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#377 From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Mon Aug 4, 2003 1:52 pm
Subject: Tri-County Meeting Reminder michaeljbray2
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Hello:

This a reminder that the Tri-County MADSP chapter will
be having their monthly meeting next Thursday August
14th in Livonia.  All are welcome to attend.  The
meeting will be held at the address below:

Alternative Services
32625 7 Mile Rd.
Livonia, MI 48152

Please contact Bob McLuckie at Alternative Services
(248)471-4880 if you have any questions or for
directions.  Have a great day.

Mike



=====
===========
Michael Bray
Department of Psychology
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6708
===========

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#371 From: "Michael Pizzala" <mpizzala@...>
Date: Fri Jun 27, 2003 2:15 pm
Subject: FW: [mental-health-rights] Digest Number 314 tlsini
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-----Original Message-----
From: mental-health-rights@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:mental-health-rights@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Friday, June 27, 2003 6:38 AM
To: mental-health-rights@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [mental-health-rights] Digest Number 314

REMINDER: Messages to the group are available to all on the world-wide web.
Because the confidentiality of our recipients must be maintained, any
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------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are 2 messages in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

       1. 'Treat us like you want to be treated'
            From: "silver_orr" <silver@...>
       2. Group home pioneers made state history
            From: "silver_orr" <silver@...>

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 1
    Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 17:47:40 -0000
    From: "silver_orr" <silver@...>
Subject: 'Treat us like you want to be treated'

BY PATRICIA MONTEMURRI
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

June 24, 2003

Jim McDonald can flash a sweet, scene-stealing grin, and he thrives
on compliments. He has a penchant for all things Texan and for craft-
store drawings he colors with markers held in his one good hand.

Ever since he left the Plymouth Center for Human Development, a 1,200-
person institution for people with physical and mental disabilities
that closed in 1984 after several years of litigation and court
orders, McDonald has struggled for independence and opportunity.

He has known success and heartbreak, each accomplishment and failure
magnified because no one, not even McDonald, could imagine a life
with a full range of possibilities for him.

No one could have foreseen a wheelchair-bound McDonald riding a
mechanical bull on his 21st birthday. Or holding down a job, with
paid vacations and a pension, as a greeter at a local Costco.

No one could have envisioned him experiencing the giddy joy of a
wedding as he exchanged vows with a woman he met at the Plymouth
Center and sweetly, persistently wooed.

And no one could have guessed that their happiness would end in the
despair of a failed marriage.

McDonald remembers doctors saying he wouldn't live past 30. He's 42.

Cerebral palsy damaged his body, limiting his muscle control,
rendering his left arm useless and his speech so slurred that
caretakers assumed he was mentally retarded. He's not. He surfs the
Web, composes e-mails, sets goals.

He was institutionalized from age 7 to age 19 at the now-demolished
Plymouth Center. Outrage about residents who were abused and
neglected by inadequately trained and incompetent staff members
spurred statewide reforms, beginning in the mid-1970s, for more
humane treatment of people with disabilities.

A generation ago, about 12,000 people lived in large, state-run
institutions.

But when McDonald and five other men left warehouse-type institutions
for a conventional three-bedroom house in Livonia in 1980, they were
pioneers.

Now only about 150 people with developmental disabilities are
institutionalized in Michigan, mostly at the Mt. Pleasant Regional
Hospital. About 11,000 people like McDonald now live with supervision
in group homes or have semi-independent arrangements in apartments or
houses.

On Thursday, hundreds of former Plymouth Center residents will gather
at the Laurel Manor banquet hall in Livonia to reunite and celebrate
their passages. Twenty-five years have passed since public outrage,
ignited by activist parents and Detroit Free Press articles
documenting abuse and neglect, spurred life-altering changes.

The evolution of McDonald's life and care mirrors the evolution of
Michigan's treatment of developmentallydisabled people.

Free Press photographer Patricia Beck first chronicled McDonald's
metamorphosis in 1981 when she photographed life at the home on
Grantland Street in Livonia.

McDonald now lives in a Canton Township apartment. He has one
roommate, his own bedroom and rotating caregivers.

At the Grantland home, McDonald savored his first freedoms.

But even that setting had restrictions. If he craved a beer, he had
to drink it on the sidewalk, off the property, because alcohol is
prohibited in state-licensed group homes.

"I had to go everywhere with everyone," McDonald recalls. "I couldn't
be alone if I wanted to because I shared a bedroom."

Now McDonald goes to work, shops for art supplies -- "I'm very
creative" -- and drinks a beer when he wants.

There are about 2,600 group homes in Michigan that primarily serve
developmentallydisabled people, and 689 of them are in Wayne, Oakland
and Macomb counties. Self-determination is the goal for many people
with developmental disabilities. But even with the freedom he has
now, McDonald is realistic about his chance for total independence.
He needs caregivers to help him take a bath, get in and out of bed
and drive him places, including to work. Nevertheless, his goal is to
buy a home.

Jerry Provencal was a caregiver at the Plymouth Center from 1969 to
1972 and remembers McDonald as Jimmy, a kid with "a great smile" who
made friends easily.

Provencal, now director of the Macomb Oakland Regional Center and a
national authority on self-determination, dreamed then of opening
small group homes for some residents. But even he couldn't imagine
people with McDonald's range of disabilities making it outside an
institution.

However, every time a resident moved out into a group home or smaller
setting, Provencal says, "that person taught us and gave us more
nerve."

"It gave us the courage to move people out who had even more
challenges. For this population of people, it's been an
emancipation."

McDonald remembers making good buddies during his days at the
Plymouth Center. He invites some of them over for the occasional
summer barbecue.

But he also remembers episodes of physical and emotional abuse at the
center. Braces he used to wear on his legs would be wrenched off
while the straps were still tied. His frail limbs were twisted and
squeezed.

For the most part, life was brought to him -- food was always on a
tray. Even the circus came to the center. McDonald recalls a visit by
performers on the grounds. Nobody had his own room.

"They were stuck there," Provencal says. McDonald's "life was made up
of people with disabilities and the staff who took care of people
with disabilities."

When he got married in 1996, McDonald says it was a dream come true.
He'd like another chance at the dream. Talking about his divorce
makes his eyes tear up and his shoulders slump. McDonald blames
interference from his in-laws. His ex-wife had severe disabilities
and needed help with the most basic tasks. He says every decision he
made was second-guessed.

"They tried to control me, but they couldn't," McDonald says.

McDonald has spoken in front of assemblies of those who work with
developmentally disabled people. He is considered a knowledgeable
source and go-to person on insights for humane treatment, and he gave
that perspective in talks to workers training for the field.

"Tomorrow you could be going to work and be where I am today, and
people would have to take care of you," he says he tells them. "Treat
us like you want to be treated."

Contact PATRICIA MONTEMURRI at 313-223-4538 or
montemurri@....

Copyright � 2003 Detroit Free Press Inc.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 2
    Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 17:48:46 -0000
    From: "silver_orr" <silver@...>
Subject: Group home pioneers made state history

BY PATRICIA BECK
FREE PRESS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

June 24, 2003

These five men joined Jim McDonald at the Grantland group home in
Livonia in 1980. Here's what happened to them over the years.

IVAN DIX

Ivan Dix lived in state institutions for 30 years before moving to
the Grantland home in Livonia in 1980. His mental abilities were
minimal, but he was known to be extraordinarily sensitive to other
people's moods and needs. He was often the first to notice that
housemates weren't feeling well, and he would call caregivers.

He had a keen sense of curiosity and loved to go to new places and
meet new people. His sister said in 1992 that she'd seen little
change in his abilities after he moved to group homes, but he seemed
happier than when he lived in an institution.

Dix lived at Grantland until 1983, then in another Livonia group home
until 1997. He returned to Grantland for a few months in 1997, then
moved to a home in Romulus, where he lived until his death in 1998 at
age 56.

JAMES HOLBROOK

James Holbrook entered a state institution at age 7. He was
developmentally disabled, deaf and partially paralyzed on his left
side. Nevertheless, he became adept at sign language and gradually
learned other skills, such as pouring coffee and making his bed. He
lived in the Grantland home from 1980 until his health faltered in
1994. He worked at a sheltered workshop before his illness. He died
in 1995 at age 38.

MARC BROWN EL

Marc Brown El is mildly mentally retarded and legally deaf. He moved
to the Grantland home after spending 15 years in various Michigan
institutions. After learning sign language, his outgoing personality
blossomed.

Now 46, he has lived since 1995 in a Melvindalehome with two other
developmentally disabled men who also are deaf. He works at the Texas
Roadhouse in Taylor, where he rolls silverware. In August, he and a
roommate and two staff members from the home plan to attend the 2003
National Black Deaf Advocates Conference in Denver.

As in 1981, Brown El still loves doing artwork. For fun, he cuts
faces and pictures out of magazines and meticulously arranges them
into collages. When he sees people he knows well, he often greets
them by caressing their faces, squeezing their hands or wrapping them
in an embrace. In 1981, Brown El shared a room with another housemate
at the Grantland home.

Today he has his own room. "He's a very friendly person, very
creative, very neat," says Mary Ann Valentine, manager of his present
home. "He likes his job and his roommates. He likes to travel. He
likes to clean up. He chooses his own style of clothing."

ERIC GUERNSEY

After 21 years in state facilities, Eric Guernsey pinpointed the
difference between them and group homes after moving to the Grantland
home in Livonia. "Everybody treats me like a man," he said in 1981.
He has cerebral palsy, spastic triplegia and limited intellectual
abilities. Now 54, he lives today in a home in Belleville with five
other developmentally disabled men. He shares a room with one of the
men. He goes weekdays to NOVA Downriver, a sheltered workshop that
teaches whatever skills he's interested in learning, including how to
use a computer. He enjoys socializing, watching television, listening
to country music, going out for concerts and ballgames, eating out
and the frequent visits and outings with his father. This summer, he
will go to St. Francis Camp near Jerome. He chooses his own
activities. "I like it here," he says. "I don't plan on retiring. I
like my workshop." Billy Mulkey, a shift supervisor at the home, says
Guernsey keeps up on current events by watching the news and loves
channel surfing. "He flies through the channels," Mulkey says.

JOE SIEFMAN

Joe Siefman, now 79, is the only one of the original six residents
still living at the Grantland home in Livonia. He moved to the home
when he was in his mid-50s after spending 22 years in institutions.
Joe, who is mentally retarded, retired from his twice-weekly paper
route in 1995. He goes out two or three times a week with a day
program for retirees and wants to go to Frankenmuth and a baseball
game. Myra Parker, an assistant manager at Grantland for 10 years,
says Joe visits often with a neighbor across the street. Another
neighbor brings him cookies. "They remember him from his paper
route," she says.

"He likes to go shopping and to the $1 store to buy glasses. He's
laid back. He's calmed down a lot." In 1981, he was subject to sudden
and frequent mood swings. Now, Parker says: "He likes to go at his
own pace. If he's going someplace out in the community, he's happy.
He likes to collect business cards. He keeps them in a scrapbook." He
also collects baseball cards. "He likes to talk about the past,"
Parker says. Siefman still tells stories about riding through Detroit
on his brother's linen truck during the '40s and '50s. He's fond of
recalling the old hotels and even remembers their delivery days.

Copyright � 2003 Detroit Free Press Inc.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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#370 From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2003 2:36 pm
Subject: (No subject) michaeljbray2
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Hello All:

Here are the minutes from last week's MADSP monthly
meeting.  If you have any questions or comments,
please feel free to email me at ai3063@...
Thanks!

Michael Bray

=====
=================
Michael Bray
Department of Psychology
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202
=================

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#369 From: "manjunath_kp02" <manjunath_kp02@...>
Date: Fri Jun 20, 2003 12:05 pm
Subject: DSP Openings manjunath_kp02
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Hi Friends

I have an opening for a MNC please mail me if you fit into the profile

The skill set required will be as detailed below :
(High priority)
1. Algorithm design experience, optimization in Video JPEG, MPEG for
     one of the DSP  - TI/Motorola/ADSP/Phillips or ARM or
     equivalent and architecture knowledge is essential.
     (Experience on PC platform is last preference)
2. Video Algorithm , optimization skills on Embedded platform
3. Mtech with 2 years or Btech 3 years experience ONLY in the above
area is
     (DO not look at only Total experience of 2 to 3 years)
3. Total experience of 3 to 4 years.
4. Must have studied DSP as a subject in BE/ME.

My ID is manjunath_kp02@...

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#362 From: "pamrix" <pamrix@...>
Date: Mon May 12, 2003 5:46 pm
Subject: Forum subjects pamrix
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One topic that always is of interest are wages.  Perhaps we could
have someone talk about the "living wage".

Also the need for more local or regional chapters and what their
function might be.

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#361 From: "Michael Pizzala" <mpizzala@...>
Date: Mon May 12, 2003 4:21 pm
Subject: Appropriations Subcommittee on Mental Health tlsini
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Attached are the hearing dates for the appropriations subcommittee on mental
heath concerning the upcoming budget.

Please try to either attend or let the legislators know how you feel
regarding this important issue.

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#360 From: "Michael Pizzala" <mpizzala@...>
Date: Mon May 12, 2003 3:48 pm
Subject: FW: We NEED Your input tlsini
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-----Original Message-----
From: Cynthia Nierescher [mailto:cnierescher@...]
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2003 5:03 PM
To: mpizzala@...
Subject: Re: [Michigan-DSP] We NEED Your input

One good topic would be how to advocate for an individual without creating a hail storm----- Original Message -----

From: Michael Pizzala

To: MADSP

Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 1:02 PM

Subject: [Michigan-DSP] We NEED Your input

We are considering having break-out sessions at this year's forum and are looking for topics that Direct Support Professionals may find interesting.

We would like to get suggestions from you.

If there is a topic that you might be interested in, please let us know so we can add it to the list. So far some of the suggestions have included:

Stress Management
Interpersonal Differences - Conflict Resolution
Label Jars not People - How to get the clinical talk out of our language when talking about people with disabilities.

Please send in your suggestions also.

Thank,

Mike

Our Mission: The Michigan Alliance of Direct Support Professionals is a network of people committed to strengthening the quality of human services by empowering ourselves to increase our own dignity and respect. Visit our web page at: http://www.wayne.edu/DDI/commsup/MADSP_splash.htm

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#359 From: "Michael Pizzala" <mpizzala@...>
Date: Mon May 12, 2003 3:50 pm
Subject: MADSP meeting minutes 04/17/03 tlsini
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MADSP

April 17, 2003

Present: Kathy Flowers, Mike Pizzala, Lois DeBrosse, Diane Diamond, and Elizabeth Janks, and Kim Stele.

Reviewed February, and March Meeting Minutes.

Reviewed Financial: Currently $6,550.59

Discussed developing chapter start-up manual with some additional information

Re: PASS Grant Funds to assist in the development.

Letters to Michigan Legislature went out last week.

*We need to follow-up with local representatives and make sure they received them.

Kathy will send out "Talking Points" as guidelines for contacting representatives. It will be sent out by the end of April.

Long Term Planning -

Discussed "Chapters" potentially in:

Oakland County

Traverse City/Gaylord

Midland

Port Huron

Monroe

Grand Rapids - CIL -Kathy to follow up.

Kathy will also investigate RICC link.

Elizabeth will call Bob McGluckie & Mark Weeks in the first of May. Re: Oakland County Chapter.

Mike will send, sign-in from March Meeting to Kathy & Elizabeth.

Elizabeth will give custody of "The Bag" to Kathy next month after an appropriate period of mourning.

Start-up-kit might include:

Mission

How to make contacts

How to run a meeting

List of jobs at a meeting

Samples of agenda’s

Position paper

Fact sheet AKA "Purple Paper"

Elizabeth will bring a draft mock-up at the next meeting.

PASS Grant -

Alliance members may become trainers of the Personal Assistance Support Systems (PASS).

Will contribute to the forum and a "sustainability summit".

Forum:

Room's reserved and set up as it was last year.

Kathy will contact Amy Hewitt by next month to see if she will speak at the forum. Elizabeth will talk to Sharon Millberger first.

Paula Zelenko will be asked to be one of the speakers.

Discussed a possible speaker from the Traverse/Gaylord area.

Discussed Nancy Frey from Central Michigan CMH as a possibility.

Discussed Legislative Resolution on Direct Care. Possible sponsors:

Paula Zelenko

Laura Toy

Alno Vaqnozzi

Gilda Jacobs

and other reps that may have a personal experience with someone with a disability.

Kathy will talk with Representative Zelenkos' office.

April 24 Forum on long term care workforce – Mike and Kathy will attend.

Elizabeth will send Mike a copy of the database for the Michigan Legislature.

Mike will add links to the Legislature to the list soon.

May 13 & 14 1Northern Michigan DD conference. Kathy will be meeting with the people from the Traverse City/Gaylord area.

Motions to allocate a stipend to Kathy Flowers of $50.00 for mileage to attend Northern Michigan DD Conference- all approved.

Approved - Pam Rix to attend Northern Michigan DD Conference if possible. $30.00 Conference fee and a $40.00 stipend for meals.

Pam will need to get the conference information to Mike.

Discussed invitation to join the BEAM (Bringing the Eden Alternatives to Michigan) Mike and Kathy to attend.

Next month's meeting about Forum.

Mike to inquire Re: possible topics for Forum.

Possible topics:

Stress Management

Interpersonal Difference -conflict resolution

Label jars not people.

Discussed applying to have AFC credits for Forum. Elizabeth will check.

Discussed making sure that list -serv gets information. Mike and Michael Bray will work on disseminating information.

$20.00 start-up kit for business development.

Approved spending $20.00 for a non-profit start up kit from the Accounting Aid Society.

C:\Documents and Settings\mpizzala.TLS\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK12\MADSP meeting minutes 0304171.doc

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#358 From: "Kathy Flowers" <flowerskathy@...>
Date: Fri May 9, 2003 5:18 pm
Subject: Fwd: extended care task force names and dates.DOC flowerskathy@...
Send Email

:)...Kathy...;)

>From: "Kathy Flowers"

>To:

>Subject: extended care task force names and dates.DOC

>Date: Fri, 9 May 2003 13:14:55 -0400

>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

>Contact: Mark Fisk

>Thursday, April 24, 2003

>(517) 373-5951

>House Dems Appoint Long-Term Care Task Force

>Zelenko announces dates, locations for statewide hearings

>Lansing - A cross-section of private citizens and experts on aging from throughout the state will join a blue-ribbon task force formed two weeks ago by House Democratic Leader Dianne Byrum to find ways to improve the delivery of long-term care for patients and their families and expand consumer protections.

> "It is heartening to see such an impressive group of individuals step up to the plate to offer their time and talents toward finding creative solutions to the long-term care issues we are facing in Michigan," Byrum said.

>House Long-Term Care Task Force Chairwoman Rep.Paula Zelenko, (D-Burton), announced the members of the panel Thursday. She also released a schedule of hearing dates and locations, beginning with the kickoff in Genesee County from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, May 12, at the Genesee Intermediate School District building, 2413 W. Maple Ave., Flint.

> Members of the Task Force include:

>* Joanne Barr, Macomb County Campaign for Quality Care;

>* Dr. Barb Buckbee, a former Macomb County school administrator;

>* Roanne Cheney, Health Policy Coordinator, Michigan Disability Right Coalition

>* Nida Donar, Detroit area Long-Term care Ombudsman;

>* Lauren Essenmacher, Director of Clare-Gladwin Services to the Aging;

>* Jean Johnson, a Senior Program Coordinator from Burton;

>* Dr. Peter Lichtenberg, Director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University;

>* Lidia Rizzo, Michigan Campaign for Quality Care;

>* Sondra Seely, Administrator, Hospices of Henry Ford Health System;

>* Doris Silcox, Manager, American House Assisted Living in Westland;

>* Mike Simowski, Director of Southern Wayne County Area Agency on Aging;

>* Wendy Williamson, Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services.

>Besides Rep. Zelenko, Democratic State Representatives serving on the Task Force include: Rep. Glenn Anderson (Westland); Rep. Steve Bieda (Warren, Sterling Heights); Rep. Jennifer Elkins (Clare); Rep. Matt Gillard (Alpena); and, Rep. Aldo Vagnozzi (Farmington Hills).

>In addition to the Genesee County kickoff, dates, times and locations for the other hearings are:

>* 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, May 19, at the Warren Community Center, 5460 Arden, Warren;

>* 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, June 9, at Mercy Grayling Hospital, 1100 E. Michigan Ave., Grayling;

>* 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, June 23, at the Town and Country Restaurant, 1395 N. McEwan Road, Clare;

>* 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 4, at the Farmington Hills City Hall, 31555 Eleven Mile Road, Farmington Hills;

>* 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 8, at the William P. Fost Public Library -Westland, in Westland; and,

>* 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, at the Woodhaven Senior Center, 23101 Hall Road, Woodhaven.

>The Task Force will gather testimony from consumers, families, long-term care providers, healthcare experts, advocacy groups and others. The information will be compiled into a report to be delivered to the full Legislature and Governor Jennifer Granholm.

>"As someone who suddenly found myself dealing with how to care for ill parents, I know what is at stake," said Zelenko, stressing the importance of using the task force's findings as a blueprint to build a legislative agenda on the issue.

>"Saving for long-term care is an admirable goal, but the costs shouldn't price people out of their homes or rob them of their life savings," Zelenko said. "It is frustrating to see loved ones and their families suffer through such heartbreaking situations."

>Numerous studies have revealed that most people don't save for their own future long-term care expenses. Beyond that, many families lack the resources to care for parents or grandparents in need of long-term care. Many more are not even aware of the options that are available to them. Meanwhile, experts project that the 77 million baby boomers who will soon begin turning 65 will overwhelm government programs that subsidize long-term care, leaving millions unable to afford care as they grow older.

>###

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#357 From: "Kathy Flowers" <flowerskathy@...>
Date: Fri May 9, 2003 5:19 pm
Subject: Fwd: Fw: House Dems Task Force Hearing flowerskathy@...
Send Email

:)...Kathy...;)

>From: "Kathy Flowers"

>To:

>Subject: Fw: House Dems Task Force Hearing

>Date: Fri, 9 May 2003 13:13:48 -0400

>----- Original Message -----

>From: Robert Gibson

>To: Kathyf@...

>Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 11:29 AM

>Subject: House Dems Task Force Hearing

>Kathy-

>I'm writing to find out if you or individuals from the MADSP or the Disability Network are participating/attending the House Dems Task force Hearing on Monday. (5/15; 4-7pm; Genesee Intermediate School District building, 2413 W. Maple Ave., Flint)

>We are trying to line up direct-support professionals and consumers in the Flint area to give brief testimony at the hearing. We've identified 2-3 direct-support professionals, but we are still attempting to find consumers. Do you know of any consumers who would be willing to testify?

>Also, we are attempting to build a crowd: 3 people from your organizations. The more people we get there the greater the media draw. If we can get some decent press from the hearing the more pressure the legislature will feel to adopt legislation.

> Thanks,

> Bob Gibson

>MI Quality Home Care Campaign

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#356 From: "Michael Pizzala" <mpizzala@...>
Date: Wed May 7, 2003 5:02 pm
Subject: We NEED Your input tlsini
Offline
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We are considering having break-out sessions at this year's forum and are looking for topics that Direct Support Professionals may find interesting.

We would like to get suggestions from you.

If there is a topic that you might be interested in, please let us know so we can add it to the list. So far some of the suggestions have included:

Stress Management
Interpersonal Differences - Conflict Resolution
Label Jars not People - How to get the clinical talk out of our language when talking about people with disabilities.

Please send in your suggestions also.

Thank,

Mike

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#355 From: "Michael Pizzala" <mpizzala@...>
Date: Wed May 7, 2003 4:37 pm
Subject: MADSP meeting minutes March 2003 tlsini
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MADSP Meeting

3/20/03

Present: Kathy Flowers, Mike Pizzala, Pam Rix, Bob McLuckie, Lois DeBrosse, Ginny Rusnell, Karl Luzmik, Cassie Craft, Jeanie Anderson, and Victoria Scheffer

Welcome

Reviewed Meeting Minutes

Introductions:

Budget: Currently $6,550.59

Only expenses pending are the AAMR expenses.

Old Business:

Reviewed Letter Writing/Introduction process to Legislatures. Kathy Flowers reviewed the draft cover letter. Letters should go out first of April.

Discussed overall scope of MADSP as it relates to other groups (i.e. ARC, RIC, etc.)

Discussed possible opportunities for collaborative efforts & reviewed past efforts.

New Business:

October Forum Planning at next meeting.

May 13 & 14 Gaylord.

May is the Northern Michigan DD Conference. Kathy is attending & will also share Alliance information.

Elizabeth is sending out a packet for developing a new chapter to the group forum.

Discussed sending chapter development package to Monroe, Midland, and Oakland.

Discussion:

Discussed how much progress we made at today’s meeting.

Discussed asking Rep. Zelenko to sponsor Legislative resolution Re: Direct Care, similar to the Federal Resolution.

Kathy discussed vision of local chapters.

C:\Documents and Settings\mpizzala.TLS\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK12\MADSP meeting minutes 030320.doc

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#354 From: "Kathy Flowers" <flowerskathy@...>
Date: Fri May 2, 2003 2:47 pm
Subject: contacting legislators.. flowerskathy@...
Send Email

Hello:)!

Okay....the information about Michigan Direct Support Professionals is on it's way to our Legislators in Lansing. NOW....It's YOUR TURN!... Mike already passed along the list of how to contact your legislator....so....using the example format, call the legislators in your area to follow up!

Hello - My name is _____________________ I live in (your town) . I am calling to follow up on some information that was recently mailed to you regarding the Michigan Alliance of Direct Support Professionals. Have you recieved that information???

(if yes) Great!. I just wanted to let you know I am in your district and would be able to help you answer any questions you may have about our group. My name again is____ and you can reach me at__(phone number). Thanks for you time.

or!

(if no) Hummmm.. I will check on that for you and get back to you. What is the best way to send information to you?? In the meantime, let me send you a copy of our brochure to give you an idea okay???? thanks!

________________________________________________________________

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at my office at 810-742-1800

:)...Kathy...;)

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#353 From: "Michael Pizzala" <mpizzala@...>
Date: Thu May 1, 2003 6:47 pm
Subject: Links to finding your representative tlsini
Offline
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http://house.michigan.gov/

Find YOUR Representative

http://senate.michigan.gov/

Find YOUR Senator

Michael J. Pizzala

Executive Director

Transitional Living Systems, Inc.

1123 Villa Linde Ct. #38

Flint, Michigan 48532

810-720-0233 Voice

810-720-1887 FAX

Confidentiality Notice: This electronic mail may contain confidential information belonging to the sender, which is legally privileged. The information is intended for the use of the individual(s) or entity named above. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking any action in reliance upon the content of this electronic mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this electronic mail in error, please forward it to the sender immediately.

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#352 From: Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thu May 1, 2003 1:32 pm
Subject: Reminder - MADSP Meeting Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com
Send Email

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

MADSP Meeting

Date: Thursday, May 15, 2003
Time: 9:30AM - 11:30AM EDT (GMT-04:00)

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#351 From: Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tue Apr 15, 2003 1:32 pm
Subject: Reminder - MADSP Meeting Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com
Send Email

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

MADSP Meeting

Date: Thursday, April 17, 2003
Time: 9:30AM - 11:30AM EDT (GMT-04:00)

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#350 From: hturnham@...
Date: Thu Apr 10, 2003 11:18 pm
Subject: Help Wanted: 40,000 Direct-Care Workers by 2010 hturnham@...
Send Email

Public Policy and Workplace Practices Forum

2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 24, 2003
Radisson Hotel
111 North Grand Avenue, Lansing, MI

Presentations of :
“Michigan’s Care Gap: Our Emerging Direct-Care Workforce Crisis” by Hollis Turnham, Michigan Policy Director of the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute

“Economic Self-Sufficiency in Michigan, A Benchmark for Ensuring Family Well-Being” by Jim Lunday, Senior Planning and Research Associate of the Michigan League for Human Services

Michigan’s network of long-term health care supports and services faces an unprecedented labor crisis. High turnover and vacancy rates among home care aides, certified nursing assistants, direct-support professionals and personal care assistants—our state’s direct-care workforce—are harmful to consumers, workers, and employers. Currently, most direct care jobs are not competitive with other entry-level jobs in terms of wages, benefits or working conditions. Across the board, average wages and benefits are generally not adequate to meet the basic needs of
workers or their families.

This Forum will focus on Michigan’s long-term care workforce, the emerging crisis and possible solutions based on state and national public policies as well as changes in employer practices.

Sponsored by: The Joyce Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the
Hudson-Webber Foundation, Metro Health Foundation, and the Michigan Women’s Foundation.

The forum's sponsoring foundations want to underscore the importance of
debating these direct-care workforce issues that are central to both quality
jobs and quality care in Michigan. Foundation support of the forum is not an endorsement of the recommendations presented.

There is no charge for attending the Forum. Please RSVP to Hollis Turnham at e-mail or telephone phone number listed below to insure a copy of all materials.

Hollis Turnham
Michigan Policy Director
Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
5013 Applewood Dr
Lansing, MI 48917
517-327-0331 (voice and fax)
hturnham@...

www.paraprofessional.org
www.directcareclearinghouse.org

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#349 From: Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thu Apr 3, 2003 1:32 pm
Subject: Reminder - MADSP Meeting Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com
Send Email

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

MADSP Meeting

Date: Thursday, April 17, 2003
Time: 9:30AM - 11:30AM EDT (GMT-04:00)

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#348 From: Kathy Flowers <chattycathy31@...>
Date: Fri Mar 28, 2003 4:29 pm
Subject: Meeting reminder chattycathy31
Offline
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Hello All!
This is just a reminder about the next MADSP meeting
on April 17th at Mott College from 9:30 till 11:30. I
know it is not possible for all of you to attend at
this time, but I want to make sure ou all have a
'voice' and input your thoughts and ideas via the list
serve. Sometimes, this is the best way for all of us
to 'communicate' anyway so please feel free to do so.
I have completed the cover letter we are sending
information to all the state REPS regarding MADSP. We
hope to have that mailed out by next week. At the next
meeting, we will have copies of all the phone numbers
and addresses for you of all the REPS and a 'sample
script" of what to say too so you can follow up with
your phone calls to them.
Big! THANKS to Lois and Pam for assisting at the AAMR
conference with the presentation! (and you too Mike
and Elizabeth) The 'reviews' on the workshop were very
positive and we were able to 'inspire' some new people
to begin to develop new 'chapters' around the state.
This is an exciting time!!! So WE NEED ALL OF YOU!!
See ya at the next meeting:)

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
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#347 From: hturnham@...
Date: Wed Mar 19, 2003 7:25 pm
Subject: Fwd: [Health Advocates] alert -- immediate action needed! hturnham@...
Send Email

Hollis Turnham
Michigan Policy Director
Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
5013 Applewood Drive
Lansing, MI 48917
517.327.0331 (voice and fax)
hturnham@...

www.paraprofessional.org
www.directcareclearinghouse.org
www.directcarealliance.org

ALERT – IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED!

As part of the annual budget process, Congress is setting binding priorities for federal spending. To pay for new tax cuts proposed by President Bush, the House Budget Committee has instructed the Commerce Committee to cut approximately $95 BILLION from Medicaid spending (and $214 billion cuts in Medicare). It is expected that the full House will vote on the resolution this week. This proposal comes in conjunction with provisions in the budget to implement the Administration’s Medicaid block grant proposal.

While many members of Congress have expressed concern about the proposed Medicare cuts (which would leave little new funding for a prescription drug benefit), there is a real fear that the Medicaid cuts will get overlooked in the process. The Senate budget resolution does not currently include these cuts. But the Senate and House ultimately have to negotiate a joint budget resolution. If the House budget has $95 billion in cuts and the Senate has none, one compromise could, for example, allow $45-50 billion in cuts. And because of the rules under which these cuts are being considered (“reconciliation”), opposition to these cuts as they move through the legislative process will be extremely difficult.

We all know Medicaid has been under attack at every level of government. Imagine additional cuts of $50 or $95 billion in federal spending and the cuts to local services that such a reduction would require. Would Medicaid even survive?   What does $95 billion pay for in Medicaid? Here are some examples:

·    two years of nursing home care
·    four years of prescription drug coverage
·    eight years of funding for the Disproportionate Share Hospital program
·    eliminating coverage for all children for 4 years
·    eliminating all coverage for seniors for 2.5 years

Any cuts will also disproportionately hurt communities of color and women. Medicaid cuts would impact one third of all Hispanic children, one third of all African American children and more than one in three Native American children who receive coverage through Medicaid. The cuts would also reduce care for the one-third of all poor women who receive health care through Medicaid.
ACT NOW – TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

1. Call your Representatives and Senators and urge them to speak out against Medicaid cuts and oppose any budget resolution that includes cuts to Medicaid.
2. Ask groups with whom you work – client groups, other community organizations and leaders– to make calls.
3. Forward this email widely!

-- Mara K. Youdelman
Staff Attorney
National Health Law Program
1101 14th Street NW, Suite 405
Washington, DC 20005
youdelman@...
ph: (202) 289-7661
fax: (202) 289-7724
www.healthlaw.org

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#346 From: Kathy Flowers <chattycathy31@...>
Date: Mon Mar 17, 2003 10:15 pm
Subject: March Meeting Reminder chattycathy31
Offline
Send Email

The March meeting for MADSP will be held in Kalamazoo
at the Radission Hotel on Thursday March 20th
immediately following the conference presentation
about the MADSP organization. The meeting will be from
5pm to 6:30 pm and we hope to see many new faces! We
will have refreshments and discuss upcoming activites
of the group. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!


__________________________________________________
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Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
http://platinum.yahoo.com

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#345 From: "Michael Pizzala" <mpizzala@...>
Date: Fri Mar 14, 2003 12:35 pm
Subject: FW: DSPs tlsini
Offline
Send Email

-----Original Message-----
From: nadsp@... [mailto:nadsp@...]On Behalf Of Julie Silver
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 11:21 AM
To: Multiple recipients of nadsp
Subject: FW: DSPs

Hi Everyone,

Below is an article about public service announcements about the direct support workforce crisis. Congrats to ANCOR for their leadership in getting these PSAs produced and distributed!

Julie

Julie F. Silver

Project Director

Human Services Research Institute

2336 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02140

V 1: 617.844.2318

V2: 617.876.0426 x2318

F: 617.492.7401

E: JSilver@...

www.hsri.org

-----Original Message-----
From: gsmith [mailto:gsmith@hsri.org]
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 12:13 AM
To: Amber Cooper; Amy LeTourneau; Elizabeth Pell; Gary Smith; Guisi Chiri; Jaime; Janae Zolna; Jennifer Negus; John Agosta; Julie Silver; June Rowe; Kerri Melda; Marianne Taylor; Mike Nikolenko; Reena Wagle; Sarah Knipper; Sarah Taub; Val Bradley
Subject: DSPs

Public Service Announcements Warn Quality of Life at Risk For Americans with Disabilities
Tuesday March 11, 4:05 pm ET

Research Verifies Supports and Services Will Be Compromised By Eroding Workforce

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Television public service announcements were released today warning that the independence and quality of life of disabled Americans is being threatened by a work shortage of private direct support professionals.

There are eight million Americans with mental retardation and developmental disabilities, many of whom rely on private supports and services. These disabilities include mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, epilepsy, and other related conditions.

Nearly 500-thousand people with disabilities live productive and meaningful lives in community settings nationwide where they work and volunteer in their own communities. Over 310,000 private direct support professionals are the backbone of these living arrangements.

"The quality of life for Americans with developmental disabilities is at risk. There is a real and present workforce shortage jeopardizing the daily supports that are crucial for people with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities to live and work in their communities," warns Fred Romenka, president of the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR).

A recent study conducted by BDO Seidman determined that the labor purchasing power of private providers has dramatically eroded over the past ten years, compromising their ability to hire and retain quality staff. The public service announcements feature Midge Soderbergh, mother of noted director Steven Soderbergh, whose brother Peter is developmentally disabled and lives in a community setting. She tells viewers that: "Everyone eventually needs support. My son, Steven, needed it to become an award-winning film director. My son, Peter, also benefits from compassionate support to live in the community. 'Problem is, it's all at risk because the thousands of professionals who support individuals with disabilities aren't paid enough to support their own families! Direct Support Professionals make a difference. Shouldn't they also make a living?"

The Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. will first receive the PSAs. Sinclair has agreed to encourage the program directors at its 62 stations (39 markets) to review the PSAs and to consider airing them over the next several months.

These risks are acute and growing worse every day as found in the BDO Seidman study. According to the study:

    *     The hourly wage for Private Direct Support Workers increased only

          $0.82 versus $3.16 for public direct support workers and $2.11 for

          Fast Food Workers.  This represents a nine percent increase over a

          decade.

    *     The percentage increases for the Public Direct Support Worker and

          Fast Food Workers were almost three to four times higher,

          respectively, than the percentage increase in wages for private

          sector employees.

    *     Both the dollar amount and percentage increase in hourly wage rates

          for Private Direct Support Workers are far below that of comparable

          job categories as well as the national minimum wage.

    *     State funded systems, including those that rely on Medicaid, are

          held to fixed appropriations based upon state public policy choices

          and economic conditions and are not as responsive as the private

          sector in adjusting to labor supply and demand factors.

    *     Benefits provided are roughly 3 1/2 times less that that provided to

          all civilian workers and less than half that of private nursing

          homes.

    *     Health insurance premium increases far exceed general inflation,

          requiring providers to increase the employee contribution.

    *     Many Private Direct Support Professionals cannot afford to pay the

          employee portion of health insurance premiums -- meaning fewer

          employees participate in this benefit than in other industries.

"Without quality and continuity in direct support services, disabilities can become more severe, people can become more isolated, productivity and self-esteem spiral downward," added Fred Romenka. "Without quality and continuity in direct support services, families become emotionally and financially drained. Aging parents are afraid of the future for their children. When they cannot support them, who will?"

"The severity of the crisis is compounded as the U.S. population ages and individuals with disabilities seek support services," said Joe Lubarsky, CPA, National Director, Long Term Care Services, BDO Seidman. "Low unemployment, skyrocketing insurance costs and increased demand for service industry employees further challenge the recruiting efforts for Direct Support Professionals. Without adequate funding, providers will not have adequate resources to offer competitive wages and benefits to Direct Support Professionals, resulting in further erosion of this workforce and possible adverse affects on quality and accessibility of services."

"This issue has deep societal implications," said Dr. Renee Pietrangelo, ANCOR CEO. "Many Direct Support Professionals are young single mothers of varying ethnicities who are extremely committed and love what they do. They are selfless and compassionate workers rewarded by intangible benefits. But intangibles don't feed their children or pay their rent. Most work at least two jobs to make ends meet. They are America's quiet heroes and they deserve better compensation and greater respect."

The American Network of Community Options and Resources represents and advocates on behalf of the more the 700 providers of services and supports to over 360,000 Americans with disabilities. To view the study or download a copy of "The Growing Crisis in Recruiting and Retaining the Direct Support Workforce" BDO Seidman research, visit http://www.ancor.org/dev/Activities/NAC/Final-Report_Revised121602.pdf. To view the PSAs and the campaign video, visit http://www.ancor.org/dev/ancorvideo.htm.

Gary Smith

HSRI

8500 SW Nyberg Road, Suite 205

Tualatin OR 97070

gsmith@...

503-885-1436 ext. 17

FAX 503-885-1536

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#344 From: Janette Jennings <aa7415@...>
Date: Thu Mar 13, 2003 7:00 pm
Subject: we're looking for personal stories jjenningsot
Offline
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Hello Everyone,

Here at the Developmental Disabilities Institute we coordinate and administer training for direct support professionals and work closely with the Michigan Alliance of Direct Support Professionals, as you all probably know. We are currently working on ideas for new training and other publications. If you have any ideas, please feel free to reply back to me.

More specifically, we are looking for personal stories from direct support professionals that we would like to put into an informational booklet that gives different perspectives to people like legislators and new workers in the field on what it means to support someone with special needs. We are looking for a variety stories. It could focus on a major event that you were a part of that occurred in the life of the consumer with whom you work. The story could explain what compels you to stay in the profession. It could involve how you advocated for services for someone and the kind of obstacles you faced. It could be a story about the fun times you've had with a special consumer that impacted you personally. We'll accept stories that are funny or serious.

If you or someone you know would like to get involved with this project, please submit your story to Elizabeth Janks at E.Janks@... or by mail to
DSP Stories
4809 Woodward Ave. Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
You may also record your story on tape and send it to us, if that would be more convenient for you. We will transcribe the story for you. We are looking for stories that are no longer than 500 words. If you have a picture and would be willing to give it to us, there is a possibility that it would be included in the booklet if proper permission is given. Please include your name, how long you've worked as a DSP, maybe how long you worked for the particular individual in your story, where you work (if you feel comfortable doing that) and a return address. We do plan to make simple edits to the stories if necessary.

Unfortunately, we will be unable to compensate you financially for your story. Hopefully, this fact will not deter you from contributing. The booklet will serve as an informational tool for people who are interested in the profession whether it be as a career or on a more formal, political level.

Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, please reply back to me at aa7415@... or email E.Janks@..., or call 313-577-2654 and ask for Elizabeth or Janette.

Thank you again and I hope to hear from many of you.

Sincerely,
Janette Jennings
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave. Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48201
phone: 313-577-2654
fax: 313-577-3770

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#343 From: Janette Jennings <aa7415@...>
Date: Wed Mar 12, 2003 7:03 pm
Subject: February minutes jjenningsot
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attached are the February Minutes

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#342 From: hturnham@...
Date: Mon Mar 10, 2003 8:18 am
Subject: Article about direct support professionals and cutbacks in NC with a MI tie hturnham@...
Send Email

Copyright 2003 Multimedia Publishing of North Carolina
� � � � � � � � � � � � � �� All Rights Reserved
� � � � � � � � � � � � � The Asheville Citizen-Times

� � � � � � � � � � �� March 2, 2003 Sunday Final Edition

SECTION: BUSINESS; Pg. 1D

LENGTH: 1801 words

HEADLINE: A cap on CAP?; New rules threaten already tight supply of
long-term
caregivers

BYLINE: Leslie Boyd, STAFF WRITER

BODY:
��A cap on CAP?

��New rules threaten already tight supply of long-term caregivers

��T

��The words "technical amendment" seem innocuous enough, but for Patti
Ulirsch of Arden, those two words could make it even harder to find people to help
care for her son, Nicholas, 11.

��Nicholas has cerebral palsy and several learning disabilities, including
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He's in a wheelchair, but he's what
Ulirsch describes as "really high-intensity."

��"He has a way of going through workers," she said. "He takes so much
energy people tend to burn out."

��As it is, Nicholas gets eight hours a day of help under the Community
Alternatives Program for Persons with Mental Retardation/Developmental
Disabilities.

��But under this new technical amendment to the state's program, that time
could be cut to two hours a day of "habilitation," where he and his CAP
worker work toward goals, and six hours of respite care, which is custodial in
nature.

��Although the same worker could perform both functions, the pay for
respite care is lower -- $8.50 an hour as opposed to $10.50 for habilitation -- and
the paperwork would increase because the two services have different
record-keeping requirements.

��"What they did was put a whole broad range of services under
'habilitation' and said no one needs more than eight hours a day, and since kids are in school six hours a day, that means they only get two more hours after school,"
Ulirsch said. "If I have to find someone who's willing to work six hours a day at
lower pay, I don't know how much more difficult it will be to find people willing
to do the job."

��Nicholas' CAP worker, Chris Spoerer, doesn't know what will happen when
the new rule takes effect, which could happen as soon as May 1. He gets no
benefits, and the hour he spends driving to and from the family's home is his own
time.

��"Do I want to drive an hour to work two hours? I don't know," he said.

��Currently, some 2,000 families are waiting for a place in the Community
Alternatives Program for Persons with Mental Retardation/Developmental
Disabilities, which pays for services that help people with disabilities live
outside of institutions. Yet staffing agencies have trouble finding
direct-support staff for the 5,200 families who already have CAP.

��The state Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and
Substance Abuse Services acknowledges families may have trouble converting to the new rule.

��Providers aren't likely to pay direct-care workers the same money for habilitation and personal care because what they receive from the state varies.
The state pays $22.23 per hour for habilitation and $13.92 per hour for personal
care.

��Reasons behind change

��The reason for the rule change is that no one should have to work 12 hours a
day, said Lisa Haire, acting branch head for operations and regional support
with the division.

��"Habilitation is work," she said. "The definition is therapy, working toward
goals. Working toward goals 12 hours a day is a lot to ask of anyone."

��Money was also a factor in the decision, she said. The state's average
per-person costs are rising 7 percent to 11 percent per year.

��"We're aware some providers may walk away because of this, and we're trying
to address that," she said. "Representatives from the division, the Division of
Medical Assistance will sit down with providers to see how we can work this out
with them so consumers aren't adversely affected."

��Spoerer and others wonder whether the state is trying to get more for less.

��"If I spend two hours working on goals, does anybody really think I'll just
switch to respite care for four hours when I know he needs more?" he said.
"If I have to take a pay cut for those other four hours, will I cut back on my
work? Of course not ... I can go out and find another job but Nick can't go out
and find another Chris."

��Even for families lucky enough to have long-term workers, the fear of having
to find another worker looms.

��Staffing shortage

��Kristy Komara of Hendersonville has found a CAP worker who is reliable and
has been with her 10-year-old daughter, Ashley, for three years.

��But the worker may be moving soon, and Komara dreads trying to find another
one, especially under the new rule.

��"I know the problems in the system," she said. "We went for months without a
case manager last year. Then we got one, but I never got to meet that one. We
got another, and I got to meet her before she quit a week later. I've had to
learn to play the system myself because I can't count on having someone there
who can do it for me."

��Staffers also have to understand an increasingly complex system of paperwork
and red tape.

��Every time Ashley, who has cerebral palsy, needs new adaptive equipment, her
mother steels herself for a six-month ordeal. Ashley, 10 uses a wheelchair and
needs a special seat for the bathtub, among other things.

��Ashley has CAP, but getting her what she needs can still be a battle, her
mother said. Paperwork must be filled out in excruciatingly precise detail or
requests are rejected and the process has to start over.

��"I can see if I was asking for a cow for the back yard so I could feed her
organic milk, but what I'm asking for is reasonable and appropriate," she said.

��Officials acknowledge difficulties in staffing, especially in filling the
jobs at the lower skill -- and pay -- levels, such as personal care workers.

��"This is not an easy job," said Lawrence Thompson, area director of Blue
Ridge Center. "You have some people with pretty serious behavioral problems, for
instance, and you're not paying people a lot more than they would make at a
fast-food restaurant."

��If the state Legislature were to decide to fund CAP fully and eliminate the
waiting list, said Thompson, finding the people to do the work "would be a
bear."

��Challenging issue

��"This is a whole giant issue," said Holly Riddle, director of the N.C. Council on Developmental Disabilities in Raleigh. "And it's not just direct-support workers. It's probably the most challenging issue this field is facing."

��Indeed, say advocates, finding psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors
and dentists is difficult, if not impossible. Part of the reason is the low
reimbursement rates from Medicaid -- in many cases, the government doesn't pay
enough to cover the cost of care.

��And it's an issue nationally, said Gary Smith of the Human Services Research
Institute in Oregon, a nationally recognized expert in the field.

��"If waiting lists were completely eliminated, there would be major problems
finding people to do the work," he said. "If North Carolina were to fully fund
CAP, it would be a year -- and that's a conservative estimate -- before everyone
could have services in place. Whenever you add that much capacity you have to
know you can't do it overnight."

��The Governor's Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities, is one of a
group of advocacy agencies preparing a lawsuit to force the state to eliminate
the waiting list for CAP.

��"The infrastructure is just not there to meet the needs," said Allison Bowen,
the agency's interim director. "But we need to move people out of institutions
and into the community. Initially, it will be more expensive than it is now, but
it will be less expensive in the long run. But cost aside, it's the right thing
to do."

��Anne Doucette, program director for Blue Ridge Center for Developmental
Disabilities, said, "One problem is that workers in the community tend to make
less than those in institutions. They're also less likely to have benefits, and
that's a crucial piece."

��As the system works now, direct-care workers in the community -- nearly all
of whom have just a high school diploma or GED -- earn about $7 to $11 an
hour.

��They usually work part-time, although they may cobble together enough jobs to
work 40 hours a week, but many work without basic benefits like paid vacation
and sick days, not to mention health or disability insurance. They must provide
their own transportation.

��In Brevard, Trend Community Mental Health Service has had difficulty finding
qualified case managers. Trend is Ashley Komara's provider agency.

��"We're fully staffed now," said Carla Hill, program director. "But if someone
leaves, it's not easy to replace them."

��Again, a major factor is the pay scale -- case managers at Trend start in the
low- to mid-$20,000 range. In addition, the work involves mountains of paperwork
to comply with state and federal requirements, so people who get into the job
hoping to work with families are disappointed.

��"You have to understand CAP and Medicaid, and it's very complex," Hill said.
"If CAP were fully funded, we'd have to find at least two more caseworkers, and
if everyone in the state was looking for qualified case workers at the same
time, well, it would be very interesting."

��Sherry Douglas of CNC Access, a staffing agency, said she gets plenty of
applicants for direct-support jobs, but not all are qualified to do the work and
a large percentage of them disappear when they learn how low the pay is.

��"We all know the rates of pay are low and we all know reimbursement rates for
doctors and dentists are low, but does that excuse it?" she said. "Does that
mean people with disabilities have no right to care?"

��Person-centered planning

��Richard Visingardi, the director of the state Division of Mental Health,
Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, started in the field in
1983 as a direct-care worker making $3.35 an hour in Michigan.

��"Things haven't really evolved that well since then," he said. "It's going to take a whole culture shift to change things. We need to value people who work
one-on-one with people. They do hard work, and they deserve compensation. They
deserve respect, as do the people they work with."

��Visingardi is an advocate of person-centered planning -- tailoring each person's services directly to his or her needs. He was nearly laughed out of a meeting in 1986 when he suggested it should be required, but in 1995 it became the law in Michigan.

��"We need to give people what they need, no more, no less," he said. "We need
to be reasonable in what we ask of them. We used to tell people they couldn't
move on to a higher level of independence until they made their beds every day.
I don't make my bed every day. Why should they have to? And why do we waste
staff time and effort in such things?"

��Visingardi believes the culture shift has begun, but it is a slow process.

��"The system is a behemoth, but it can be moved -- it is being moved," he said. "I can't sit here and tell you everything is fine because it isn't, but
we're moving and it has to keep going. This is an issue of social justice."

��Contact Boyd at 232-2922 or e-mail LBoyd@....

LOAD-DATE: March 5, 2003

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 2 of 2 DOCUMENTS

� � � � � �� Copyright 2003 Multimedia Publishing of North Carolina
� � � � � � � � � � � � � �� All Rights Reserved
� � � � � � � � � � � � � The Asheville Citizen-Times

� � � � � � � � � � �� March 2, 2003 Sunday Final Edition

SECTION: BUSINESS; Pg. 2D

LENGTH: 333 words

HEADLINE: Stress, low pay and few benefits keep caregiver turnover rate high

BYLINE: Leslie Boyd, STAFF WRITER

BODY:
��Stress, low pay and few benefits keep caregiver turnover rate high

��According to a study commissioned by the state and done by the Human Services
Research Institute, the average turnover rate among community services case
managers was 41 percent in 1999, and 74 percent of agencies said they had
trouble hiring case managers.

��The study also reports 27,700 direct-care workers in community settings in
North Carolina. Of those, 82 percent are women, half are single and about 43
percent are the primary wage earners in their families. The average annual
salary for these workers is $19,226, and many of them work without benefits.

��As expected, turnover among these workers is extremely high. The report goes
on to say the workers who remain report increased levels of stress, and many
also report they believe the quality of services is compromised by the high
turnover rates.

��"The incentives we can offer people are small," said Matt Revis of Turning
Point Services in Asheville, a staffing agency for CAP and other human services.
"But the fact is, one of the most significant factors in positive outcomes for
people with disabilities of all kinds is the stability of staff."

��Turning Point starts respite workers at $8.50 per hour. Direct-care workers,
who need a little more training and expertise, average $10.50 per hour, and once
they average 20 hours per week, they can opt into the group health insurance
plan, which costs $3,800 per year.

��"I'd love to offer free insurance coverage to everyone, but we have 600 to
700 part-time employees, and we'd be out of business," he said.

��In addition, training for these workers has become more expensive. When the
majority of care was in congregate settings, less experienced workers could be
trained and mentored by more experienced staffers. As care moves into people's
homes, workers lose that mentoring and must be better trained to begin with,
said Revis.

��Contact Boyd at 232-2922 or e-mail LBoyd@....

LOAD-DATE: March 5, 2003
**********� Email Completed� **********
Time of Delivery:�� March 05, 2003� 04:04 PM EST
Email Number:� � � 711:0:82792341
***************************************

Hollis Turnham
Michigan Policy Director
Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
5013 Applewood Drive
Lansing, MI 48917
517.327.0331 (voice and fax)
hturnham@...

www.paraprofessional.org
www.directcareclearinghouse.org
www.directcarealliance.org

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#341 From: Kathy Flowers <chattycathy31@...>
Date: Mon Mar 3, 2003 3:00 pm
Subject: march meeting chattycathy31
Offline
Send Email

Hello to All:)
We have decided to hold our March meeting for MADSP at
the AAMR Conference in Kalamazoo on Thrusday, March
20th from 5pm till 6:30 pm. We will be in the
conference room immediately following our presentation
about the Alliance. Signs will be posted in the
conference area as to where the room is located.
We are encouraging anyone from the Kalamazoo and
surrounding areas to attend this meeting with the
hopes that we can build our membership around the
state.

The Radisson Plaza Hotel is located 100 W. Michigan
Ave. downtown Kalamzoo.

Hope to se you there!

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more
http://taxes.yahoo.com/

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#340 From: Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com
Date: Mon Feb 17, 2003 2:36 pm
Subject: Reminder - Feb. MADSP Meeting Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com
Send Email

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

Feb. MADSP Meeting

Date: Thursday, February 20, 2003
Time: 9:30AM - 11:30AM EST (GMT-05:00)

February 20, 2003, Genesee Room of the Prahl Center, 9:30am to
11:30am

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#339 From: Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thu Feb 13, 2003 2:32 pm
Subject: Reminder - Feb. MADSP Meeting Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com
Send Email

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

Feb. MADSP Meeting

Date: Thursday, February 20, 2003
Time: 9:30AM - 11:30AM EST (GMT-05:00)

February 20, 2003, Genesee Room of the Prahl Center, 9:30am to
11:30am

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#338 From: "Michael Pizzala" <mpizzala@...>
Date: Wed Feb 12, 2003 3:40 pm
Subject: For those that can't open word documents tlsini
Offline
Send Email

Attached is the January Meeting minutes for those of you that can't open word documents.

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#337 From: Janette Jennings <aa7415@...>
Date: Wed Feb 12, 2003 2:06 pm
Subject: Minutes from January jjenningsot
Offline
Send Email

Remember, the next meeting is Thursday, Feb. 20 at 9:30. We'll be back
to the Genesee Room.

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