State Budget Action Alert!

State Budget Action Alert!

Governor Malloy is proposing a budget that largely protects both the children and adult mental health systems, invests in supportive housing, expands the mental health waiver to divert and discharge people with mental illnesses from nursing homes, invests in jail diversion and re-entry programs, moves forward with the raise the age initiative, and extends coverage for smoking cessation to all Medicaid recipients.

We must show the Governor and the Legislature that we support this balanced approach and long term vision! Please call or write the Governor and your state senator and state representative and tell them that you strongly support the fact that the proposed budget finally focuses on cost-effective, prevention and community care vs. costly, institutional and emergency care. We also urge you to testify at the upcoming budget hearings or attend a town hall – details are provided below.

There are regressive proposals in this budget as well, such as Medicaid co-pays, which Keep the Promise Coalition opposes as bad public policy that will restrict access to treatment and medications for people on Medicare and Medicaid. We will work with the Administration and Legislature over the coming months to advocate against these policies that are proven to limit access to care and push people into more intensive and expensive services. Multiple studies have shown that attempts to cut costs at the pharmacy level will reduce appropriate care, adversely affect health status, and cause shifts to more costly types of care. We must make this very clear!

Overall, the proposed budget asks for $1.5 billion in taxes, $1 billion in concessions from state employees, and $758 million in spending reductions.



To contact the Governor: Call (800) 406-1527; (860) 566-4840 or email: http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/site/default.asp

To contact your State Representative and State Senator, go to: http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp



The highlights and lowlights of the Governor’s proposed budget are as follows:

HIGHLIGHTS

Housing

The development of 150 new units of supportive housing across the state!

•$30 million in the first year for bonds for permanent supportive housing, to create 150 new supportive units.
•$1.1 million in supportive services through the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
•$1.5 million in new rental assistance subsidies through the Department of Social Services.
The Governor’s budget introduction states, “Residents of supportive housing have become contributing members of their communities, their use of expensive emergency services has been significantly reduced, and once‐blighted buildings have been rehabilitated, creating newly vibrant neighborhoods.”

Overall, the proposed budget funds $130 million for supportive and affordable housing development and rehabilitation projects!

Community Mental Health System

•Avoids major service reductions
•Supports expansion of community care through Money Follows the Person (MFP) and the DMHAS Medicaid Waiver for diversion and discharge from nursing homes.
•Funds caseload growth in Young Adult Services in DMHAS
•Continues support for the Raise the Age Initiative – 17 yr olds move to juvenile system as of July 1, 2012; 60 additional beds over the biennium; additional community services to support the continuum of care.
Medicaid

•Extends tobacco cessation coverage to all Medicaid recipients effective January 1, 2012
LOWLIGHTS

•Imposes $3 co-payments on most Medicaid services, however:


ü co-payments would not apply to hospital in-patient, emergency room services, home health, laboratory or transportation

ü co-pays would be capped at 5% of the involved family’s income

ü co-pays for prescription drugs would be capped at a maximum of $20 per month

ü a number of groups would be exempt from co-pays (this includes recipients of SSI, women who are receiving treatment for breast and/or cervical cancer and individuals who reside in institutional settings)



•Increases co-pays for people on Medicare Part D (in 2011, these range from $1.10 to $6.30 per prescription), with the result that dually-eligible individuals will be expected to pay up to $25 per month in co-payments (an increase from the current co-payment of $15)


•Reduces State Supplement benefits for those who are “Aged, Blind, or Disabled” by any federal Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase in an individual's Social Security benefit


Please note that this is not a complete summary of the budget. A more detailed legislative update including primary bills of interest will be forthcoming.

Please call KTP or NAMI-CT staff to sign up to testify/or with any questions you might have:

Call Cheri or Maura (KTP) or Alicia or Tom (NAMI-CT): (800) 215-3021; (860) 882-0236

Or email them at:

Cheri keepthepromise@namict.org

Maura ktpassistant@namict.org

Alicia publicpolicy@namict.org

Tom policystaff@namict.org



State Appropriations Budget Hearings Schedule

Wednesday, March 2

Health and Hospitals (Room 2D)


11:30-12:30 PM Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Public Hearing (Room 2C) 3:00 PM




Friday, March 4

Human Services (Room 2D)


11:00-12:30 PM Department of Children and Families

1:30-3:00 PM Department of Social Services

Public Hearing (Room 2C) 5:00 PM



Governor Malloy will be visiting 17 town halls across the State. The scheduled visits are posted below. Please try to attend forums close to your office or home and ask questions pertaining to your legislative priorities that you feel are most important.



BRIDGEPORT
February 21, 7-8 PM
City Hall Annex Auditorium
999 Broad Street

TORRINGTON
February 24, 7-8 PM
City Hall Auditorium
140 Main Street

NEW LONDON
March 2, 7-8 PM
Jennings Elementary School
50 Mercer Street

WATERBURY
March 8, 7-8 PM
Veteran’s Memorial Hall
235 Grand Street

NORWICH
March 9, 7-8 PM
City Hall, 3rd Floor
100 Broadway

BRISTOL
March 14, 7-8 PM
City Council Chambers
111 North Main Street

MERIDEN
March 15
Time & Location TBD

MIDDLETOWN
March 16, 7-8 PM
Common Council Room
245 DeKoven Drive

HARTFORD
March 21
Time & Location TBD

STAMFORD
March 22, 7-8 PM
Government Center
4th Floor Cafeteria
888 Washington Boulevard

NEW HAVEN
March 23, 7-8 PM
Aldermanic Chambers
165 Church Street

GREENWICH
March 28, 7-8 PM
Town Hall Meeting Room
101 Field Point Road

MANCHESTER
March 29, 7-8 PM
Lincoln Center Hearing Room
494 Main Street

WINDHAM
March 30, 7-8 PM
Town Hall Auditorium
979 Main Street

NORWALK
April 4
Time & Location TBD

NEW BRITAIN
April 5
Time & Location TBD

DANBURY
April 6
Time & Location TBD

Weekly Advocacy Monitor: Volume 9, Issue 6; February 9, 2011

NCIL: Celebrating 25 Years of Independent Living
National Council on Independent Living
Weekly Advocacy Monitor
Volume 9, Issue 6; February 9, 2011


1) What's Happening in the Nation's Capital?
-Chairman Rogers Announces Spending Cut Levels for FY 2011

2) National News
-Continuing Resolution Spending Cuts to Go Deep
-Federal Judicial Vacancies Reaching Crisis Point

3) State News
-Chicago Mayoral Election to Impact City's Disability Community
-Judge Rules Pennsylvania is Violating ADA for Failure to Provide Equal Access to Transition Services

4) Announcements and Additional Resources
-2011 AoA, CMS, and VA National Grantee Meeting
-Fall 2011 White House Internship
-SHIFT: An International Juried Exhibition for Artists with Disabilities
-New CLASS Resources from AARP


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

Chairman Rogers Announces Spending Cut Levels for FY 2011
After the Budget Committee released the details for the FY 2011 Continuing Resolution (which expires March 4, 2011), House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers announced the level of spending cuts the 12 Appropriations Subcommittees will try to achieve. By cuts in virtually every area of the federal government and reducing spending from the President's fiscal year 2011, a total of $74 billion will be saved.
Chairman Rogers said, "To accomplish this goal, I am instructing each of the twelve Appropriations subcommittees to produce specific, substantive and comprehensive spending cuts. We are going go line by line to weed out and eliminate unnecessary, wasteful, or excess spending – and produce legislation that will represent the largest series of spending reductions in the history of Congress. These cuts will not be easy, they will be broad and deep, they will affect every Congressional district, but they are necessary and long overdue. "
The following chart identifies the spending levels and cuts (Word document) ( http://republicans.appropriations.house.gov/_files/2311SubcommitteeAllocationsforFY11ContinuingResolution302bs.doc ), but is not specific as to which important services to people with disabilities are being cut. Get more details on this breaking story below!


2) National News

Continuing Resolution Spending Cuts to Go Deep
Source: House Committee on Appropriations ( http://appropriations.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=259 )
House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers today announced a partial list of 70 spending cuts that will be included in an upcoming Continuing Resolution (CR) bill. The CR legislation will fund the federal government for the seven months remaining in the fiscal year and prevent a government wide shut-down, while significantly reducing the massive increases in discretionary spending enacted in the last several years by a Democrat majority. A full list of program cuts will be released when the bill is formally introduced.
The total spending cuts in the CR will exceed $74 billion, including $58 billion in non-security discretionary spending reductions. The statement by Chairman Rogers on these cuts follows:
"Never before has Congress undertaken a task of this magnitude. The cuts in this CR will represent the largest reduction in discretionary spending in the history of our nation.
"While making these cuts is hard, we have a unique opportunity to right our fiscal ship and begin to reduce our massive deficits and debt. We have taken a wire brush to the discretionary budget and scoured every program to find real savings that are responsible and justifiable to the American people.
"Make no mistake, these cuts are not low-hanging fruit. These cuts are real and will impact every District across the country - including my own. As I have often said, every dollar we cut has a constituency, an industry, an association, and individual citizens who will disagree with us. But with this CR, we will respond to the millions of Americans who have called on this Congress to rein in spending to help our economy grow and our businesses create jobs."
The List of 70 Spending Cuts to be Included in the CR follows:
-Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies -$30M
-Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy -$899M
-Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability -$49M
-Nuclear Energy -$169M
-Fossil Energy Research -$31M
-Clean Coal Technology -$18M
-Strategic Petroleum Reserve -$15M
-Energy Information Administration -$34M
-Office of Science -$1.1B
-Power Marketing Administrations -$52M
-Department of Treasury -$268M
-Internal Revenue Service -$593M
-Treasury Forfeiture Fund -$338M
-GSA Federal Buildings Fund -$1.7B
-ONDCP -$69M
-International Trade Administration -$93M
-Economic Development Assistance -$16M
-Minority Business Development Agency -$2M
-National Institute of Standards and Technology -$186M
-NOAA -$336M
-National Drug Intelligence Center -$11M
-Law Enforcement Wireless Communications -$52M
-US Marshals Service -$10M
-FBI -$74M
-State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance -$256M
-Juvenile Justice -$2.3M
-COPS -$600M
-NASA -$379M
-NSF -$139M
-Legal Services Corporation -$75M
-EPA -$1.6B
-Food Safety and Inspection Services -$53M
-Farm Service Agency -$201M
-Agriculture Research -$246M
-Natural Resource Conservation Service -$46M
-Rural Development Programs -$237M
-WIC -$758M
-International Food Aid grants -$544M
-FDA -$220M
-Land and Water Conservation Fund -$348M
-National Archives and Record Service -$20M
-DOE Loan Guarantee Authority -$1.4B
-EPA ENERGY STAR -$7.4M
-EPA GHG Reporting Registry -$9M
-USGS -$27M
-EPA Cap and Trade Technical Assistance -$5M
-EPA State and Local Air Quality Management -$25M
-Fish and Wildlife Service -$72M
-Smithsonian -$7.3M
-National Park Service -$51M
-Clean Water State Revolving Fund -$700M
-Drinking Water State Revolving Fund -$250M
-EPA Brownfields -$48M
-Forest Service -$38M
-National Endowment for the Arts -$6M
-National Endowment for the Humanities -$6M
-Job Training Programs -$2B
-Community Health Centers -$1.3B
-Maternal and Child Health Block Grants -$210M
-Family Planning -$327M
-Poison Control Centers -$27M
-CDC -$755M
-NIH -$1B
-Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services -$96M
-LIHEAP Contingency fund -$400M
-Community Services Block Grant -$405M
-High Speed Rail -$1B
-FAA Next Gen -$234M
-Amtrak -$224M
-HUD Community Development Fund -$530M
(All reductions are compared to the President's fiscal year 2011 request)

Federal Judicial Vacancies Reaching Crisis Point
Source: Washington Post, by Jerry Markon and Shailagh Murray
Federal judges have been retiring at a rate of one per week this year, driving up vacancies that have nearly doubled since President Obama took office. The departures are increasing workloads dramatically and delaying trials in some of the nation's federal courts.
The crisis is most acute along the southwestern border, where immigration and drug cases have overwhelmed court officials. Arizona recently declared a judicial emergency, extending the deadline to put defendants on trial. The three judges in Tucson, the site of last month's shooting rampage, are handling about 1,200 criminal cases apiece. "It's a dire situation," said Roslyn O. Silver, the state's chief judge.
In central Illinois, three of the four judgeships remain vacant after two of Obama's nominees did not get a vote on the Senate floor. Chief Judge Michael McCuskey said he is commuting 90 miles between Urbana and Springfield and relying on two 81-year-old "senior" judges to fill the gap. "I had a heart attack six years ago, and my cardiologist told me recently, 'You need to reduce your stress,' '' he said. "I told him only the U.S. Senate can reduce my stress.''
Since Obama took office, federal judicial vacancies have risen steadily as dozens of judges have left without being replaced by the president's nominees. Experts blame Republican delaying tactics, slow White House nominations and a dysfunctional Senate confirmation system. Six judges have retired in the past six weeks alone.
Senate Republicans and the White House are vowing to work together to set aside the divisions that have slowed confirmations, and the Senate on Monday approved Obama nominees for judgeships in Arkansas, Oregon and Texas. Eight more nominees are expected to receive votes in the coming weeks. Read More ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/07/AR2011020706034.html ).


3) State News

Chicago Mayoral Election to Impact City's Disability Community
Source: ABC7 / WLS-TV
The mayoral election is just a few weeks away. While candidates are reaching out to different groups about their issues, voters with disabilities are also concerned about their future. People with disabilities make up about 20 percent of Chicago's population. Many hope the next mayor goes beyond what Mayor Daley accomplished.
"I think Mayor Daley did a great job because he came up with several programs, and so we hope that the next mayor that comes in doesn't cut out the programs of people with disabilities," said William Owens Jr.
"I think the best thing that the mayor has done in the past 23 years is provide leadership for people with disabilities in the form of saying that access is a priority," said Amber Smock.
"I think the biggest accomplishment is probably the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities because it's like a central location where you can get plenty of information on different services available," said Candace Coleman.
"When he first came into office was just at the time when the ADA was passed, and even then he recognized the importance of it," said Gary Arnold. Owens, Smock, Coleman and Arnold are Chicago residents with disabilities who will be voting in the upcoming mayoral election. Most of them work or volunteer at Chicago's Access Living.
Although Mayor Daley accomplished a lot, they know there's more to be done. "The next mayor is also going to have to take leadership enforcing disability access in the private sector," said Smock. "That means people can build homes, people who have grocery stores, people who do anything that supports the infrastructure of community living in the City of Chicago." Read More ( http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/politics&id=7939944 ).

Judge Rules Pennsylvania is Violating ADA for Failure to Provide Equal Access to Transition Services
Source: PennLive.com
A federal judge has handed the new Corbett administration a fresh problem by ruling that the state is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act in dealing with some clients [with mental disabilities].
Judge John E. Jones III found the Department of Public Welfare is breaching federal law because it has no effective means to integrate clients of its intermediate care facilities back into community-based programs. The decision has a statewide impact.
It was prompted by a class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. Middle District Court in 2009 on behalf of five institutionalized clients, one of whom has been in a state-run facility at Ebensburg for 45 years.
The Disability Rights Network of PA, which represents the clients, argued that they are capable of living in the community if given proper state support services. The lives of all five would in fact be better if that happened, network officials argued.
DPW spokesman Mike Race had no comment on Jones' ruling Friday because agency lawyers are still reviewing it. Robert W. Meek, managing attorney in the nonprofit Disability Rights Network's Philadelphia office, said the challenge now is to alter the way the state deals with such clients.
Jones didn't specify how the state should change its system. He scheduled a conference call with the parties for Monday to begin to address that. Jones found that a community integration plan DPW developed in 2010, a year after the class action suit was filed, is "inadequate." Read More ( http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/02/judge_rules_pennsylvania_is_vi.html ).


4) Announcements and Additional Resources

2011 AoA, CMS, and VA National Grantee Meeting
February 14-17, 2011
The Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel - Baltimore, Maryland
The 2011 AoA, CMS, VA National Grantee Meeting will be held Monday, February 14 to Thursday, February 17 in Baltimore, Maryland. This meeting will focus on ADRC programs, the new Options Counseling, Care Transitions, and Money Follows the Person/ADRC coordination grant programs, CLP/VD-HCBS programs, and other LTSS systems change efforts and opportunities.
This year NCIL is proud to present two workshops and one training focused on Centers for Independent Living, their philosophy and partnerships.
Monday February 14th Louis Frick from CA, Eileen Healy from CT and Peggy Cosner from TX will repeat NCIL's Jan. 19th webinar Creating Successful Aging and Disability Partnerships. Kelly Buckland, Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living and Billy Altom, Executive Director of the Association on Programs for Rural Independent Living will present Putting the D in ADRC, on Tuesday February 15th Eileen Healy, Louis Frick and Jeff Hughes from OK (tentative) will present with their aging partners Best Practices in Aging and Disability Partnerships. Wednesday February 16th Henry Claypool, Director of the Dept. of Health and Human Service's Office on Disability will moderate a panel of federal disability agencies, including RSA, that will discuss strengthening ADRC partnerships.

Fall 2011 White House Internship
The application for the White House Internship Program's fall 2011 session has been posted. Please take the time to think of five future young leaders you believe would serve as great White House Interns, and personally encourage them to apply. Below is more information that might be helpful to prospective White House Interns:
-Visit the White House Internship website ( http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/internships/ )
-Apply to the White House Internship program ( http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/internships/apply/ )
-Learn more about the selection process ( http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/internships/selection/ )
Send this flyer today to interested applicants, or contacts who may know interested applicants. A White House Internship provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills. This hands-on program is designed to mentor and cultivate today's young leaders, strengthen their understanding of the Executive Office of the President and prepare them for future public service opportunities.
Please encourage all eligible young leaders to take advantage of this incredible opportunity! The deadline to apply is March 13, 2011. We greatly appreciate your support in this effort.
The White House Internship Team

SHIFT: An International Juried Exhibition for Artists with Disabilities
VSA, the international organization on arts and disability, announces a call for art for artists ages 18 and older who have a physical, cognitive, or mental disability. Artists are invited to submit up to four artworks of any media that address the theme of Shift – an investigation of a moment of change in one's life that alters the direction of a person's path.
-For more info: www.vsarts.org/shift
-To submit artwork: www.callforentry.org
-Deadline for submissions: March 11, 2011
-Selected artists will be notified by April 29, 2011.
Selected artwork will be exhibited at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC in June 2011.



New CLASS Resources from AARP

AARP recently released an informative video and talking points about the CLASS Act. Check them out at: http://www.aarp.org/health/health-care-reform/info-01-2011/The_CLASS_Act.html.





Contact the Editor: Eleanor@ncil.org

To advertise in the Weekly Advocacy Monitor, contact the Editor.Please forward and post. Note especially possible federal budget cuts,;
AoA,CMS,VA National Grantee Meeting- Eileen Healy, INW CIL presenting
re: ADRCs. Cathy

--- On wrote:

From: NCIL
Subject: Weekly Advocacy Monitor: Volume 9, Issue 6; February 9, 2011
To: "NCIL"
Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 4:07 PM

National Council on Independent Living

Volume 9, Issue 6 February 9, 2011

In This Issue:

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

Chairman Rogers Announces Spending Cut Levels for FY 2011

2) National News

Continuing Resolution Spending Cuts to Go Deep

Federal Judicial Vacancies Reaching Crisis Point

3) State News

Chicago Mayoral Election to Impact City 's Disability Community

Judge Rules Pennsylvania is Violating ADA for Failure to Provide Equal
Access to Transition Services

4) Announcements and Additional Resources

2011 AoA, CMS, and VA National Grantee Meeting

Fall 2011 White House Internship

SHIFT: An International Juried Exhibition for Artists with Disabilities

New CLASS Resources from AARP

If the link above is not active, please visit to access this week's
_WhAM!_ The text-only version is attached to this email.

Contact the Editor:

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

Registration for Multi-Cultural Classes Now Open

Classes are starting to fill for SMHA's multi-cultural classes (see
attached). Please register for as many classes as you'd like. There is
no cost and attendees can get 2 ceus per class. The first class is
scheduled for March 9th from 9-11:00. "Black, White or Both": Identity
Development in a Multi-racial society.

Any questions please call 860-859-4554.

--

Jennifer J. Gross
Deputy Director
Eastern Regional Mental Health Board
401 W. Thames Street
Campbell Building, Unit 105
Norwich, CT 06360
phone: 860.886.0030
fax: 860.886.4014
email:
website:
facebook:

Employment Opportunity - DNEC - Youth Advocate

Employment Opportunity
Youth Advocate
Disabilities Network of Eastern CT
Full Time / 35 hours per week

Youth Advocate for small independent living center. Experience with children, youth, and families with special needs. Knowledge of ADA and relevant education laws. Excellent oral, written, computer, and group processing skills. B.S. with 2 years experience. Must be organized, self-starter & team player.

Send Cover Letter & Resume to:

Disabilities Network of Eastern CT
238 West Town Street
Norwich, CT 06360

By: 2/14/2011
E.O.E.

Governor Malloy Press Release

February 8, 2011


MALLOY/WYMAN STREAMLINE ADMINISTRATION OF
HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR NEARLY 600,000 RESIDENTS
Also Expand Cost-Saving ‘Money Follows the Person’ Initiative

(Hartford) – The administration of Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman today announced plans for sweeping, cost-saving changes in the organization of state health care programs for nearly 600,000 residents.

The administration also approved a major expansion of the ‘Money Follows the Person’ (MFP) program for seniors and adults with disabilities leaving nursing home care for community living.

Wyman and Office of Policy and Management Secretary Benjamin Barnes said the goal of the health care changes includes reduced overhead costs, improved service delivery and readiness for national health care reform. The move to a self-insured ‘administrative services organization’ (ASO) format means the state will no longer pay outside firms to assume the financial risk for the cost of a medical claim, but will instead directly pay providers for patients’ care.

The change in health care administration will improve coordination of medical benefits and outcomes under Medicaid - a sprawling, $4 billion program that covers nearly 165,000 seniors and younger adults, and 391,000 children and parents enrolled in HUSKY A. The same advantages will be felt in the smaller HUSKY B program for children and Charter Oak Health Plan for uninsured adults.

“This will bring together the best parts of two parallel systems whose current structure makes it difficult to run an economical program that also delivers quality services,” Wyman said at a Capitol news conference. “The existing Medicaid fee-for-service system provides no support or guidance to patients beyond paying for their care, and the enormous managed care system for children and families carries unnecessary administrative overhead that should be cut on behalf of our taxpayers.”

Secretary Barnes said: “The solution is to merge the systems under an administrative services organization. With this change, Connecticut will be able to bring vital assistance and coordination to the care of senior citizens and adults whose low income qualifies them for Medicaid coverage.”

Barnes said current Medicaid fee-for-service beneficiaries – typically senior citizens living on their own – have nowhere to turn if they need extra help for services such as assistance and referrals. This gap will be remedied in a cost-effective manner with the ASO, he said. At the same time, HUSKY and Charter Oak beneficiaries will continue to receive care coordination and support services.

As of April 1, the state will implement “presumptive eligibility” for HUSKY B that will enable these children to get coverage sooner – and will make Connecticut eligible for up to $4 million of federal bonus dollars.

Wyman noted that tens of millions of dollars have been saved since the state-employee health plan was converted to self-insured about two years ago. Behavioral health and dental health services in public health coverage are also being run successfully under a similar model.

“We expect that the move to an ASO structure will also position the state to take advantage of opportunities presented by the federal Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act,” Wyman said, “because Connecticut will have a more streamlined approach to both health coverage and health care delivery.”

The plan’s timetable calls for the Department of Social Services to issue a request-for-proposals to hire an ASO in March. A contract is expected to be executed by August 2011, with implementation of the new system by January 2012.

The expansion of the ‘Money Follows the Person’ (MFP) program combines cost-effectiveness with improved quality of life for individuals who can live on their own with support services.

In his budget address to the General Assembly next week, Malloy will include funding to support the transition of 2,251 nursing home residents to the community by the end of fiscal 2013. This will build on the 411 individuals already assisted with community placements by state and non-profit agencies through the program to date.

Overall, Malloy has approved the goal of helping a total of 5,200 seniors and adults with disabilities come out of nursing home care over the next five years through this Medicaid pilot program.

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has given strong encouragement to Connecticut in response to its application to expand the initiative to 5,200 placements through 2016. “This is especially significant because Medicaid is a tremendous budget buster in Connecticut, as in other states,” Barnes said.

###

Freedom Machines

“Freedom Machines is a remarkable film that will change forever the way you look at disability. It shows the transformative power of technology when placed in the hands of people with disabilities and challenges your ideas about what is achievable today.”

--Ginny Thornburgh, National Organization on Disability


Freedom Machines is an award-winning PBS program that dramatically reframes our views of disability. Riveting personal stories provide an overview of the human and legal dimensions related to issues of accessibility and inclusive education, employment, and independent living through the critical window of technology access. In this unique film, the legal changes of the last 35+ years inform the human struggles of citizens wanting to be active participants in their communities, together with parents and their kids seeking crucial resources from public education systems.


Among its subjects are Susanna Martini, a first-year college student whose mother fought for the tools and services to help her leave home and attend the University of Washington; 38 year-old Floyd Stewart who was paralyzed in mid-life while raising four children; 92 year-old Gladys Wang of San Francisco who is determined to overcome a hearing loss; and high school student Latoya Nesmith who dreams of becoming a translator at the United Nations. Freedom Machines shows how human ingenuity, universal design concepts, and societal commitment can change the world.


Here is some feedback you may find useful:


"Freedom Machines one of the best teaching tools we have ever seen. We are using it throughout our state to train staff at our 53 career training centers."

Janet Hill, Disability Navigator Program Coordinator

Georgia Department of Labor


“Freedom Machines is a great film to introduce people to the uses of assistive technology, whether they are advocates or consumers. The stories are inspiring and it’s a powerful resource for showing how people with a variety of abilities can contribute to their community.”

-Janet Nunez, Director of iTech Center

Parents Helping Parents


Please take a look at our website when you have a moment, at www.FreedomMachines.com.

Domestic Violence Counts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

East Hartford, CT - A new survey conducted by the National Network to
End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) reveals telling information about domestic violence services in the United States.

In one 24-hour period, 1,125 victims of domestic violence and their children across Connecticut received vital services from local domestic violence organizations. 294 domestic violence victims found safe refuge
in emergency shelters or transitional housing provided by their local
domestic violence program. An additional 831 adults and children
received services, including counseling, legal advocacy and children's
support groups. At the same time, 47 requests for needs were unmet. A
full copy of the Connecticut summary is available online at
www.ctcadv.org.

"CCADV member programs continue to provide services to families
affected by intimate partner violence on limited funds and meet the
immediate needs of victims who come to them for assistance. But let's
be clear: not all who seek services will receive the help they need. Given
that domestic violence continues to pervade our society; it is time for
a new orientation toward prevention. Earlier and effective intervention
with a focus on a continuum of comprehensive services offers more
promise for putting an end to the problem," said Erika Tindill, Esq.
Executive Director of CCADV.

Though an economic downturn does not cause domestic violence, factors associated with economic uncertainties can increase the severity an
frequency of abuse. At the same time, options for survivors to escape
can be more limited. More than 80 percent of local domestic violence
programs reported and increased demand for their services while nearly
the same number reported decreases in funding.

"The economy is exacerbating domestic violence, and victim advocates across the country are struggling to do more with less," said Sue Else, president of NNEDV. "Despite the immense challenges, local programs are providing life-saving services to so many survivors of domestic and sexual violence."

Each year, NNEDV conducts a 24-hour survey of local domestic violence programs. On September 15, 2010, despite the difficulty to raise funds, domestic violence programs nationwide provided services to more than
70,000 adults and children in one day alone. Other national data
include:

* More than 929 crisis hotline calls were answered every hour.
* More than 9,500 requests for services went unmet, mostly due to funding shortfalls.
* More than 30,000 individuals attended 1,240 training sessions
provided by local domestic violence programs to help prevent violence
and intervene early in cases of abuse.

Across the nation on September 15, 2010, three women were murdered by their intimate partners. Thirty-six babies were born to mothers living in domestic violence shelters. Three-hundred-ninety-one survivors
started new jobs. Three men committed suicide - one after murdering his
wife, another after a failed attempt to kill his girlfriend, and the
third after holding his partner hostage and a standoff with the police.

In 2010, 1,746 local domestic violence programs, or 91 percent,
submitted their 24-hour counts for September 15. 15 out of 16, or 94%
of programs in Connecticut participated in the survey. The full National
Domestic Violence Counts 2010 are available online at .

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_ _

Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc. (CCADV), is a
statewide 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that works to change social
conditions through policy advocacy, public awareness, technical
assistance and education. The current membership of the CCADV includes
private, non-profit agencies providing services to victims of domestic
violence which include but are not limited to safety planning,
short-term counseling and support groups, information and referrals,
advocacy, emergency shelter, children's programs and community
education and training. To learn more about CCADV, please visit . _

_ _

NNEDV, a 501(c)(3) organization, is a leading voice for domestic
violence victims and their allies. Its members include the 56 state
and territorial coalitions against domestic violence. It works
closely with them to understand the needs of domestic violence victims and
advocacy programs. NNEDV has been a premiere national organization
advancing the movement against domestic violence for the past 15 years,
after leading efforts among domestic violence advocates and survivors
in urging Congress to pass the landmark Violence Against Women Act of
1994.

NNEDV
East Hartford, CT 06108
(860) 282-7899