|
|
|
Disability Policy Consortium Weekly Update
Dear william,
Good Morning. I should have predicted nice weather through Thanksgiving Day. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.
Be sure to read my Editorial. It has two challenges in it that I'd like you all to address.
Predictions are that the Super Committee will fail to meet its goal by Wednesday. Mass Senior Action and Mass Home Care aren't taking any chances bu launching demonstrations and a Turkey Gram to Sen Kerry on Tuesday. Join us at one of Kerry's offices or send a Turkey Gram of your own. It's optional if you want to include cranberry sauce.
The transcript from last Friday's discussion with FEMA's Marcie Roth is posted on the DPC web site:
Marcie Roth discussion.
I hope all of us can find a way to enjoy the holiday with our relations or despite them!
Bill Allan
Disability Policy Consortium
wfallan@dpcma.org| 617-542-3822
|
|
Editorial: Where are We?
This is an open invitation to respond to a question we overheard in a conversation this week.
Where are people with disabilities in the Occupy movement?
We'll publish your answers next week.
 |
Advocates Corner: Turkey Gram
Next Tuesday
SEND A TURKEY-GRAM TO SENATOR KERRY
To: Advocates
Fr: Al Norman
Mass Home Care is cosponsoring the next step in the effort to influence our one Congressional member of the Super Committee. This is a natural next step after the Wang Rally. The super committee takes its vote the next day, Nov. 23rd.
Next Tuesday, Nov 22 during the lunch hour, Mass Senior Action will be holding a "Turkey Deal" event outside the offices of Senator Kerry in Boston, Fall River, and Springfield. I want to encourage all members in those cities to try to send over a few staff or board people during the lunch hour to show support for this effort.
A number of groups nationally are identifying Senators Kerry and Baucus as the two Democrats most likely to make a deal on cutting entitlements. We want our Senator to know that "No deal is better than a dad deal," and that plans to 'gobble' up Medicare are a "turkey" of deal.
The Boston event is shown on the attached flier. GSSSI, BES and Coastline should contact their local MSAC chapter to link up. CBES, Ethos and BSHC should call the Boston MSAC office to lend support.
The two other events will be at:
Fall River
222 Milliken Place
Suite 312
Fall River, MA 02721
(508) 677-0522
Springfield
Springfield Federal Building
1550 Main Street
4th Floor
Springfield, MA 01103-1427
(413) 785-4610
Senator Kerry, as a true democrat, doesn't not accept direct emails. Instead, you must log on to a web page to send him a message. Here is the link:
|
|
On the Calendar: CLRD Meeting
The next Committee for the Legal Rights of the DisablerD meeting will be Wednesday, November 30, 2011.
Meeting Details: Wednesday, November 30 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm MassHousing * One Beacon Street, 29th Floor Boston, MA 02108
The guest speaker will be Christine Griffin, EOHHS Assistant Secretary for Disability Policies and Programs.
* One Beacon Street building requires guest registration with security. In order to attend the CLRD meeting you must RSVP to Amanda at apyc@dlc-ma.org by November 25, 2011. A picture ID is required to enter the building.
|
|
On the Calendar: Peer Networking
Peer Employment Network Meeting
WHEN: December 5th (Monday), from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., registration is from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: The Center Club 31 Bowker Street 2nd Fl. Boston, MA 02114 (Near Haymarket/Government Center/Bowdoin/North Station stops on the T Line
or ON street parking on days there are not TD Garden events)
There will be light foods and beverages!!
Presenting
Debra, Garrett Employer Relations Manager, Work Place, Boston, MA
|
|
News from the Net: Calif. ADH Suit
Settlement Expected in ADHC Lawsuit
by David Gorn & thanks to Deb Thomson for forwarding
Disability Rights California is close to settling its adult day health care lawsuit against the California Department of Health Care Services, according to a joint release from the two parties.
Today's scheduled federal court date has been moved to Thursday, by mutual agreement. But according to the joint statement, the court date may not be necessary.
"This brief court date postponement is necessary to enable the parties to finalize a settlement, the details of which will be available on Thursday," the release said.
DHCS officials declined to comment further because litigation is still pending.
This is the first glimmer of legal hope providers of adult
day health care have seen in a while. ADHC is due to be eliminated as a Medi-Cal benefit for 35,000 Californians on Dec. 1, a change expected to force most of California's 300 ADHC facilities to close.
The hope for the settlement is mixed with apprehension, though, since no one in the ADHC community really knows what the settlement will look like. The settlement will not alter elimination of the benefit, but it could change the manner of the transition of care for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
"We're hopeful that this is good news, but of course no one knows until we see the settlement," Lydia Missaelides of the California Association of Adult Day Services said. "But I do take it as a positive sign."
Missaelides was in San Diego yesterday for the first day of the CAADS annual conference of ADHC providers. She said that it has been an uncertain and scary time for ADHC but that there have been many other positive signs along the way.
"Just look at the recent San Francisco rally (on Oct. 20) with Mayor Ed Lee," Missaelides said. "He made ADHC one of the issues in his campaign."
Missaelides said the best signs for her have come at the centers themselves. "I've seen these providers go to work every day under these trying circumstances. It's a testament to their commitment to serving these folks," she said. "Nobody gave up, that's the most positive sign, because they believe in what they're doing."
The federal court date has been moved several times already, so one more short delay doesn't mean much to Missaelides.
"This is it for now," she said. "We just have to wait and see, for just a couple more days."
Editor's Note: Governor Deval Patrick was ready to cut Adult Day Health in Massachusetts as part of his Community Next-to-Last Plan.
|
|
News from the Net:The Ride
Applications
From: Burgess, Tangela [mailto:TBurgess@MBTA.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2011 3:37 PM
Subject: RE: Proposed RIDE Draft Application
The final draft of the new RIDE application which is a compilation and incorporation of the many suggestions that you have already provided. (The Draft documents may be found on the DPC website, www.dpcma.org under Issues>/paratransit. Complain to Tangela Burgess if the PDF format is not accessible.) The draft application was sent to a broad range of over 200 health and human service providers, key stakeholders and advocates like yourselves. The widespread consensus is that the new application is more specific, understandable and will reduce requests for additional information, thus lessening the turnaround time for our customers. We are now in the final phase of making this improved application official. We are reaching out to you one final time to evaluate the revised application and to provide us with any additional feedback.
As you know, there are 3 separate endeavors that are in process currently:
- Revision of RIDE application
- Transition to in-person assessment
- Transportation Commission
Please understand that the new application is specific to our present system of Paratransit eligibility determination and will be reevaluated as we transition to the In-Person assessment process. As you know many specifics regarding the implementation of an In-Person assessment process have not been determined as yet. You are all on our e-mail and mail database and we will certainly keep you apprised as more definitive information is established.
Again, the community feedback received thus far has been truly impactful. The new application is a direct result of the time and effort each of you has devoted to giving us your input. We believe that the new application will have an immediate and positive impact on streamlining the existing process for eligibility determination.
Please forward any additional comments via e-mail to Theride@mbta.com by close of business day on Tuesday, 11/22/11.
This is not an official application yet and is not intended for distribution at this time.
Once again, we look forward to continued collaboration as we move forward.
We wish each of you and your families a wonderful holiday season.
The Eligibility Department of the RIDE
Tangela Burgess, LSW
Paratransit Access Rep-THE RIDE
MBTA Office for Transportation Access
10 Park Plaza, Rm 5750, Boston, MA 02116
617-222-5866 (V), 800-533-6282 (Toll Free)
617-222-5415 (TTY)
TBURGESS@MBTA.COM
|
News from the Net: Getting Real II
Dear Friends;
On September 12 - 14th, 2011 the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination hosted a successful conference "Getting Real II: Promising Practices in Inclusive Emergency Management for the Whole Community" focusing on disability inclusive promising practices in emergency management. Over 400 people came from across the country to hear from disability and emergency management leaders about how the whole community can be better prepared and more involved in emergency planning, response, recovery and mitigation efforts.
The conference's simultaneous webcast was sponsored by the National Council on Disability and Web based attendance was extraordinary! We had 2,826 people participating from all over the world. Interestingly, nearly 20% of the visitors to the webcast came through FEMA's social media efforts on Facebook and Twitter. Additionally, over 760 messages on Twitter discussed various practices and concepts introduced during the conference.
In the weeks since our conference, we've had so many people tell us they wanted to share the presentations with their colleagues in the community and we're happy to tell you that those presentations are now available on-line! Please visit http://GettingReal-II.WebCastOn.TV to view the entire conference. Here, you'll see FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate talking about the importance of planning for the whole community, Deputy Administrator Richard Serino stressing the importance of actually including people with disabilities in exercises and drills, and Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy, reaffirming President Barack Obama's support for FEMA and our efforts to include the whole community. In addition to those plenary sessions, we had 67 presentations covering promising practices from Hawaii to Florida. The presentations also covered a range of topics from empowering children to become emergency preparedness ambassadors to developing Smartphone apps for emergency responders to sign language interpreter strike teams. We're happy to report that all of the products related to this conference are fully accessible. The videos are captioned. Most videos include the ASL interpreter in their own window and text transcripts are provided as well. Additionally, the PowerPoint presentations are accessible and available for download.
We would appreciate hearing from you about your conference experience. Please visit the following link and complete the Getting Real II Conference survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GettingReal2
The survey will give you an opportunity to let us know what promising practices are being implemented in your community and what your experience is as you begin to adapt and use the promising practices shared during the Conference.
Should you have questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us at mailto:FEMA-Disability-Integration-Coordination@fema.dhs.gov or (202)646-4100 .
Sincerely,
Marcie Roth
Director
Office of Disability Integration and Coordination
|
News from the Net: Bipolar Nation
featuring Jon Dosick
Dear Advocates and interested parties,
Below is the link for online radio program Bipolar Nation LA.
You can download and listen at your leisure. Jon Dosick's interview was this past Sunday. It is an hour program.
Please share with those you think are supportive and would be interested. Thank you.
Regards,
Beth Wilson
http://www.latalkradio.com/Bipolar.php
|