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#506

From: Kathy Flowers <chattycathy31@...>
Date: Fri Jul 15, 2005 8:26 pm
Subject: Fwd: MEETING WITH ALL OF YOU IN SEPTEMBER

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The NADSP and its newly incorporated board of trustees cordially invites you to attend our next national meeting to be held in conjunction with the Alliance for Full Participation (AFP) in Washington DC. The NADSP national meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend. We especially want to encourage all NADSP state affiliates and DSP’s who are attending the AFP conference to attend this national meeting. We have been working diligently on developing a membership structure and board structure.

We plan to “roll out” our membership materials at this meeting and discuss many other projects that will be developed by NADSP or in conjunction with other national groups. Due to the fact that we will be meeting in September, there will be no steering committee call in July or August as planned. The Board has been working on developing bylaws, incorporation papers, membership categories, membership dues, a bank account, web site improvements and other related projects that will help us launch NADSP as a true national organization. We hope you can join us for this important meeting and we are thrilled to be part of this historic conference in Washington DC.

I will be working on room arrangements for this NADSP meeting. Please email me and let me know if you can attend.

My thanks to all of you for your time, effort and encouragement on improving the image, profession and status of DSP’s across this nation.

Tony Thomas

Secretary/ Treasurer

National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals

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#503

From: M B <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Mon May 16, 2005 1:26 pm
Subject: MADSP MEeting Reminder

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Hello:

This is a reminder that the next meeting of the Michigan Alliance of Direct Support Professionals will be held this Thursday, May 19th at Alternative Services, Inc., 32625 West Seven Mile Road, Livonia, MI. Meetings run from 9:30am - 11:30am. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Topics that will be discussed this month include but are not limited to:

- Reviewing the 2005 MADSP Forum which was held last month
- How to start up new MADSP chapters
- Generating greater interest through promotion of the group

- Future meeting locations and agendas

For directions or other questions, please feel free to
contact me at the number or email below. Thank you
and see you there!

Sincerely,
Michael Bray

Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
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#502

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Fri May 6, 2005 1:03 pm
Subject: Fwd: Technical Assistance and Guidance from the MDE, OSE/EIS

michaeljbray2

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Thought that some of you may be interested in these. Have a great weekend!

Michael

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Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
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#499

From: Kathy Flowers <chattycathy31@...>
Date: Thu Apr 7, 2005 9:36 pm
Subject: Fwd: March 2005 Center for PAS Bulletin

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A pdf version of this newsletter can be found at http://www.pascenter.org/newsletter/CenterforPASBulletinMar05.pdf

Previous newsletters can be found at http://www.pascenter.org/newsletter

=========================

Center for Personal Assistance Services Bulletin

March 2005--Volume 2, Issue 2

IN THIS ISSUE:

1) Harkin introduces Senate bill to support community-based services

2) New and updated reports on home and community-based services available

3) Updated report on community integration lawsuits now online

4) Medicaid HCBS program data viewable by state, and for the entire United States, 2001

5) New state-by-state information available on Center for Personal Assistance Services website

6) Center partner Job Accomodation Network (JAN) to host annual conference in San Francisco

7) Center advisor wins national award

8) Center news

9) Kaiser Family Foundation releases guides on Medicaid and Medicare

10) Report released on informal caregivers

11) Report released on consumer-directed programs for older adults

12) Government Accountability Office (GAO) releases report on employers and One-Stop services

13) The World Institute on Disability announces a new training video and curriculum for medical providers

14) New book released on care for elderly parents

15) SELECTED CONFERENCES DURING April, May, and June 2005

==========

The Center for Personal Assistance Services provides research, training, dissemination and technical assistance on issues of personal assistance services (PAS) in the United States. Personal assistance services (PAS) refer to help provided to people with disabilities to assist them with tasks essential for daily living. These tasks include bathing, dressing, getting around, toileting, eating, shopping, remembering things, and other activities. PAS, along with assistive technology such as wheelchairs, text readers, and hearing aides, help people with disabilities to participate in activities at home, at work, and in the community.

The purpose of this newsletter is to provide the latest news on issues relating to formal and informal PAS, home & community-based services, the PAS workforce, and workplace PAS within and outside of the Center.

Further detail about the Center staff and advisors can be found at http://www.pascenter.org/about/

==========

1) Harkin introduces Senate bill to support community-based services

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the Medicaid Community-Based Attendant Services and Supports Act of 2005 (MICASSA) Wednesday, February 16, 2005. The legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), would increase access to community-based services and supports to Americans with disabilities and older Americans. Similar legislation was introduced in the House.

"I strongly believe that it is important to level the playing field and give eligible individuals equal access to community-based services and supports," Harkin said. "This vital legislation will open the door to full participation by people with disabilities in our neighborhoods, workplaces, our economy, and our American Dream."

Specifically, MICASSA gives individuals who are currently eligible for nursing home services and institutional facilities equal access to community-based attendant services and supports, and establishes a demonstration project to evaluate service coordination and cost sharing approaches for those eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. The legislation also provides additional funding to states to help them reform their long term care systems and increase the provision of home and community based services.

"This legislation is needed to truly bring people with disabilities into the mainstream of society and provide equal opportunity for employment and community activities," Harkin said.

The following Senators co-sponsored the Harkin-Specter legislation: Edward Kennedy (D-MA),John Kerry (D-MA), Joseph Biden (D-DE), Mark Dayton (D-MN), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Jon Corzine (D-NJ), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), and Christopher Dodd (D-CT).

For more information, see http://harkin.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=232219

==========

2) New and updated reports on home and community-based services available

An update of the report 'Federal Systems Change Grants to States and Territories: 2001-2004' is now published on the PAS Center website. The table provides state-by-state information on federal Systems Change Grants for the period 2001-2004 and includes all grants awarded in 2004. This report is one in a series of five reports available online that present information on national initiatives to develop home and community-based services (HCBS) including the extensions to the existing Medicaid HCBS program infrastructure and federal funding for new innovations. The reports are:

1. Federal Systems Change Grants to States and Territories: 2001-2004

2. Home and Community-Based Services: Federal Funding to States.

3. Home and Community-Based Services: Selected Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grants to States.

4. Home and Community-Based Services: Medicaid Research and Demonstration Waivers.

5. Home and Community-Based Services: State-only funded programs.

Each of the reports provide summary information accessible to the public, consumers, advocates, researchers and professionals about federal funding sources and the programs that are developing as a consequence of this funding. For example, the 'Federal Funding to States' report includes information on HCBS funded by the Older Americans Act.

For more information on Federal Systems Change Grants to States and Territories: 2001-2004, go to: http://pascenter.org/systemschange/

For more information on Home and Community-Based Services: Federal Funding to States, go to: http://www.pascenter.org/federal_funding_to_states

For more information on Home and Community-Based Services: Selected Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grants to States, go to: http://www.pascenter.org/foundation_grants/

For more information on Home and Community-Based Services: Medicaid Research and Demonstration Waivers, go to: http://pascenter.org/demo_waivers

For more information on Home and Community-Based Services: State-only funded programs, go to: http://pascenter.org/state_funded/

==========

3) Updated report on community integration lawsuits now online

The online report 'Home and Community Based Services: Olmstead and Olmstead-related Lawsuits' has been revised for 2005 to include recent lawsuits. The details of existing cases have also been revised to reflect progress in cases. The report includes 141 Olmstead and Olmstead-related lawsuits concerning community integration which have been brought in 42 states, Guam and Washington D.C.

For more information, go to: http://www.pascenter.org/olmstead/

==========

4) Medicaid HCBS program data viewable by state, and for the entire United States, 2001

From data collected by PASCenter researchers, two sets of information concerning Medicaid home and community based services (HCBS) are now viewable by state, and for the entire United States, on the PASCenter website. First, a series of tables report the most recent available (2001) participant and expenditure data for the three Medicaid HCBS programs: (1) the mandatory home health benefit, (2) the optional state plan personal care services benefit, and (3) optional 1915(c) waivers. Second, tables report program descriptions and contact information for all Medicaid 1915(c) waiver programs operating in 2004.

For more information, go to: http://www.pascenter.org/medicaid/

==========

5) New state-by-state information available on Center for Personal Assistance Services website

State-by-state resources can be found on the Center for Personal Assistance Services website at http://www.pascenter.org/state_based_stats/index.php. In the past quarter, several new and updated resources are now available by state, including

* An updated estimate of the number of PAS workers and workers per persons with self-care difficulty from the Census' 2003 American Community Survey (http://www.pascenter.org/state_based_stats/state_statistics_2003.php?title=State+and+National+Disability+Data)

* The number of participants and expenditures for Medicaid 1915(c) Waivers for 2001. (http://www.pascenter.org/state_based_stats/medicaid_waiver.php?title=Medicaid+1915%28c%29+Waiver+Data+by+State)

* An updated list of Olmstead cases in each state. (http://www.pascenter.org/state_based_stats/olmstead_home.php?title=Olmstead+Decision+and+Lawsuits+by+State)

* An update of the searchable database of recently and currently funded research and demonstration projects to expand and improve the personal assistance services workforce in the United States. (http://www.pascenter.org/state_based_stats/workforce_projects_inventory_home.php?title=Workforce+Development+Projects+in+PAS)

* Contact information and descriptions for each waiver offered by state. (http://www.pascenter.org/state_based_stats/medicaid_waivers_info.php?title=State%20Medicaid%20Waiver%20Contact%20Information%20and%20Descriptions)

* A list of PAS Workforce resources related to each state. The list data is provided and maintained by Center partner National Clearinghouse for the Direct Care Workforce (http://www.pascenter.org/state_based_stats/xml.php?title=PAS+Workforce+Library)

==========

6) Center partner Job Accomodation Network (JAN) to host annual conference in San Francisco

The Job Accommodation Network's (JAN) Annual Conference, Empowering Employers to Build an Inclusive Workforce will be held in San Francisco on September 26-27, 2005. This event provides a unique learning opportunity for human resource managers, compliance officers, disability program managers, and other professionals to discover ways that enhance an organization's ability to accommodate and employ people with disabilities. Instruction by JAN staff and national experts will include three training tracks addressing accommodation strategies, ADA/legal issues, and innovative employment practices. Invited keynote speakers include Dr. Roy Grizzard, the Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy for the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor; Michael J. Lotito, partner with Jackson Lewis; Dinah Cohen, Director for the Department of Defense (DoD) Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP); and Paul Steven Miller, Professor of Law, University of Washington School of Law.

Registration is limited to 300 participants. The conference will also have booths from exhibitors of goods and services.

For more information, go to http://conference.jan.wvu.edu/

==========

7) Center advisor wins national award

Center for Personal Assistance Services advisor Paul Longmore recently became the first professor to win the Henry B. Betts Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities. Longmore, professor of history, was honored for his work as a disability rights activist and leader in the academic field of disability studies. The award comes with a $50,000 prize.

For more information, see San Francisco Chronicle news story at http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/03/09/BAGG1BMD5C1.DTL

and San Francisco State University news story at http://www.sfsu.edu/~news/2005/spring/26.htm

==========

8) Center news

* Center researcher Martin Kitchener has been awarded a new grant for a study of states' long-term care strategy and performance in expanding access to home and community-based services. The project will begin in May 2005.

* Center researchers Martin Kitchener and Terence Ng will present a symposium on national trends in 1915(c) HCBS Waivers at the National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) Annual HCBS Waiver Conference in Orlando, Florida in May. The symposium will be chaired by Martin Kitchener with three discussants: Mary Jean Duckett (CMS), Bridget Simone (New York Medicaid) and Beth Kidder (Florida Medicaid). More information on the symposium can be found on the Center website at http://www.pascenter.org/presentations/index.php

* The Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia has developed a training for staff to help consumers understand consumer direction in personal assistance services. They have used printed versions of the consumer training section of the Center for PAS website, developed by InfoUse (http://www.pascenter.org/pas_users/index_old.php), as the textbook for their training.

* Center researchers Mike Oxford and Lewis Kraus along with Center advisor Steven Gold will conduct a workshop entitled "Living Independently and Personal Assistance Services" at the 2005 National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Independent Living (IL) Conference in Washington, DC in July.

==========

9) Kaiser Family Foundation releases guides on Medicaid and Medicare

The Kaiser Family Foundation recently released new guides, prepared by Bob Williams and Henry Claypool of Advancing Independence and Jeff Crowley of the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, that explain the role of Medicare and Medicaid for roughly 20 million children, adults and seniors with disabilities.

These guides offer a basic introduction to the Medicare and Medicaid programs, including answers to questions such as:

How do people with disabilities apply for coverage under Medicare or Medicaid?
What is Medicare's policy for covering durable medical equipment?
Where can people with disabilities turn if they need help in applying for Medicaid?
How do people with disabilities appeal Medicare coverage decisions?
Can a person with a disability who has Medicare and/or Medicaid be employed and still keep their coverage?

To retrieve these guides in PDF or HTML format, go to http://www.kff.org/medicare/med020705pkg.cfm

==========

10) Report released on informal caregivers

The Center on an Aging Society at Georgetown University has released the first in a series of Data Profiles on informal caregivers of older persons titled, "A Decade of Informal Caregiving: Are today's caregivers different than informal caregivers a decade ago?"

Family and friends are the primary source of long-term care provided to people who need assistance performing basic everyday activities. This Profile reports that spouses and adult children continue to be the primary caregiver - the one who takes the responsibility for coordinating the care and often provides most of the care needed.

The majority of primary caregivers are women, but the proportion of men as primary caregivers has increased over the past decade. Compared to a decade ago, a slightly smaller proportion of primary caregivers have child-care responsibilities and similar proportions of informal caregivers are employed today as were a decade ago. However, fewer caregivers report making adjustments to their current employment situation in order to provide care to an older family member. As the population continues to age, the composition of informal caregivers will inevitably change as well.

The series of Data Profiles, Family Caregivers of Older Persons is supported by a grant from the AARP Andrus Foundation and a grant from the Mathers LifeWays. This Data Profile was prepared by Katherine Mack.

For more information, go to http://ihcrp.georgetown.edu/agingsociety/pubhtml/caregiver1/caregiver1.html

To retrieve a PDF of the report go to: http://ihcrp.georgetown.edu/agingsociety/pdfs/caregivers1-E.pdf

==========

11) Report released on consumer-directed programs for older adults

The National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) and The National Council on the Aging (NCOA) have released a report documenting the scope and characteristics of the growing number of consumer-directed programs for older adults across the United States. The report, "State of the States in Consumer-Directed Home and Community Based Services Results of a 2004 Survey of State Administrators, an Opinion Survey & Telephone Interviews", contains information about some 30 states operating 58 consumer-directed programs.

Report findings document the scope and characteristics of consumer-directed services; state aging administrators' views about consumer direction for older people; the motivating factors and barriers to the development of these programs; and effective practices in providing consumer direction to older people.

The research and the report were developed through a collaborative effort of NASUA and NCOA; with support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Matthew Greenwald and Associates conducted the surveys and initial data analysis. Donna Lind Infeld, Ph. D. of The George Washington University, completed the data analysis and wrote the report.

The report and the executive summary as well as numerous resources and articles on consumer-directed services may be downloaded from the project Web site.

For more information or to retrieve the report, go to: http://www.consumerdirection.org/news.php

==========

12) Government Accountability Office (GAO) releases report on employers and One-Stop services

The Government Accountablility Office (GAO) recently released a letter report titled "Workforce Investment Act: Employers Are Aware of, Using, and Satisfied with One-Stop Services, but More Data Could Help Labor Better Address Employers' Needs." The report (GAO-05-259) found that while about half of all employers are aware of their local one-stops, awareness increases with employer size, with about half of small, two-thirds of medium, and three-quarters of large employers knowing about their local one-stops. The report also found that, of all employers aware of the one-stops, about three-quarters of large employers are likely to use one-stop services, while approximately one-half of medium and one-quarter of small employers are likely to do so. Employers of all sizes primarily use one-stop services to help fill job vacancies.

To get a copy of the report, go to: http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-259

For highlights of the report, go to: http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d05259high.pdf

==========

13) The World Institute on Disability announces a new training video and curriculum for medical providers

"Access to Medical Care: Adults with Physical Disabilities", a 22 minute video about mobility, vision, hearing and communication impairment in outpatient settings has been released by the World Institute on Disability. The video offers physicians, dentists, nurses, social service and support staff, an introduction to crucial issues that affect the quality of care for patients with disabilities.

Through interviews with expert medical providers and a diverse group of people with mobility, vision, hearing and communication impairments, this video introduces and clarifies key concepts in treating adults with physical disabilities. Appropriate for out-patient clinical settings, the video:

* Explores the views and experiences of people with disabilities and providers in establishing rapport and effective communication,

* Addresses cultural competence, access and communication issues which often arise in the clinic,

* Identifies common myths and stereotypes which interfere with accurate assessment of patients,

* Explains barriers which result in disparities in health care delivery, including physical/architectural, communication, attitudinal and social/economic policy,

* Identifies the most common access and accommodation needs of adults with physical, sensory and communication disabilities, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, and explains feasible, cost-effective solutions,

* Clarifies essential principles of quality care in treating people with disabilities,

* Reinforces key learning points in bulleted graphics (available in printed handouts in the curriculum).

Treating Adults with Physical Disabilities, an accompanying training curriculum offers a case-based learning exercise and extensive in-depth reference materials. It provides essential knowledge for appropriate provision of care and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The curriculum emphasizes access and communication as the fundamental components in addressing health care disparities for people with disabilities. Developed by the World Institute on Disability, Oakland, CA,

www.wid.org, in collaboration with Center for Health Care Strategies, Kaiser Foundation Multi-Media, California HealthCare Foundation.

For more information, contact: Dr. Marsha Saxton, 510-251-4349.

==========

14) New book released on care for elderly parents

Doing the Right Thing: Taking Care of Your Elderly Parents Even If They Didn't Take Care of You
By Roberta Satow, PhD

As we enter middle-age, more and more of us must confront the prospect of caring for our elderly parents. It's difficult enough when our relationships with them were close and loving. But it's especially difficult, even destructive, when our relationships with our parents were troubled or toxic. When faced with caring for a father or mother who didn't take care of us, old wounds reopen. We plunge back into crazy-making feelings from our childhoods as though we'd never grown up. Fortunately, a brand-new book offers a compassionate and healing approach to navigating these challenges. Sociologist and psychotherapist Dr. Roberta Satow offers the wealth of her clinical knowledge, interviews with fifty caregivers, and her own candid accounts of caring from her ailing, elderly mother. The result is an emotional as well as practical guide for taking care of your parent - and, perhaps even more importantly, for using the experience as a way to resolve old issues and grow as a human being.

Available March 17, 2005

A Tarcher/Penguin hardcover, ISBN 1-58542-392-0

==========

15) SELECTED CONFERENCES DURING April, May, and June 2005

For more detail about these conferences, go to:

http://pascenter.org/conferences/index.php

April

April 13 - April 16, 2005
Western Social Sciences Association 47th Annual Conference
Hosted By: Western Social Sciences Association
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
http://wssa.asu.edu/wssa_conference.htm

April 26 - April 28, 2005
8th Annual Coordinated Leadership Conference
Hosted By: California Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Location: Ontario, CA
http://www.c4a.info\events

May

May 02 - May 03, 2005
National Forum of the Thirty-First Institute on Rehabilitation Issues
Hosted By: Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)
Location: Doubletree Crystal City Hotel, Arlington, Virginia
http://www.gwu.edu/%7Eiri/forum.htm

May 15 - May 18, 2005
21st National HCBS Waiver Conference
Hosted By: The National Association of State Units on Aging
Location: Orlando , Florida
http://www.nasua.org/waiverconference/
Center for PAS Presenting

May 17 - May 19, 2005
National ADA Symposium and Expo - The Annual Conference on Disability Issues
Hosted By: The Network of ADA & Information Technology Centers, a NIDRR project
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
http://www.adaupdate.org/Symposium.html

May 19 - May 21, 2005
Annual conference on the ADA and disability-related laws
Hosted By: Great Plains ADA & IT Center
Location: Kansas City-Overland Park Convention Center, in Kansas City, MO
http://www.adaproject.org

May 20 - May 21, 2005
World of Possibilities Expo-Bigger and Better in 2005
Hosted By: Caring Communities
Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, Maryland
http://expo.caringcommunities.org/main.php

June

June 01 - June 03, 2005
Health Professions: The Lifeline to America
Hosted By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions
Location: Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, DC
http://pascenter.org/documents/Save_the_Date_Notice.pdf

June 01 - June 03, 2005
Fourth Annual Bridges to Employment Conference: Exploring Career Opportunities for Latinos with Disabilities
Hosted By: Proyecto Visi�n, North Carolina Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and Agrability Program; El Centro Hispano; El Pueblo, Inc.; Cooperativa Latina and Partnerships in Assistive Technology.
Location: Raleigh, NC
http://www.proyectovision.net/english/bridges/index.html

June 18 - June 21, 2005
International Conference on Prevention of Dementia: Early Diagnosis and Intervention
Hosted By: Alzheimer's Association
Location: Marriott Wardman Park Hotel Washington, D.C.

http://www.alz.org

======================================================

This document was developed by the Center for Personal Assistance Services, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDDR) of the US Department of Education, grant #H133BO31102. The opinions contained in this publication are those of the grantee/contractor and do not necessarily reflect those of the US Department of Education. Please credit the source and support of federal funds.

To unsubscribe to this Newsletter, please send listserv@... an email from the email address you wish to unsubscribe with:

signoff PAS_NEWS

in the body of the message

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Center for Personal Assistance Services

Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences

University of California San Francisco

3333 California Street, Suite 455

San Francisco, D.C. 94118

Telephone: 866-PAS-9577 (866-727-9577)

415-502-7190

TDD/TTY: 415-502-5216

E-mail: PAS@...

Website: http://www.pascenter.org

As part of the Center, InfoUse will email this newsletter periodically to listserve members.

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#498

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Mon Feb 14, 2005 7:22 pm
Subject: Meeting Reminder for this Thursday

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Hello everyone,

This is a reminder that the next monthly meeting of the Michigan Alliance of Direct Support Professionals (MADSP) will be held this Thursday, February 17 from 9:30 - 11:30 am at the Disability Network in Flint, MI. Topics this month will include the finalizing of the agenda and line-up of speakers for the fast approaching 2005 MADSP Forum to be held on Friday, April 20th at Mott Community College in Flint. Please plan on attending this month's meeting so that we can gain feedback from a wide array of MADSP members and colleagues. The Disability Network is located at 3600 S. Dort Hwy, Suite 54, Flint, MI 48507. For directions or other questions about the meeting, please contact Kathy McGeathy at TDN at (810) 742-1800. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Michael Bray

Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====

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#497

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Fri Jan 14, 2005 5:09 pm
Subject: Reminder for Next MADSP Member Meeting

michaeljbray2

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Hello all,

This is a reminder that the next monthly MADSP meeting will be held Thursday, January 20th from 9:30 - 11:30am at the Disability Network in Flint, MI. Directions to the Disability Network are at the bottom of this email. This month we will be addressing issues related to the tax season and how Michigan's Direct Support Professionals can gain knowledge and get help with their income tax issues and problems. Also, we will be further discussing the upcoming MADSP Forum in April. Hope to see you all there!!

Sincerely,

Michael Bray

Directions: to The Disability Network:

From Detroit area: 75 North to 475 North to 69 East to Dort Hwy exit #138

From Lansing area: 69 East to Dort Hwy exit #138

From Saginaw and North: 75 South to 69 East to Dort Hwy exit #138

The Disability Network is located at the North end of the Dort Mall at 3600 South Dort Hwy, Suite 54 in Flint, Michigan. We are next door to Big Lots with a separate entrance.

Contact The Disability Network at

(810) 742-1800 Voice (810) 742-2400 Fax (810) 742-7647 TDD

or by email at tdn@...

Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
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#494

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Mon Dec 13, 2004 2:40 pm
Subject: Monthly meeting reminder

michaeljbray2

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This is a reminder that the next MADSP meeting will be held this Thursday, December 16th, from 9:30 - 11:30am at Alternative Services, Inc. in Livonia. The address for ASI is 32625 West 7 mile rd, Livonia, MI. Refreshments will be served and topics of discussion will include the upcoming Forum in April, future meeting locations, and how to better advertise and spread the word about the Alliance. Everyone is invited to attend and bring a friend. Hope to see you all there. Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Michael Bray

Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
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#492

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Wed Dec 1, 2004 7:57 pm
Subject: Train the Trainer Day in February

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

Hello,

The Developmental Disabilities Institute is looking
for individuals who would be interested in becoming
Empowerment Education Trainers.  Empowerment Education
is a training initiative that offers free training to
direct support professionals, family members and
consumers in the state of Michigan.  We are currently
seeking to add on to our team of trainers.  A Train
the Trainer day is going to be held on Thursday
February 10th at DDI, on the campus of Wayne State
University in Detroit.  Those interested in
participating are encouraged to complete a trainer
application and return it to Michael at DDI NO LATER
THAN January 15th, 2005.  For more information and to
request an application, please contact Michael Bray at
313-577-6684 or simply reply to this email.  Hurry,
space is limited for this very rare opportunity to
join the Empowerment Education team!  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Michael Bray
Project Coordinator

=====
Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====

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#490

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Wed Nov 17, 2004 4:16 pm
Subject: Your feedback is valuable

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

Hello everyone,

Please note that the new file added to the listserve
data base is an MADSP Feedback form.  This
questionnaire is designed to allow you, the MADSP
members, and the general public to report what you
think about the Alliance and how we can improve it.
Please feel free to print, complete and mail it back
to me either by email or standard US mail.  Thanks for
your help.

Happy Holidays,
Michael Bray

=====
Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====



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#489

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:29 pm
Subject: RE: MADSP Meeting Reminder

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

Thanks Kathy!!

Mike
--- Kathy Flowers <flowerskathy@...> wrote:

---------------------------------

ATTENTION: the meeting pplace is:

The address is incorrect....it is Freedom Works in
Flushing on 4100 Commerce Drive. directions? Take I-75
to the Pierson rd exit. Trun to the west toward
Flushing. you will go about 3 miles untill you see
Colonial Lanes Bowling Center. turn right at that
corner to Freedom Works.

:)...Kathy...;)

>From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
>Reply-To: Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com
>To: MADSP Listserve <Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: [Michigan-DSP] MADSP Meeting Reminder
>Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 11:57:26 -0800 (PST)
>
>This is a reminder that the Michigan Alliance of
>Direct Support Professionals monthly meeting will be
>held this upcoming Thursday November 18th, from
>9:30-11:30am at Freedom Works of Fenton, 7400
Hartland
>Rd., Fenton, MI.  For directions or if you have any
>questions regarding the meeting agenda, please
contact
>either Michael at 313-577-6684 or Freedom Works of
>Fenton at 248-887-1597.  Thank you and see you there!

>
>Sincerely,
>Michael Bray
>
>=====
>Michael Bray, MA
>Research Assistant
>Developmental Disabilities Institute
>Wayne State University
>4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
>Detroit, MI 48202
>(313)577-6684
>=====
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam
protection around
>http://mail.yahoo.com

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

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
Get unlimited calls to

U.S./Canada

---------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links

    To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Michigan-DSP/

    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Michigan-DSP-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo!
Terms of Service.

=====
Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====

__________________________________
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#488

From: "Kathy Flowers" <flowerskathy@...>
Date: Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:20 pm
Subject: RE: MADSP Meeting Reminder

flowerskathy@...

Send Email

ATTENTION: the meeting pplace is:

The address is incorrect....it is Freedom Works in Flushing on 4100 Commerce Drive. directions? Take I-75 to the Pierson rd exit. Trun to the west toward Flushing. you will go about 3 miles untill you see Colonial Lanes Bowling Center. turn right at that corner to Freedom Works.

:)...Kathy...;)

>From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>

>Reply-To: Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com

>To: MADSP Listserve <Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com>

>Subject: [Michigan-DSP] MADSP Meeting Reminder

>Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 11:57:26 -0800 (PST)

>This is a reminder that the Michigan Alliance of

>Direct Support Professionals monthly meeting will be

>held this upcoming Thursday November 18th, from

>9:30-11:30am at Freedom Works of Fenton, 7400 Hartland

>Rd., Fenton, MI. For directions or if you have any

>questions regarding the meeting agenda, please contact

>either Michael at 313-577-6684 or Freedom Works of

>Fenton at 248-887-1597. Thank you and see you there!

>Sincerely,

>Michael Bray

>=====

>Michael Bray, MA

>Research Assistant

>Developmental Disabilities Institute

>Wayne State University

>4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268

>Detroit, MI 48202

>(313)577-6684

>=====

>__________________________________________________

>Do You Yahoo!?

>Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around

>http://mail.yahoo.com

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (3)

#487

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:57 pm
Subject: MADSP Meeting Reminder

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

This is a reminder that the Michigan Alliance of
Direct Support Professionals monthly meeting will be
held this upcoming Thursday November 18th, from
9:30-11:30am at Freedom Works of Fenton, 7400 Hartland
Rd., Fenton, MI.  For directions or if you have any
questions regarding the meeting agenda, please contact
either Michael at 313-577-6684 or Freedom Works of
Fenton at 248-887-1597.  Thank you and see you there!

Sincerely,
Michael Bray

=====
Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====

__________________________________________________
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#486

From: "axqxomodwcmj" <axqxomodwcmj@...>
Date: Thu Nov 4, 2004 12:13 pm
Subject: lower mortgage payments

axqxomodwcmj

Offline

Send Email

hey all

I recently re-financed my mortgage for free even though I have BAD credit. They
even gave me a great rate! Take a look at this service...

http://grealus.com/azwh1







I posted this on michigan-dsp, if you dont want to be a member anymore just
email michigan-dsp-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

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#485

From: "indhusantha" <indhusantha@...>
Date: Tue Oct 26, 2004 11:32 am
Subject: ONSIGHT TO JAPAN DSP ENGINEERS FOR A CMM LEVEL V COMPANY ,BANGALORE

indhusantha

Offline

Send Email

One of the Largest Company in Bangalore a CMM Level 5 Company
Requires People for Onsite to Japan.

Requirement: DSP Engineer
Experience : 2-5yrs
Location   : JAPAN
Type of experience  :  Digital Circuit design using TI DSP
Technical Skills    : DSP Micro coding, Digital Circuit design, Board
design using
                                TI DSPs and Digital Components.
Domain /Technology Area: Communication
Education : BE,MCA,BTECH,MTECH,MS-IT

In receipt of your resume we will contact you fordiscussing on the
job proile .We assure that your resume will not be processedwithout
your consent.We will be Online in Yahoo Chat ID:career_impact Kindly
please send as your updated resume at the earliest.

With best regards,
Indhu

E-Mail:indhu@... / indhusantha@...
Phone:044-52024557

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#484

From: "hbozxzuntwu" <hbozxzuntwu@...>
Date: Thu Oct 21, 2004 1:41 pm
Subject: mortgage too high to bear?

hbozxzuntwu

Offline

Send Email

Re-finance now, even with bad-credit!

*Free No Obligation
*Best Re-finance Rate for credit challenged.
*Best Customer Service
*Lowest Interest-Rates in Years
*SAVE $100-$400 per month

Our easy application only takes a minute.

http://grealus.com/azwh1

I posted this on michigan-dsp, if you dont want to be a member anymore just
email michigan-dsp-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

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#483

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Thu Oct 14, 2004 4:33 pm
Subject: MADSP Monthly Meeting Reminder

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

This is a reminder that the next Michigan Alliance of
Direct Support Professionals monthly meeting will be
Next Thursday, October 21st, from 9:30-11:30 am at The
Disability Network in Flint.  The Disability Network
is located at 3600 South Dort Highway, Suite 54 in
Flint, MI 48507.  Please call Kathy Flowers for
Directions at (810)742-1800, or
chattycathy31@...

This month's meeting will be another planning meeting
for the 5th annual MADSP forum coming up on April
22nd, 2005.  Please take this opportunity to voice
your opinion and have a say in what is done at this
year's forum.  Door prizes will be awarded to those
attending MADSP for the first time.  Hope to see you
all there.

Thanks!
Michael

=====
Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====

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#482

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Fri Oct 1, 2004 3:37 pm
Subject: Fwd: [olmsteadMI] Contents of PDF file

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

Note: forwarded message attached.


=====
Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====



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Below are the contents of the PDF file sent earlier by Kathy McGeathy:

Contact: Suellen Galbraith

Director for Public Policy

703-535-7850

sgalbraith@...

ANCOR Hails Reps. Terry and Capps for Landmark Bi-Partisan Legislation:

Bill to Buoy Wages for Long-Term Support Workers

(Washington, DC – September 21, 2004) – Landmark legislation to amend Title XIX of the Social Security Act

was announced today by U.S.Representatives Lee Terry (R-NE) and Lois Capps (D-CA) during the American

Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) annual Government Activities Seminar. The Direct

Support Professional Fairness and Security Act is bi-partisan legislation designed to provide funds to states to enable

them to increase the inadequate wages paid to targeted direct support professionals (DSP) who, under the Medicaid

program, provide services for individuals with disabilities. This legislation acknowledges, for the first time, the

insufficient wages paid to a group of our nation’s quiet heroes: Direct Support Professionals.

The legislation is the outcome of the ANCOR National Advocacy Campaign’s efforts to improve wages

and therefore the lives of more than 310,000 direct support professionals employed by its members. “Wages matter

and this bill takes a landmark step forward in raising the issue nationally!” exclaimed Dr. Renee Pietrangelo, CEO of

ANCOR. All of us at ANCOR appreciate the efforts of Representatives Terry and Capps in taking this major step in

Congress. ANCOR believes that the introduction of The Direct Support Professional Fairness and Security Act

prompts the serious national discussion and action that this issue warrants.”

Stipulations

The Direct Support Professional Fairness and Security Act would be an option to states to:

· Provide a financial means to increase wages and wage-related costs for specific direct support

professionals.

· Eliminate the wage gap and assure at least equal wages paid to private employees as those paid to public

employees in a state.

· Receive enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for five-years to increase wages.

· Provide for annual indexing of wages at the end of the five-year period.

· Target the increased FMAP to cover direct support professionals working for private employers who

provide supports and services to people with disabilities.

To qualify, states must submit a five-year plan identifying means of increasing wages to targeted direct support

professionals and have a commitment to sustain wages following this period. Following the five-year plan period,

wages would be indexed annually to account for inflation (EPI or medical inflation rates).

A 21st Century Issue

There are more than 54 million Americans with disabilities—eight million of whom have mental

retardation and other developmental disabilities—with nearly 14 million requiring long-term supports and services.

These supports include personal assistance to meet the individual’s personal care and hygiene needs, habilitation,

transportation, employment, meal preparation, housekeeping and other home management services. One of the

biggest challenges facing the United States in the 21st Century is assuring that individuals who have disabilities have

the quality supports they need to lead productive and meaningful lives in the community. Yet, private providers who

employ direct support professionals face turnover rates of between 40 and 77 percent; rely on fixed public funding to

pay wages and benefits; and face a recruitment and retention crisis that threatens the entire stability and quality of

our support system for people with disabilities.

“This crisis is real and it will worsen unless something is done to turn the tide. It is a real issue affecting real

people in everyone’s community—and it is likely to affect all of us,” declared Dr. Pietrangelo. This crisis is a result

of several factors, including:

· Increased demand for long-term supports and services.

· A traditional labor supply not able to keep pace with demand.

· Jobs that cannot compete within today’s labor market.

Economic basics

The workers who provide these intimate supports are known by many job titles—but one thing in common is

shared by all of them. They are the hands, voice and face of long-term supports and the human relationship

established between the individual and the worker is at the very core of our nation’s formal long-term supports

system. A majority of these workers are female and often the sole breadwinner of their household. Although

employed, the wages they earn keep many families impoverished.

· Over the past decade, both the dollar amount and percentage increase in hourly wage rates for these workers

are far below that of comparable job categories as well as the national minimum wage.

· For example, wages for Personal and Home Care Aides—the Department of Labor’s occupational category

that is the proxy for direct support professionals—increased only $0.82 from 1992-2000 versus $3.16 and

$4.11 for public direct support workers and fast food workers respectively.

· A 2003 national report found that the overall average wage for direct support professionals employed by

private providers of community services for persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities

was $8.68 per hour, while the average reported wage for state workers was $11.76 per hour.

· Unlike other sectors of the private market, the formal long-term supports system is almost entirely dependent

upon public financing—particularly Medicaid funding—that not only underfunds the true costs of services,

but also varies considerably. In addition, private providers cannot pass along the cost of increasing the wages

and benefits for their direct support professionals to their customers—people with disabilities. And, states

have faced their worst economic conditions in decades, reducing their ability to add to Medicaid funding.

When introducing Congressman Terry during the seminar today, Mosaic of Omaha CEO David Jacox

declared that “Without his leadership, we would not have a vehicle available to rally our grassroots network to

effect public policy in Congress. The crisis we face with recruitment, training and retention of direct support

professionals is our most current pressing issue.” Ron Cohen, executive director of United Cerebral Palsy of Los

Angeles spoke of Congresswoman Capps’ when saying, “All of us are excited by her leadership in introducing

legislation that finally brings to the forefront the inadequate wages for hundreds of thousands of direct support

professionals who help to enhance the lives of people with severe disabilities every single day! We are grateful for

her continued investment in the quality of the lives of people with disabilities.”

ANCOR represents and advocates on behalf of the more than 850 providers of services and

supports for 385,000 Americans with disabilities. To get more information on the ANCOR National

Advocacy Campaign, visit www.supportnac.org and sign the petition to urge state officials to

constructively address the issues of direct support staff wages, recruitment and retention. To view the

study “The Growing Crisis in Recruiting and Retaining the Direct Support Workforce,” visit

http://www.ancor.org/2004/about/Activities/Final-Report_Revised121602.pdf.

###

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)

#481

From: "Kathy Flowers" <flowerskathy@...>
Date: Wed Sep 22, 2004 3:39 pm
Subject: RE: Meeting Locations

flowerskathy@...

Send Email

The first meeting host will be The Disability Network in Flint.

October 21st, 2004 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am

We will be providing morning snacks and discussion on current happenings in the field of direct support professionals. HOPE TO SEE YOU!

For diections or more information, contact kathy at 810-742-1800

:)...Kathy...;)

>From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>

>Reply-To: Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com

>To: MADSP Listserve <Michigan-DSP@yahoogroups.com>

>Subject: [Michigan-DSP] Meeting Locations

>Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 07:31:47 -0700 (PDT)

>Hello everyone,

>Hope that this Friday finds everyone in high spirits.

>A couple announcements for you: First, the new,

>September meeting minutes are available in the Files

>section of the MADSP Group website

>http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Michigan-DSP/

>Second, the monthly MADSP meeting will now rotate

>amongst different organizations around the state.

>This was decided upon in order to make the meetings

>(and the Alliance) more accessible to DSP's that live

>too far away to make it to the Flint meeting place.

>So, if you or your organization would like to host a

>monthly meeting, please contact me at the number below

>for scheduling. Thanks and have a great weekend!

>Michael

>=====

>Michael Bray, MA

>Research Assistant

>Developmental Disabilities Institute

>Wayne State University

>4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268

>Detroit, MI 48202

>(313)577-6684

>=====

>__________________________________________________

>Do You Yahoo!?

>Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around

>http://mail.yahoo.com

On the road to retirement? Check out MSN Life Events for advice on how to get there!

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (2)

#480

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Tue Sep 21, 2004 3:33 pm
Subject: Survey for Persons with Disabilities

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

Hello everyone,
I have attached a flyer and survey for a project that
I am working on at DDI.  Wayne State University is
considering offering its Bachelor of Interdisciplinary
Studies degree as a fully online degree program.  This
is aimed at making post secondary education more
accessible and available to person with disabilities.
If you or anyone you know that has a disability would
be interested in telling us what they think about this
idea, please have them fill out the attached survey
and return to DDI (address below).  Or, you can simply
fill out the survey online at the web address listed
on the flyer.  Thank you very much for your help with
this project.

Return Address:
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste 268
Detroit, MI  48202


Sincerely,
Michael Bray

=====
Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====



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#479

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:46 pm
Subject: Fwd: New legislation to support

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

Note: forwarded message attached.


=====
Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====




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FYI: Important legislation to support

Representatives Lee Terry (R-NE) and Lois Capps (D-CA) will announce on September 21 the introduction of a bill to improve the salaries and benefits of direct support professionals. The Direct Support Professional Fairness and Security Act would increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for staff salaries in certain targeted programs, including community based support services. The American Network of Community Options and Resources, United Cerebral Palsy, and The Arc of the United States will announce their support of Representatives Terry and Capps for their leadership in addressing the crisis in availability of direct support workers. The legislation will be unveiled at the ANCOR conference in Washington, D.C. Ron Cohen, CEO of UCP of Los Angeles, and PPC Staff Director Paul Marchand, will speak at this event.

Marianne Taylor

Senior Project Director

Human Services Research Institute

2336 Massachusetts Ave.

Cambridge, MA 02140

617.844.2330

617.876.0426. x2330

taylor@...

www.hsri.org

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)

#478

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Fri Sep 17, 2004 2:31 pm
Subject: Meeting Locations

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

Hello everyone,

Hope that this Friday finds everyone in high spirits.
A couple announcements for you:  First, the new,
September meeting minutes are available in the Files
section of the MADSP Group website

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Michigan-DSP/

Second, the monthly MADSP meeting will now rotate
amongst different organizations around the state.
This was decided upon in order to make the meetings
(and the Alliance) more accessible to DSP's that live
too far away to make it to the Flint meeting place.
So, if you or your organization would like to host a
monthly meeting, please contact me at the number below
for scheduling.  Thanks and have a great weekend!

Michael

=====
Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (2)

#477

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Wed Sep 8, 2004 6:43 pm
Subject: Save the date!

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

Hello again:
Attached is a "Save the Date" flyer for the Fifth
Annual MADSP Forum to be held April 22nd, 2005 at the
Prahl Center Ballroom on the campus of Mott Community
College in Flint, MI (a seperate mailing for the flyer
will be done as well).  Please contact Michael Bray at
DDI (313)577-6684 if you have any questions or input.
If you would like to be involved with the planning of
the Fifth Annual Forum, please attend the monthly
MADSP meetings between now and April.  Thanks and see
you at the Forum!

Sincerely,
Michael

=====
Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====



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#476

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Wed Sep 8, 2004 6:36 pm
Subject: Meeting Reminder

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

Hello Everyone:
This is a reminder that the next MADSP monthly
planning meeting will be held next Thursday, September
16th at Mott Community College in Flint, MI.  The
meeting starts at 9:30am and is held in the Genesee
Room of the Prahl Center (across from the library).
Topics to be discussed include:

-Possible speakers for the April 2005 Forum
-Discussion of ideas for Forum format and setup
-Location of future MADSP monthly meetings

Please attend if possible and bring anyone who wishes
to become a member.  For directions or any other
inquiries, please contact Michael at (313)577-6684 or
ai3063@...  Thanks and see you all there!

Sincerely,
Michael

=====
Michael Bray, MA
Research Assistant
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward Ave., Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6684
=====



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#475

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Wed Sep 1, 2004 12:56 pm
Subject: Fwd: FW: Quality Jobs/Quality Care

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

This was sent by the NADSP as a monthly newsletter.
Scroll to toward the bottom for national news on
disability related stories.  Enjoy!

Michael
Note: forwarded message attached.


=====
Michael Bray, MA
Developmental Disabilities Institute
Wayne State University
4809 Woodward, Ste. 268
Detroit, MI 48202
(313)577-6708
=====

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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FYI- Marianne

Marianne Taylor
Senior Project Director
Human Services Research Institute
2336 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140

617.844.2330
617.876.0426. x2330
taylor@...
www.hsri.org

-----Original Message-----
From: David Miller [mailto:dwmiller@...]
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2004 3:06 PM
To: Peg DuBord; Jim Cremeans (E-mail); Marianne Taylor (E-mail); Steve
Wiseman (E-mail); Suellen Galbraith (E-mail); Loren Garneau (E-mail)
Subject: FW: Quality Jobs/Quality Care

FYI.  Interesting reading.  Case will set a prescient for the future.

David



-----Original Message-----
From: Jane Ketcham
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 5:08 PM
To: Tamika Miller; Heather Moran; Frank Crook; Jason Umstot; Jason
Lynch; Ross Mason; Shelia Bell; Sherry Hopkins; Rosemary Wilshire;
Brenda Page; Holly Bond; Kim George
Cc: David Miller; Neil Brendmoen
Subject: FW: Quality Jobs/Quality Care


To all:  As we discussed today, this is our year for mobilizing our forces
to accomplish a Waiver rate increase.  Please read the article below.  The
"livable wages" issue is hot throughout the United States.  We must be
similar to Arizona in reimbursement rates; we're similar in pay scales.
Jane

-----Original Message-----
From: Marcus Canaday [mailto:marcus@...]
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2004 11:40 AM
To: Sally Burchfiel; 'David Horvath'; Jeanne Grimm; 'Ruth Burgess';
'Julie Shelton'
Subject: FW: Quality Jobs/Quality Care


FYI ....


Marcus Canaday, Program Manager
Quality Assurance & Improvement Project
Center for Excellence in Disabilities at West Virginia University
4510 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite G
Charleston, WV 25302
Phone:  (304) 720-3200, Extension 218
E-mail:  Marcus@...


-----Original Message-----
From: news@...
[mailto:directcare@...]
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2004 4:15 PM
To: marcus@...
Subject: Quality Jobs/Quality Care


Quality Jobs/Quality Care
August 20, 2004
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Quality Jobs/Quality Care is a free e-mail newsletter that covers issues
concerning direct-care workers in long-term care. It's published twice a
month by the National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce
(www.directcareclearinghouse.org), which provides reliable, up-to-date
information related to the direct-care workforce nationwide. The
Clearinghouse is a project of the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
(www.paraprofessional.org)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________

Dear Friend:
Today's edition is a special alert devoted to just one story: a landmark
ruling by a federal judge in Arizona. We'll be back with a standard
edition of the newsletter next week.


JUDGE ORDERS ARIZONA TO RAISE HOME CARE PAY RATES
A federal district judge has ruled that Arizona must raise wages for
attendant care workers and personal care workers in order to ensure that
Medicaid beneficiaries receive the home- and community-based services
they are entitled to.

The Court's decision in Ball v. Biedess follows four and a half years of
litigation in a statewide class action lawsuit on behalf of a group of
elderly and disabled Medicaid recipients. The suit was brought against
the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), which
administers the state's Medicaid programs, by lawyers from the Arizona
Center for Disability Law, AARP Foundation Litigation, and DNA Peoples
Legal Services.

The plaintiffs are Medicaid long-term care recipients who are legally
entitled to home-based attendant care, personal care, homemaker services
and respite services, but have been unable to obtain some or all of the
services they qualified for. Their lawyers argued that there are too few
home care workers available to supply the authorized services, largely
because the workers employed in the state's Medicaid system in 1999
typically earned between $6.50 and $8.50 an hour, while those who worked
for private paying clients typically earned between $10 and $12.

"This case started years ago," notes Jane Perkins, legal director for
the National Health Law Program. "There was a lot of testimony and
minutiae to it, but when you read the decision, it's really quite
straightforward. The judge said: Here's what Medicaid home care workers
are getting paid, here's what privately paid home care workers are
getting paid. There's a big difference. We have evidence to show that
when people are getting paid more, the supply of these providers
increases."

The decision, which was released this Tuesday, is "very significant,"
according to  Perkins, in part because "it acknowledges that if a state
is going to participate in Medicaid, it has to live up to all parts of
the bargain, and one those parts is that rates be sufficient to ensure
that services are available."

The plaintiffs, who entered the courtroom on gurneys and in wheelchairs
to testify, clearly made an impression on U.S. District Court Judge Earl
Carroll. "Each of them testified to being trapped in bed unable to
change position or care for personal hygiene, abandoned for hours in a
bathroom, left without food or water, or similar experiences, due to the
lack or absence of health care providers," he wrote in a footnote to his
decision. "It is the intent of the Court to do whatever is available to
prevent any AHCCCS recipients from experiencing the kind of frustration,
embarrassment, and discomfort experienced by the representative class
members of this class action."

In his decision, Judge Carroll found evidence of "multiple studies and
reports [which] indicated a shortage of attendant care workers in
Arizona" and of "difficulty recruiting attendant care workers due to low
wages."  He also relied on reports and testimony from expert witness
Dorie Seavey, a labor economist and national policy specialist for the
Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, quoting her testimony that
payment rates for home health workers are too low to attract the number
of workers needed. Judge Carroll also cited Dr. Seavey's testimony that
"[t]here is serious evidence that there are people who have care hours
authorized who are not receiving them and that there are not methods and
procedures in place to measure that gap in services."

The judge ruled that AHCCCS "failed to provide the representative class
members with the equal access, quality of care, and freedom of choice to
which they are entitled." He ordered the agency to raise payment rates
to workers (referred to in the decision as "providers") to levels that
attract the needed candidates. In addition, he ordered the state to
develop systems to monitor and report gaps in service, and to eliminate
any gap reported by a recipient within four hours.

"That's a very systemic approach," says Elizabeth Priaulx, senior
disability legal specialist for the National Association of Protection
and Advocacy Services, "and it's written with a respect for the
professionalism of providers."

Perkins thinks the Court's decision could serve as a blueprint for other
states. "The decision here envisions a process for getting this
situation addressed in a timely way," she says. "If what the court
envisions occurs, then that's the kind of thing that I think other
states will latch onto. They're looking for what works."

According to Sally Hart of the Arizona Center for Disability Law, a lead
attorney for the plaintiffs, the decision is significant partly because
"it identifies wages as a problem in securing services for people who
are entitled to home- and community-based services, and it orders the
state to ensure that wages are adequate. The state had argued for years
that the problem in securing an adequate and a good workforce had
nothing to do with lack of wages or benefits."

What's more, says Hart, the state had argued that it was not responsible
for setting pay rates for home care providers after converting its
Medicaid program to managed care several years ago. Instead, the state
said, it was up to the agencies it contracted with to set those rates.
Judge Carroll disagreed, saying it was AHCCCS's responsibility to offer
a rate of pay high enough "to attract enough health care workers to
deliver all of the services for which an individual qualifies."

Judge Carroll has ordered the parties involved in the lawsuit to present
him with a timetable for implementing his orders by September 30.
However, Hart notes, the state is likely to appeal the decision.

Meanwhile, advocates for Medicaid beneficiaries nationwide are lauding
the ruling. "Across the country, people remain inappropriately
institutionalized simply because there are not sufficient
community-based providers," says Priaulx. "The [Arizona District] Court
recognizes the states' obligation to provide rates that are sufficient
to actually attract enough providers."

To read the decision, go to
http://directcare.c.topica.com/maaczpDaa9lqkbexRGzb/
- - - - - - - - - -
To comment on this newsletter or provide ideas for future issues, please
contact Elise Nakhnikian (elise@...; 609-430-1881).
When forwarding material from Quality Jobs/Quality Care, please credit
the National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce. Do not
reproduce without permission. To subscribe, visit the Clearinghouse
website at www.directcareclearinghouse.org and look for "Free E-mail
Alerts."


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Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)

#474

From: "chattycathy31" <chattycathy31@...>
Date: Tue Aug 17, 2004 2:53 pm
Subject: Meeting Thursday!

chattycathy31

Offline

Send Email

Hey!.We REALLY need to see as many smiling faces at this meeting as
possible. We have a LOT to do and need all the help we can. I will
Have a special 'prize' for anyone that brings a new guest!.. See you
there!
Kathy

Reply | Forward | Messages in this Topic (1)

#473

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Mon Aug 16, 2004 5:13 pm
Subject: Meeting Reminder

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

Hello:

This is a reminder that the next meeting of the MADSP
Flint, MI group will be this Thursday, August 19th at
Mott Community College.  Meetings run from 9:30am -
11:30am and are held in the Prahl Center (Genesee
Room) which is located across from the MCC Library.
All are welcome and encouraged to attend.  Topics that
will be discussed this month include but are not
limited to:

- The date and speaker possibilities for the annual
MADSP Forum
- How to start up new regional MADSP chapters
- Generating greater interest through promotion of the
group

For directions or other questions, please feel free to
contact me at the number or email below.  Thank you
and see you there!

Sincerely,
Michael Bray

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



__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
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#471

From: Michael Bray <michaeljbray2@...>
Date: Fri Jul 30, 2004 3:07 pm
Subject: Fwd: FW: Kerry Response to AAPD Questionnaire

michaeljbray2

Offline

Send Email

Thought you all might be interested in knowing where
our presidential candadates stand on issues concerning
Disabilities.

Have a great weekend all!!

Michael

Note: forwarded message attached.


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



__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail - 50x more storage than other providers!
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

Received from another list serve, thought you might be interested.
JFS

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: Supporting community inclusion of people with disabilities
[mailto:COMMINC@...] On Behalf Of Debra Simms
Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 8:22 AM
To: COMMINC@...
Subject: Fwd: Kerry Response to AAPD Questionnaire

"Kerry Response to AAPD Questionnaire"

The following response to AAPD's questionnaire is provided
by the Kerry-Edwards campaign.

AAPD is non-partisan and shares information about
candidates' disability-related policy positions for
educational purposes.

Jonathan Young
JFA Moderator, AAPD

====================================

DISABILITY ISSUE QUESTIONS FROM THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

1. What are your top three accomplishments on behalf of
people with disabilities in your career to date as an
elected official?

One of my things that I am most proud of is having
cosponsored the Americans with Disabilities Act, the most
comprehensive nondiscrimination legislation enacted since
the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In 1987, I drafted the Technology to Educate Children with
Handicaps (TECH) Act, which created assistive device
centers across the country to ensure all children with
special needs have access to the assistive devices
necessary to get an education. These centers train
specialists, teachers, and therapists to identify students
who could benefit from such technologies. These centers
also inform parents, educators and therapists on how to
support and incorporate these devices into children's
educational experiences. I fought hard to enact this
legislation so that children with disabilities could gain
independence in the classroom and throughout their lives.
The goals of my legislative proposal were later
incorporated into the Technology Related Assistance for
Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988.

I have had a long-time commitment to protecting the rights
of individuals disabled by mental illness. I was an
original cosponsor of the landmark Mental Health Parity Act
passed by Congress in 1996, which requires parity for
annual and lifetime dollar limit coverage for mental health
treatment. While its enactment marked an important step in
the fight for providing greater mental health treatment
benefits, it is time now to take another step toward the
goal of mental health parity. Consequently, I strongly
support the Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable
Treatment Act of 2003. This legislation will provide for
equal coverage of mental health benefits with respect to
health insurance coverage unless comparable limitations are
imposed on medical and surgical benefits.

In my work on the Small Business Committee, I was involved
in achieving the landmark goal of assuring that veterans
with disabilities have an opportunity to receive a three
percent share of Federal Contracts. With federal contracts
today worth $250 billion, small businesses owned by
veterans with disabilities have access to $7.5 billion in
business opportunities.

2. If you are elected/re-elected what will be your top
three priorities during your first 100 days in office to
improve the quality of life for people with disabilities
living in the U.S.?

I will offer Americans with disabilities freedom,
independence, and choices. I will appoint a national
bipartisan Community First Commission made up of
distinguished Americans, including people with disabilities
who will identify short and long term policy reforms that
could and should be pursued to:

* Guarantee that all Americans with disabilities who can
live in their community with affordable supports have equal
opportunity to do so regardless of age, disability, state
of residence, employment status, or necessary form of
assistance.

* Create a greater federal role in equitably financing and
enhancing the quality and appropriateness of long-term
services.

* Eliminate the institutional bias in Medicaid and Medicare
that robs millions of Americans of their most basic
freedoms, dignity, and daily independence.

To make our system work and to offer real choices, we must
ensure equal access to quality home and community services
throughout our nation. I will work with the Community First
Commission to determine how we can move MiCASSA forward.
And I will work with states to fully implement the Olmstead
Decision, as well as push Congress to finally pass the
Family Opportunity Act.

I believe we need full mental health parity once and for
all - not just mental health parity for certain benefits or
certain mental health conditions or with unnecessary
loopholes that allow insurers to skirt their
responsibility. I will fight to pass full mental health
parity legislation

I will utilize the skills and wisdom of the disability
community in shaping policy and programs that will benefit
the entire country, and I will seek out qualified people
with disabilities to serve throughout my administration.

Americans with disabilities deserve independence and the
opportunity to be economically self-sufficient. I will
reinstate the executive order by President Bill Clinton to
hire 100,000 qualified individuals with disabilities as
federal employees over five years. I will crack down on
employment discrimination and nominate an Attorney General
for the U.S. Department of Justice and a Chair to the EEOC
who will make enforcement of the ADA a top priority. And I
will promote creative solutions to address the
transportation, technology, and housing needs for
individuals with disabilities.

To ensure that children with disabilities get the free,
high quality education they deserve, I am committed to
fully funding IDEA and working for strong enforcement and
real compliance with the law. And to expand access to
higher education, I will improve transitional planning,
promote access and awareness in disability services,
provide work-study alternatives, and collect data on
students with disabilities to provide a true scientific
understanding of the realities on the ground.

3. What ideas do you have for bringing our four largest
federal programs (Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security
Income, and Social Security Disability Insurance) in line
with the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(equality of opportunity, full participation, independent
living, and economic self-sufficiency)?

We must strengthen and protect Medicaid, not tear it apart.
I am firmly opposed to the Bush administration's proposal
to turn Medicaid into a block grant program. By investing
in Medicaid, we can improve the health and independence of
more than 10 million children, adults, and older Americans
with disabilities throughout our country. No one should be
forced to be in a nursing home or have their most basic
needs go unmet because they live in a state that chooses
not to offer necessary community living services. That is
why I believe that we need to relieve pressures on state
budgets; I have proposed spending $25 billion to help
states struggling to bridge their deficits.

I support strengthening and improving Medicaid in several
key ways. First, I believe that we must pass the Family
Opportunity Act. Currently, low-income families with
severely disabled children receive federal disability
benefits under Supplemental Security Income. However, if
parents seek a better job or earn higher wages, their
disabled children lose Medicaid coverage, which is
essential to providing comprehensive coverage for children
who require complex and often costly care. No parent should
have to turn down a job or give up custody of a child to
ensure that he or she gets health care.

We need to fully implement the Olmstead decision. People
with disabilities and older Americans must receive the
support they need to live in their own homes and
communities. States must be given increased resources and
tools to carry out the Olmstead decision and must be held
accountable for doing so. Americans with disabilities must
be assured equal access to quality home and community
living services.

I will work with the Community First Commission to
determine how we can best implement MiCASSA and the Money
Follows the Person Act. We need to end the institutional
bias that makes it impossible for millions of Americans to
exercise the most basic of human liberties: freedom,
choice, and independence.

I will work toward eliminating the two-year waiting period
to become eligible for Medicare. The federal government has
a critical role to play to assure that workers with
disabilities have the insurance coverage they need to be as
independent and productive as possible. And I will direct
HHS to fund a series of demonstrations aimed at identifying
cost effective ways that best promote the health,
independence and productivity of people with disabilities
and to promote better health care.

I will also work to provide real prescription drug relief
through the Medicare program. My health care plan will
lower prescription drug costs, and ensure that seniors and
people with disabilities on Medicare can choose their
doctors instead of forcing them to join an HMO.

Another important program to millions of Americans with
disabilities is the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives
Improvement Act (TWWIIA). TWWIIA seeks to guarantee
continued access to vital Medicare and Medicaid coverage to
enable individuals with significant disabilities to become
competitively employed under certain conditions.

As a result of this law, about half of the states today
allow employed individuals with disabilities to buy into
Medicaid if their incomes and assets do not exceed certain
limits and meet other criteria set by each state. These
Medicaid buy-in programs vary widely from one state to
another, however, both in regard to the eligibility
requirements they set and the benefits and services they
make available. Moreover, if the current economic downturn
continues, states that currently have these plans in place
may have to cut back or eliminate them all together. In
addition, few other states will be in a position to create
new buy-in programs.

The federal government must play a far greater role in
ensuring that workers with disabilities have the insurance
coverage they need to be as independent and productive as
possible. Regardless of where these individuals live or how
much they are able to earn, they should be able to buy in
to a uniform, national set of benefits designed to do just
this. To help achieve these ends, the Medicare program
should provide for enhanced coverage for employed
individuals with disabilities.

4. What do you see as the most appropriate role for the
federal government to play in the lives of people with
disabilities and their families and what is your reaction
to recent trends limiting the federal role in disability
policy?

Now more than ever people with disabilities of all ages can
live fuller, more productive lives if afforded the right
opportunities and supports. The federal government has a
strong obligation and role to play in ensuring that these
Americans have the same chance to succeed in life as all
other citizens. The government must meet its commitment to
enforce laws that protect the disability community. The
moral imperative is clear.

The federal government must help provide high quality,
accessible and affordable health care and community living
services to people with disabilities. That's why my
Administration will modernize Medicaid and Medicare and
work with states to implement home and community based
services.

My administration also will play a role in enforcing civil
rights laws for people with disabilities. The Department of
Justice and the EEOC will make enforcement of the Americans
with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act a top
priority. And I will ensure that the Offices of Civil
Rights at the Department of Education and the Department of
Health and Human Services provide people with disabilities
the protections they deserve.

We need to have a more focused effort on recruiting and
employing people with disabilities in America. One place we
can start is with a targeted effort in the federal
government. The federal government has massive spending
powers that can and should be used to promote the
employment of individuals with disabilities. I will promote
increasing the goal for small business contracting and
ensuring that business owners with disabilities have equal
status to other minority business owners.

The federal government must meet its obligation to provide
a high quality education to all children with disabilities.
My administration will put us on a path to fully fund IDEA.
But funding must be accompanied by effective enforcement.
As president, I will fight for strong enforcement that
includes measurement and protecting procedural safeguards.

The federal government can also improve the lives of people
with disabilities in the areas of transportation and
technology. Many of the technological advances made through
the work of the Defense Department and NASA are
transferable to people with disabilities, and could enhance
their capacity to work. This technology should be made
available when appropriate for use by people with
disabilities. And the federal government should use its
considerable economic power to encourage and lead private
enterprise in building a more accessible society through
technology. My administration will also ensure that
transportation options are accessible to people with
disabilities.

5. What concrete steps will you take to ensure your
administration and your appointments to the federal bench
and other entities include a representative group of
qualified people with disabilities?

People with disabilities will always have a seat front and
center in my administration.  When I am president,
Americans with disabilities will play active roles not only
in policy-making which impacts the disability community,
but also in other areas of domestic policy. I will seek out
the best and brightest to serve in multiple capacities
throughout the government, including in the White House and
on my Community First Commission.

Also, I will reinstate the Executive Order by President
Clinton to hire 100,000 qualified individuals with
disabilities as federal employees over five years. And in a
Kerry administration, the Office of Federal Contracts and
Compliance Programs at the Department of Labor will be held
accountable in ensuring that federal contractors are not
just reaching out to people with disabilities, but hiring
them as well. Goals will be set for the hiring of people
with disabilities similar to the ones set for women and
veterans. The federal government will leverage its
considerable economic power to ensure that private industry
provides employment opportunities to people with
disabilities.

6. What will you do as President to dramatically increase
the percentage of children with disabilities who graduate
from high school and go on to post-secondary education?

If the goal of the disability-rights movement is to create
opportunities for Americans with disabilities equal to
those of their peers without disabilities, then education
is the key that opens those doors. Empowering Americans
with disabilities to be productive, job-holding, tax-paying
citizens is both a moral obligation and an economic win.

First of all, we need mandatory full funding of IDEA.  In
1975, Congress made a deal with our state and local school
boards: give children with special learning needs the
education they deserve, and the federal government would
pay 40 percent of the additional cost, no matter what it
takes. Nearly thirty years later, the federal government
has broken that promise. Because of that broken promise,
schools across the country have had to pit special
education programs against one another. Class sizes
increase, after-school activities are cut, and kids with
special learning needs still aren't getting the services
they need.

Regardless of funding, a law will only be as good as its
enforcement. Across the country - in school districts large
and small - this law is not being followed. In many cases,
the good intentions of teachers and principals are
undermined by a lack of understanding of the law. The same
is true for many parents, who often do not know the rights
to which they are entitled. In some cases, school officials
need to be taught that IDEA isn't just a guideline, it's
the law. Exhausted parents cannot and should not bear that
burden. That is why strengthening IDEA enforcement will be
a priority in my administration.

A college education is now a near-universal requirement for
professional employment. Unfortunately, that level of
independence is still but a dream for many of our youth
with disabilities who continue to face significant barriers
to higher education. I am committed to equipping the next
generation of students with disabilities with the tools to
succeed.

First, I will improve transitional planning. As with other
at-risk youth, early outreach programs can be enormously
successful in affecting positive change. Yet despite the
mandate for such services under IDEA, transitional-planning
programs seem to be an early casualty of non-compliance. I
will further leverage Department of Education resources to
create and advertise a single national resource for
transitional planning assistance.

Making sense of the web of college financial assistance
programs is a difficult task. When disability-assistance
services are added to the mix, the task becomes
overwhelming. We must better coordinate vocational
rehabilitation, SSI, and federal student aid services in a
way that is meaningful for students, not bureaucrats.

We need to provide work-study alternatives. Lacking neither
in work ethic nor financial need, many students with
disabilities are physically incapable of utilizing work-
study programs. Such assistance can mean the difference
between attending college and staying home. It is in all of
our best interests to ensure fair alternatives.

Finally, even today, we rely primarily on anecdotal
information when discussing disability issues in higher
education. We lack a true scientific understanding of the
realities on the ground. That must change if we are to
adequately plan for the future. Policies can only be
effective so long as they are practical. As president, I
will direct the Secretary of Education to solicit
disability status and accommodation-cost data so we can arm
ourselves with the tools to take meaningful action.

7. What will your administration do to improve the
accessibility of mainstream technologies and access to
assistive technologies for people with disabilities?

Technology must be harnessed effectively to empower people,
particularly those who are often the least empowered in our
society. I will work to make electronic information and
technology truly accessible.

Many of the technological advances made through the work of
the Defense Department and NASA are transferable to people
with disabilities, and could enhance their capacity to
work. This technology should and will be made available
when appropriate for use by people with disabilities.

New technology is often costly, as the first people to use
the technology are underwriting a large proportion of the
development costs. The problem is that the persons most in
need of the liberation that technology provides are often
the least able to afford it. I will direct federal agencies
to assess how their resources have been allocated to assist
people with disabilities, and work on promoting a goal to
increase targets across the board. I want our government to
help cultivate new, cutting-edge technology.

People who need assistive technology are often confronted
with a bewildering array of potential funding sources that
are difficult to sort out. I will assemble an
intergovernmental team to review current programs which pay
for assistive technology and direct them to develop a plan
of cooperation. The plan would investigate the potential of
pooling various federal funds to create a single funding
mechanism.

8. How will you work with disability advocates and Congress
to draft and promote legislation to restore civil rights
protections for qualified disabled individuals who have
been left out by U.S. Supreme Court decisions interpreting
the ADA, especially in the area of employment?

The Americans with Disabilities Act is the most important
civil rights law for persons with disabilities. It is vital
that we enforce the law and that we fight recent judicial
and legislative actions to weaken it. First of all, I will
nominate judges whom I believe will enforce and uphold our
civil rights laws to ensure the protections promised under
its enactment. I will work with Congress and the disability
community to pass legislation that restores civil rights
protections to individuals with disabilities who have been
harmed by court decisions restricting the scope of the
protected class under ADA. I will also nominate an attorney
general and an EEOC chair who will make enforcement of the
ADA a top priority.

# # #

=====================

JOIN AAPD! There's strength in numbers! Be a part of a
national coalition of people with disabilities and join
AAPD today. http://www.aapd-dc.org


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#470

From: Kathy Flowers <chattycathy31@...>
Date: Thu Jul 29, 2004 8:31 pm
Subject: Fwd: "Building Unity for a Valued Direct Care Workforce Conference"---Sept 18-20

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Colleagues,
	 The Direct Care Alliance is a partnership of state and nationally-based
long-term care consumers, providers and workers who advocate for the creation of
a valued and stable direct care workforce.  The DCA has called its first
national conference in at the Holiday Inn Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on
September 18-20, 2004.
	 To find out more about this exciting conference for multi-stakeholder
coalitions like the Michigan Direct Care Workforce Initiative and the LTC
Stakeholders, please check out the website below.
	 For more information, you can contact the DCA's Executive Director Patsy Harris
at 202-338-1209 ext 109 or Patsy@....

http://www.directcarealliance.org/sections/2004natConf.htm


Hollis Turnham
Michigan Policy Director
Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
5013 Applewood Drive
Lansing, MI 48917
T: 517-327-0331
E: Hollis@...
www.paraprofessional.org
www.directcareclearinghouse.org

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#469

From: Kathy Flowers <chattycathy31@...>
Date: Fri Jul 9, 2004 8:10 pm
Subject: Fwd: Story from SpokesmanReview.com

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I found this story on SpokesmanReview.com. Click on the link below to read it.

Click on this link to view the story:
Rally shuts down office

Note: If you are not already registered with SpokesmanReview.com, you will be prompted to do so when you click on the above link. Registration is free.

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#468

From: "tzbyry22" <tzbyry22@...>
Date: Sat Jun 26, 2004 7:00 pm
Subject: Important Get Educated michigan-dsp Members

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