Released the first-ever comprehensive comparison of health system performance in all 50 states. Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance -  http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=494551&#doc494551 ranks states on 32 performance indicators of access, quality, avoidable hospital use and costs, equity, and "healthy lives."

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities this month released a 2-page report by Leighton Ku-"New Research Shows Simplifying Medicaid Can Reduce Children's Hospitalizations."

This summary of research conducted by Dr. Andrew Bindman and his associates at the University of California at San Francisco, "indicates that improving the continuity of Medicaid coverage through what is known as '12-month continuous eligibility' can improve children's health and avert unnecessary hospitalization costs. "To view the report, go to www.cbpp.org/6-11-07health.pdf.

Selected topics include developmental stages; factors that impact social and emotional development; policies and programs to promote social and emotional well-being in homes and community settings; and strategies for integrating health, development, and education services. A section for families is also included. It is available at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_Mental_Healthy.html.

Children's Mental Health: Promoting School and Life Readiness

Each issue of Early Report, the newsletter of the University of Minnesota's Center for Early Education and Development, explores a specific topic related to young children and their families. The Spring 2007 issue explores infant and early childhood mental health from a variety of perspectives, including screening and assessment, environments and best practices.  Download at http://education.umn.edu/ceed/publications/earlyreport/spring07.pdf

Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS.gov) announced the launch of their resource web page, Emergency Planning for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs.

The resource page, www.LLIS.gov, is available to emergency response providers and homeland security officials from the local, state, and federal levels.   It provides more than 250 documents, including lessons learned, plans, procedures, policies, and guidance on how to include citizens with disabilities and other special needs populations in all phases of the emergency management cycle. 

Policy Analysis from the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) on the Involvement of Youth with Disabilities in State-Level Decision Making

This In-Brief Policy Analysis from the National Association of State Directors of Special Education is based on interviews with state education agency representatives and youth with disabilities who are involved in state-level decision making in special education. Six states which reported including youth with disabilities on state advisory panels and/or transition councils were chosen for interviews. How states include youth, what training and support states provide, and benefits and challenges of this work are shared from both the states' and the youth's perspectives. Policy recommendations are also given. For more information visit, http://projectforum.org/docs/InvolvementofYouthwithDisabiltiesinStateLevelDecisionMaking.pdf

NECTAC eNotes - July 20, 2007
Request for Comments: IDEA Part B State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR)

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services - July 17, 2007

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) recently published the following request for comments in the Federal Register:

Title: IDEA Part B State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR)
Type of Review: Revision
Date: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before September 17, 2007
URL: For more information go to http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2007-3/071707b.html

State Fact Sheets from Enriching Children, Enriching the Nation

Source: Economic Policy Institute - Retrieved July 19, 2007

New fact sheets from the Economic Policy Institute demonstrate that most universal preschool education programs would pay for themselves within 10 years, with nine years being the national average. Based on Robert G. Lynch's recently published book, Enriching Children, Enriching the Nation (http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/book_enriching), they examine when total benefits would exceed program costs in every state. They are available at http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/book_enriching_state_facts.

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2007

Source: Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics - July 20, 2007

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2007 - This annual report presents 38 key indicators on important aspects of children's lives in the United States. It is now available online at http://childstats.gov/americaschildren/index.asp

Early Childhood Health and Development Electronic Resource Center

Source: National Academy for State Health Policy - Retrieved July 20, 2007

The National Academy for State Health Policy recently launched the ABCD Electronic Resource Center. The site provides easy access to research and resources on early childhood health and development, as well as information that states and providers can use to promote the effective identification of children with health and development needs. It is available at http://www.abcdresources.org/

Recently Updated - Spanish Early Literacy Parent-Child Activity Materials

Source: Washington Learning Systems - July 17, 2007

The Spanish version of Supporting Early Literacy in Natural Environments: Activities for Caregivers and Young Children has recently been updated. It includes forty-six home and community activities designed to address the three key skills of 1) language development, 2) phonological awareness, and 3) general print awareness. The activities are appropriate for children with disabilities as well as children who are developing typically. To learn more go to http://www.walearning.com/Parent.html

Friday's Child Newsletter from Family Voices

July 20th Issue - http://www.familyvoices.org/pub/fc/html/Friday's%20Child.htm

One Simple Proposal to Prevent "Unnecessary Institutionalization."  Information Bulletin # 218 (7/07)

Nearly 11.9 % of 1,304,810 people in nursing facilities were admitted directly from their home or apartments.  Despite the common misconception, these people were not admitted from an acute care hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, another nursing home, or either a board and care, assisted living or group home.

Prior to being admitted to the nursing facility, these 155,272 people (the 11.9 %) were really living in their own homes and apartments.

And here's the real kicker: None of them was receiving any home health services before they were admitted to a nursing facility!  They went from receiving NO health services directly to an institutional medical setting.

An additional 4.5 % persons (58,716) in nursing facilities were admitted directly from their homes and apartments but were receiving some home health services.  We do not know what services, whether they were adequate, or whether more or different health and attendant care services might be necessary for these persons so they might continue residing in their own homes.

How can persons go directly from their homes to expensive residential nursing facilities without, at the least, being offered home health services?  How can States approve expensive nursing facility Medicaid payments without first, at the least, offering persons MA home health services, whether visiting nurses or attendant care so the persons could remain in their own homes?  Do States want to pay for nursing facility services without, at the least, attempting to try to provide services in a person's home or apartment?

States claim they are worried about their Long Term Care Medicaid budgets. They are supposed to be complying with the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision to stop "unnecessary institutionalization."  They are supposed to want to save taxpayers unnecessary expenditures of public funds.

A Simple Proposal:

• How about screening persons BEFORE they go into a nursing facility to determine what community services might prevent institutionalization?

• How about, dare we use the term, "prior authorization" before a person can be admitted into a nursing facility?

• How about really offering a full range of community health and attendant services when persons are still in their own homes and apartments?

• States could talk with persons before institutionalization.

• Can you imagine the conversation: "Hi. We understand you're thinking about going into a nursing facility. Would you want to stay in your apartment or home IF we could offer your health and attendant care services?  What services do you think you would need to stay at home?  Here's what we have available and what these services might be able to do."  Or, "Do you think additional services are needed? What additional services might you need?

Disability and Older American Advocates:

• Can you persuade your Governor and/or your MA Director to adopt this proposal?  What plausible reasons could they give you for NOT trying to prevent unnecessary institutionalization?

• Why should even one person go directly from his or her home/apartment to an institution, if with community-based health and attendant services she or he could stay at home.

Below is a breakdown of the national 11.9% by State from CMS' Minimum Data Set that shows the percentage of persons in nursing facilities in your State who were admitted to nursing facilities directly from their homes and apartments with NO home health services being provided in their homes or apartments.

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

HUD and MFP, Another Handle - Information Bulletin #217 (7/07)

On July 9, 2007, Secretary Alphonso Jackson, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, wrote a "Dear Executive Director" letter to each public housing authority.  In this letter, he traced the Money Follows the Person legislation, together with the New Freedom Initiative and Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.  This letter follows, in part, his meeting in March 2007 with ADAPT members in Washington, D.C.

The Secretary has asked each Executive Director to submit to HUD by August 31, 2007 "details about how your agency [i.e., Public Housing Authorities] is implementing strategies to carry out the MFP Rebalancing Initiative."  You might remember that Secretary Jackson in October 2006 wrote another "Dear Executive Director" letter in which he "encouraged" them "to set local preferences for the use of Public Housing units, Housing Choice Vouchers, and Mainstream Vouchers to promote the MFP Rebalancing Initiative."

In the July 9, 2007 letter, he goes further.  He recommends they "engage" those agencies that "play a critical role by advocating for integrated housing opportunities for seniors and people with disabilities," specifically mentioning P&A agencies and Independent Living Centers.

He asks each Public Housing Authority to determine how it can "accommodate people who may benefit from the MFP Rebalancing Initiative," including "establishing local preferences [for people coming out of institutions], ensuring access to waitlists [which could be opened for persons being deinstitutionalized], and modifying your application process."

Advocates should use the July 9, 2007 HUD letter to meet with your Executive Director (and Board of Directors) as soon as possible to review how both the July 9, 2007 and October 2006 suggestions have been implemented, if at all.  Specifically:

1. Are the Mainstream Vouchers and Housing Choice Vouchers directed to persons with disabilities who are part of the MFP program?

2. Is there a local preference for both vouchers and for public housing units for persons leaving nursing homes and other institutions?

3. Can people in the MFP gain immediate access to waiting lists for vouchers and public housing units?

Given the July 9, 2007 letter, there should not be excuses that a Housing Authority cannot do, at least, these three. The Secretary stated that he and his Department "strongly supports greater housing choice for seniors and people with disabilities.  By expanding the availability of accessible, affordable, integrated housing options, we can, collectively, make this endeavor successful."

The HUD July 9, 2007 letter can be found at  http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/disabilities/MFP-RebalancingMemo.PDF 

At that website, there is a name and address of a Deputy Assistant Secretary to whom the Executive Directors are to forward their submissions.

We hope and assume HUD would like to hear directly from you regarding both your successes and difficulties with your local Housing Authorities.  So would we.

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at http://www.stevegoldada.com  with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects. To contact Steve Gold directly,  write to stevegoldada@cs.com or call 215-627-7100.  
 

Kaiser Weekly Health Policy Report
Growing Number of Physicians Not Accepting New Medicaid Beneficiaries Amid Federal Payment Cuts, Rising Health Costs

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=46343 
 

George Washington University Teacher Prep Tuition Grant w/emphasis in TBI

I'm happy to announce that the George Washington University (GW), Department of Teacher Preparation and Special Education (DTPSE) has received a new 4 year personnel training grant from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) for the master's degree in transition special education: emphasis in acquired brain injury.  The grant will provide tuition support (80%) for all accepted students and also includes direct stipends for students to assist them with class related expenses, travel for internships, and travel to professional conferences.  For further information, please contact Zavolia Willis (Zee) at williszd@gwu.edu or at (202) 973-1082. We are currently accepting applications for fall 2007 and spring 2008.

This new grant supports the training of teachers for initial licensure with a specialization in serving students with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and includes a combination of on campus and distance education coursework.  A specialized brain injury internship and a one semester student teaching experience are also required.  The program has been nationally ranked and accredited by the National Council on Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).

GW also offers tuition support,  through another OSEP grant, for graduate students in our Graduate Certificate in Special Education and Brain Injury for anyone who would like to add that coursework as a specialized niche within their field.  For more information about that program, inquires may be directed to Monija Amani at monijaa@gwu.edu  or (202) 973-1032.

For information about applying to either of these programs, please visit our Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD) web site at  www.gsehd.gwu.edu/ and use the Apply On-line application process.  

Janis Ruoff, PhD Asst. Research Professor Director Center for Education and Human Services in Acquired Brain Injury George Washington University (202) 973-1032 or (202) 973-1453
 

DisabilityInfo.gov 

Employment News & Events Update:  US Business Leadership Network 2007 Annual Conference: Building the New Workforce - Inclusion & Innovation

The US Business Leadership Network's (BLN) 10th Annual Conference and 2nd Annual National Career Fair will take place September 23-26, 2007. The conference is a national event for business, community leaders and BLN chapters that have an interest in hiring, retention and marketing to people with disabilities. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=10

Mental Health  Update:  Promoting Independence and Recovery Through Work: Employment for People with Psychiatric Disabilities

On July 31, 2007 from 2:30-4:00 PM EDT please visit www.nga.org/webcast  to view this important webcast on strategies and model programs for helping people with mental illnesses get back to work. Pre-registration is not required. This information has recently been updated, and is now available - http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=151

Civil Rights News & Events  Update:  National Council on Disability (NCD) to Release Reports on ADA

News release from NCD announcing the release of two reports on the Americans with Disabilities Act at a news conference to be held in Chicago, IL on July 26, 2007 at 9:30 a.m., in celebration of the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This information has recently been updated, and is now available - http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=218  

Employment News & Events Update:  Funding to Promote Leadership for Increasing Employment and Economic Independence for Adults with Disabilities

DOL's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has announced the availability of up to $2.35 million to fund a cooperative agreement to establish a National Technical Assistance and Research Center to Promote Leadership for Increasing Employment and Economic Independence for Adults with Disabilities. Application deadline is August 20, 2007. The full announcement may be downloaded here - http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-14074.pdf

This information has recently been updated, and is now available. http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=10

One-Stop Toolkit Resources of the Week Technical Assistance Project
Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel Celebrates ADA Anniversary With Release of Social Security Beneficiary Recommendations on Employment

http://www.ssa.gov/work/panel/summit/summitmain-1.htm#newsconf

WHEN: Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 9:30 AM Eastern Time
WHERE: 902 Hart Senate Office Building, Capitol Hill
CONTACT: Jill Houghton, 202-358-6419/202-957-3268

On July, 26, 2007, the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel is holding a news conference to release a report, "Voices for Change:  Beneficiaries Paving the Way to Work, A Roadmap to Program Improvement." The report documents recommendations it received from beneficiaries of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).  The recommendations were made at a beneficiary summit held earlier this year in Atlanta, Georgia.

The message from those beneficiaries:  We want to work! 

According to the United States Census Bureau, there are 13,779,000 working-age individuals with disabilities in the U.S. who are not employed, of whom 6,927,000 (or 50%) report receiving SSI and/or SSDI.  Right now, these programs require people to prove they cannot work before they can receive assistance, and the rules set up an all-or-nothing scenario for some, where working at their full capacity would cause them to lose their health insurance and personal care assistance.  At a time when the solvency of Social Security is in question, the recommendations focus on what steps, as seen through the eyes of beneficiaries, the nation could take to encourage people with disabilities to attempt work and to reduce their reliance on Social Security benefits. 

Congress noted when it passed the 1999 Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act, "[I]f only an additional one-half of one percent of the current [SSDI] and [SSI] recipients were to cease receiving benefits as a result of employment, the savings to the Social Security Trust Funds and to the Treasury in cash assistance would total [$3.5 billion] over the work life of such individuals, far exceeding the cost of providing incentives and services needed to assist them in entering work and achieving financial independence to the best their abilities."

The summit brought together one beneficiary with a disability from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 

The news conference will be conducted with Panel members and summit attendees.  There will be opportunities for photos and interviews after the event.

The ABILITY House Program

http://www.abilityawareness.org/house.htm
[The following is excerpted from the website.]

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has identified people with disabilities as one of the primary populations experiencing worst-case housing needs. In response, ABILITY Awareness created the ABILITY House project. Built in partnership with Habitat for Humanity affiliates, each ABILITY House is an accessible home built for a family where one or more members have health conditions or disabilities. Additionally, the ABILITY House project reaches out to volunteers with health conditions and disabilities to help build the homes, demonstrating to the community their skills, talents and potential as volunteers and employees.

Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology

http://www.washington.edu/doit/ 

Many capable individuals with disabilities face challenges as they pursue academics and careers. They are underrepresented in many rewarding career fields, including science, engineering, business, and technology. DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) serves to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers. It promotes the use of computer and networking technologies to increase independence, productivity, and participation in education and employment.  Primary funding for DO-IT is provided by the National Science Foundation, the State of Washington, and the U.S. Department of Education. 

DO-IT Free Publications
DO-IT distributes materials to those who wish to undertake similar activities or enhance existing school, postsecondary, and employment programs. It maintains a large collection of free publications.

 

DO-IT Videotapes
Low-cost videotapes cover a wide range of topics. Each comes with a useful handout which summarizes the content. All videotapes are open captioned for those with hearing impairments. Audio described versions are available for those who are blind.

 

Comprehensive Training Materials

DO-IT has developed comprehensive presentation and program development materials to help make summer camps, electronic resources, libraries, science and mathematics classes, colleges, and careers more accessible to individuals with disabilities. Most include training guidelines, handout templates, overhead transparency templates, videotapes, glossaries, and resource lists.

Fact Sheet:  Career-focused Mentoring for Youth: The What, Why, and How

U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy

http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/cfm.htm 

[The following is excerpted from the publication.]

When asked to describe an ideal employee, attributes such as being a hard worker, a team player, and a good communicator are frequently cited by employers as being even more important than technical expertise. According, however, to a recent survey of 461 employers conducted by the Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Society for Human Resources many new entrants to the workforce lack these important skills. These business leaders reported that while the three "R's" are still fundamental to every employee's ability to do the job, knowledge of applied skills is even more important. (Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers' Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce (2006)).

One remedy may be found in mentoring. Career-focused mentoring provides young people the opportunity to get a glimpse of the world of work that may not otherwise be available to them. It also allows them to gain and practice skills that are useful in professional and other settings, and to prepare for life as an adult.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) developed this fact sheet on career-focused mentoring for older youth and young adults with disabilities to explain the importance of career-focused mentoring.  It features a table of mentoring activities that assist youth in achieving skills to transition successfully into adulthood. The fact sheet is based on a guide that ODEP produced with the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, Paving the Way to Work: A Guide to Career-Focused Mentoring for Youth with Disabilities. 

Paving the Way to Work: A Guide to Career-Focused Mentoring

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD/Youth)

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/mentoring.html 

The creation of the Mentoring Guide is rooted in the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy's (ODEP) charge to find and promote the most effective research-based policies and practices to improve transition outcomes for youth with disabilities. Mentoring is recognized as one of the most important strategies for assisting youth in making a positive transition into adulthood. Both caring adults and peers may play a key role in mentoring. In response to the under-representation of youth with disabilities in most youth development programs, ODEP, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, launched an initiative to promote mentoring for youth with disabilities in 2004.  

Mentoring is recognized as one of the most important strategies for assisting youth in making a positive transition into adulthood. Despite all of the information available on mentoring, there is very little about mentoring youth with disabilities or about career-focused mentoring of older youth. This Guide was developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) specifically to address the needs of youth with disabilities during their transition from school to work.  

This Guide is intended for individuals designing mentoring programs for youth, including youth with disabilities, in the transition phase to adulthood. 

Self-Determination: A Fundamental Ingredient of Employment Support

Institute for Community Inclusion
Tools for Inclusion - Issue #22
Lora Brugnaro & Jaimie Ciulla Timmons

http://www.communityinclusion.org/article.php?article_id=205 

Self-determination is the process of defining one's own direction. To achieve a successful employment outcome, it is important that the job seeker actively drives and controls his or her own job search. Job seekers should participate actively in all job search activities-from determining their interests and career goals to starting a new job. Moreover, job seeker self-determination should help drive the way that employment services are offered, coordinated, and funded. This brief examines self-determination in the employment process and suggests strategies for employment professionals to apply these principles in their work.

The Arc of the United States,1010 Wayne Avenue, Ste. 650,Silver Spring, MD 20910,Phone: 301-565-3842,Fax: 301-565-3843,Email: mmwdc@info.thearc.org,Web: www.thearc.org