--- En ListaACA@..., Irmina Leon <irmleo@...> escribió:

IMPORTANT COSAC CALL FOR ACTION NOW!

As many of you know, the momentum generated by COSAC's
Adult Resources Initiative through the recent release
of the white paper, "Meeting the Needs of Adults with
Autism: A Blueprint for the Future," and the
subsequent press conference has to keep moving
forward.

Indeed, our efforts are on a positive track and it is
critically important to keep focused and stay the
course in requiring New Jersey's Human Service system
to respond to the needs of adults with autism. We need
your help in supporting this effort.

This is not something you can put on a "to do" list;
it must be done now!

Below please find a draft letter to NJ Governor Jon
Corzine. You also can e-mail or fax your letters,
whatever is most convenient. Please personalize the
letter if you have the opportunity. Each story is
critical. There is no turning back in our message that
adults with autism matter, and that their unique needs
have to be proactively addressed. We must continue to
move forward. Thank you for joining this effort. If
you have any questions or would like to get more
involved, please call COSAC's Adult Resources
Department at (609) 883-5411.


You can send your correspondence to Governor Corzine's
office:

By e-mail: http://www.nj.gov/governor/govmail.html
By Fax: (609) 292-3454
Or Call: (609) 292-6000



SAMPLE LETTER:


State of New Jersey
Office of the Governor
Honorable Jon S. Corzine
125 West State Street PO Box 001 Trenton, NJ 08625



Dear Governor Corzine:



It has come to my attention that current services for
adults with autism are inadequate and not enough is
being done to address the expansion of services to
this rapidly increasing population. It is also
apparent that individuals with autism and their
families are not being given all the necessary
information on their eligibility for services under
Medicaid and state funding so that they can make
informed choices about obtaining the proper services.

It is particularly disheartening to discover that the
management of our current service delivery system has
not been forthcoming in providing information in
response to numerous inquiries about how much money is
being used for the various services and supports that
are currently available. Furthermore, the current
assessment tools to determine services do not take
into account the social, behavioral and communication
barriers adults with autism face. How can we ask
families to make informed choices about service
provisions when they are not being given all the
facts? Please do the right thing for the families of
adults with autism by addressing the current crisis
through action in the form of real policy reform now.

The autism community appreciates your attention in
this matter and pledges its full support toward making
proactive changes to the system.



Sincerely,







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