Health and Wellness Resouces

Click on this link to access the Sonoran UCEDD Health & Wellness website.

The purpose of this website is to make it easier to find useful health and wellness information on the internet. It is primarily for individuals with developmental disabilities who want information to help them make choices about healthy living, and also for caregivers who support individuals with developmental disabilities.

Packed with lots of links and contacts for resources and it is very user friendly!

CNN Article: Children forced into cell-like school seclusion rooms

CNN.com. December 17, 2008

A few weeks before 13-year-old Jonathan King killed himself, he told his parents that his teachers had put him in "time-out."

"We thought that meant go sit in the corner and be quiet for a few minutes," Tina King said, tears washing her face as she remembered the child she called "our baby ... a good kid."

But time-out in the boy's north Georgia special education school was spent in something akin to a prison cell -- a concrete room latched from the outside, its tiny window obscured by a piece of paper.

Called a seclusion room, it's where in November 2004, Jonathan hanged himself with a cord a teacher gave him to hold up his pants.

An attorney representing the school has denied any wrongdoing.

Seclusion rooms, sometimes called time-out rooms, are used across the nation, generally for special needs children. Critics say that along with the death of Jonathan, many mentally disabled and autistic children have been injured or traumatized...

Click here for the complete article.

FAQ for NOW/COMP waivers

The office of DD has posted on their website a page of Frequently Asked Questions about the NOW and COMP Waivers. View the page here.

Also, Linda Wilson attended the DHR meeting on the new waiver last week. She is sharing her notes with all of us because for now, the trainings will be only in held in Macon and Atlanta. Thanks Linda!

December 8, 2008

Dr. Hall:

Separate allocation from rates.
Let families decide how to spend funds—gives them choices.
NSE and CHSS unbundled per Fed.
Rollout over one year.
Rates—required to do a rate analysis prior to 10/31/2009.
Still ranked 50th in funding in services for DD funding.
o 9th in new funding.
o 17th in wealth.
o 5th moving out of institutions—Olmstead.

Darlene:

Transition—NOW and COMP.
Services overview.
Region contacts.
Participant Directed Services list.

Doris:

Participant direction
Option—how and who delivers services.
o Participant in control:
Can use traditional agencies
Can handle yourself:
• All about choices:
o Services.
o How get services.
o How delivered.
o When delivered.
o Amount delivered.
Can use traditional and self-directed.
Centered around meeting needs of individual.
o Co-employer
Self-direct services but have traditional provider handle employee issues.
Do same function as Acumen.
Support Services Provider.
o FSS:- for self-direct you must have Financial Support Services provider
Today Acumen is the only provider, need more so have a choice, others are applying.
You do time sheets, etc.
Provider handles:
• HR services.
• Pay employees.
o Support Coordinator—work with SC:
To do FSS
Or co-employer option.
o Can opt out of FSS if don’t like it.
o Community Guides.
o Can have combination of self-directed and agency.
o PA—Prior Authorization—work with SC.
o Community Access—category for summer camps.

NOW/COMP:

NOW—mostly for those who live at home; extremely flexible.
COMP—for those who do not live in family home; generally need more services.
Ladder to move from NOW to COMP when required.
Exceptional rate—do anything to keep individuals out of institutions or nursing homes.
Respite—Office of Regulatory Services (ORS) is part of DHR.
o If two or more adults served in a facility require personal care license.
o Host home legislation—not under ORS regulation; can be respite homes.
COMP—for individuals needing more than $25K.
Rate caps on new waiver—Lower than providers currently charging.

Unbundle of NSE:

Perceived loss of services.
Individual situations—need to review with DD office individually.
Office of DD applying to Federal for changes to certain rates.
Has asked for individuals to give:
o Name.
o Contact number.
o So they can be contacted to discuss individual issues.
Dental Services—work to add to available services.
o Self-directing: can use “Individual Directed Goods and Services.”
o If under age 21, can be done by state.
Families cannot be reimbursed or handled by self-direct. Must be in ISP.
DHR reorganization:
o Standalone Division of DD, will still have regional systems.
Developing user manuals and guides to be able to understand details more easily.
o Available in January—“hopefully.”
o Thirteen overnight days for respite-today.
1244 15 minute units up to max of 3744
3744 units (15 minutes) per year.
250 hours.
ABA Services—new ways to handle.
o Community Access Services.
o Community Living Services.
August 1 started: Quality Assurance Initiative
o 3 to 1 funding from Fed.
Category caps are creating problems.
DCH leadership changes?
o More—can do.
Transportation issues.
o To fix permanently.
o Individuals decide.
Will post answer to questions on website: FAQ’s.
o Go to: What’s New with the Waivers?
Day Habilitation—Community access group, unbundle of prevocational support
o Prevocational support.
Day Support—Community access group, unbundled of prevocational support.
o Plus supported employment.
Chapter 1200—Respite documentation.
Dr. Hall will come to other locations.
Vendors can enroll to provide products such as diapers, etc.
o More applying or do separately through self-direct.
NSE and CHSS
o Had to be changed on 11/1.
o Others will changes when ISP is written on birthday.
If not getting answers from SC, contact the Office of DD.

Woman seeks ‘opportunity garden’ for people with special needs

One of Partners Graduate Nalini Isaac's pet projects combining gardening and providing transition opportunities for our kids has just taken off, with an article in the Macon Telegraph on Mon Dec 8th. This is one avenue to get to her Legislators.

Excerpt from article in Macon Telegraph on 12-8-08:

‘Nalini Isaac, a gardener and mother of a 25-year-old woman with Down syndrome, is trying to make an ‘Opportunity Garden ‘for people with disabilities a reality.’“I think it can provide opportunities to a variety of different community members said Isaac’. That’s why Cherry says she likes the idea of a garden designed for people with special needs.’

Please click here for full article.

Governor Perdue Announces November Revenue Figures

Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that net revenue collections for the month of November 2008 (FY09) totaled $1,419,543,000 compared to $1,399,595,000 for November 2007 (FY08), an increase of $19,948,000 or 1.4 percent.

The percentage decrease year-to-date for FY09 compared to FY08 is -1.3 percent.

The detailed numbers will be posted here, on the Governor's website at: www.georgia.gov. Check back.

Study: Autism costs strain family finances

National survey shows impact of caring for a child with chronic disorder.

More than half a million U.S. children have autism with costly health care needs that often put an unprecedented financial strain on their families, national data show.

Compared with parents whose youngsters have chronic health care needs but not autism, those with autistic children are three times more likely to have to quit their jobs or reduce work hours to care for their kids. They pay more for their kids' health needs, spend more time providing or arranging for that care, and are more likely to have money difficulties, the study found.

"This is the first national survey that looked at the impact on families of having kids with special health care needs," said lead author Michael Kogan, a researcher with the government's Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

Click here to read the entire article from MSNBC.

Family Forum in Macon, Dec. 15th

The Division of MHDDAD Office of Developmental Disabilities
will host an Evening Family Forum in Macon for
Waiver Participants, Representatives, Families, and Support Networks

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

When: Monday, December 15, 2008, 6:00 - 8:30pm

Where: The Anderson Conference Center, Atrium
5171 Eisenhower Parkway, Macon, GA 31206, 478-471-4864
For driving directions, please go to:
http://my.georgia.org/net/org/info.aspx?s=145045.0.27.3011

AGENDA

The Family Forum 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

This seminar is the second in a series of events designed to educate participants, families, and representatives about the “new” waivers which are designed to offer persons more control over how their service dollars are spent. The session will include overviews of both waivers and specific roles and responsibilities for participants, representatives, families, and support networks.

Refreshments will be available for session attendees.

If accommodation is needed (interpreter, etc), please send your request promptly via email to RegistrationMHDDAD@dhr.state.ga.us or call Mat Winer at 404-463-0796.

Please Register by December 8, 2008, by clicking here!!

Family Forum in Metro Atlanta, Dec. 8th

The Division of MHDDAD Office of Developmental Disabilities
will host an Evening Family Forum in Metro Atlanta (Gwinnett) for
Waiver Participants, Representatives, Families, and Support Networks

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

When: Monday, December 8, 2008, 6:00 -- 8:30pm

Where: The Busbee Center at Gwinnett Technical College, Banquet Hall
5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville, GA 30043, 770-962-7580
For driving directions, please go to:
http://www.busbeecenter.com/content.cfm?PageCode=maps


AGENDA

The Family Forum 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

This seminar is the second in a series of events designed to educate participants, families, and representatives about the “new” waivers which are designed to offer persons more control over how their service dollars are spent. The session will include overviews of both waivers and specific roles and responsibilities for participants, representatives, families, and support networks.

Refreshments will be available for session attendees.

If accommodation is needed (interpreter, etc), please send your request promptly via email to RegistrationMHDDAD@dhr.state.ga.us or call Mat Winer at 404-463-0796.

Click here for registration.