This is a Draft Agenda for the 11/9 and 11/10/15 meetings of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.
****************************** Draft Meeting Agenda November 9-10, 2015
The Holiday Inn® Washington - Capitol Hotel 550 C Street, S.W. Capitol Ballroom Washington, D.C. 20024
Toll Free Dial-in Number: 888-469-0957 Public Audiences’ Passcode: 8955387
Day One: Monday, November 9, 2015 9:00 a.m. – 9:05 a.m. Greetings and Introduction of PCPID Chair Aaron Bishop, Commissioner, Administration on Disabilities Designated Federal Official (DFO),President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
9:05 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Opening Remarks, Call to Order, and Introduction of Special Guests Julie Ann Petty, Chair President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
9:15 a.m. – 9:20 a.m. Approval of Agenda and Minutes (August 3-4, 2015) PCPID Chair and Members
9:20 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Self-Introductions: Citizen Members and Ex officio Representatives
9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Updates Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities Conference Julie Petty, Aaron Bishop and MJ Karimi
National Council on Disability Quarterly Meeting - Dan Habib
9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Discussions and Presentation of the PCPID Wiki - Further Instructions on Recording the Videos - Jack Brandt, Dan Habib and MJ Karimi (David O’Hara?)
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. BREAK
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Topic #1: Disability as a Civil Rights Issue and Dimension of Diversity
Curtis L. Decker, JD (to be introduced by Lisa Pugh) Executive Director National Disability Rights Network Washington, DC
Tawara Goode (to be introduced by ________ ) Director, National Center for Cultural Competence Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development Washington, DC
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Question and Answer (Q/A) Session
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. LUNCH (on your own)
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Topic #2: Ending Segregation in Education and Beyond
Ending Segregation in Education and Beyond
Erik Carter (to be introduced by Dan Habib) Associate Professor, Department of Special Education Vanderbilt Peabody College Nashville, TN
Ending Segregation in Education and Beyond (Self-Advocacy)
Julia Bascom (to be introduced by Liz Weintraub) Deputy Executive Director, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Washington, DC
Robert Dinerstein (to be introduced by Sheli Reynolds) Professor of law Associate Dean for Experiential Education American University, Washington College of Law Washington, DC
Morgan Whitlatch, JD (to be introduced by Betty Williams) Legal Director Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities Washington, DC
Ryan King (to be introduced by Morgan Whitlatch) Self-Advocate Washington, DC
3:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Q/A Session
4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Recapping the Day’s Discussions and Providing Guidance and Directions Julie Petty, Chair Aaron Bishop, Commissioner and DFO
Day Two: Tuesday, November 10, 2015
9:30 a.m. – 9:35 a.m. Call to Order Julie Ann Petty, PCPID Chair
9:35 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Discussions on the Potential Topics Voting on the Potential Topics PCPID Members (Full Committee)
11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. BREAK
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Development of Draft Statements and Recommendations for 2016 Report to the President PCPID Members (Full Committee)
12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. LUNCH (on your own)
1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Approval of Draft Recommendations of 2016 Report to the President - PCPID Members (Full Committee)
2:15 p.m. –2:30 p.m. Summary of Deliberations, Proceedings, and Next Steps Julie Petty, Chair Aaron Bishop, Commissioner and DFO PCPID Members (Full Committee)
2:30 p.m. Suggestions for Improvements (Evaluation Form) and Adjournment The completed form should be submitted to staff on the second day of the meeting
This is from the ARC’s newsletter Capitol Insider for the week of October 26th, 2015: Rights/Long Term Services and Supports -- Court Rules That Illinois Can Close Murray Developmental Center: Citing a nation-wide trend to increase home and community based services (HCBS) for people with I/DD, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently ruled on the contested closure of Murray Developmental Center (Murray DC). The court held that Illinois could move forward with closing the facility. The ruling cited a growing number of studies that show that people with disabilities experience a higher quality of life in community-based settings as opposed to facility-based care. The ruling in its entirely may be viewed here.
Here is the rest of the story: Despite the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals, the Rauner administration has already determined that Murray Center is not closing and all seven of the state’s developmental centers are in the 2016 budget, according to a report from WJBD News, 5/20/15. Rita Winkler, President of the Murray Parents Association also reported in May that a new Director of Nursing was being hired for Murray and the process was underway to hire a new Assistant Director and Director of the facility. While focusing on the relatively small number of residents living in developmental centers for people with intellectual disabilities, The ARC and other federally-funded disability rights advocates divert attention from the larger issue, the overall failure of Illinois to adequately serve people with DD. The Court decision of 10/15/15 includes these disturbing statistics: The State Developmental Centers have about 1800 residents, while roughly 10,000 people with severe developmental disabilities live in community-based facilities housing 1 to 8 individuals. The Illinois Department of Human Services provides services to approximately 25,000 people with DD. Another 23,000 are on a waiting list to receive services, of whom 6,000 are considered to be in emergency situations, yet do not receive even essential services from the State of Illinois.
For all the talk about trends in delivering services in community settings, the huge waiting list and failure to provide even basic services to so many people with severe developmental disabilities is the real story that cannot be solved and may even be exacerbated by closing the state’s developmental centers.
Misericordia, a network of services that provides a full continuum of care for over 600 people with mild to profound developmental disabilities in Chicago, hosted the “Together for Choice” conference from October 21 - 23, 2015.
Misericordia provides a range of services from a skilled nursing residence, group homes, and apartments on its 31-acre campus to small neighborhood homes in the surrounding community. It also provides employment opportunities for people with a variety of skill levels in its bakery and coffee shop and other on- campus businesses and off-campus community businesses. The quality of care and the dedication of its staff to the people they serve is obvious to anyone taking the time to tour its facilities and talk to the staff and residents.
It is precisely these kinds of programs that serve a full range of developmental disabilities in a variety of settings that are a likely target for de-funding under the Home and Community Based settings (HCBS) rule that was issued by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last year. While the rule encourages states to shun any association with “institutional” care in its funding of HCBS, the importance of maintaining a full continuum of care to people with severe and complex disabilities is exemplified by the success of Misericordia’s programs and its popularity with the families and individuals it serves.
The Coalition for Community Choice came together in Chicago to represent the many concerns of families over the implementation of the HCBS rule and the CCC's determination to assure that all people with developmental disabilities have available to them a full range of options to meet their needs and to allow them choice in how they live their lives.
A Chicago ABC7 newscast of the event, describes the “The Together for Choice” conference:
"It's giving us the opportunity to pull together many like minds, people that are providing excellent services whether it's a campus setting, a farm setting, individual homes in the community, whatever it is as long as it's for the people that we serve," said Geana Connelly, Misericordia administrator.
"You can be big and good or big and bad. You can be small and good or small and bad. It all depends on the people that are operating these services and staffing that is within those services," Sister Connelly said.
The people at the conference say they just want legislators to remember that the primary concern should be the quality of care, not the size of the facility.
The “Together for Choice” conference was covered by a Chicago ABC 7 newscast on October 25th, 2015. See the report by Hosea Sanders and video of the newscast here.
The Annual Home and Community Based Waiver Conference for 2015 will be held on November 17 & 18, 2015, at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Conference Objective: This conference will provide technical assistance and training on the implementation and maintenance of the Children’s Waiver Program (CWP) and the Habilitation Supports Waiver [for people with developmental disabilities] (HSW), clinical issues, and administrative functions relevant to these waivers. Additionally, this conference will provide training in ASD, evidence-based services, highlight programs across the state, and provide technical assistance on implementation of the Medicaid/MIChild Autism Benefit.
Who Should Attend: This conference contains content appropriate for case managers, supports coordinators, clinicians, behavior analysts, administrative staff, providers, autism coordinators, people receiving services and family members and social workers at all levels of practice (beginning, intermediate and/or advanced). Rate: Full Conference $145; One Day Rate: $90
Special Rate: A special $20 conference rate will be offered for people receiving waiver services and their family members. Certificate Awarded: At the conclusion of this conference, bring your CEU verification form to the MACMHB Staff to be initialed. You will turn in the top sheet and retain the bottom sheet which serves as your certificate of participation.
CONFERENCE AGENDA will be added soon! Check the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards website here.
This is from Bay Area Autism News, September 2015: "The Desperate Situation for Service Providers"
Carol McKinney from Harmony Homes testifies before the California legislature about the lack of funding and what it means to the people her agency serves and the workers who have endured the shameful lack of commitment to people with developmental disabilities.
