It seems there is more substance than I thought to the charge that Indiana has a policy that recommends homeless shelters as an option for people with developmental disabilities. According to a report from TV Channel 6 in Indianapolis, a discharge plan form is given to people who are either not eligible for services or who choose not to receive services. The form lists a Homeless Initiative Program as a resource and refers to a list of homeless shelters.
My guess is that people who "choose not to receive services" do so not because they are particularly fussy, but because the services offered make no sense for their family member or are of such poor quality that nothing is better than something. As for people who are not eligible for services, we might be surprised at the severity of the problems people have who have been rejected by the system of care for people with developmental disabilities.
A spokesman for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration acknowledges the existence of the discharge form, yet still denies that homeless shelters are offered as an option.
So the real scandal is all those things listed below, plus evidence that Indiana has a policy of offering homeless shelters to at least some families as options for their developmentally disabled family members.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Indiana homeless shelters: an option for severely disabled?
An AP article reports that parents of severely disabled children and adults in Indiana have been told to drop their family members off at homeless shelters, if they can no longer care for their children at home.
As it turns out, this is not an official state policy and there are no confirmed cases of parents actually following through with that suggestion. It appears it was more of a threat by frustrated employees of Indiana social service agencies to get parents to back off from their complaining about the unavailability of Medicaid waivers that could pay for services at home.
The real scandal is this:
As it turns out, this is not an official state policy and there are no confirmed cases of parents actually following through with that suggestion. It appears it was more of a threat by frustrated employees of Indiana social service agencies to get parents to back off from their complaining about the unavailability of Medicaid waivers that could pay for services at home.
The real scandal is this:
- 20,000 people are on waiting lists with some people waiting 10 years for services.
- Governor Mitch Daniel ordered budget cuts that eliminated 2,000 Medicaid waiver slots since July.
- Foster children with disabilities have been moved to a less costly program that doesn't provide services for special needs and they had a food benefit taken away.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Detroit: Administration on DD to hold "listening" session
On December 2nd, 2010, the federal Administration on Developmental Disabilities is holding a "listening session" in Detroit on "Envisioning the Future". Registration is still open and the agency is encouraging families to participate. People who are picked to speak have three minutes (with an extra 2 minutes given to "self-advocates"). You can submit written testimony at the Website, whether or not you are chosen to speak. There will also be limited room for people who just want to listen. Speakers should arrive by 8:00 a.m. Testimony lasts from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. followed by closing remarks with breaks interspersed throughout the day.
Here are some important links to information:
- How to give testimony.
- Details on the event in Detroit.
- Registration
The ADD is the U.S. Government organization responsible for implementation of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, known as the DD Act. The ADD is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The DD Act programs that are administered by ADD are the State Councils on Developmental Disabilities (the Michigan DD Council), Protection and Advocacy (Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services), University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (DD Institute at Wayne State University), and Projects of National Significance.
Why is it important for the ADD to hear from you?
You and I are often represented by professional advocates who receive federal funding through the DD Act, but rarely do we have an opportunity to speak for ourselves directly to the agencies that fund the advocates. This is a chance for you to make your views known on behalf of your developmentally disabled family member.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Election day and developmental disabilities
There is a very good blog post by Ed Diegel at the Wayne County DD Advocates Website.
Among his thoughts on the election and what comes afterward is this:
"No one who talks about reducing state and national entitlements (which of course is a euphemism for programs like Medicaid) links their statements to Medicaid for persons with developmental disabilities—but the threat is there. It will be our responsibility to be sure that our elected and appointed officials understand the importance and morality of programs to support persons with Developmental Disabilities.
"No one who talks about reducing state and national entitlements (which of course is a euphemism for programs like Medicaid) links their statements to Medicaid for persons with developmental disabilities—but the threat is there. It will be our responsibility to be sure that our elected and appointed officials understand the importance and morality of programs to support persons with Developmental Disabilities.
"So let’s vote wisely, congratulate the winners and continue to deliver the message."
He goes on to summarize the most recent threats to appropriate services for our DD family members with links to documents and other information to help you understand the issues.
Happy election day!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Medicaid dental services reinstated for adults in Michigan
Dental services for adults on Medicaid have been reinstated with passage of the budget bills for fiscal year 2011. Beginning October 1st, 2010, adults 21 and over may again receive dental services. For a comprehensive look at the services available, see the Dental Database for 2010. Funding that made it possible to restore dental benefits is temporary, however, and will probably not be available next year. Even before the next fiscal year begins in October 2011, the next Governor could rescind these benefits through an executive order.
Some dental services require prior authorization from Medicaid before the service is provided. To assure that needed dental work gets done, adults on Medicaid should see a dentist as soon as possible to get authorization for Medicaid covered procedures. As long as authorization is obtained now, these services will be covered.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Free respite evenings in Washtenaw County
On the first Friday of every month from 6 p.m to 9 p.m., responsible volunteers provide parents of special needs children a break at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor. The Special Needs Ministry of St. Luke Lutheran Church sponsors respite care with enjoyable activities, snacks, music, and fun in a safe environment for children with special needs. Siblings are welcome! The program is open to all ages.
Registration providing information about the child and family is required. An R.S.V.P. is required no later than the Tuesday before the Friday respite care evening. There are spaces for 25 children. A waiting list is maintained in case there are cancellations.
The next respite evenings will be on November 5th and December 3rd, 2010.
For more information contact:
Pam Kamrath at 734.474.0573 or pkmrath@comcast.net
St. Luke Lutheran Church
4205 Washtenaw Ave.
Ann Arbor
Former WISD teacher's aide receives probation for mistreatment of autistic student
A former teacher's aide for the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, Michael Beasley, was sentenced to probation for slapping a special education student in a WISD program for autistic students at Scarlett Middle School in Ann Arbor. He had already been convicted of another misdemeanor in a related case.
At first, when reports surfaced in 2008 that students had been mistreated by the aide, the WISD investigated and then transferred the aide to High Point School in Ann Arbor. Parents, dissatisfied with the WISD response to the charges, contacted the police who did their own investigation that led to criminal charges against the aide. The Director of Special Education for the WISD at the time resigned and other administrators were reassigned. The aide was fired based on a reinvestigation of the case by the WISD.
As reported by AnnArbor.com on September 8, 2010, the aide pleaded no contest to the charge of slapping a special education student in exchange for dropping a felony charge against him. He was later sentenced to one year of probation for a misdemeanor charge of assault.
According to AnnArbor.com, the mother of the autistic student said her son was hit so hard his face had a red mark for 15 minutes and that allegations from other parents showed a pattern of abuse. She said, "...My son could not communicate this abuse, and you cannot imagine how that made me feel.”
The aide's attorney said the sentence was redundant because Beasley is already on probation through the 15th District Court for a separate but related conviction.
For background information on this case see previous blog entries with links to reports from the Ann Arbor News.
At first, when reports surfaced in 2008 that students had been mistreated by the aide, the WISD investigated and then transferred the aide to High Point School in Ann Arbor. Parents, dissatisfied with the WISD response to the charges, contacted the police who did their own investigation that led to criminal charges against the aide. The Director of Special Education for the WISD at the time resigned and other administrators were reassigned. The aide was fired based on a reinvestigation of the case by the WISD.
As reported by AnnArbor.com on September 8, 2010, the aide pleaded no contest to the charge of slapping a special education student in exchange for dropping a felony charge against him. He was later sentenced to one year of probation for a misdemeanor charge of assault.
According to AnnArbor.com, the mother of the autistic student said her son was hit so hard his face had a red mark for 15 minutes and that allegations from other parents showed a pattern of abuse. She said, "...My son could not communicate this abuse, and you cannot imagine how that made me feel.”
The aide's attorney said the sentence was redundant because Beasley is already on probation through the 15th District Court for a separate but related conviction.
For background information on this case see previous blog entries with links to reports from the Ann Arbor News.
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