DNEC on the net: 2010

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Mental Health in the Media

The recent articles below cover issues relevant to Connecticut's mental health community.

The state Department of Social Services has removed a requirement which set minimum levels of provider reimbursements under contracts with the managed care organizations that administer the HUSKY and Charter Oak programs. Many advocates fear this could lead to providers refusing to accept HUSKY and Charter Oak patients, which would limit access to care for these groups.

Advocates Fear Change in State Health Care Payment Policy Will Limit Access

The Connecticut Mirror – http://www.ctmirror.org – November 12, 2010

A new group of supportive housing units for people with mental illnesses and HIV/AIDS has recently opened in Hamden. The units, developed by the Leeway organization of New Haven, are apartments where people can live independently and receive the services that they need.

Leeway Apartments Open for Business in Hamden

The New Haven Register – http://www.nhregister.com – November 18, 2010

Epigenetics, the study of the effects of a person's experiences on the expression and function of his or her genes, is an emerging field of research in determining the causes of mental illness. Scientists hope to find links between epigenetic markers and mental illnesses in order to develop more effective treatments.

Genes as Mirrors of Life Experiences

The New York Times – http://www.nytimes.com – November 8, 2010

China has a mental health system that is extremely inadequate in terms of meeting the needs of people with mental illnesses. This in-depth story documents the lack of access to treatments in China, as well as the very serious consequences of this problem.

Life in Shadows for Mentally Ill in China

The New York Times – http://www.nytimes.com – November 10, 2010

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.

Matt Salner

Public Policy Staff

NAMI-CT

policystaff@namict.org

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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

November - December 2010 Bulletin

Governor-Elect Malloy's platform addresses health care, autism, and senior issues

Plus much more... read our bulletin!

We post the bulletin to our website in a variety of formats. For your convenience, the latest CDAC bulletin is attached in PDF format, but if your mail system removed or altered the attachment in any way, you can always access it on our website at: http://www.ct-dac.org/bulletin.htm in a variety of different formats. NOTE: AOL customers will need to access the file from the website as AOL is making the PDF attachment invalid and you will NOT be able to access it.

PLEASE NOTE: Let us know if you have any problems accessing our information by sending your comments to us at announce@ct-dac.org. Please specify what problems you encountered and if you have any suggestions to help improve our communication.

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Announcements and also BESB Children's Services Fall 2010 Newsletter

Dear BESB Staff and Community Partners,

On behalf of BESB, I am pleased to inform you that the Fall, 2010 Children's Services Program Newsletter has been posted on the agency website. Follow the link immediately below to read about recent activities and upcoming events for parents and children.

BESB Children's Services Fall 2010 Newsletter

Posted by DNECDeaf at 11:10 AM No comments:

Legislative Leadership Training - Still Time To Register!

There is still time to register for the December 2 and 9th Legislative Leadership Training.

KEEP THE PROMISE COALITION

Legislative Leadership Training: Thursday, December 2 and 9, 2010

Experienced advocates will learn more details about the legislative process and playing a lead role in KTP advocacy at the LOB or locally (8:30AM Registration; 9AM-3PM training). Completion of the KTP "Essentials of Legislative Advocacy" training is required before taking this training (extensive experience in legislative advocacy can be substituted).

Trainings are geared for people in recovery, family members, advocates, providers, and any other interested groups. This two-day training will be held in Room 2E at the LOB, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. Lunch will be provided. Training co-facilitated by Attorney Jan Van Tassel, Executive Director, CT Legal Rights Project and Doreen DelBianco, Legislative Program Manager for the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, who have extensive experience in legislative advocacy and mental health issues.

There is a $10 registration fee. Scholarships for registration and reimbursement for travel and family care are available with pre-approval, pending available funds. Please contact KTP for more information.

To register, please contact Maura Sheil-Hughes at KTP: ktpassistant@namict.org or call (860) 882-0236; (800) 215-3021.

Also: A sincere THANK YOU to the many advocates and groups/organizations who collaborated to hold Candidate Forums across the State this Fall. You made an important impact on legislators and community members! Great job!

We are now shifting our focus to LEGISLATIVE BREAKFASTS! If you did not get a chance to hold a Candidate Forum or if you want another chance to speak more directly with your newly elected local officials (State Senators and State Representative), please consider planning one TODAY! CT lawmakers have an unprecedented budget problem before them – help get the word out that Coalition members have opportunities to spend CT's $$ smarter in the mental health system! KTP can assist in planning and implementation and can offer fact sheets, tips on events, KTP blue ribbons, and assistance in collaborating with local, like-minded groups and organizations.

Click here to access a tip sheet.

Legislative Breakfasts should typically be held locally before or by early January at the latest and at the L.O.B. after that time. Events are not limited to breakfasts, but should be easily accessible for legislators and attendees. Call KTP TODAY to start planning!

Cheri Bragg, Coordinator

Posted by DNECDeaf at 11:08 AM No comments:

A new website to help parents and caregivers better understand their children's mental health and navigate the mental health system in CT [not-secure]]

The Connecticut Center for Effective Practice (CCEP) of the Child Health

and Development Institute (CHDI) has launched a new website:

http://www.kidsmentalhealthinfo.com

The website was developed to help parents and caregivers better

understand their children's mental health and navigate the mental health

system in Connecticut.

Please visit our new website soon. Bookmark it and return often.

Please forward to parents who have questions or concerns about

children's mental health.

Robert P. Franks, Ph.D.

Vice President & Director

Connecticut Center for Effective Practice (CCEP)

Child Health & Development Institute (CHDI)

860-679-1519

www.chdi.org

Posted by DNECDeaf at 11:07 AM No comments:

Save Date Dec.7 Sesame St Webinar Talk, Listen, Connect for Military Families

Subject: Save the Date: Sesame Street Webinar Talk, Listen, Connect for Military Families

View with images

Join us Tuesday, December 7, 2010, 1:00 p.m. EST (10:00 a.m. PST), for a lively and informative introduction to Sesame Workshop's groundbreaking initiative for military families, Talk, Listen, Connect.

Developed in conjunction with military and mental health experts, Talk, Listen, Connect is a bilingual, multimedia outreach program designed to help military families with young children coping with challenging transitions in their lives. Through video, music, and print materials, beloved Sesame Street characters—including Elmo and Rosita—address issues such as deployment, a parent's return home changed due to combat related injury, and the death of a parent.

During the Webinar, trauma experts, military experts, and members of the Sesame Workshop team will share clips from the Talk, Listen, Connect initiative, discuss key lessons learned during the development process, and review how clinicians and caregivers can use Talk, Listen, Connect to help military families and children.

This Webinar will include:

Ms. Lynn Chwatsky, Sesame Workshop, Assistant Vice President, Outreach Initiatives and Partners

Dr. Stephen Cozza, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, USUHS Associate Director, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University School of Medicine

Ms. Barbara Thompson, Director, Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth, Office of the Secretary of Defense Military Community and Family Policy

Dr. Russell Shilling, CAPT, MSC, USN, Program Manager - I20, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

Mrs. Patty Shinseki, Board Member, The Military Child Education Coalition, and Chair of MCEC's Living in the New Normal: Helping Children Thrive Through Good and Challenging Times

Dr. Judith Cohen, Medical Director, Center for Traumatic Stress in Children & Adolescents Allegheny General Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry

Hosted by Dr. Gregory Leskin, Director, NCCTS Military Families Initiatives and Assistant Director, FOCUS (www.focusproject.org)

To Join us at the Webinar:

Step 1: Create an account (free) at http://learn.nctsn.org/login/signup.php

Step 2: Check your email and confirm your account (click on link)

Step 3: Login at http://learn.nctsn.org/ and enroll in the Military Family Learning Community Master Speaker Series course listing

Step 4: On December 7, 2010 at 10am PST/1pm EST, login to participate

For NCTSN Learning Center technical assistance email help@nctsn.org

™/© 2010 Sesame Workshop

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

CAAC Member Announcement: Autism Event for Greater Bristol Farmington Valley Community Collaborative

Greater Bristol Farmington Valley Community Collaborative

invites you to see

The Spectrum UNPLUGGED

Spend an Evening with the "Creatively Wired and Socially Challenged".
FOCUS Alternative Learning Center is proud to present their panel of experts. They are articulate, brilliant, left of center and very open and honest about their journey with their disorders. Hear firsthand about their experiences and how they impacted their lives at home, school and in the community. They want to let you know that they have suffered, but they have not given up and have grown to accept and embrace their "peculiarities" and channel them into something useful, without changing "who" they are. These kids are amazing and their willingness to share their experiences to help others have hope and change their lives is inspirational! Learn what strategies have helped them become the successful people they are today.
This presentation will move you. Get new insights on what is becoming today's epidemic.
·         Walk a day in their shoes and experience what their world is like for them
·         Find out what works & what doesn't with this special population
·         Learn the importance of relationships
·         Learn what interventions work when they are in crisis
·         Understand better their sensory issues & the Circle of Anxiety™

Date: Thursday, November 18, 2010
Time: 6:00 pm -7:30 pm
Location: Bristol Public Library, 5 High Street, Bristol, CT

Refreshments will be provided.
This event is open to families and providers. Resource Networking will be available to those who attend.
Child activities will be provided.

Please RSVP by Tuesday, November 16, 2010 through either the Greater Bristol Farmington Valley Community Collaborative Website at http://www.gbfvcc.org/CalendarEvents.aspx, Collaborative Email greater.bristol.farmington.collab@gmail.com or contact Rebecca Turgeon, LPC Co-Chair at (860) 223-2778 ext. 306.

We will look forward in seeing everyone!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Weekly Advocacy Monitor: Volume 8, Issue 33; November 1, 2010

NCIL: Celebrating 25 Years of Independent Living
National Council on Independent Living
Weekly Advocacy Monitor
Volume 8, Issue 33; November 1, 2010

1) What's Happening in the Nation's Capital?
-White House Urges More Hiring of People with Disabilities; Initiative Attempts to Strengthen Clinton-Era Order

2) National News
-Unfriendly Skies? Blind Passengers Sue United
-More Young People with Intellectual Disabilities Go to College

3) State News
-Connecticut Governor's Race Spotlights Disabilities
-Want to Speak Up About Movie Theater Captions? Hearings to be Held in Chicago, San Francisco, and D.C.
-Mississippi Hotline for Voting Rights

4) Announcements and Additional Resources
-Survey on Public Transit
-FCC to Hold Open Developer Day on November 8, 2010
-Creating Art to Say No to Violence

1) What's Happening in the Nation's Capital?

White House Urges More Hiring of People with Disabilities; Initiative Attempts to Strengthen Clinton-Era Order
Source: federaltimes.com
With agencies facing a renewed White House push to hire nearly twice as many employees with disabilities, the Office of Personnel Management is ramping up a campaign to show them how to do that. A training event last week drew about 285 hiring managers and human resources professionals to OPM's auditorium; the agency hopes to host similar events elsewhere in the county where there are large numbers of federal employees, Deputy Director Christine Griffin said. "This was really the kickoff," she said. "This is going to be evaluated: what worked; what didn't."
A July executive order issued by President Obama sets a target of adding 100,000 people with disabilities to the federal work force over five years. About 105,000 disabled people are in the work force now.
The order requires OPM — in conjunction with the Labor Department, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Management and Budget — to come up with model recruitment and hiring strategies. Under the executive order, those plans were supposed to be completed last month, but were held up in the clearance process at OPM and other agencies, Griffin said. They could be out as early as this week.
With the guidance in hand, agencies will have 120 days to come up with their own plans and numerical goals for hiring more disabled people. Each agency will also have to name a senior-level official responsible for meeting those goals. Read More ( http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20101027/PERSONNEL02/10270301/1049/PERSONNEL ).

2) National News

Unfriendly Skies? Blind Passengers Sue United
Source: NPR / WQED
This week, a group of blind air travelers filed suit against United Airlines claiming that the airline's digital kiosks are inaccessible to blind people. It's not a problem that most travelers think about: How would they get through an airport without their eyesight? But something as simple as finding out your flight's gate can be a hassle.
Mike May, who lives in Davis, Calif., says he has to ask someone to look for flight information on the big digital boards. And checking in using the now-ubiquitous electronic kiosks is an even bigger hassle, at least at many airlines. "There's no earphone jack, no audio output, no Braille output," says May, who is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. So he often has to find a stranger with time to help, then hand over his credit card and other private information. "It's demeaning to have to ask, it's inconvenient, and it has an element of not being safe to have to depend on another person for that," he says.
Websites Inaccessible, Too: In fact, the problems start even before they get to the airport, says Jonathan Lazar, who teaches computer science at Towson University in Maryland. Recently, Lazar took a close look at the websites of 10 leading airlines. He found that four of them, including United, are inaccessible to blind people; the sites are incompatible with the screen readers that blind people use to surf the Web.
Those airlines effectively force blind people to buy tickets by phone, "and more than one-third of the time, they ended up overcharging blind people. Either charging higher fares, or refusing to waive the call center fee, or both," Lazar says. Read More ( http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130921227 ).

More Young People with Intellectual Disabilities Go to College
Source: Fox News
In years past, college life was largely off-limits for students with such disabilities, but that's no longer the case. Students with Down syndrome, autism and other conditions that can result in intellectual disabilities are leaving high school more academically prepared than ever and ready for the next step: college.
Eight years ago, disability advocates were able to find only four programs on university campuses that allowed students with intellectual disabilities to experience college life with extra help from mentors and tutors.
As of last year, there were more than 250 spread across more than three dozen states and two Canadian provinces, said Debra Hart, head of Think College at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, which provides services to people with disabilities.
That growth is partly because of an increasing demand for higher education for these students and there are new federal funds for such programs.
The federal rules that took effect this fall allow students with intellectual disabilities to receive grants and work-study money. Because details on the rules are still being worked out, the earliest students could have the money is next year. Hart and others expect the funds to prompt the creation of even more programs.
"There is a whole generation of young people who have grown up under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and to them it (college) is the logical next step," Hart said. Read More ( http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/10/18/intellectually-disabled-youths-college/ ).

3) State News

Connecticut Governor's Race Spotlights Disabilities
Source: Norwich Bulletin, By Sharma Howard
A statue that depicts one of America's most charismatic presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was sculpted to show him in a way he wanted to be seen — able-bodied. But the man who led the United States out of the Great Depression and through World War II was [had post polio syndrome]. In today's world, a politician with a disability can be perceived positively by constituents, disability advocate Elanah Sherman, of Norwich, said.
This dynamic is unfolding in Connecticut, where Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy, who has dyslexia, and Republican candidate Tom Foley, who has Bell's palsy, are in a tight race. "Now, it's more an emblem of pride than an emblem of stigma," Sherman said.
Some might say this points to dramatic change, but, rather, it is a softening of a harsh landscape for the disabled that has come with time and hard work.
"We are fighting societal attitudes with teaspoons — you're still a person first, and then you have a disability," said Catherine Ferry, executive director of the Norwich-based Disabilities Network of Eastern Connecticut. "The nature of stigma is still there. People don't say things directly, but they will think in stereotypes."
Advocates such as Ferry are hoping Tuesday's election will continue to help de-stigmatize [people with disabilities]. If either Foley or Malloy is elected, it will be the first time Connecticut will have a governor who has acknowledged a disability or condition that sets them apart. Independent Thomas E. Marsh also is on the gubernatorial ballot.
Malloy, the former mayor of Stamford, graduated with a law degree from Boston College. When he was a child, his parents were told not to expect much from him, he said, and even labeled him mentally retarded. Today, Malloy often talks to parents and children about his disability.
His presence as governor could challenge perception. So could the election of Foley, a successful businessman who describes his Bell's palsy, a drooping or paralysis on one side of the face, as an "affliction." Read More ( http://www.norwichbulletin.com/carousel/x1650567861/Governor-s-race-spotlights-disabilities ).

Want to Speak Up About Movie Theater Captions? Hearings to be Held in Chicago, San Francisco, and D.C.
Source: Deafness Blog ( http://deafness.about.com/b/2010/10/28/want-to-speak-up-about-movie-theater-captions.htm ), By Jamie Berke, Deafness Guide
Now you can! If you live in or near Chicago, San Francisco, or Washington, DC you can speak up about movie theater captioning (and other topics including web site accessibility) at three hearings on Department of Justice Advance Notices of Proposed Rulemakings (ANPRs). These ANPRs address nondiscrimination in both state and local government services, and public accommodations and commercial facilities.
You do have to register in advance. If you are one of those who prefers open captions to the closed rear window captions in theaters, now is your chance. Speakers get only five minutes to talk, but the DOJ is also welcoming written testimony. Full details are on the DOJ website ( http://www.ada.gov/anprm2010/public_hearing_anprm_2010.htm ). Hat tip to the [National Association for the Deaf].

Mississippi Hotline for Voting Rights
Source: wapt.com
Disability Rights Mississippi, a private, non-profit, legal protection and advocacy agency for the state of Mississippi will have advocates and attorneys manning a hotline during Tuesday's general election.
The purpose of the hotline is to provide information to individuals with disabilities who have concerns regarding their right to access to the ballot. It will also provide assistance and guidance to poll-workers should they have a question or concern about the voting process. The hotline, which is 1-800-772-4057 will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. For more information, go to www.drms.ms.

4) Announcements and Additional Resources

Survey on Public Transit
The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Accessible Public Transportation, a partnership between the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and the IDeA Center at SUNY Buffalo, is currently recruiting individuals of all ages (18 and older) and abilities to participate in an online survey that investigates user requirements for public transit buses. The survey includes questions on individuals' experiences getting on and off public buses, circulating inside of buses, understanding the communication and information systems of public buses, as well as issues concerning rider safety. The information collected from this study should help identify the aspects of using public buses that merit further detailed experimental research in controlled settings.
Access the brief survey at: http://www.udeworld.com/surveys/transitbusstudy.html.

FCC to Hold Open Developer Day on November 8, 2010
Source: FCC
On Monday, November 8, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission will sponsor an "Open Developer Day" event at FCC Headquarters in Washington, DC, (445 12th St., SW) to promote collaboration between web developers in the public and private sectors in furtherance of FCC goals to foster citizen participation in open government and further innovation in accessible technologies.
This will be a public, single-day event that prioritizes accessibility goals, though other web solutions are also of interest. The event will feature guest engineers from the Yahoo! Developer Network and Yahoo!'s Accessibility team and will have a component addressing the requirements and opportunities in the new "Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act."
FCC's Chief Data Officer Greg Elin described Open Developer Day as a digital barnraising where software developers learn new tools and volunteer their skills to prototype and build new web applications together. "Developer days have become a tradition in the web community for programmers to share knowledge, learn tools, and build things. We are excited to bring this tradition to the FCC," Elin said. Read More ( http://www.fcc.gov/cib/dro/headlines.html ).

Creating Art to Say No to Violence
Over the last six weeks, 14 different youth have committed suicide because they were bullied for being gay. The National Youth Leadership Network, an organization led by young people with disabilities, recently put out a statement on ending violence for all youth ( http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=55qnz6cab&v=001g7xYn3eIW2Nu6yYesfNvtOVQR8o1aysQxsmoFXbUNQF5VKerL1gP7-BmkeC0ey9L17mFXw6O9ncbTf87Y_M_gZgsXv19V9cvT4W3EF78jKfr3bPVp8GaGZ3_3Mxz6MmMiKpVuMBqH8GkhnZpmledIwf5NgalUm7qGBUGV4o7YvZZzqTyvBwMrw%3D%3D ) -- youth with disabilities, immigrant youth, GLBTQ youth, and the multitudes of people who are bullied. After we put out this statement, Becky Atkinson, a youth advocate from NC, asked if she could send the 14 families cards expressing her condolences. We did not have their addresses, but want to follow in Becky's steps and make cards.
We will being collecting cards and other sentiments (poems, letters, drawings, videos, statements, music mixes, readings etc) from the disability community. This is a time the disability community can come together to cry out against violence. After everything is compiled and made public, we will contact local media in the towns of these young people and talk about the ways people experience violence when they are pushed outside of the box of what is considered normal. We want people to know why it is important to create safe spaces for everyone, including youth with disabilities and GLBTQ youth.
The deadline for submissions is NOV 12, 2010 but please email me this week at stacey@nyln.org if you can join us in this. We appreciate it if you can forward this to others who may be interested in participating in the card-making and/or the media interviews. All classrooms, organizations, groups, and individuals who participate will be credited. We are asking that cards go deeper than the "it gets better if you wait it out" message, and talks about personal experiences, resiliency, community, power, and ending violence.

Contact the Editor: Eleanor@ncil.org. To advertise in the Weekly Advocacy Monitor, contact the Editor.

DNEC's interview with the Norwich Bulletin article is in NCIL national weekly!

--- On Mon, 11/1/10, NCIL <ncil@ncil.org> wrote:

From: NCIL <ncil@ncil.org>
Subject: Weekly Advocacy Monitor: Volume 8, Issue 33; November 1, 2010
To: "NCIL" <ncil@ncil.org>
Date: Monday, November 1, 2010, 5:07 PM

National Council on Independent Living

Weekly Advocacy Monitor

Volume 8, Issue 33 November 1, 2010

In This Issue:

1) What's Happening in the Nation's Capital?

White House Urges More Hiring of People with Disabilities; Initiative Attempts to Strengthen Clinton-Era Order

2) National News

Unfriendly Skies? Blind Passengers Sue United

More Young People with Intellectual Disabilities Go to College

3) State News

Connecticut Governor's Race Spotlights Disabilities

Want to Speak Up About Movie Theater Captions? Hearings to be Held in Chicago , San Francisco , and D.C.

Mississippi Hotline for Voting Rights

4) Announcements and Additional Resources

Survey on Public Transit

FCC to Hold Open Developer Day on November 8, 2010

Creating Art to Say No to Violence

If the link above is not active, please visit http://www.ncil.org/resources/whamv8i33.html to access this week's WhAM! The text-only version is attached to this email.

Contact the Editor: Eleanor@ncil.org

To advertise in the Weekly Advocacy Monitor, contact the Editor.

Initiative to hire People with Disabilities

White House Urges More Hiring of People with Disabilities; Initiative Attempts to Strengthen Clinton-Era Order

Source: federaltimes.com

With agencies facing a renewed White House push to hire nearly twice as many employees with disabilities, the Office of Personnel Management is ramping up a campaign to show them how to do that. A training event last week drew about 285 hiring managers and human resources professionals to OPM's auditorium; the agency hopes to host similar events elsewhere in the county where there are large numbers of federal employees, Deputy Director Christine Griffin said. "This was really the kickoff," she said. "This is going to be evaluated: what worked; what didn't."

A July executive order issued by President Obama sets a target of adding 100,000 people with disabilities to the federal work force over five years. About 105,000 disabled people are in the work force now.

The order requires OPM — in conjunction with the Labor Department, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Management and Budget — to come up with model recruitment and hiring strategies. Under the executive order, those plans were supposed to be completed last month, but were held up in the clearance process at OPM and other agencies, Griffin said. They could be out as early as this week.

With the guidance in hand, agencies will have 120 days to come up with their own plans and numerical goals for hiring more disabled people. Each agency will also have to name a senior-level official responsible for meeting those goals. Read More.

--

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Help us to help others!!! Chili's Fundraiser

From: Joan Wessell JCWessell@seniorresourcesec.org

Hi Everyone,

Attached is information on our latest fundraiser which is at Chili's in Lisbon & Montville. The fundraiser is November 10^th from 11am – 9pm. Help spread the word , please share with all your e-mail contacts & ask your contacts to share etc. We need 100 people in order to get 10% of the sales to come back to the agency. The only requirement is to present one of the attached coupons & eat, it doesn't get better than that.

See you at Chili's

Joan

Joan Wessell, Executive Director

Senior Resources - Agency on Aging

4 Broadway, 3rd Floor

Norwich CT 06360

860-887-3561

860-886-4736 (fax)

jcwessell@SeniorResourcesEC.org

www.SeniorResourcesEC.org

Monday, November 1, 2010

CORRECTION: NCIL Legislative Priority Survey: 112th United States Congress (2011-2013)

NCIL: Celebrating 25 Years of Independent Living

NCIL Legislative Priority Survey: 112th United States Congress (2011-2013)

Take the survey: http://www.ncil.org/news/2011legislativesurvey.html.

Soon a new year will be upon us and with it a new United States Congress. The new 112th Congress (2011-2013) brings with it new and renewed opportunities to advance and expand the Independent Living Movement, including restoration of our civil rights and reduction of employment disincentives through SSI. Though NCIL will always advocate for increased funding and awareness for the Independent Living Community, these advocacy efforts require a great amount of time, money, and resources. In order to focus our resources on the areas of greatest need to our members and the Independent Living Community, we have developed the NCIL Legislative Priorities Survey.

This survey consists of three sections; the first section is for demographic data collection and will be used to determine differences in needs for members within different regions of the United States. The second and third sections ask you to provide feedback as to which legislative areas have the greatest need for NCIL's attention and advocacy efforts. Please take the time to fill out the NCIL 2011-2013 Legislative Survey and help guide our efforts over the next US congressional session.

Thank You,

Dan Kessler, President
National Council on Independent Living

Deadline: November 12, 2010

If you would prefer a hard copy of this survey or have questions, please contact Austin Walker (austin@ncil.org) or Lacy Pittman (lacy@ncil.org) or call 202-207-0334. A text-only survey is attached to this email.
NCIL: Celebrating 25 Years of Independent Living
NCIL Legislative Priority Survey: 112th United States Congress (2011-2013)

Soon a new year will be upon us and with it a new United States Congress. The new 112th Congress (2011-2013) brings with it new and renewed opportunities to advance and expand the Independent Living Movement, including restoration of our civil rights and reduction of employment disincentives through SSI. Though NCIL will always advocate for increased funding and awareness for the Independent Living Community, these advocacy efforts require a great amount of time, money, and resources. In order to focus our resources on the areas of greatest need to our members and the Independent Living Community, we have developed the NCIL Legislative Priorities Survey.
This survey consists of three sections; the first section is for demographic data collection and will be used to determine differences in needs for members within different regions of the United States. The second and third sections ask you to provide feedback as to which legislative areas have the greatest need for NCIL's attention and advocacy efforts. Please take the time to fill out the NCIL 2011-2013 Legislative Survey and help guide our efforts over the next US congressional session.
Thank You,
Dan Kessler, President
National Council on Independent Living

If you have questions regarding this survey, please contact Austin Walker (austin@ncil.org) or Lacy Pittman (lacy@ncil.org) or call 202-207-0334.
Instructions: Please place an "x" next to your responses to each question. Please ensure that the response you intended is apparent, this will help make sure we count all of your selections. After you have completed the survey please send it to:

NCIL
Attn: Austin Walker
1710 Rhode Island Ave, Fifth Floor
Washington, D.C. 20036
Email: austin@ncil.org
Fax: 202-207-0341

SECTION I: Demographics

Name of individual NCIL member or member organization (Optional):

Respondent Type (Choose Only One):
-SILC
-CIL
-Individual
-Other Agency / Organization (Please Specify):

What is the state you reside (individuals) in or serve (organizations)?

What type of population do you reside in or serve (Select All That Apply)?
-Rural
-Suburban
-Metropolitan

SECTION II: Priorities for 2011-2013 Legislative Session

For each of the following topics please mark each as a being high, moderate, or low priority to indicate the amount of attention NCIL should spend on the topic in the upcoming 112th Congress 2011-2013. If you believe the topic should not be a focus of NCIL's upcoming activities then please mark NO Priority. Please provide a response to all topics presented. If you have further comments or need to elaborate on a topic please refer to SECTION III.

If you are uncertain about a topic, please round up to the higher priority of the ones you were considering. For example, if you are deciding between marking moderate versus low priority for any topic, then mark moderate.

1. Rehabilitation Act (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

1a. Reauthorization of Rehabilitation Act
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

1b. Adoption and Funding of 5th core service (Deinstitutionalization)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

1c. Creation of an Independent Living Administration to oversee the independent living program rather than RSA
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

1d. Adoption of Standards and Indicators for SILCs
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

2. Civil Rights / Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

2a. ADA Enforcement
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

2b. Violence and Abuse
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

2c. Mental Health Advocacy
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

2d. Judicial Nominations
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

2e. Social Discrimination
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

2f. Access to Public Accommodations
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

2g. Voting Accessibility, Voter Identification Issues
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

2h. Healthcare Clinic / Hospital Disability Access (Physical)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

2i. General Accessibility Issues
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

2j. MCS/ES Civil Rights Issues
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

3. Social Security (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

3a. Improve SSA Employment Incentives plus increased Real Time Access
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

3b. SSA Reform and Improvement
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

4. Employment (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

4a. Eliminate Disincentives to Employment across federal and state agencies
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

4b. Employer Education Regarding Individuals with Disabilities
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

4c. Increased Employment Opportunities
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

4d. Increase and Expand Vocational Training
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

4e. Tax Incentives for Employment of Individuals with Disabilities
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

4f. Employment Discrimination
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

4g. Phase out use of 14 (c) Subminimum Wage Certificates
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5. Healthcare (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5a. Access to Healthcare
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5b. Healthcare Provider Disability Education
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5c. Reduction of Healthcare Costs
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5d. Reduction of Pharmaceutical Costs
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5e. Mental Health Services
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5f. Affordable and Adequate Health Insurance
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5g. Universal Healthcare
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5h. Increased Community Based Healthcare
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5i. Wellness Programs
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5j. Medicaid Reform
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5k. Medicare Reform
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5l. Adequate, Affordable, and Accessible Long-Term Care
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5m. Reproductive Rights
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5n. Electronic Health Records
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5o. Access to Durable Medical Equipment
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5p. Informed Consent
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5q. Insurance Coverage for Durable Medical Equipment
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

5r. Competitive Bidding for DMEPOS
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

6. Personal Assistive Services (PAS) (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

6a. Funding for PAS
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

6b. Increase and Expand PAS Waivers
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

6c. Access to PAS Programs
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

6d. Increased Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Capacity
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

6e. Increase Number of Trained/Qualified Home Health Aides
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

6f. Personal Care Assistants (PCA) Wages and Benefits
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

6g. Medicaid / Medicare Reimbursement for PAS
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

6h. Transition Funding for Relocation
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

6i. Continuation and Expansion of Community Choice Act (CCA)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

6j. Support for PCA Unionization
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

7. Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

7a. Collaboration with the Aging Community
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

8. Housing (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

8a. Improvements to Low -Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

8b. Promoting Accessible Design, including Visitability, Universal Design & Healthy Buildings
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

8c. More Section 8 Vouchers from HUD and maintain work incentives
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

8d. Homeownership (Buying & Foreclosure Prevention)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

8e. Fair Housing
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

8f. Increase Integrated Housing
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

8g. Section 811 Regulations and Implementations
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

9. Emergency Preparedness (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

9a. Accessible Emergency Shelters and Services
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

9b. Accessible Temporary Housing
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

9c. Creation of a FEMA Disability Coordinator
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

9d. Emergency Preparedness Planning and Response by SILCs/CILs
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

9e. Accessible Emergency Alerting System
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

10. Education (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

10a. IDEA Education
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

10b. Access to Higher Education
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

10c. Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

10d. Restraint and Seclusion
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

10e. Youth Transition Programs
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

11. Technology (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

11a. Increased knowledge of the range (and scope) of assistive technology
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

11b. Ability to "see" and "try" assistive technology
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

11c. Access to information about funding of assistive technology
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

11d. Access to low-interest loans for assistive technology
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

11e. Access to assistive technology recycling/reuse programs
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

11f. Increase payment of assistive technology equipment by third party payers (private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, waivers)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

12. International Civil Rights Development (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

12a. US Ratification of CRPD (UN Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

12b. Implementation of CRPD
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

12c. Inclusion of People with Disabilities through Economic Development Activities
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

13. Transportation (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

13a. Funding of Public Transportation
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

13b. Affordable and Accessible Transportation
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

13c. Increased Para-Transit Services
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

13d. Accessible Taxis
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

13e. Accessible High Speed Rail
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

14. Veterans (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

14a. Funding for Veteran Outreach/Education on Resources/Benefits
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

14b. Increased IL services for Veterans by CILs
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

14c. Increase NCIL's capability to influence VA policy and funding to CILs for Veteran Services
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

15. Diversity Issues (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

16. IL Services for Native Americans / Alaskan Indians (Overall)
-High Priority
-Moderate Priority
-Low Priority
-No Priority

17. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Issues (Overall)

SECTION III: Additional Priorities

Using the Space below, please list any other items / areas you believe need moderate or strong emphasis by NCIL. You may also use the space to elaborate on any of the topics presented previously.

Lastly, please provide any comments you may have about the current survey.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey!

Please post and forward. Thanks. Cathy

--- On Fri, 10/29/10, NCIL <ncil@ncil.org> wrote:

NCIL Legislative Priority Survey: 112th United States Congress (2011-2013)

Take the survey: http://www.ncil.org/news/2011legislativesurvey.html.

Soon a new year will be upon us and with it a new United States Congress. The new 112th Congress (2011-2013) brings with it new and renewed opportunities to advance and expand the Independent Living Movement, including restoration of our civil rights and reduction of employment disincentives through SSI. Though NCIL will always advocate for increased funding and awareness for the Independent Living Community, these advocacy efforts require a great amount of time, money, and resources. In order to focus our resources on the areas of greatest need to our members and the Independent Living Community, we have developed the NCIL Legislative Priorities Survey.

This survey consists of three sections; the first section is for demographic data collection and will be used to determine differences in needs for members within different regions of the United States . The second and third sections ask you to provide feedback as to which legislative areas have the greatest need for NCIL's attention and advocacy efforts. Please take the time to fill out the NCIL 2011-2013 Legislative Survey and help guide our efforts over the next US congressional session.

Thank You,

Dan Kessler, President

National Council on Independent Living

Deadline: November 12, 2010

If you would prefer a hard copy of this survey or have questions, please contact Austin Walker (austin@ncil.org) or Lacy Pittman (lacy@ncil.org) or call 202-207-0334. A text-only survey is attached to this email.

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Monday, November 1, 2010

CORRECTION: NCIL Legislative Priority Survey: 112th United States Congress (2011-2013)

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