MMWDC 35 9-03-07

Welcome to Monday Morning in Washington, D.C., published weekly by The Arc of the United States. We will bring to you news of interest to self advocates and their families, volunteers, professionals, and supporters of the disability movement. Please send any comments to mmwdc@thearc.org. You are welcome to reproduce and distribute items from Monday Morning in Washington, D.C., but please credit Monday Morning in Washington, D.C. (The Arc of the United States, 2007).

The Arc of the United States advocates for the rights and full participation of all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Together with our network of members and affiliated chapters, we improve systems of supports and services; connect families; inspire communities; and influence public policy.

Abusing Drugs In Nursing Facilities - Information Bulletin #222 (0807)

Thirty one years after the federal government reported to Congress about the widespread abuse of medication to residents in nursing homes with dangerous drugs, it is apparent that not much has changed.

Before we review the extent of this abuse, it is important to remember that psychoactive and other drugs frequently have very serious and irreversible side effects. They should not be prescribed or used in a wholesale manner, unless one cares more about easing the job of the staff than about the well-being of the residents.

While we have only anecdotal information and do not know how widespread the practice is, we have heard reports that doctors write these prescriptions on an "as needed" basis, so that nurses or untrained aides decide when to administer them.

When do nursing facilities think these drugs are "needed?" Answer: when the facilities are short-staffed, when a resident's behavior is somewhat aggressive or when a resident is very upset, acting out, agitated - then sedate them with drugs.

These drugs in nursing facilities are used primarily to control behavior; not to treat medical or psychiatric illnesses.

Prescribing doctors may not be psychiatrists and may not even see the patient on any regular basis, which could explain why the nursing home industry fights so hard to limit malpractice litigation that could hold them accountable for abusing these drugs.

Anyone who regularly visits nursing facilities, or even visits them only occasionally, sees the "zombie" look of many patients. Psychoactive and antidepressant drugs can have that effect, sedating residents to such an extent they just sit around and "space out." It makes running the institution so much easier.

Here is the CMS national breakdown as of 3/07:

antipsychotic medications, nearly 27% of nursing home residents were receiving such drugs regularly.
antidepressant medications, a whopping 52.2% are prescribed these drugs regularly.

When will disability and older American advocates stop this abuse in your State? When will State health departments stop it?

Is it hopeless? Will we just pretend it does not exist?

Maybe this abuse does not matter because the people in these institutions are disabled and old?

Will this abuse never stop as long as low-income people with disabilities, regardless of their age, are warehoused and segregated in institutions and are invisible to the populace at large.

Here is a breakdown by State for the % of people in nursing facilities who regularly receive Antidepressants and Antipsychotics:

STATE	Antidepressants	Antipsychotics	STATE	Antidepressants	Antipsychotics
Alabama	55.3%	28.1%	Montana	53.8%	23.9%
Alaska	56.5%	20.8%	Nebraska	54.8%	25.2%
Arizona	51.4%	26.5%	Nevada	43.1%	23.7%
Arkansas	52.4%	29.4%	New Hampshire	49.4%	28.7%
California	40.9%	26.8%	New Jersey	54.4%	24.9%
Colorado	53.5%	23.7%	New Mexico	49.2%	24.1%
Connecticut	54.2%	30.2%	New York	42.1%	26.3%
Delaware	49.7%	26.1%	North Carolina	54.1%	24.1%
D. C	27.5%	23.6%	North Dakota	57.6%	22.9%
Florida	53.0%	25.5%	Ohio	56.7%	28.3%
Georgia	51.6%	31.2%	Oklahoma	54.6%	30.8%
Hawaii	34.1%	14.0%	Oregon	57.7%	22.9%
Idaho	59.9%	27.2%	Pennsylvania	54.3%	24.7%
Illinois	44.6%	33.2%	Rhode Island	61.2%	24.7%
Indiana	54.9%	25.6%	South Carolina	48.5%	24.9%
Iowa	52.4%	22.1%	South Dakota	53.4%	23.5%
Kansas	56.4%	28.3%	Tennessee	58.9%	31.6%
Kentucky	55.7%	27.5%	Texas	50.2%	29.0%
Louisiana	49.8%	34.4%	Utah	57.9%	29.6%
Maine	59.6%	26.3%	Vermont	56.9%	29.1%
Maryland	47.9%	22.5%	Virginia	50.4%	25.8%
Massachus	60.0%	30.5%	Washington	54.5%	22.6%
Michigan	52.4%	18.7%	West Virginia	53.9%	24.3%
Minnesota	55.2%	23.8%	Wisconsin	53.1%	21.8%
Mississippi	51.7%	30.7%	Wyoming	54.1%	22.2%
Missouri	57.6%	27.7%

National ....................51.2%...............26.9%

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.

DisabilityInfo.gov
Health Care Professional Resources Update: Family Support 360

Helps local service providers create one-stop centers to assist families of those with developmental disabilities (DD). This Web site is a resource center for Family Support 360 grantees and other organizations serving individuals with DD. This information has recently been updated, and is now available - http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=150

Community Life News & Events Update: Technologies and Strategies for Physical Transfer of Individuals with Motor Impairments

Two-day conference to bring together experts in the field to document the state of the science in strategies and technologies for independent and assisted transfer by people who have mobility disabilities. The conference will be held at the Hilton Arlington and Towers, Arlington, Virginia on September 10 & 11, 2007. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. - http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=193

Caregiver Resources Update: USA.gov Introduces New Caregivers' Resources Web Page

Housing News & Events Update: First Meeting of Emergency Transportable Housing Advisory Committee

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) has established an advisory committee to assist it in developing accessibility guidelines for emergency transportable housing. The first meeting of the committee is scheduled for September 24 and 25, 2007. This information has recently been updated, and is now available - http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=5041

Civil Rights News & Events Update: A Reference Guide for Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities in the Provision of Disaster Mass Care, Housing and Human Services

REFERENCE POINTS:
New Online Resource for Youth

Access Living announces it's brand new website, all about young people with disabilities: The Youth Center Across the country, young people with disabilities are waking up to disability pride and culture. They want equal rights and equal lives. What they need is information that will empower them to advocate for the lives they want. That's why Access Living created this website. Most of the time, those of us with disabilities are the only ones in our families who have a disability. It's hard to explain what that's like to people without disabilities. However, at this website you can find information by and about people who know what it's like living life with a disability. We've got REAL information for your REAL life with a disability: stuff about dating, activism, getting news, disability pride, participating in Chicago events. The Youth Center can be found at http://www.alyouthinfo.org/

7th Annual Inclusive Schools Week

The 7th Annual Inclusive Schools Week will be held December 3-7, 2007, to highlight the accomplishments of families, schools, and communities that have dedicated time, labor, and resources to promoting inclusive education for all of the world's children. This year's theme, "Lessons from the World: Including All Children," provides an opportunity to focus on both international accomplishments and ongoing challenges associated with changing global attitudes, practices, and policies toward better educational outcomes for students around the globe. Participants will read stories, learn facts, discover resources, and make connections with families and professionals around the world who are on a similar journey toward building more inclusive schools and communities for all children and youth. More information can be found at http://www.inclusiveschools.org/kit.asp

Resources on Drop-out Prevention, Part 1

NEW LEGISLATION ADDRESSES DROPOUT CRISIS AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
The Graduation Promise Act, which was introduced recently to Congress, aims to reduce the dropout rate and raise the achievement rate among American high school students. This legislation would make $2.5 billion in federal funds available to secondary schools so that high school students have the resources and skills they need to earn their high school diplomas. http://www.all4ed.org/legislative/Congress.html

BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT FOR OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH
This working paper examines employment and earnings over a four-year period for a group of disadvantaged out-of-school youth who entered the Evaluation of the Center for Employment Training (CET) Replication Sites between 1995 and 1999. It assesses the importance of three key factors as barriers to employment: lack of a high school diploma, having children, and having an arrest record. http://www.mdrc.org/publications/454/abstract.html

ADULT LIVES AFTER DROPPING OUT
The National Center on Education Statistics finds that high school noncompleters earn the fewest credits (mean of 17 vs. 49) in postsecondary education programs, and are less likely to be employed in 2000 (77 percent), than successful completers (88 percent) or marginal completers (86 percent). The report can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006328 This NCES report was funded by the US Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences.

YOUTH COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE FOCUSES ON DROP-OUT OUTCOMES
The latest issue of New Youth Connections explores the drop-out issue from a first-person perspective: teens write about the difficulties finding work without a high school degree, the challenge of persevering and graduating, and some alternatives for those who are already disconnected from traditional high school, The articles can be found by going to http://www.youthcomm.org/Publications/NYC.htm and scrolling down to the April 2006 issue.

STUDENTS AS ALLIES IN IMPROVING THEIR SCHOOLS
What if teachers and students became steady allies rather than frequent adversaries? What would it take for students to become stakeholders not just in their own success but also in that of their teachers and schools? With support from MetLife Foundation, What Kids Can Do (WKCD) has explored many questions for several years in an initiative called "Students as Allies." In Chicago, Houston, Oakland, Philadelphia, and St. Louis, WKCD has collaborated with teams of students and teachers organized by a local partnership. Use this link http://www.whatkidscando.org/studentallies/studentalliesintro.html to access tools, publications, sample surveys, and data about what has been gathered and learned.

NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CENTER RELEASES RESOURCES ON ENSURING A SMOOTH TRANSITION INTO HIGH SCHOOL
MDRC conducted research in four urban districts and found that many students are unsuccessful at their transition from middle schools into larger high schools. The research suggests that as many as 40 percent of students are disengaged from their coursework and are not promoted from 9th to 10th grade on time. Additionally, less than 20 percent of those students recover from their setback and go on to graduate high school. To address this problem, the National High School Center has released a toolkit that contains four resources on how to support a student's transition into high school. To access the resource toolkit in its entirety, go to http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/NHSC_TransitionsReport.pdf

ISSUE BRIEF-DROPOUT PREVENTION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: A CRITICAL ISSUE FOR STATE EDUCATION AGENCIES
The purpose of this issue brief is to provide information and guidance to state education agencies (SEAs) regarding their accountability for IDEA 2004 legislative mandates in the area of dropout prevention for students with disabilities. The Brief was prepared by the National High School Center and can be found at - http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/NHSC_DropoutPrevention_052507.pdf

BUILDING EFFECTIVE DROPOUT PREVENTIONS PROGRAMS
Since 2004, the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) has synthesized available research and practice in the area of dropout prevention for students with disabilities providing insights into why youth with disabilities drop out, the consequences faced by these youth, and effective prevention strategies. This article, presents key strategies and recommendations gleaned from research and practice, which can be used by state or local administrators as well as educators to guide the development of dropout prevention programs for students with disabilities. http://www.ndpc-sd.org/assistance/docs/Building_Effective_Dropout_Prevention_Programs.pdf

Resources on Drop-out Prevention, Part 2

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS QUALITIES OF SUCCESSFUL HIGH SCHOOLS
In response to an increasing volume of reports discussing the ways in which many high schools are failing to retain students and prepare them for college or the workplace, the National High School Center has released a report highlighting successful high schools in hopes that the failing high schools might take these suggestions and improve the performance of their own programs. http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/ReportOfKeyPracticesandPolicies_10-31-06.pdf
From: NCLD

SUSTAINING CHANGE IN HIGH SCHOOL REFORM
Research by MDRC on career academies and other school reform efforts suggests that the twin pillars of high school reform are structural changes to improve personalization and instructional improvement. In this resource, program developers and researchers share lessons learned from high school reform efforts in a January 2007 online information brief. adapted from "Meeting Five Critical Challenges of High School Reform: Lessons on Research from Three Reform Models" by Janet Quint, published by MDRC in May 2006. More information can be found at http://www.mdrc.org/area_issue_21.html

NEW NCES REPORT - DROPOUT RATES IN THE UNITED STATES: 2004
This report builds upon a series of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports on high school dropout and completion rates that began in 1988. It presents estimates of rates for 2004, and provides data about trends in dropout and completion rates over the last three decades (1972-2004), including characteristics of dropouts and completers in these years. To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007024

HOW MANY STUDENTS REALLY GRADUATE FROM AMERICA'S HIGH SCHOOLS?
"Understanding High School Graduation Rates", a new publication from the Alliance for Excellent Education, illustrates the discrepancies in graduation rates reported by government and independent sources, examines why this is important, and explains how certain federal policies have contributed to the graduation rate confusion. The publication can be found at http://www.all4ed.org/publications/wcwc/index.html

DIPLOMAS COUNT: AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO GRADUATION POLICIES AND RATES
About 30 percent of the class of 2006 will not graduate high school, according to a new report by Education Week's Editorial Projects in Education Research Center. This report, tracks graduation rates in every state and the 50 largest school districts as well as policies such as course and exit exam requirements, type and number of state high school credentials, and compulsory age for attending high school. An online mapping resource available in July will allow users to see results for individual school districts, including comparisons to national and state data. For more information go to http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2006/06/22/index.html
From: Achieve, Inc.,July 2006 http://www.achieve.org

NEW POLICY BRIEF ON MDRC'S HIGH SCHOOL REFORM STUDIES AVAILABLE
The National High School Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and housed at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), has released a new research brief, "Emerging Evidence on Improving High School Student Achievement and Graduation Rates: The Effects of Four Popular Improvement Programs." The brief highlights ways to raise student achievement and keep students on track for graduation. Based on evaluations of four widely used high school improvement programs (Career Academies, First Things First, Project GRAD, and Talent Development), it outlines lessons learned about how to address five cross-cutting issues faced by low-performing high schools: The brief is available online at http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/NHSC_EmergingEvidenceBrief_111606Final.pdf

RAISING GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT INCREASING DROPOUT RATES: CAN IT BE DONE?
A new report from Jobs for the Future and Achieve examines historical trends in dropout rates; the impact of tougher graduation requirements; effective early detection and intervention strategies; and implications for parents, educators and policymakers. The report also highlights important insights that have emerged from several long-term studies of dropouts in Chicago, Philadelphia and Massachusetts. For more information about this report and other related issues. The report can be found at http://www.partnership4learning.org/eBriefing/July06/
From: Partnership for Learning

AAPD Accepting Applications for 2008 Summer Interns

AAPD is now accepting applications for the 2008 Summer Internship Programs. Details and the application are available on the AAPD website (look under Leadership Development): www.AAPD.com.

Applications are due FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2007.

Please forward the announcement below to your networks around the country.

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), Phone: 202-457-0046 (v/tty) or 800-840-8844 (v/tty) Fax: 202-457-0473 Website: www.aapd.com

Intern with U.S. Senators and Representatives, for careers in Public Policy?

Download the application for the: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC AMERICA FOUNDATION - AAPD CONGRESSIONAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM www.aapd.com/internships/internship08/MEAFinternInfo08.htm

Administered by AAPD and sponsored by the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, current sophomores and juniors interested in working on Capitol Hill are encouraged to apply. Accepted candidates will work in congressional offices in Washington, DC. Roundtrip air travel and housing will be provided to interns, and each student will receive a stipend. Applications are available at www.AAPD.com. Apply by: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2007 (5:00pm, EST).

Intern at Federal Government Agencies, for careers in Information Technology?

Download the application for the: MICROSOFT - AAPD FEDERAL I.T. INTERNSHIP PROGRAM - www.aapd.com/internships/internship08/MS-AAPDinternInfo08.htm

Administered by AAPD and sponsored by Microsoft Corporation, undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in information technology are encouraged to apply. Accepted candidates will work in various agencies in the executive branch of the federal government. Roundtrip air travel and housing will be provided to interns, and each student will receive a stipend. Applications are available at www.AAPD.com. Apply by: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2007 (5:00pm, EST).

This week, NICHCY is pleased to offer "Highly Qualified Teachers"(Module 7), available on our Web site at: http://www.nichcy.org/training/contents.asp#HQT

This module looks in detail at IDEA's new provisions requiring special educators to meet certain standards of "highly qualified teachers" - HQT, for short. HQT is seen as integral to helping States to meet NCLB's requirements for adequate yearly progress (AYP) and, above all, to improve results for our children with and without disabilities. Read all about it - and use the module to train others on HQT, if you'd like.

We hope you'll find these training resources helpful in your work or personal life. As always, please feel free to call or email us with your disability-related concerns, or visit our Web site, at: www.nichcy.org.

NICHCY, P.O. Box 1492, Washington, DC 20013,1.800.695.0285 (V/TTY), nichcy@aed.org, www.nichcy.org

Documentary on direct support professionals and Hurricane Katrina

HIGHER GROUND
The Role of Direct Support Professionals During and After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Documentary, DVD, 47-minutes, closed captioned. Please visit www.highergroundthemovie.org.

When Hurricane Katrina struck the city of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, hundreds of people with developmental disabilities were displaced. Roads were severely crowded or impassable. Cell phone didn't work. Many didn't know where their family members were. And yet direct support professionals stayed with those they supported and made sure everyone evacuated to higher ground. For months, these dedicated women and men, working long hours for low pay, put others before themselves, providing care and support with improvised resources. For these heroes of New Orleans, being a direct support professional is much than a job.

Produced for Volunteers of America by the Research and Training Center on Community Living, University of Minnesota. Funding provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and ANCOR.

Please visit www.highergroundthemovie.org for more information.

Jerry W. Smith, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, 150 Pillsbury Drive SE, 214 Pattee Hall, Minneapolis, MN 55455, 612.624.4336, http://rtcmedia.umn.edu

Disability Potpourri, JFA Potpourri, Week Ending 8/31/07
Closing Sheltered Workshops Conference

In 2002, Vermont closed its last sheltered workshop for people with developmental disabilities.

Vermont APSE invites you to a fall conference to learn how they changed their vocational services for individuals with developmental disabilities. Hear from state representatives, service providers, self-advocates and their families, and employers as we address the issues we faced and the strategies we
implemented in this conversion process.

A Time for Change
October 29-30, 2007
Hilton Burlington
Burlington, Vermont

For more information and registration, visit: http://www.vermontapse.org
SOURCE: Vermont APSE

Accommodating People with Disabilities in Disasters: A Reference Guide to Federal Law

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a new reference guide outlining legal requirements and standards relating to access for people with disabilities. The guide is a first in a series of disability-related guidelines to be produced by FEMA for disaster preparedness, response planners, and service providers at all levels.

A full copy of the Guide may be accessed at: http://www.fema.gov/oer/reference
SOURCE: Department of Homeland Security

Health Information Technology (HIT): Patient Privacy and People with Disabilities

AAPD works in coalition with many groups. One such group is the Coalition for Patient Privacy, a "network of state and national organizations working to restore everyone's right to control access to their sensitive health records." This Coalition worked hard to develop some "2007 Patient Privacy Principles." AAPD health and technology policy representatives worked to ensure that the needs of persons with disabilities were addressed by this group. The first principle established by this Coalition reads as follows:

There are several other principles important to all consumers, including those with disabilities. You can see the Coalition's full list of patient privacy principles and a list of the Coalition members at:
http://www.patientprivacyrights.org/site/PageServer? pagename=PrivacyCoalition

This patient privacy coalition works primarily to educate the U.S. Congress about the need for health privacy for all Americans and to build an electronic healthcare system where patients can keep their health records private. For more information on this PatientPrivacyRights organization, or to support these principles, or take some action steps about privacy and your medical records, please visit their website at www.patientprivacyrights.org or telephone 512-732-0033.

For an AAPD discussion paper on this topic, please see AAPD staffer Jenifer Simpson's remarks, at
http://www.aapd.com/News/tech/070823aapd.htm

For questions or concerns about health information technology or privacy issues, please contact AAPD's staffer Jenifer Simpson at aapdjenifer@aol.com
SOURCE: AAPD

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Disclaimer: MMWDC publishes information about issues and events that we believe to be important and likely to be of interest to advocates and others interested in inclusion of persons with disabilities in all parts of society. However, MMWDC and The Arc of the United States and TheArcLink Incorporated do not necessarily endorse all events, sponsoring organizations and reports which appear.