Monday, February 28, 2011

The Week Ahead: February 28th - March 4th

Wednesday March 2nd
HOUSE
Social Services Budget Committee
3:30pm, DSOB 711
SRS Budget Presentation, Public Testimony

SENATE
Public Health & Welfare
1:30pm, 546-S
The proposed closing of KNI

Thursday, March 3rd
HOUSE
Social Services Budget Committee
3:30pm, DSOB 711
Public Testimony Continued, Deliberations and recommendations

Friday, March 4th
SENATE
Ways and Means
10:30am, 548-S
Subcommittee reports, Possible Action on recommendations: KDHE (including KHPA)

Friday, February 25, 2011

Employment First Initiative

On Monday, February 1st, Interhab staff testified in support of "HB 2336, The Kansas Employment First Initiative Act". The bill is designed to establish policy for the state that "competitive and integrated employment shall be considered its first option when serving persons with disabilities..." The bill also seeks to establish an Employment First oversight commission consisting of members appointed by the legislature and governor.

Below is an excerpt of testimony given to the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development:


" We urge the committee’s recognition that the community DD network currently offers a wide range of employment and training services to persons with developmental disabilities. The range includes serving and supporting those with limited skills or experience –valuable opportunities to discover individual interests and to develop work-skills – and the range also includes job placement, from the actual location of jobs, to the training to meet the job’s requirements, the placement into jobs, and the supports when needed to help each person succeed in those jobs.

We appreciate that this bill envisions a mission which we share, in which each person makes it in his or her own way, and own time, each directed to their own employment goals.  By calling out competitive employment as the priority of the State, we encourage a higher aspiration for our society as well as for each person. By also recognizing the individualized pace and goals and interests of each person, we can also recognize and respect their choices as well. "

The Big 3: What you should be talking about with your legislators!

Number One: Provider Assessment
While a number of legislators have expressed support for the provider assessment concept, many more lack an adequate understanding of the proposed legislation.  More troubling, a handful of legislators may be intent on using new dollars generated by the provider assessment for other State budget items.  It is very important that you inform your legislators on the following three things...read more.


Number Two: Lost State Funds
Governor Brownback's FY 2012 budget recommendations include cutting the remaining $3.5 million in SGF grants for day and residential services in the DD system.  Inform your legislators on the importance of these funds for the FY 2012 budget...read more.



Number Three: Institutional Closure
No doubt about it, the debate over whether to close KNI is heating up under the capitol dome.  It's important for InterHab members to be a voice of reason in this debate; when given adequate resources, the community DD system can serve persons with developmental disabilities who have significant medical and behavioral needs.  It's absolutely critical that all resources associated with KNI be viewed as part of, preserved for, and transferred into, the community DD system...read more


Read More: additional details on the "Big 3" talking points


Read More: testimony given on HB 2296 regarding oversight on closure of KNI


Read More: Top Ten Reasons to Vote for a DD System Provider Assessment

Thursday, February 24, 2011

InterHab's 2011 Day at the Capitol

InterHab’s 2011 Day at the Capitol will be held March 8th and will feature a day packed with advocacy activities!   We’ll start the day by delivering very special advocacy materials to legislators.  Legislators  will receive an original piece of artwork created by children and adults with developmental disabilities. 

Our Day at the Capitol event will also feature an Advocacy Roundtable with special guests, followed by a luncheon for InterHab members and legislators at the Dillon House.  For those unable to attend, the Roundtable will be available via WebEx.  Following lunch, members are encouraged to schedule visits with their legislators.

We’ll cap the day off with yet another opportunity to touch base with legislators at an evening reception at the Jayhawk Tower. 

The success of InterHab’s Day at the Capitol will depend on you!  If you’ll be attending, please contact your legislators and invite them to attend as well.  Please follow up with your legislator and let them know you want to meet with them on March 8th!

To learn more about Day at the Capitol events email Erin at eroberts@interhab.org.

Friday, February 18, 2011

The Week Ahead: February 21st - 25th

Monday, February 21st
HOUSE
Commerce and Economic Development
1:30pm, DSOB 785
HB 2336 – Kansas Employment First initiative act

HOUSE
Social Services Budget Committee
3:30pm, DSOB 711
SRS budget presentation – staff overview, agency overview
*public testimony tentatively scheduled for Wed. March 2nd, Thurs. March 3rd

Tuesday, February 22nd
HOUSE
Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care
9:00am, 144-S
HB 2296 – Establishing join committee on oversight of the closure of KNI

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Rising Expectations the DD Act Revisited:

The National Council on Disability published a report analyzing the multiple components of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, or the DD Act.

The report highlights many issues including waiting lists, fragmented services and the rising issues associated with Direct Care Professionals (aka Direct Care Workers, DCWs).  Below are just a few interesting findings in the study regarding DSPs.  For a review of the full report click here.



"One of the greatest challenges to providing community supports for people with DD is finding and retaining qualified direct support workers (DSWs). Some call DSWs the "backbone of the long-term care system." DSWs provide services in residential settings, family homes, their own homes, community job sites, vocational and day training settings, schools, and other settings. The positions may include special education paraprofessionals, supported employment counselors, community home staff, home health aides, and a host of other position titles. Their jobs require them to help children and adults with DD with basic health and self-care needs, but they also play a central role in assisting people with DD to gain skills, participate in community life, develop social relationships, make decisions and judgments, and become more independent.

The absence of reliable data to measure the supply of DSWs who work in a variety of settings makes it difficult to quantify the extent of the shortage and turnover rates. However, estimates suggest that 625,000 DSWs support people with DD. The vacancy rate is 6 to 17 percent, and the turnover rate is 52 percent per year (Hewitt & Larson, 2007).

This shortage is expected to be problematic over time as the need for services increases. The growing U.S. population, increasing life expectancy for people with DD, aging of family caregivers, national commitment to and steady expansion of community-based and home services combine to increase the demand for DSWs. Factors affecting the shortage and high turnover rate of qualified DSWs include low wages, few benefits, lack of recognition, and the lack of quality training and career advancement opportunities.


Between the high turnover rate and the expanded need for services and supports, DD programs need to recruit and train more than 300,000 DSWs per year nationwide"

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Legislation Update

Provider Assessment legislation will be introduced in the Senate Ways and Means Committee today:

Click here to view Provider Assessment legislation.

In addition, HB 2296 will receive hearings next Tuesday, February 22nd.  HB 2296 is an "act concerning state institutions and agencies; establishing the joint committee on oversight of the closure of the Kansas neurological institute and the Kansas neurological institute community conversion conservation fund."

Click here to view HB2286.

More details coming soon!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Follow the Insider Blog!

Did you know you can subscribe to The Insider Blog?  Among other things, this blog provides you with the inside scoop for all DD-related issues for the legislative session and throughout the year.  But it's not only a tool for you to gather information, it's a tool for us to have interactive conversations about all the most topical issues affecting Kansans with developmental disabilities and the DD service system!

How to follow the Insider:

  1. Click the "follow" link on this blog page: www.interhab.blogspot.com
  2. From there, a window will pop-up asking you to sign in or offering you to create a google account
  3. You can sign in by using your  google, yahoo, twitter, or aim account.  If you don't have an account, you can create one with google 


Why you should follow the Insider:

To post a comment, you need to log in and we want to hear from you!  So get subscribing and join in on the conversation! 

Monday, February 14, 2011

The Week Ahead: February 14th - 18th

Monday, February 14th
SENATE
Committee on Ways and Means
10:30am, 548-S
ERO-38 – Reorganizing KHPA into KDHE

HOUSE
Judiciary Committee
3:30pm, 346-S
HCR 5006 – State constitutional amendment concerning appropriations

HOUSE
Insurance Committee
3:30pm, 152-S
HB 2139 – Workers compensation insurance rates

Tuesday, February 15th
HOUSE
Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care
9:00am, 144-S
HB 2110 - Establishment of LTC Ombudsman advisory committee

Thursday, February 17th
HOUSE
Committee on Appropriations
9:00am, 346-S
Budget Committee recommendations on KHPA and KDHE

HOUSE
Judiciary Committee
3:30pm, 152-S
ERO 35 – Transferring KCDC to the Office of the Governor

Friday, February 11, 2011

Week in Review: Hearings & Testimony

What a week!  With several DD-related issues circling the dome, legislative committees, InterHab members and staff were all busy addressing a variety of topics. 

The week kicked off with a hearing on KNI in the House Social Services Budget Committee.  Among other points, InterHab staff provided the committee with policies that “must” be considered in contemplating closure of KNI; that State law require sufficient funding be made available from institutional budgets to meet the needs of persons moving from institutions to community-based settings; and that persons on the waiting list should benefit from any remaining dollars which are not used for services for persons moving out of the institution.

Later in the week, in one jam-packed day Thursday, InterHab staff presented testimony to the House Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care regarding the potential implications of moving  Adult Protective Services to the Attorney General’s office.  Staff also submitted written testimony to the House Committee on Children and Families on the subject of seclusion and restraints used in school settings.  This testimony provided support to the recommendations put forth by Families Together and DRC to implement and enforce standards to protect children from inappropriate seclusions and restraints.

In the afternoon, InterHab provided an overview of a ‘system under stress’ to the Senate Ways and Means Subcommittee on SRS.  Here, staff pointed out the ‘anemic funding history’ of community DD services during the past years, and urged legislators not to allow funding for DD services to be cut during deliberations on the FY 2012 budget. 

Last, but not least, InterHab offered testimony to the House Social Services Budget Committee on the importance of the Tiny-K network in Kansas.  InterHab also echoed testimony by Pat Terrick on the importance of CPRF’s posture seating program.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Follow InterHab on Twitter!


Did you know you can receive live updates from legislative hearings at Statehouse?  To follow InterHab on Twitter you'll need an account on www.twitter.com.  After you've established your own account you can follow InterHab by visiting our page and clicking on the "follow" link just below our logo.

You can even receive InterHab tweets straight to you mobile phone!

Click here for tips on 'following' InterHab on Twitter.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

What is an Invisible Kansan?

More than 4,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities are waiting for services in Kansas.  These services provide early intervention to children diagnosed with DD that give them critical skills to help them grow and learn.  These services provide support for adults with DD to work in the community and live independent and fulfilling lives.  Invisible Kansans are not only the children and adults waiting for services, but their family members too.

You can help Invisible Kansans be heard and seen by asking Kansas Legislators to take action.  Visit our website www.invisiblekansans.com to encourage your legislator to make Kansans with developmental disabilities THE top priority for this legislative session!

www.invisiblekansans.com


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

KNI Closure Conversation

KNI Closure Conversation: 

All who have sat through closure hearings know the routine.  Yesterday's House Social Services Budget Committee was no different:

State officials make comments as bland as margarine. Parents and Guardians express concerns from perspectives of fear, anger and confusion. Advocates on both sides express polarizing views that overgeneralize, oversimplify, and mostly provoke dueling philosophies. Community provider representatives find themselves pushed and pulled, heroes to some on the one side, villains to some on the other side. (Yesterday, supporters of closure were compared to murderers. Yikes.)

Into this discussion legislators find themselves thrust. Some know more than a little, and some are considering closure questions for the first time. As sure as the sunrise, however, these legislators will make recommendations and decisions despite the confusion and despite their lack of thorough preparation and education on the matter.  That is the nature of the legislative response to complex questions.  Someone annually laments how little the legislators really know about the subjects of gravity upon which they will cast their votes.  How can they, I respond. They  are not elected as a panel of experts on all subjects, but as representatives of common sense and conscience in the community.

What we hope for, in this as in all questions, is that having heard from all parties, the decisions of the legislature will be common-sensible and conscientious. Sometimes that happens, it really does.

Yesterday’s hearing included all of the above, and then some. 

Lost in the fray, seemingly always, are those most affected.

The persons living in the institution were either overgeneralized in the views that purported to represent them,  or were paternalistically regarded  as “these people” and “those people” which are the  phrases you always hear from those who find it easier, or intellectually more manageable, to lump all persons with intellectual disabilities into one “group” of sameness.
At the end of the day, as we have often said:
  • the needs of person who receives service, irrespective of the setting, must be met with resources that are adequate and reasonable,
  • the institutions must be regarded as only one part of the “DD  service network” and their value to the persons they serve must be weighed against the financing they require.
  • the financing required for each person to be served in the community, if closure occurs, must be transferred to the community budgets in the amounts needed for that person, (not a dollar more, not a dollar less).
  • the dollars which will be left after closure must be invested back into the DD network. 


Who knows that the outcome will be? Shawnee County legislators are aggressively attempting to save KNI. The local chamber, newspaper, medical society, and so on … just as was the case at Winfield, are aligned to save KNI. The misinformation is discouraging and frustrating, but .. not any different than was the case at Winfield, and probably at Norton as well.

At this end, we are keeping our eye on the ball.

Persons with disabilities are not game pieces, nor economic chattle.  Persons with disabilities who are waiting for service should no longer have to endure political decisions which spend too much on some, and none on others whose needs are equally or more pressing. Persons receiving community services should not have to continue to see their very successful lives being denigrated, nor devalued by political debates about the worth of the services they have received, which have long been proven.

More to come as the debate continues. 

Monday, February 7, 2011

Busy Week Ahead for Legislature

Monday, February 7th
SENATE
Ways and Means Subcommittee on SRS
12:00pm, 548-S
Agency Overview

HOUSE
Commerce and Economic Development:
1:30pm, DSOB 785
HB 2134 – Amending the worker’s compensation act

SENATE
Public Health and Welfare
1:30pm, 546-S
Presentation by KPHA, Andy Allison

HOUSE
Social Services Budget Committee:
3:30pm, DSOB 711
Parsons State Hospital and KNI hearing – Public Testimony

Tuesday, February 8th
HOUSE
Children and Families Committee:
9:00am, 142-S
Informational meeting on Autism Issues

SENATE
Ways and Means Subcommittee on SRS
12:00pm, 548-S
Public Testimony

HOUSE
Social Services Budget Committee
3:30pm, DSOB 711
Parsons State Hospital and KNI – Deliberations

Wednesday, February 9th
SENATE
Ways and Means Subcommittee on SRS
12:00pm, 548-S
Public Testimony

HOUSE
Social Services Budget Committee
3:30pm, DSOB 711
KDHE Hearing – Agency Presentation

Thursday, February 10th
HOUSE
Aging and Long-Term Care
9:00am, 144-S
HB2108 Transfer of duties of the Dept. of SRS concerning adult protective services to the office of AG

HOUSE
Children and Families Committee:
9:00am, 142-S
Informational meeting on restraint and seclusion of Autistic children

SENATE
Ways and Means Subcommittee on SRS
10:30am, 548-S
Public Testimony

HOUSE
Social Services Budget Committee
3:30pm, DSOB 711
KDHE Hearing – Public Testimony


Friday, February 4, 2011

Is Advocacy Your Top Priority?

The inclement weather this week certainly threw a curve ball to the schedules of the Legislature, InterHab offices, and many members!  As we plan for the week ahead let's refocus our energy on maintaining a high level of advocacy activity.

Member organizations are strongly encouraged, if they have not done so already, to create an advocacy committee within their organization that will organize all advocacy efforts. In addition, we've launched an initiative for InterHab members to partner with other members to form regional coalitions.  If you would like to get involved in a regional coalition please contact eroberts@interhab.org.  Below are activities your advocacy committee should focus on for the month ahead:

Top 5 Advocacy Activities for February

  • Hold regular weekly planning meetings
  • Organize a small group visit to see your legislators at the Capitol
  • Host at least two letter-writing events for your organization
  • Make at least two contacts with local media
  • Heavily promote the use of the automated e-mail system on the Invisible Kansans website to staff, consumers, families and community stakeholders.


Check out InterHab's InterAct; Grassroots Advocacy Guide This guide contains the following tools:

  • The Kansas DD Update
  • A legislative calendar
  • A legislative directory
  • A Summary of our iPod Giveaway Contest
  • A timeline for advocacy activity