civil rights issue of ending
unnecessary segregation must wait. But as Dr. King
wrote, "For years now I have heard the word 'Wait.' It
rings in the ear of every Negro [person with a
disability who is unnecessarily institutionalized] with
piercing familiarity. This 'Wait' has almost always
meant 'Never'."
Last year when some disability advocates wanted an
explicit reference to ending unnecessary segregation
included in the ADA Restoration Act, they were politely
told that other issues were the focus: "wait."
This year when people with disabilities with the lowest
incomes, who are entirely dependent on Medicaid, have
demanded to end unnecessary segregation by having the
Community Choice Act included in any health reform
legislation, they have been told that the CCA is not the
focus of health reformb"Wait."
The "Wait" to end unnecessary segregation of people with
disabilities in institutions may soon turn into a
"Never" for civil rights.
How hard is it to understand and accept that, but for
the denial of civil rights, many institutionalized
people with disabilities would live in the community
with adequate programs and supports, especially since
its cheaper for the federal government and states to
provide such programs and supports in the community?
How hard would it be to enact a Disability Civil Rights
Act in 2009 to end unnecessary segregation just as
Congress did with the Civil Rights Acts in the 1960s? A
Disability Civil Rights Act in 2009 to end segregation
could not be as inflammatory as enacting the Voting
Rights Act of 1964.
Will U.S. Attorney General Holder look to how U.S.
Attorney General Robert Kennedy addressed ending
discrimination in the 1960s? General Holder could start
by looking at the 313,000 people with disabilities
living in nursing facilities who have said they do not
want to be unnecessarily institutionalized. He could
inform states that Olmstead and the
ADA/504 require providing real choice for people with
disabilities who are segregated and want to live in the
community.
What do we have to do to create the atmosphere of the
1960s for the disability civil rights struggle in 2009?
Steve Gold,
Information Bulletin #287
Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available
online at
http://www.stevegoldada.com
with a searchable Archive at this site divided into
different subjects.
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(posted 6/18/09) |
New Food Benefits for SSI
Recipients
As many as
80,000 Michigan senior citizens and adults with
disabilities could automatically get help with their
food budgets this
year under a new
federal pilot project.
The U.S. Department
of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service granted
Michigan a series of waivers allowing the state to
implement the Michigan Combined Application Project
(MiCAP). Under the project, adults who receive
Supplemental Security Income (SSI), no other income,
and who live independently could receive at least
$60 each month in food assistance.
Currently The State of
Michigan is mailing outreach applications to those
who pre-qualify by standard mail. Read
the application carefully
and keep page
2 as
it may answer most of the questions you may have
about applying for food benefits from assistance
with MiCAP. MiCAP
is different from traditional food stamps or Food
Assistance Program (FAP).
MiCAP benefits
take up to 30 business days to process. If you have
questions you may call the MiCAP phone number
1-877-416-4227. Phone hours are
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and
1:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. No holidays and weekends.
To find out more go to
DHS Pub-50,
Michigan Combined Application Project.
top (Posted 5/22/09)
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Most State Agencies Closed on Furlough Days
The Office of the State Employer has announced the
dates of 6 mandatory furlough days for many state
employees. The furlough days are part of the
Governor’s Executive Order issued and approved
earlier this month.
The furlough days are:
Friday, June 19
Monday, July 6
Friday, July 24
Friday, August 7
Friday, August 21
Friday, September 4
Some state employees are exempt from the furlough,
including most Unemployment Insurance Agency staff;
most direct care staff in psychiatric hospitals,
veterans’ homes and youth facilities; corrections
officers; most prison health care workers; and State
Troopers.
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(Posted 5/18/09)
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Quality
of Life for Families with Children with Disabilities
The Developmental
Disabilities Institute (DDI) at Wayne State University
is being funded by the National Institute on Disability
Research and Rehabilitation to develop an accurate and
culturally-sensitive tool to measure the Quality of Life
for low-income minority families raising children with
disabilities in Michigan.
DDI is
seeking to interview 150 parents of low-income (below
$40,000 per year) minority families raising children
(0-26 years) with disabilities to measure their quality
of life, and will be recruiting until the end of summer
2009. Parents who are interested will be invited to
participate in a 2 hour confidential interview (by phone
or face-face) for which they will receive $25 gift
cards.
More information is
available from this
flier or by calling Dr. Preethy S. Samuel at (313)
577-8562 or emailing
preethy@wayne.edu
top (posted 3/04/09)
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DCH Weekly Resident In-House Census Reports and information about the Mt. Pleasant Center
are available on the
Mt. Pleasant Center page.
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Michigan of e-mail address changes:
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