Week of 7/6/10

Dear Robyn,

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July and are surviving in the heat!

This is the last week to help DPC win!  If we place in the top 200, we will win much-needed money.  We currently are ranked 351, so WE NEED YOUR HELP!  If you have already had the chance to vote for DPC to win $250K, A BIG THANK YOU!!!  Please spread the word!  If you haven't, please do so now!  We can win, but not without your help!  Please, please vote now!  http://bit.ly/DPCWIN  If you think you voted, please take a second to check as some people have reported their votes not showing. 

As you may know, the budget is not favorable.  Details are below.  Please remember that you can still support our work.  One way is to write letters to the editor.  This is a very effective piece of advocacy!

The 20th Anniversary is right around the corner.  Celebrations are taking place throughout the state.  Please check out our website for a calendar of events near you!

Sincerely,
 
Robyn Powell
Assistant Director, Disability Policy Consortium
rpowell@dpcma.org| 617-542-3522

In This Issue

Stop PCA Cuts!

Judge Rotenberg Center

Unique Employment Opportunity

ADA 20th Anniversary Celebrations

Stop PCA Cuts!

As the state wrestles with the huge budget crisis, cuts to the PCA program again are being bandied about. Resurfacing is talk of cutting service for those receiving under 15 hours/week, a serious disaster we averted in December. Please call the office of Governor Patrick at 617-725-4005 and convey a simple message:
 
Please Do Not Cut the PCA Program!
 
The failure of Congress to extend FMAP is an immediate precipitator of the problem. Calls are vital-the chopping block is huge; advocacy can have a major impact. Contact me with any questions.

Judge Rotenberg Center

U.N. FINDS SHOCK TREATMENTS AT JUDGE ROTENBERG CENTER IN CANTON TO BE TORTURE (6-30-10)

Office of Senator Brian A. Joyce

Contact: Molly Boehmke (617) 722-1643

June 30, 2010

U.N. FINDS SHOCK TREATMENTS AT JUDGE ROTENBERG CENTER IN CANTON TO BE TORTURE
Asks United States Government to Intervene

In a piece scheduled to air tonight on ABC's Nightline, the United Nation's Special Rappoteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, calls the shock therapy used on autistic and other disabled children at the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) in Canton 'torture' and explains how he has contacted the United States government and asked them to intervene.

Senator Brian A. Joyce, an outspoken critic of the JRC and its so-called aversive therapy practices, hailed the U.N. decision. Senator Joyce has continually filed legislation to ban or limit the practice. The bills have the support of numerous civil rights groups, behaviorists, and disability advocates for the disabled.

The JRC, located in Joyce's own state Senate district, is thought to be the only facility in the country that uses electric shock therapy to curtail behavior. In 2007, the State launched a criminal investigation into an incident where a prank phone call to the school led to the repeated electric shocking of two individuals in the dead of night. That investigation, by the Attorney General's Office, remains open. Last October 2009, the JRC made headlines again when Director Matthew Israel was fined by the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure for allowing 14 unlicensed clinicians at the school to use the title "psychologist". And just last Friday, the Canton Police were called to a JRC group home, where a brawl had broken out between students and staff, who had donned protective helmets. News reports indicate that the brawl took thirty minutes to contain, leading critics to blast the JRC's behavior modification methods as 'barbaric'.

"Over the past dozen or more years there are documented instances of innocent children being subjected to the unconscionable practice of electric shock and other so-called aversive treatment which has resulted in severe personal injuries, hospitalization, or even death," said Senator Joyce. "It is time that we stand up and protect the rights and dignity of our most vulnerable populations."

The Nightline piece, "UN Calls Shock Treatment at Mass. School 'Torture'", is scheduled to air tonight on ABC at 11:35 p.m. ET.

Joyce will seek to move his legislation, S.45, S.46, S.47, and H.154, co-sponsored by Representative John W. Scibak and Barbara A. L'Italien, to the Senate floor prior to the end of the legislative session.

Unique Employment Opportunity

Central Region
Team Trainer
 
Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong For the Awareness and Action: Educating Persons with Disabilities to recognize report and respond to Abuse.
 
We are looking for two candidates who work well with people to participate in this very exciting project to be part of the current Central Team:
 
The goal of the project is to educate persons with disabilities on recognizing, preventing, reporting, and responding to abuse.                                                                          
The candidates will attend a monthly meeting in Worcester and meet with their Regional Team to practice and provide much needed training to self-advocates and others.
 
The candidate(s) should be a good communicator, good listener, have training experience, is comfortable working in a group and giving feedback.  The training curriculum has been recently completed.  You will be a member of the four person team. 10-14 hrs month.   $14/hr   .48 a mile Travel  All Training  provided.
 
Please submit resume and cover letter to Lesley by JULY 12, 2010 by
fax to 617-624-7553 or e-mail: MASS.office.info@gmail.com

Changes in MassHealth Services

Several changes in MassHealth services take effect July 1:
 
1. DENTAL. Restriction in adult dental services and new messages for providers that HSN dental/vision available for adult MassHealth recipients; a draft provider transmittal is posted on-line (we don't yet have a copy of the emergency regulations).

2. MANAGED CARE. Extension of managed care requirements to CommonHealth & expansion of managed care options to MCO not just PCC Plan for adults enrolled in Basic, Essential or in Breast/Cervical Cancer Treatment -MH Standard programs;  new MCO called Health New England available in Western Mass.
 
3. COPAYMENTS. Increase in copayment for most generic drugs from $2 to $3. The copayment remains $1 for certain covered generic drugs and over-the-counter drugs mainly used for diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. All other co-payment related rules are unchanged.
 
4. TRANSPORTATION. Restriction in availability of transportation reimbursment for use of a private vehicle
 
MORE INFO. For more information on dental, managed care & transportation changes, read the 2010 Provider Transmittal notices for June 2010 posted here:
 
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2terminal&L=6&L0=Home&L1=Government&L2=Laws%2c+Regulations+and+Policies&L3=MassHealth+Regulations+and+Other+Publications&L4=Provider+Library&L5=Transmittal+Letters&sid=Eeohhs2&b=terminalcontent&f=masshealth_government_transletter2010&csid=Eeohhs2
 
For more information on copayments, read the Q & A posted here:
 
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2terminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Consumer&L2=Insurance+(including+MassHealth)&L3=MassHealth+Information+for+Members&L4=Coverage+Updates&sid=Eeohhs2&b=terminalcontent&f=masshealth_consumer_member_covupdates_copayment&csid=Eeohhs2#1

HERE'S HOW YOU
CAN HELP DPC!

ADA 20th Anniversary Celebrations

For a calendar of events commemorating the 20th of the ADA throughout the Commonwealth visit our website.
To have an event added to the calendar, please email Robyn at rpowell@dpcma.org.

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