____________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 4/8/2008 7:14:40 A.M. Central Daylight Time Subj: Council E-News - April 8, 2008
COUNCIL E-NEWS- April 8 2008 We hope Council E-News will provide resources and information about disability issues that will educate and empower advocates to form their own views on issues and advocate according to their personal needs and those of their communities. If you have comments or ideas to submit, contact Christine Dahlberg at [EMAIL PROTECTED] 10 ITEMS OF INTEREST 1. TELL US ABOUT VOTING IN INDIANA! 2. WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A 6FT TALL STANDING 08 MARCH AWARENESS MONTH POSTER? 3. FREE 2008 INSPIRING ABILITIES EXPO RESCHEDULED FOR APRIL 12 IN GREENFIELD 4. INFO RE SSA MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG ASSISTANCE TERMINATION LETTERS 5. 2008 NATIONAL ADA SYMPOSIUM, EXPO AND AT FAIR IN ST LOUIS MAY 12-14 6. THREE INDIANA NURSING HOMES MAKE WORST OF THE WORST LIST 7. FREE ADA AUDIO CONFERENCE APRIL 15TH - THERE ARE NO IEP'S IN COLLEGE 8. NEW WAYS TO APPLY FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE 9. SURVEY FOR INDIANA CONSUMERS ON DIRECT SUPPORT STAFF 10. "MUSIC WITHIN" DVD IS NOW AVAILABLE 1. TELL US ABOUT VOTING IN INDIANA! The 2008 Indiana Disability Poll is focusing on the timely topics of voting and civic participation this year. We want to hear from people with disabilities and their family members about important topics such as voting, barriers to voting, the accessibility of polling places, volunteering for political parties, and participation in other community policymaking activities. Once all the responses are collected, they will be summarized and used to assure that the voices of people with disabilities are heard during the fall elections and that their vote counts! Please go online and respond to this year's Disability Poll: A Survey on Voting and Civic Engagement: Go to this web address: _www.thepollingplace.org_ (http://www.thepollingplace.org/) If you would prefer a paper-and-pencil version of the Disability Poll or one in alternative formats, please contact Vicki Pappas at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or by calling 812-85506508. The Indiana Disability Poll is a joint annual activity of The Governor's Planning Council for People with Disabilities, The Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services Commission, and the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community. ****** 2. WOULD YOU LIKE A 6FT TALL STANDING 2008 MARCH AWARENESS MONTH POSTER? As part of MDAM outreach, each Simon mall displayed a standing poster. These posters are available to anyone who would like to pick one up on a first come first served basis. The posters measure six feet tall, four feet wide, and the base projects one foot. They could be placed against a wall or used for a divider. They are being held until the end of April at Eastland Mall in Evansville, Muncie Mall in Muncie, University Park Mall in Mishawaka, and Tippecanoe Mall in Lafayette. If you are interested in having one let me know and I will give you details on how to pick them up. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 317-232-7774 ****** 3. FREE 2008 INSPIRING ABILITIES EXPO RESCHEDULED FOR APRIL 12 IN GREENFIELD March weather necessitated the rescheduling of the 2008 Inspiring Abilities Expo. We hope that the new date will work well for families. FUSE invites families of children with disabilities and the professionals who work with them to attend the free 2008 Inspiring Abilities Expo! The expo is an opportunity for families to connect with service providers, non-profit and public service agencies, plus vendors of products and services that may benefit your child. Browse booths for a few hours, or stay for the day! Pre-registration will help us with planning. For more details or to register online go to: _www.fuseinc.org_ (http://www.fuseinc.org/) . Walk-ins are also welcome. Saturday, April 12, 2008- 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, Mt. Comfort United Methodist Church, 3179 N. 600 West, Greenfield IN (Mt. Comfort Road, just north of I-70) Featuring: Large Vendor Display Area; Door prizes, Fabulous Speaker Schedule!, Child care available for attendees (by reservation please!), Lunch will also be available for a nominal charge on site. **** 4. SSA MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG ASSISTANCE NOTICE OF TERMINATION LETTERS Informational Alert From The Fifth Freedom Network: Courtesy of Social Security Administration (SSA) A small group of Medicare beneficiaries currently receiving the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) will be receiving a "SSA Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Notice of Termination" letter during the first half of March. These beneficiaries will no longer receive Extra Help as of April 1 because they did not provide information about their continued eligibility for the program. Beneficiaries should contact SSA right away if they wish to appeal; only those that appeal within the first 10 days of April will continue to receive Extra Help while going through the appeals process. Beneficiaries were notified that although they no longer were eligible for the LIS program, they remained enrolled in their Part D plans, meaning they would be responsible for a greater share of the cost. Letters were sent only after several efforts were made to reach out to beneficiaries to obtain the eligibility information. The low-income subsidy program provides financial assistance at varying levels to poor beneficiaries enrolled in the Part D drug program. It is important for beneficiaries to know three key things: 1) Their current drug plan will contact them to let them know how much their coverage will cost without the low-income subsidy 2) They have a 3-month special enrollment period to enroll in a less expensive drug plan if they so choose 3) They can file an appeal or reapply for Extra Help. Beneficiaries should contact SSA right away to file an appeal if they disagree with this decision. Appeals can be made within 60 days of receiving the dated letter from SSA. Only those who file an appeal within the first 10 days will continue to receive the Extra Help while their appeal is waiting decision. Beneficiaries should also re-apply for Extra Help if their situation changes at any time in the future. Beneficiaries should contact SSA at 1-800-SSA-1213 (1-800-772-1213) to file the appeal. Carmen Kirkpatrick, ACT Team Coordinator The Fifth Freedom Network 227 E. Washington Blvd., Suite 304, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 (260) 426-8789: (866) 441-2577 [EMAIL PROTECTED] _www.fifthfreedom.org _ (http://www.fifthfreedom.org/) ***** 5. 2008 NATIONAL ADA SYMPOSIUM, EXPO AND AT FAIR IN ST LOUIS MAY 12-14 Save the date to attend the 2008 National ADA Symposium-the most comprehensive training event available on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability laws! The National ADA Symposium will be held May 12-14 at the America's Center in St. Louis, MO. This three day event brings together nationally recognized experts to conduct dynamic, interactive trainings in an environment that encourages networking and group problem-solving. The National ADA Symposium will also feature an exposition hall filled with the latest disability-related products and services as well as an extensive Assistive Technology Fair. For more information go to: _http://www.adasymposium.org/ _ (http://www.adasymposium.org/) ****** 6. THREE INDIANA NURSING HOMES MAKE WORST OF THE WORST LIST -Hillcrest Center for Heath & Rehab, Jeffersonville, IN -St. Joseph Care Center - West, South Bend, IN -Valparaiso Care & Rehab center, Valparaiso, IN CMS issued a report on 2/13/08 identifying the 131 worst nursing facilities in the country. To make this honor role: (1) these facilities had at least twice as many deficiencies as the average number of deficiencies of other nursing facilities in quality of care; (2) they had more serious problems than other nursing homes ("serious problems" are those, by definition, that actually cause harm or injury to residents), AND (3) they had a pattern of these "serious problems" that persisted over approximately three years. Of the 131, 52 were nursing facilities that have not improved but still receive Medicaid and Medicare funds. (Some of the 131 "improved" in one inspection but have not sustained improvement for 12 months.) Let's remember these 52 are only the tip of the worst. Disability and Older American advocates could check out the mortality/morbidity rates in these nursing facilities. Do your newspapers know these esteemed nursing facilities have made the CMS "worse" list? You could even determine what, if anything, your state Health Department (or whatever is the nursing home inspection unit in your State) has done to monitor or impose sanctions on these dangerous institutions.(excerpt from Steve Gold Information Bulletin #242 (3/08)- to read the full text: _www.stevegoldada.com/ _ (http://www.stevegoldada.com/) ***** 7. FREE ADA AUDIO CONFERENCE APRIL 15TH - THERE ARE NO IEP'S IN COLLEGE ADA-Indiana is hosting a free audio conference titled, "There are no IEP's in College" in Bloomington and Indianapolis on Tuesday, April 15th. Transitioning from high school to college is tough enough; for students with disabilities who may not know their rights and responsibilities under federal law, the experience can be even tougher. Our guest speaker, Howard Kallem, Chief Regional Attorney from the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, will compare the rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities in high school and in college. By understanding the differences, students, parents, teachers, counselors, service providers, and administrators can be better prepared and increase student's chances of graduating.The audio conference is on Tuesday, April 15th at 2:00- 3:30 p.m. (EDT) at two Indiana locations. No pre-registration is required. CRCC continuing education credits are available. The session is free at the locations sponsored by ADA-Indiana. ADA-INDIANA SITE LOCATIONS: BLOOMINGTON (2:00 - 3:30 p.m. EDT): Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Building L 2853 East Tenth Street INDIANAPOLIS (2:00 - 3:30 p.m. EDT): Indiana Government Center, Conference Room 12 402 W. Washington Street UPCOMING SESSIONS: - May 20 - Employer Best Practices: Recruitment and Hiring of People with Disabilities - June 17 - Accommodating Employees with Psychiatric Disabilities in the Workplace - July 15 - ADA Update: 18 Years Later MORE INFORMATION: If you are not able to make it to one of ADA-Indiana's sponsored sites, individuals and organizations can purchase access to the audio conference by visiting _http://www.ada-audio.org_ (http://www.ada-audio.org/) . The cost is $25.00 (for not-for-profits) and $40.00 (for-profit entities). For more information about this session or the 2007-2008 ADA Audio Conference Season, visit _http://www.adaindiana.org_ (http://www.adaindiana.org/) , or call Matt Norris at 800-825-4733, or send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ****** 8. NEW WAYS TO APPLY FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE As you may know, the FSSA Division of Family Resources is in the process of adding new ways for Hoosiers to apply for public assistance, like Medicaid, food stamps and TANF including on the phone or the Internet. This new system has now been implemented in 39 counties of the state (in North Central, Western, and Southeastern Indiana). Our next implementation will be in Northeast/Southwest Indiana, followed by the Northwest and Central Indiana regions. If you are in Northeast or Southwest Indiana, please watch out for the announcement of our final round of V-CAN Training in your area, which will be held in May! For applicants who live in counties with the new system, we will no longer accept the old paper applications (State Form 30465/FI 2400 Application for Assistance - Food Stamps, Cash Assistance, Health Coverage), commonly referred to as "2400 applications." In the future, please use one of the following application methods: Applications may be submitted online at _www.in.gov/fssa_ (http://www.in.gov/fssa) , click on "Apply for Benefits/Manage Your Benefits" Applications may be started over the phone (1-800-403-0864) and mailed to you Applications may be printed from the online application and completed by hand (see below) Applications may be completed in your local DFR office ******* 9. SURVEY FOR INDIANA CONSUMERS ON DIRECT SUPPORT STAFF The DSP Initiative is a 3 year project whose main goal is to help reduce the turnover of direct support staff by improving the education and training of those who enter the profession. Please take just a few moments to respond to a very short survey by clicking on the link below. This survey is intended to find out what benefits people with disabilities or their families can see in the Direct Service Professional (DSP) Initiative. The research initiative is being lead by the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC) and is funded through the Indiana Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS). To respond to the survey, go to: _http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=zVFU6I8MmVNENgSs0Oe2bg_3d_3d _ (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=zVFU6I8MmVNENgSs0Oe2bg_3d_3d) Please help more people respond to this survey by forwarding this message. ***** 10. "MUSIC WITHIN" DVD IS NOW AVAILABLE Many of you have inquired about "Music Within" the story of Richard Pimentel who was the closing speaker at the Governor's Council November conference. The DVD is now available. Its currently listed for sale for $17.99 plus shipping at Amazon.com: _http://www.amazon.com/Music-Within-Rebecca-Mornay/dp/B0013LRKYO_ (http://www.amazon.com/Music-Within-Rebecca-Mornay/dp/B0013LRKYO) It will also be available for purchase at a discount through Damon Brooks Associates although I do not see a link yet _http://www.damonbrooks.com/ _ (http://www.damonbrooks.com/) ****** PLEASE NOTE: Council E-News is the e-mail newsletter of the Governor's Council for People with Disabilities. It is sent out on an occasional basis usually twice a month but more often when the legislature is in session. It is used to report on late breaking news and information about public hearings, policy issues, conferences and other Indiana related news. Sometimes federal level information is included, especially if it has an Indiana aspect. It is also used to pass on Action Alerts from Indiana Advocacy organizations. Please let me know if you would prefer not to receive this info in future and I will remove you from the list. If you receive this forwarded from someone else and would like to get it directly send your name, organization, street address and e-mail to me at the address below. We use the data base for our print On Target newsletter to send E-mail News so if you sign up, you will receive both in the future. Christine Dahlberg, Associate Director Governor's Council for People with Disabilities 150 West Market, Suite 628 Indianapolis, IN 46204 317-232-7774 317-233-3712 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] _www.state.in.us/gpcpd _ (http://www.state.in.us/gpcpd) **************Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides. (http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016)
