Good May to everyone.  The April showers are over, bring on the May flowers.

In this edition we will be updating you on a couple of bills that you might be interested in knowing the outcomes.  We will also be talking about The MFP Peer To Peer Mentoring for Nursing Facilities and more.

 

HB 218 Living at Home Waiver Program

 

As we stated in April’s newsletter, This House Bill passed the House 137 -0.  HB 218 had its hearing Thursday March 27th at 1pm in Senate Finance.  CDRC members attended the hearing, we were ready to testify in support with our amendment but the Department testified they supported our amendment. All CDRC had to say when testifying was “ME TOO”.  Mostly the bill just changes names of things to what they are anyway for the Living at Home Waiver (LAHW.) But one really great new thing that got changed because CDRC and MDLC's Sun Shine Folks asked for it and represented by Del. Hubbard who worked for it, is that people can get on the waiver under age 65!!! This means that many more people, because of our Money Follows the Individual Act of 2003, will have access to the best program for deinstitutionalizing people from nursing homes in Maryland , The LAHW!  This goes into affect in July

Just a reminder, CDRC has chosen Thursday, May 22nd as the date for our celebratory bill signing.

 

 

SB 849/HB 1411 - Fitness & Athletics Equity for Students with Disabilities Act - passed and is awaiting Governor's signature. School systems must ensure that students with disabilities have equal opportunities to participate in fitness and athletics programs, schools must develop programs and policies, and report data. The State Department of Education will develop model policies, offer technical assistance, develop regulations, investigate grievances of parents/students, and submit annual reports to the General Assembly.

Other Policy work

 

Right To Be Informed

As you know, The Right To Be Informed is CDRC’s Bill from 2005 that says every year during an individual’s IP meeting, a discussion must take place about what the most integrated setting would be.  Most integrated setting is defined as “a setting that enables individuals with disabilities to interact with non-disabled person.”  CDRC met with Diane Bolger in April.  Diane said the letters regarding the regulations be sent out to Providers and Resource Coordinators in late April.  CDRC has heard that many times before.  CDRC is very disappointed that Right To Be Informed has not been implemented as of yet.  And we are doing what exactly about that???

 

Peer To Peer Mentoring

The State has put out a Request For Proposal RFP for the pilot Peer To Peer Mentoring Outreach to nursing facility residents for the Money Follows the Person Grant.  Making Choices for Independent Living (MCIL) will be submitting a proposal to the state to receive the pilot peer to peer contract.  If MCIL receives the peer to peer contract, CDRC will be partnering with MCIL to get the word out to nursing home residents regarding options for moving out of the nursing facility under The Money Follows the Person Grant.  We look forward to this partnership.

 

Training

CDRC asked a couple of its members to attend the Employment Job Training hosted by the Maryland Department of Disabilities on April the 5th and 6th.  The CDRC members that attended the training learned a lot about when you are working and how you can lose your benefits if you were to make more than what you are suppose to be making within that monthly period. If you were to loose your Medical Assistance due to the extra income that is being earned within that months period, you will have the chance to “buy-in” to pay $75.00 for Medicaid insurance for every month of that extra earned income.

 

 

 

Guest Speaker

CDRC would like to thank Lorraine Nawara for taking the time from her Sunday to give a presentation at CDRC’s membership meeting.  Lorraine talked about how Money Follows the Person Demonstration was doing.  She said that only1 person has moved from Rosewood so far under the Money Follows the Person and 12 people into the Living at Home Waiver, with one into the Older Adult Waiver on MFP. Even though Maryland ’s proptocol was the fifth to be approved, we have moved forward the fastest so far.  She said all persons who are moving out from Rosewood from this day forward should be moving under Money Follows the Person Demonstration Grant.

 

CDRC meeting

CDRC is combining its June membership meeting with a training.  CDRC is inviting Toastmasters to present to CDRC again.  (Toastmaster teaches people how to speak in public),  CDRC had Toastmasters present last year to CDRC, but due to transportation problems half of the CDRC members missed the presentation, the people who missed Toastmaster’s presentation asked if CDRC could have Toastmasters present again.

 

The Next CDRC meeting / training will be:

 

Date:  June 22, 2008

Location:  1010 Eastway Glen Bernie Md.

Time:  1:00 – 4:00