Town Hall Meeting Tonight! Article in the AJC...

Seeing 'a reason for life'
By LAURA DIAMOND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/29/07

EDUCATION FORUM
The Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities will host a forum on issues that parents of special-education students should be aware of as they plan for life after high school. Speakers will discuss what services are available, how to apply for assistance to pay for the services and other topics.
The free event will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Oakland Meadow School, 590 Old Snellville Highway, Lawrenceville. [Click for the flyer]
For more information go to: www.aadd.org or www.unlockthewaitinglists.com

Amy and Scott Castaline wanted their son taken care of. They hoped he could spend his days at a place where he could learn new skills and meet people.

Accomplishing this goal wasn't easy for the Castalines. They said parents need to be patient and learn some important strategies, many of which will be discussed during a public forum tonight.

Their son, Adam, is a 24-year-old man with the mental capabilities of a 2-year-old boy. He has cerebral palsy and is intellectually disabled. He spends most of his time in a wheelchair. Someone must help him dress, bathe and use the toilet.

Adam Castaline went to school for most of his life, but that changed when he turned 22. Under federal law, he was too old to continue at the Oakland School, one of Gwinnett County's centers for students with disabilities.

The Castalines planned for him to transition to a day program at the Hi-Hope Service Center in Lawrenceville for adults with disabilities. They said the center costs more than $1,000 a month and, like many families, they can't afford it without help from Medicaid-funded waivers.

Amy Castaline put her son's name on a list to receive one of the waivers about five years before he left Oakland. She thought that would be enough time. It wasn't. The waiver didn't come through until March — about seven years after she applied.

Between the time that Adam Castaline left Oakland and received the waiver, he had nowhere to go. He sat at home. He watched television. The only people he saw were members of his family. Frustrated, he often wheeled himself to the front door and shouted "Out!"

"He was unhappy and I could tell he was losing the skills he learned in school," Amy Castaline said. "Who would want to sit at home all day and just move from one room to another? When you have nowhere to go, you don't see a reason for life."

Click here to read the complete article.

Long Road Home Planning Meeting Announcement

The Long Road Home Planning committee will meet on Friday, November 30th.

Time: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Where: The Georgia Advocacy Office

150 East Ponce de Leon Ave.
Decatur, GA 30030

For further information, please email Cheri Mitchell

Region 3 MH/DD/AD Planning Board Meeting Announcement

The next meeting is scheduled for:
Thursday, December 13, 2007
11AM – 1PM

At: Roswell City Hall
Click the address for directions
38 Hill Street, Room 220
Roswell, GA 30075

Public comment is encouraged in mental health, developmental disabilities and addictive diseases. If you are planning to make a public comment, please arrive prior to 11am and limit your comment to 3 minutes. Thank you!

If you have questions, call Debbie Currere, Regional Planning Board Member, 770-649-0070

Appropriate care difficult to find for brain injury victims

By ANDY MILLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/20/07

...In October 2004, Ben Fuller was a smart, healthy college student, driving to a friend's house. A pile of debris in the road forced him to swerve suddenly. He lost control of the car, which flipped over. A passenger died.

Fuller's back and neck were broken. He was transported to the Rome hospital, where a doctor put his chance of survival at 12 percent.

For weeks, he lay in a coma. During that time, his girlfriend Kelly learned she was pregnant with Logan.

When Ben came out of it, he was unable to walk, feed himself or perform simple tasks like shaving. His behavior also was different. There were occasional verbal and physical outbursts.

With Ben in need of rehabilitation for both his mind and body, his parents started looking for help.

After a year at Floyd Medical Center, Fuller went to Shepherd Center, where he relearned how to feed himself, brush his teeth and say a favorite prayer. But the Atlanta organization doesn't provide neurobehavioral services. Such facilities, besides offering various therapies, have specialists to work with patients one-on-one to improve their impulse control.

Unable to find the needed residential services in Georgia, the Fullers looked elsewhere. Floyd Medical, where Ben was scheduled to return after his Shepherd stay, agreed to pay for a three-month stay at the Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation. In Florida, Ben rebuilt muscles in his calves and relearned other activities. The institute kept him another eight months at no cost before he returned to Georgia.

Advances in emergency care over the past 30 years have allowed more people to survive brain injury. Hospitals have reported more Georgians getting treatment for traumatic brain injury, with about 54,000 hospital visits annually.

Yet the Brain Injury Commission report, which focuses on TBI victims with behavioral problems, says Georgia and other states do not have a systematic way of screening and identifying them.

In addition, health insurance — whether public or private — has tight limits on the treatments it will cover, the report says. The lifetime cost of care for TBI — ranging on average from $600,000 to $1.9 million— can accelerate with inappropriate hospitalizations, the report says...

Only one specialized residential option exists for such brain injury patients in Georgia, but it has limited space and rarely treats patients
in the Medicaid "waiver" program.

The Department of Community Health, which runs Medicaid in Georgia, criticized the report for inaccuracies on some of the programs' rules and terminology but did not challenge the central findings. The department said it is working to "improve service delivery systems."

Families generally must piece together whatever treatment services are available.

"Brain injury cuts across all economic levels," says Charles Fuller, Ben's father. "The only people who could deal [successfully] with this would be the super-rich."

Late last year, Ben's parents received special waiver funds from Medicaid to care for Ben at home. So he returned to the family's home in Calhoun in January. But the Fullers were unable to find sufficient help. The round-the-clock care exhausted them...

Wade Monk, a hospital attorney, says, "We are all aware he does not need to be hospitalized. He needs institutional care at a more appropriate facility."

But Monk adds: "There's probably no place in Georgia that offers the complete range of services that Ben needs — residential, supervision and rehabilitation..."

Even though Ben is eligible for Medicaid, Monk says, Medicaid probably will not pay for his current care at Floyd Medical because it is considered non-medical.

The costs for the bed at the hospital can surpass $2,000 a day.

Toll on families is crushing...

The commission's report says that Fuller's care, because of inappropriate placements, is at least $500,000 more than if he had been sent immediately to rehabilitation and behavior programs — a figure that the Medicaid agency disputes...

The Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission, with an annual $3 million budget, offers grants of up to only $15,000. State auditors have criticized the agency for high administrative expenses and for aiming grants at community services more than medical care. Craig Young, the executive director, says administrative costs have been reduced, and that its grants can't cover medical bills...

To read the complete article, click here.

Very important meeting families need to attend

The Division of MHDDAD Office of Developmental Disabilities will host the first in a series of Regional Evening Seminars for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, Families and Advocates in Metro Atlanta.

Georgia’s ‘New’ DD Waivers:
“NOW” and “COMP”

When:

Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 6:30 -- 8:30pm

Where:

Holiday Inn and Conference Center- Decatur, Mary Gay Room
130 Clairemont Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030
404-371-0204

Agenda:

The Seminar will provide an overview of the two new federal Medicaid waivers and plans for implementing the changes in 2008:

•NOW: New Options Waiver for persons who live with family members or in their own home, and
•COMP: Comprehensive Supports Waiver Program for persons who need a full range of out-of-home services or intensive, in-home services who do not otherwise quality for the NOW program

These new waivers are designed to offer persons more control over how their service dollars are spent, whether in-home and/or in the community.

Refreshments will be available for the participants.

Please Register by November 29!!

For more information or to register, click here.

Access Pass – Provides Free Admission to National Parks

From the U.S. Geological Survey

If you or a family member have a disability and enjoy visiting our national parks, you may qualify for free admission. The U.S. Dept. of Interior offers something called an Access Pass – it replaces the old Golden Access Passport for those already familiar with our parks system. The Access Pass is for citizens or permanent residents of the United States, regardless of age, who have been medically determined to have a permanent disability. It provides access to, and use of, any Federal recreation site that charges an Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee and provides a discount on some Expanded Amenity Fees. The pass must be obtained in person.

For more information on the Pass and how to get one, click here.

An update on the requested override of the budget impacting the DD Act that includes Partners...

The House of Representatives attempted to override President Bush's veto of the FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) appropriations bill on November 15. Although a bipartisan majority voted for the bill, 277 to 141, the vote fell short of the two-thirds majority necessary.

Click here to see how your Representative voted.

Congress will return from the Thanksgiving recess on December 3.

Your Help Is Needed to Restore the ADA!

Under the direction of Sen. Harkin, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee heard testimony about a number of Supreme Court decisions that have significantly reduced the protections available to people with disabilities in employment settings.

Witnesses included:

John Kemp, Attorney, Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, P.C., Washington, D.C.

Former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, Counsel, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, Preston, Gates, Ellis, LLP, Washington, D.C.

Steven Orr, Pharmacist, Rapid City, South Dakota

Chai Feldblum, Director, Federal Legislation Clinic and Professor of Law, Georgetown Law Center, Washington, D.C.

Camille Olson, Attorney, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Chicago, IL on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The first four witnesses testified that restoring the ADA to Congress’
original intent would enable people with disabilities to secure and maintain employment without fear of losing their job because of their disability. Congress clearly intended to cover the full spectrum of disabilities, both visible and invisible. Ms. Olson expressed the Chamber’s concern that everyone would be covered under the ADA.

During an interesting question and answer period, Mr. Kemp responded that providing accommodations to employees with disabilities increases productivity and therefore increases profit – a must in business. Professor Feldblum added that everyone should be covered under the ADA to ensure that employees with disabilities and employees who are perceived to have a disability are protected under the ADA’s employment title. Read NCIL’s testimony to the Committee on the NCIL ADA Restoration Action Hub

ACTION NEEDED: Ask Your Senators to Cosponsor S. 1881!

Contact your Senators and urge them to cosponsor the ADA Restoration Act of 2007 S. 1881!

Background:
As you may know, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) introduced the ADA Restoration Act of 2007, S. 1881 and H.R. 3195 on July 26th. Through this legislation, the ADA’s intent, to eliminate discrimination based on disability, will be properly restored and the ADA will rightfully reclaim its place among our nation's civil rights laws.

Your calls and faxes are working! As of November 16th, 235 Representatives signed onto the House bill, H.R. 3195, and the Senate held its first hearing on the bill, S. 1881, on November 15th! While keeping pressure on the House, our sights are set on the Senate. Please urge your Senators to cosponsor and support S.1881. If one of your Senators is among the Republican members of the Senate Help, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)Committee listed below, your help is critical to moving this important bill!

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) is the lead Republican cosponsor of S. 1881. If you are from Pennsylvania, please call and THANK Sen. Specter for his leadership on this civil rights bill! We need to thank legislators when they do the right thing and support our cause!

TARGETED HELP COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Michael B. Enzi (WY), Judd Gregg (NH), Lamar Alexander (TN), Richard Burr (NC), Johnny Isakson (GA), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Orrin G. Hatch (UT), Pat Roberts (KS), Wayne Allard (CO), Tom Coburn, M.D. (OK).

Please take advantage of Congress' Thanksgiving recess to attend town hall meetings and other events held by your Members of Congress while they are back in their Districts (in your area). NCIL members are strongly encouraged to invite Members of Congress and their staff to visit Centers for Independent Living in their district and state.

Once you have contacted your Representative and two Senators, please contact Deb Cotter, Policy Analyst, at deb@ncil.org or (202) 207-0334, ext. 1008, and let her know the response you received. We are keeping track of cosponsors and need to know what Congressional staffers are telling their constituents. ForwardSourceID:NT003077B2

NOTES FROM THE SENATE

BY SENATOR JACK HILL,
4th DISTRICT

More Positives Than Negatives in October
October was a mixed bag with overall collections up 2.0% or 3.6% excluding dedicated fuel taxes. Positives include Individual Income Taxes which grew at 7.5% and corporate income taxes which grew at 19.5%. Negatives include gross sales taxes which were negative at 2.7%. This was the first month both categories of fuel taxes were negative totaling a minus 20.2%.

Year To Date: July-October
Georgia has collected $5.6 billion in net tax revenues since the State Fiscal Year began in July 2008. This is an increase of $228 million or 4.2% compared to the same period last year. Individual income tax collections for the month grew by $53 million yielding a $151 million or 5.5% growth rate for the Year to Date (YTD). This income source represents almost half of the State’s net revenue collections.
YTD Sales and Use tax collections have declined $15 million or 0.4%. Examining various categories revealed mixed indicators. Most sales tax categories continued to indicate a slowdown in purchasing. Discounting utilities collections which do not rise or fall on consumer buying, only food and general merchandise were positive but only at 4.3% and 3.5% respectively, a fraction of the growth rate a year ago. Of course, only local governments receive food sales taxes. Negative categories include apparel at -2.1% automotive at -6.4% and lumber at -12.3%. Manufacturing was negative at -6.1%.
The breakaway collections leader continues to be corporate income taxes. YTD collections rose $66 million or 34.1%. For the month, the increase was $9 million or 19.5%.
Year to Date motor fuel taxes have climbed $4 million or 1.2% compared to the same period last year.

Where is Georgia Heading?
Rajeev Dhawan, director of the Economic Forecasting Center, presented his analysis of the economy to date and for the future. For the current quarter, growth was strong at 3.9%. However that pace will be cut by half for the remaining months of the year and even slower for the 1st quarter of next year. Dr. Dhawan argued that the real problem is a confidence crisis. Investors are wary because of the record number of foreclosures that are impacting their portfolios. Dr. Dhawan did not indicate that the State was in a recession.
Dr. Dhawan also asserted that the increase in oil prices is a temporary phenomenon. Oil prices are in record territory, but production costs and consumer demand has not been a primary driver of this increase. Dr. Dhawan believes that oil prices will decline in short order.


All in all, Georgia is still faring pretty well compared to many states. There is no doubt that the declining home construction market and the water shortage in North Georgia are negatives that will be felt this fiscal year. The only unknown is the extent of these negative trends.

Useful Websites:
Georgia General Assembly
Legislature's Home Page

Eligibility for College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007

This new legislation (signed by President Bush pm 10/11/07) may impact your employees' student loans...

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 established a new public service loan forgiveness program. This program discharges any remaining debt after 10 years of full-time employment in public service. The borrower must have made 120 payments as part of the Direct Loan program in order to obtain this benefit. Only payments made on or after October 1, 2007 count toward the required 120 monthly payments. (Borrowers may consolidate into Direct Lending in order to qualify for this loan forgiveness program starting July 1, 2008.)
This contrasts with the loan forgiveness of the remaining balance after 25 years of repayment under the income-contingent and income-based repayment plans for borrowers who are not employed full time in public service jobs.

Eligibility

What is forgiven?

Employment: The borrower must be employed full-time in a public service job for each of the 120 monthly payments. Public service jobs include, among other positions, government, military service, public safety and law enforcement (police and fire), public health, public education, public early childhood education, public child care, social work in a public child or family service agency, public services for individuals with disabilities or the elderly, public interest legal services (including prosecutors, public defenders and legal advocacy in low-income communities), public librarians, school librarians and other school-based services, and employees of tax exempt 501(c)(3) organizations. Full-time faculty at tribal colleges and universities, as well as faculty teaching in high-need areas, also qualify.

Click here for the complete article.

Urgent Action Alert!

To understand the impact of this veto to Georgians, please read Eric Jacobson's, the Executive Director for the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities comments to his Board:

Dear Council Members,

The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities has notified us that the Congressional vote to override President Bush's veto of the Labor Health and Human Services budget may come up today. This budget includes $5 million in new funds for Councils across the country. New money will mean that we don't have to cut programs like Partners in Policymaking or can think about creating new programs. [emphasis added] Now is the time to let your representative and our senators know that you support that override. [You can access contact information easily online.]

[Click here to find a draft letter you might use in an email or fax.]

Please let us know if you do contact them and if you get a response.

Eric Jacobson

So Action is Needed TODAY
Help to Override the President’s Veto of the FY 2008 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill

What is at stake?
The appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and related agencies (Labor-HHS-Ed) is the bill that provides funding for the vast majority of federal disability programs.

Who does this affect?
Millions of people with disabilities, their families/caregivers, and service providers.

Status

November 5 - The House and Senate approved the FY 2008 Labor-HHS-Ed conference report bill.
November 13 - President Bush vetoed the bill.
November 15 - The House is expected to vote to override the President's veto. Scheduling of the Senate vote will depend on the results of the House vote.

WE NEED two thirds of the House and Senate votes to override the veto.

TAKE ACTION:
Send an email message to your Senators and Representatives TODAY, November 14. Click here to compose and send the email. Please be sure to add some information about your personal interest in disability programs and services to the sample message.

Read an article about the veto, Bush Vetoes Health and Education Bill By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - President Bush on Tuesday vetoed a spending measure for health and education programs prized by congressional Democrats. He also signed a big increase in the Pentagon's non-war budget. The president's action was announced on Air Force One as Bush flew to Indiana for a speech expected to criticize the Democratic-led Congress on its budget priorities. More than any other spending bill, the $606 billion education and health measure defines the differences between Bush and majority Democrats. The House fell three votes short of winning a veto-proof margin as it sent the measure to Bush. Rep. David Obey, the Democratic chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, pounced immediately on Bush's veto. "This is a bipartisan bill supported by over 50 Republicans," Obey said. "There has been virtually no criticism of its contents. It is clear the only reason the president vetoed this bill is pure politics."

Click here to read the entire article.

President Bush's veto impacts people with disabilities

President Bush's veto of the the Appropriations bill for Labor, Health and Education has an impact right here in Georgia. Please take the time to make the phone call to our Georgia delegation. In the long run, it will make a difference as we move into this election year.

Immediate Action:
Please call your Congressman and Senators immediately and urge them to vote to override the President's veto and support funding for TBI. In addition to TBI funding, many other critical funds for children, families, caregivers, individuals with disabilities and the aging population are at stake. Congress will be voting tomorrow. The Capitol switchboard number is 202-224-3121. You can ask to be connected to your Senators and Representative.

This alert was prepared by Susan L. Vaughn, Director of Public Policy, on behalf of the NASHIA Public Policy Committee, chaired by Debra Kamen.

To see NASHIA’s Public Policy Platform click here

Leave a comment if you make the call...

President Vetoes Funding for Lifespan Respite...

President Vetoes Spending Bill that Increases Funding for NFCSP, Provides $2 Million for Lifespan Respite

On November 13, 2007, five days after Congress sent President Bush the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations legislation for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 (H.R. 3043), the President vetoed the bill. The bill would increase funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) by $2 million, up from $156 million in FY 2007. The bill would provide a $7 million increase for older adult supportive services and senior centers (Title IIIB), up from $350.6 million in FY 2007, and an increase of $28.1 million for home-delivered and congregate meals, up from $587.2 million in FY 2007. The bill also includes $2 million for the Lifespan Respite Care Act, a new program signed into law in December 2006. It remains to be seen whether Congress has the votes to override the veto.

School Inclusion and Mock Testimony

Our last Partners weekend focused on best practices for school inclusion and preparing for mock testimony in January. Dr. Jill England was our facilitator on school inclusion.She said that inclusion one child at a time does not work and that systems need to change in order to help the most children and create lasting change. She recommended the following book and DVD as reading to follow up her presentation. Jill also gave us two websites on history and news for students that are worth looking at:

news-2-you.com and eyewitnesstohistory.com

She also brought lots of great learning toys and products like the EZ padlock for lockers for kids in middle and high school, and a film called Through the Same Door about kids with disabilities in college.

Bobby Goldberg, our speaker on Sunday, says advocacy is like a "constant drumbeat" and that we need to develop relationships with legislators in order to facilitate systems change. Bobby's recommended book is below, and she urged us to become familiar with the White Book that lists all of the Georgia state legislators. Dave and Bobby stayed for the rest of the day advising Partners in their mock testimony groups. I threw down a challenge to this class to beat the current Partners record of sixteen legislators to attend a mock testimony. Over the next month, they will invite their legislators to participate.The class of 2005 still holds the Georgia Partners record.

Partners graduates will be hosting a chat tonight for Parent to Parent of Georgia.

Amy White and Kathy Sutton, Partners graduates from the class of 2007, will be the guest experts during a chat tonight for Georgia parents of children with disabilities.

Date: November 14, 2007 – 8:00 p.m.
Topic: How to survive the 3 H’s – Horribly Hectic Holidays

Starting in November and ending on January 2, many families celebrate a variety of holidays. These holidays are exciting for everyone. You get to spend time with family and make memories for the children. However, some families have a difficult time during this season and need a little extra help with useful ideas on how to cope with the added stress. Our two expert guests will share their ideas on how to make this season easier.

Kathy Sutton is the Southwest Coordinator for Parent to Parent of Georgia. She has a son with ADHD and bipolar disorder. Her simple solutions and creative ideas have helped her son cope with the overstimulation this time of the year often brings.

Amy White is mother to Hunter, a 7 year old boy who has G.E.R.D. Amy has extensive traveling experience with Hunter, and has common sense solutions to the Holidays.

Holidays don’t have to be hectic any more!

These chats are your chance to interact with experts in various aspects of parenting a child with a disability. Click on this link for more information and to enter the chat: Parent to Parent of Georgia

Shift Happens: Training and Technical Assistance Series to Develop Positive Behavioral Supports

Announcement from the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases concerning training and technical assistance on providing positive behavioral supports.

Shift Happens: FY’08 DD Training and Technical Assistance Series to Develop Positive Behavioral Supports

Background: The Division of MHDDAD is dedicated to improving the support of individuals in order to reduce behavioral challenges and increase independence. The competent and skilled use of positive behavioral supports can help individuals make meaningful progress toward life goals such as social relationships, employment, self-determination, health, and safety. The Shift Happens training and technical assistance series will incorporate and build on the values of the Good to Great initiative underway in Georgia.

Click here for more information on the training and how to register.

Become A Child Advocate!

Are you interested in participating in the Parent Leadership Support Project to become an Advocate for students in Georgia?
The next Parent Leadership Support Project will be held in Metro Atlanta, beginning on January 13, 2008. This is a three-month training program coordinated by the Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc. (GAO) . The Parent Leadership Support Project consists of weekly presentations given by leading educational and legal experts.
The Georgia Advocacy Office is committed to assisting parents of children with disabilities to master the information and skills necessary to secure education opportunities to which all children are entitled. Upon completion of this intensive training, participants will be able to advocate for other children with disabilities across the State. This project is supported by a generous grant from the Georgia Bar Foundation.

The goals of the project are:

• To train advocates and enable Georgia parents of children with disabilities, and other concerned citizens, to master information, and negotiate systems in order to secure the educational opportunities that are mandated for children with disabilities;

• To support grassroots parent leadership efforts; and

• To sustain shared learning among advocates.

The requirements of the parents participating in the training are:

• Attendance and completion of the PLSP training curriculum, and a commitment to advocate on behalf of our communities' children to secure an appropriate education leading to a meaningful life.

We are recruiting applicants for the eight PLSP training to be held in Metro Atlanta beginning in January of 2008. We are recruiting concerned citizens with the belief that all students need a quality education. Click for the application and invitation letter. Applications are due December 10, 2007.

Please forward this link to others that maybe interested in the project. You may also send an email to plsp@thegao.org to receive an electronic version of the application or call (404) 885- 1234 to discuss the possibilities of you applying.

Employment Resources

REFERENCE POINTS:
Promising and Featured Practices For Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies
VR PROMISING PRACTICES
The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), as part it's monitoring of state employment and independent living programs funded under the Rehabilitation Act, together with state vocational rehabilitation agencies and their stakeholders, have identified promising practices in a number of topic areas including 1) the transition of youth with disabilities from school to employment; 2) independent living programs; and 3) Vocational Rehabilitation Programs.
Brief descriptions of these practices are available online.
Programs and practices highlighted by RSA include the following:

Statewide Partnerships Leveraging Resources to Maximize Access to Services for Transitioning Youths
Alabama College Preparation Programs and Career Preparation and Training Initiative
Maryland Program for Transitioning Youth and Evidence Based Supported Employment Practices
Nebraska's Transition Scholarships and Consumer Involvement Practices
Pennsylvania's Community on Transition.
Rhode Island's Shared Youth Vision Federal Collaborative Partnership
South Dakota Collaborative Independent Living Service Delivery
Vermont's Jump on Board for Success (JOBS) and Learn, Earn and Prosper (LEAP) programs

Click for more information

VR FEATURED PRACTICES: STATE EMPLOYMENT SPECIALISTS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
The goal of State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies is to assist individuals with disabilities to become employed. To that end, VR agencies (with the support of their federal partners) stand ready to provide employers with qualified job candidates with disabilities to meet the workforce needs of American business. Each state has devised practices that are useful for their regional industries, geographic profile and demographics. This Web site will highlight effective practices, models and tools so that agencies can learn from one another what works. In addition, RSA maintains a listing of state employment specialists who are willing to share their experiences and expertise with others in the network. To access the site, click here.

THE ARC OF ILLINOIS: FAMILY MANUAL FOR TRANSITION TO WORK AND ADULT SERVICESThe ARC of Illinois has published an informative guide that provides a detailed look at what steps can be taken to help an individual with developmental disabilities make the transition from the school system and various services to the workforce and/or adult services. Many useful resources are provided, as well as checklists of steps to take. Click here for the Manual.

EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
This question-and-answer document addresses the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to persons with intellectual disabilities in the workplace. Click here for this new publication.

Changing Offensive Language

Advocates' Ballot Measure Would Erase "Idiot" And "Insane" From New Jersey Laws
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
October 30, 2007

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY--In 1844, the New Jersey legislature adopted a law to forbid any "idiot or insane person" from voting.

That language is still in the state constitution, 163 years later.

On November 6, New Jersey voters will be given the choice to have that language erased from the books.

Ballot Question Number 4 is the result of months of intense advocacy by people with disabilities and their allies across the state. It reads:

"Shall the amendment of Article II, Section I, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, agreed to by the Legislature, revising the current constitutional language concerning denial of the right to vote by deleting the phrase 'idiot or insane person' and providing instead that a 'person who has been adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting' shall not enjoy the right of suffrage, be adopted?"

Disability rights advocates, led by the Monday Morning Project of the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council, persuaded lawmakers of both the state Senate and Assembly to unanimously pass measures to put the question of changing the language to voters.

Diane Jones of The Arc of New Jersey testified before legislators earlier this year.

"I am here to tell you that I do not like the word 'idiot' on the thing," she said. "I want it to be cut out of the New Jersey Constitution. I want everybody to be free and happy and to be just who they are."

Advocates are currently campaigning for voters to vote "yes" to approve the ballot measure.

New Jersey is believed to be one of just six states that still use words such as "idiot" and "insane" in their laws.

Related:
"Editorial: Vote to remove offensive description of voters with disabilities" (East Brunswick Sentinel)

"Editorial: Ballot question No. 4 is long overdue on disabilities issues in New Jersey" (The Hammonton News)

"Ballot Question Number 4" (The Arc of New Jersey)

"Words Can Hurt . . . And That Matters" (New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council)

Disabilities, rights grab spotlight at forum

Saturday, November 3, 2007
By HOLLY RAMER
The Associated Press

Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd talked up his commitment to people with disabilities Friday with help from a personal source of inspiration: his sister.

Carolyn Dodd, a retired teacher who is visually impaired and uses a cane, introduced her younger brother at a forum sponsored by Granite State Independent Living. She described a letter he received last spring from a disabled man who remembered how kind and helpful Dodd had been to him when they were high school classmates...

Dodd was one of several Democratic hopefuls to address about 600 voters, most with disabilities, who attended the forum. He described his long-time support for disability rights, from cosponsoring the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1975 to sponsoring and then fighting for years to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act, which he said was inspired by the family of a young Connecticut girl with disabilities...

The forum was designed to pressure presidential candidates to support people with disabilities and their right to equality, opportunity and access.

"Those three words are really about civil rights, and that's why we're here today," said Andrew Imparto, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities. "People with disabilities have a right to be full participants in all aspects of society, and we need leadership from the top."

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton promised to reinstate her husband's executive order calling on federal agencies to hire 100,000 people with disabilities in five years.

She also said she would get rid of federal rules that cut benefits for people with disabilities when they get jobs...

Former Sen. John Edwards also would reinstate the executive order on hiring, said his campaign manager, former U.S. Rep. David Bonior of Michigan, who noted that adults with disabilities are 30 percent more likely to live in poverty. He framed his remarks around Edwards' call to build one America that serves all citizens equally...

Sen. Joe Biden argued that the power of the presidency lies not in issuing executive orders or proposing legislation but in using the bully pulpit to remind the public about the nation's core values, including equality and dignity for all...

Though he used most of his time to promote his single-payer health care system, Rep. Dennis Kucinich also highlighted his personal connections to the disabilities community. He described a young boy who learned to read at age 3 but was in danger of failing in school because of a severe stutter until a teacher arranged for him to get speech therapy...

Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, meanwhile, revealed that he struggled with dyslexia as a child. He devoted his speech to describing his plan to give all policy decisions to the people through a direct vote.

Sen. John McCain, the only Republican to participate, addressed the group by phone. He focused on health care for disabled veterans, repeating a favorite quote from George Washington: "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated by their country."

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Disabilities, rights grab spotlight at forum

November 8, 2007 Board Meeting

AGENDA
November 8, 2007, 9:00 a.m.
Twin Towers Building
20th Floor, West Tower, Floyd Room
200 Piedmont Avenue
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Call to Order - Richard Holmes, Chairman

Approval/Adoption of Minutes - Mark Oshnock, Secretary

Opening Comments - Richard Holmes

Meyers and Stauffer CMO Audit Update - Jared Duzan and Beverly Dilley

Department Updates

1. Director, Health Planning Division Clyde Reese
▪Certificate of Need Rules 111-2-2-.07, .09, .33 and. 34 -
Final Adoption

2. Chief Financial Officer - Carie Summers
▪MRWP/CHSS Public Notice – Final Approval
▪DSH Payments Public Notice – Final Approval

3. Chief, State Health Benefit Plan - Nancy Goldstein
▪SHBP Strategy

4. Chief, Managed Care and Quality - Kathy Driggers
▪Georgia Families Quality Strategic Plan -
Request for Required Public Input

F. Commissioner’s Comments - Dr. Rhonda Medows

G. New Business and Chairman’s Closing Comments - Richard Holmes

H. Adjourn

NOW and COMP Waivers - Provider Enrollment

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the New Options (NOW) and Comprehensive Supports (COMP) Waivers. As part of the transition to these waivers, the Office of Developmental Disabilities has reviewed current Mental Retardation Waiver Program (MRWP) and Community Habilitation and Support Services (CHSS) waiver services and determined corresponding NOW and COMP waiver services. The Office of Developmental Disabilities is working with the Division of MHDDAD’s Provider Network Management Section and the Department of Community Health (DCH) on the enrollment of existing MR/DD waiver providers for NOW and COMP waiver services. DCH is requiring Department of Human Resources, Division of MHDDAD approval documentation for the enrollment of existing MR/DD waiver providers for NOW and COMP waiver services. This required documentation is being generated by the Division based on previous approval by DHR, Division of MHDDAD of a provider for MR/DD waiver services under the MRWP and/or CHSS Waiver Programs.

Providers will be receiving letters from the Division of MHDDAD as enrollment for NOW and COMP waivers services proceeds. Providers may also receive a letter from ACS if a new provider number is generated. The Office of Developmental Disabilities is scheduling provider trainings across the state. A part of this training will describe the crosswalk to NOW and COMP services for existing providers and provide the opportunity for providers to ask questions about the provider enrollment process. Information will be forthcoming about the provider enrollment process for the new services offered in the NOW and COMP Waivers.

Thank you for your cooperation as we move forward with a significant transition in service delivery for the individuals with developmental disabilities in Georgia.

From:
Stephen Hall, Ph.D., Director
Office of Developmental Disabilities