Wednesday, November 26, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2008


Office of Connecticut State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier and
Financial Planning Associations of Connecticut
Announce the FPA CT Pro Bono Network

Cromwell, CT- Speaking at the Seventh Annual Money Conference for Women, State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier announced Saturday the launch of a statewide initiative to help Connecticut families cope with personal financial management issues in the midst of a troubled economic environment.

The Office of the State Treasurer joined forces with the Financial Planning Associations (FPA) of Connecticut to develop the CT Pro Bono Network, which will provide a free half hour consultation with a certified financial planner to individuals who seek advice on issues such as how to juggle saving for retirement and college while paying off a mortgage or car loan.

In addressing the Money Conference for Women, Treasurer Nappier said, “The FPA CT Pro Bono Network could not come at a more important time. The unprecedented market turmoil, brought on by the credit crisis, threatens many Connecticut families with uncertainty about their jobs and enough money to pay their bills. People who live paycheck to paycheck are wondering how they will make ends meet. This Network is an important source of assistance to many Connecticut families struggling to find answers to the most important questions about how to make ends meet and plan for a secure financial future.”

The Financial Planning Associations of Connecticut serves the Connecticut Valley, Fairfield County and Greater New Haven with 50 members participating in the Network.
Individuals interested in speaking with one of the Association’s certified financial


planners can call 860-721-PLAN (7526) or toll free 1-800-490-4237. A planner will evaluate the callers’ specific financial concerns and assist them in identifying solutions to achieve financial growth and stability as their life circumstances change.

Christopher M. Lee, CFP and Director of the FPA CT Pro Bono Network said, “FPA chapter members have been searching for ways to reach out to those who would not be able to afford our services. We are excited about offering pro bono financial advice to the general public.”

Treasurer Nappier chose to announce this new initiative at the Seventh Annual Money Conference for Women in recognition of the conference’s unique attendance by women from all ages, economic backgrounds, and with varying degrees of financial knowledge. Over 400 women who attended the conference were introduced to the Pro Bono Network. Co-sponsored by the Treasurer’s Office and the YWCA of the Hartford Region, the Money Conference for Women has brought together more than 3,000 women since 2001 to learn about how to better manage their financial affairs.

Treasurer Nappier has made advancing financial education a hallmark of her administration, working collaboratively with community-based and faith-based organizations and the business community to promote financial education statewide, including programs aimed at young people, women and underserved communities. In February, 2008 the Nappier administration in partnership with the University of Connecticut convened the “Your Dollar, Your World,” a personal finance and economics conference attended by more than 500 high school students.

The Treasurer’s commitment to financial education also extends to ensuring that Connecticut citizens have an affordable and accessible college education. In her role as trustee of the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET), the Treasurer helps families save for their children’s education. CHET is the official 529 college savings plan for Connecticut, created specifically to help Connecticut families save after-tax dollars for future college expenses. Anyone with a Social Security Number or Tax Identification Number can open an account with as little as $25 per Investment Option, or with as little as $15 per Investment Option via payroll deduction. CHET is the only 529 college savings program for which Connecticut taxpayers may claim a state income tax deduction on contributions made before December 31st.

Primary funding support for the Pro Bono Network counseling service has been provided by Bank of America with additional resource assistance from the National Foundation for Financial Planning, Chapter Grant program.


###

Contact: Lisa Monroe
Communications
(860) 702-3014
lisa.monroe@ct.gov

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

TODAY IS ELECTION DAY! GET OUT AND VOTE

DNEC is not endorsing any candidate, however we offer the following information so that you can make an informed choice. In September, the Ohio Legal Rights Service prepared a side-by-side comparison of the Presidential candidates' positions on disability-related issues.



EVERY VOTE COUNTS!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

AN INVITATION FOR YOU TO APPLY FOR THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM (YLF) FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES - 2009

FROM: Karen Halliday, Director, Kathleen Kabara, President
Connecticut Youth Leadership Project, Inc.

2009 will be the eleventh year we are offering this innovative leadership program. The four-day forum will include many exciting educational and motivational activities to assist you in strengthening your leadership skills. The forum will take place July 27- July 30, 2009 at the University of Connecticut, Storrs campus.

We are inviting you to apply, and are asking for your help in recruiting other students to apply for the forum. Completed application packets must be postmarked by January 16, 2009 and mailed to the address noted on the enclosed application. Through a competitive process, approximately 40 students will be selected to attend the forum. If you are accepted to YLF you will be required to attend follow-up sessions after the forum to implement your Community Action Plans.

It is the goal of the YLF planning committee to select students from all regions of Connecticut, who represent a wide range of disabilities and ethnic backgrounds.

The Youth Leadership Forum is sponsored through the cooperative effort of the public and private sector in Connecticut. There is no cost for you to attend the forum.

All information in your application is strictly confidential and will only be shared with members of the YLF selection committee. Applications may be downloaded by accessing the website at www.ctylp.org

APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 16, 2009

Friday, October 24, 2008

DISABILITY LAW LOWDOWN PODCAST in ENGLISH, SPANISH, and AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE

PRESS RELEASE
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jacquie Brennan
DBTAC Southwest ADA Center
713.520.0232
jbrennan@bcm.edu

October 23, 2008 - The Disability Law Lowdown is a podcast series devoted to disability law issues. It is available for free download on both iTunes and the Disability Law Lowdown website at http://www.disabilitylawlowdown.com/. Listeners can subscribe to the podcasts to have shows automatically delivered to them. The podcasts are also available on the DLL website, where transcripts of the shows are simultaneously available.

New episodes are available today, including The ADA Amendments Act (the English podcast), Employment Discrimination and the ADA (the Spanish podcast), and Law Enforcement and the ADA (the ASL podcast).

The Disability Law Lowdown brings listeners the latest information about disability rights, disability case law updates, obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other disability-related topics.

Disability Law Lowdown is brought to you by the Disability Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC), which is a national network of ten ADA Centers, offering technical assistance and training in the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability-related laws.

To subscribe or listen, look for the Disability Law Lowdown podcast on iTunes, or go to the website at http://www.disabilitylawlowdown.com/.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

FLU SHOTS FOR VETERANS

For those of you who get your flu shots at the VA, they are starting to give them on October 9th in West Haven. 8:30 am till 4pm, in the lobby in Bld. 2. No appointment is necessary, but you must be enrolled in the VA Connecticut Healthcare system, and ID is required.

The same requirement applies If you receive care at the Newington VA, they will start on October 16th and be administered from 8am till 11am on the 16th, 18th, 23rd, 25th, Nov. 1st, 6th, and 13th.

If you go to the clinics in Danbury, New London, Stamford, Windham, Winsted, or Waterbury you may call for an appointment, or get it when you go for your regular visit.

DON'T FORGET TO GO AND GET YOURS!!!!!

Stay well,
Ron

Ron Rusko
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Department of Connecticut

Monday, October 6, 2008

Mental Health Parity Legislation Heads to the President’s Desk for Signature

Mental Health Parity Legislation Heads to the President’s Desk for Signature: Congratulations, Advocates!

Today we are one step closer to ending discrimination based on mental illness. Advocates have worked countless years to achieve this victory, and we applaud you! Congratulations on this historic day.

Your phone calls, email, faxes to and meetings with Members of Congress paid off. Congress included Mental Health Parity in their economic bailout package that is on its way to the President’s desk for signature! NCIL worked in coalition with Mental Health America and the Mental Health Liaison Group to enact this critical legislation. Below is a summary by MHA:

Mental Health America Hails Approval of Federal Parity Legislation

Bill Broadly Outlaws Health Insurance Discrimination; Recognizes Importance of Mental Health to Overall Health

Contact: Steve Vetzner, (703) 797-2588-Office or (202) 744-6341-Cell or svetzner@mentalhealthamerica.net

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (October 3, 2008) — Mental Health America today hailed as “a great civil rights victory” the approval of mental health parity legislation that will broadly outlaw health insurance discrimination against Americans with mental health and substance-use conditions in employer-sponsored health plans.

The legislation, which recognizes the importance of mental health to overall health, bans employers and insurers from imposing stricter limits on coverage for mental health and substance-use conditions than those set for other health problems. It will provide parity for 82 million Americans covered by self-insured plans and another 31 million in plans that are subject to state regulation.

It is estimated that roughly 67 percent of adults and 80 percent of children requiring mental health services do not receive help, in large part because of discriminatory insurance practices
Mental Health America, which has worked for years to pass mental health parity, applauded Senators Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) and Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.), as well as Senate and House leadership key committee chairmen for championing the legislation and their long-standing commitment to ending this civil rights inequity. This victory also owes much to tireless champions such as Rosalyn Carter, David Wellstone and tens of thousands of Americans who have pressed for this historic reform.

“This is a historic day and a great civil rights victory for millions of Americans who have been unable to access mental health treatment,” said David Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO of Mental Health America. “With approval of this bill, we will tear down the walls of stigma and discrimination and the open the doors to the power and promise of treatment and recovery. It recognizes that mental health disorders are every bit as debilitating, and just as treatable, as cancer and diabetes.

“With economic problems making it even harder for Americans to afford treatment and driving up rates of depression and family difficulties, passage of this law is even more important.”
The legislation, called the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, builds on the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the recent approval of Medicare legislation that reduces discriminatory co-payments for mental health services. Dr. Shern said the law’s approval should spur further action to improve mental healthcare.

“This law sends a powerful message that we as a nation must address mental health conditions with the same urgency as other health problems,” he said. “We must continue to enact policies that embrace that principle.”

The legislation applies to group health plans of 51 or more employees. The bill takes the following steps:
  • There is no requirement as to what conditions must be covered. But when a mental health or substance-use condition is covered, it must be at parity with medical coverage (except to the extent that a state parity law requires broader coverage). Specifically, it prohibits group health plans that offer coverage for any mental health or substance-use conditions from imposing treatment limitations and financial requirements on those benefits that are stricter than for medical and surgical benefits.

  • If a plan offers out-of-network benefits for medical or surgical care, it must also offer out-of-network coverage for mental health and addiction treatment and provide services at parity.

  • Strong state parity and consumer protection laws are preserved while extending parity protection to 82 million more people who are not protected by state laws and 31 million in plans that are subject to state regulation.


State parity laws vary widely from state to state (for a map of state laws, visit www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/parity/states).

The legislation also establishes an important oversight mechanism to determine if insurers are discriminating against certain conditions or failing to cover some treatments.

In 2007, Mental Health America helped mount a nationwide tour that galvanized support for mental health parity. Led by Reps. Kennedy and Ramstad, the series of town hall meetings heard testimony from Americans living with mental illnesses, business leaders who have benefited from workplace mental health programs, experts on mental health and addiction, and administrators of programs that bear the huge cost of untreated mental illness.

For fact sheets on the legislation and more information, go to http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/parity

CT Association of Centers for Independent Living
151 New Park Ave. Suite 106
Hartford, CT 06106-2191

860-656-0430 Voice
860-656-0486 Fax
860-656-2353 TDD

M. Jodi RellGovernor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 3, 2008

Governor Rell: Requests for Home Heating Aid Three Times Higher than 2007
Since Mid-August State has Received More than 18,000 Applications

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that more than 18,000Connecticut households have applied for winter heating assistance, more thantriple the amount the state handled the same period last year.

"There is no question that this winter will be one of the mostexpensive ever for Connecticut families," Governor Rell said. "Some ofthese families, who have never needed help before, are now reaching out. That iswhy I insisted that we expand our eligibility requirements so we can serve asmany as possible."

The Department of Social Services reports that intake agencies havereceived 18,816 since mid-August, compared to just over 6,400 on October 1,2007. Households can start receiving assistance on November 1. Assistance isavailable to low- and moderate-income residents and other vulnerable households.

"The chilly autumn days have arrived and we all know theConnecticut winter is not far behind," Governor Rell said. "Theconcerns over heating homes, coupled with the high cost of groceries and othergoods, deepen day by day."

The Connecticut Energy Assistance and Contingency Heating programsreceived a big boost this week when the federal government approved more than$104 million in heating assistance for Connecticut. The Governor also workedwith the legislature to ensure that state's entire $84 million surplus bededicated to various heating assistance programs.

For more information on energy assistance programs, includingeligibility and where to file and application:
Call 800-842-1132 or the state information line at 2-1-1

Visit www.ct.gov and click on CT Energy Resources link

Visit www.ct.gov/dss

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Adaptive Clothing

Have you ever sought adaptations to clothes for special needs?
Many special clothing companies have ceased operation.
Now "Special Clothes" is closing, but you can still find reasonably priced items at www.adaptationsbyadrian.com.
We've made high quality capes, body suits, sitter pants and other products for 15 years, with thousands of happy customers.
This is our new 800 #: 888-214-8372.
A professional receives a 10% discount on an order faxed to 760-481-7068. A free brochure will be mailed to you upon request.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

FIRST EVER ASL VIDEO PODCAST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jacquie Brennan
DBTAC Southwest ADA Center
713.520.0232, jbrennan@bcm.edu
FIRST EVER ASL VIDEO PODCAST from the
DISABILITY LAW LOWDOWN

August 21, 2008 – The first ever video podcast series in American Sign Language announces new episodes on the Disability Law Lowdown website at ASL.DisabilityLawLowdown.com. The Disability Law Lowdown ASL podcasts bring a new level of service to the Deaf community by expanding traditional audio-only podcasts to include video that allows subscribers to see native Deaf speakers signing the show’s content. The podcasts deliver the latest in disability law information every other week via American Sign Language, captioning, voice-over, and transcripts to maximize accessibility. Free subscriptions to the ASL podcasts are available to have shows automatically delivered to MP3 players. The ASL podcasts are also available on the Disability Law Lowdown website, where transcripts of the shows are simultaneously available. And for the fastest viewing, the ASL podcasts are available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/disabilitylawlowdown.

Topics currently available include: Your Legal Rights as a College Student, Legal Obligations of the Hospitality Industry, Requesting an Interpreter, and an Overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The hosts for the ASL Disability Law Lowdown are native Deaf signers Danny Warthling and AJ Roupp. They will provide the latest information about disability rights and obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other disability-related topics. Subscription is free and RSS feeds are available to automatically download the shows to video iPods, computers, phones, and other video-capable devices.

Disability Law Lowdown is provided by the Disability Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC), a national network of ten ADA Centers across the country, offering technical assistance and training in the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability-related laws. DCRE Labs developed the Disability Law Lowdown website and brought together several new technologies as part of the Disability Law Lowdown project.

To subscribe, look for the ASL Disability Law Lowdown podcast on iTunes, or visit http://www.ASL.DisabilityLawLowdown.com .

Monday, August 25, 2008

Secretary of State's Office Wants to Hear From You

The Secretary of State's office is doing extensive voter outreach as they prepare for the November 4th Presidential election. As you probably know, they use a paper-ballot voting machine and have a special telephone in each polling place that can be used to cast a ballot for people who are blind, sight-impaired or for some other reason would prefer not to fill out a paper ballot.

If there is anything they can do to help you feel more familiar and confortable with voting in November, please feel free to contact their office.

Lesley D. Mara
Deputy Secretary of the State
(860) 509-6268