I. Introductions were completed.
II. Minutes Were approved; if you were unable to open them, they are available as always on the DD Council website: www.manhattanddcouncil.org
III. Announcements: Flyers & Hand-Outs
AHRC NYC
Program vacancy list is attached. There is also still availability at the Lodge summer program for adolescents and young adults. 1:3 ratio, choice of several exciting activities every day, and scholarships are available. Call 212-780-4491 for an application.
The Middle/High School in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, has vacancies for students ages 13-21 on the autism spectrum, with ED, and other disabilities. Contact Christina.Muccioli@ahrcnyc.org for more information.
Archcare at Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center
See attached for openings in the Developmental Disabilities Clinic.
UCP/NYC
Program vacancy list is attached.
Lifespire
There is a short waitlist for In Home Behavior Management. Call Jay Kleinman at 718-454-6940 for more information.
YAI
The vacancy list is attached; there are openings in the Mainstreaming at Camp program, evening recreation and supplemental day hab. The spring and summer 2013 schedule of the Family Support Series for Caregivers of People with Autism Spectrum Disorders is also attached.
There is an adult yoga group through the City Council Autism Grant once a week.
Call YAI LINK at 212-273-6182 for referrals and any other information.
Kennedy Child Study Center
The Saturday respite program for children ages 3-12 has openings; lunch and transportation provided. Contact Ann Scully at 212-988-9500.
District 75
See attached for the latest Travel Training newsletter, including information on a survey for families (on page 8). There is a history of travel training for people with disabilities at the District 75 office at 400 First Avenue in Manhattan. Tell the security guard you are there to see it.
Agencies should email announcements of any events or fun information they would like posted on the DD Council Facebook page to manhattanddcouncil@yahoo.com. The DD Council web page is for more “official business.”
IV. Guest Speaker, Josh Keller, Healing Arts Initiative
HAI brings arts to underserved populations. They have a variety of programs where they will either bring people to the arts, including Broadway plays, Shakespeare in the Park, and art galleries, or they will bring artists to programs to run workshops with individuals. These workshops run for two hours, once a week, for a minimum of three months. HAI provides the materials, and what the workshop entails depends on the interest of the artists in the workshops and their skill sets. During the workshop, the group will create art or choreograph, but their behavioral or social issues aren’t addressed directly. There is a multi-sensory approach, so a theater group will include role play and bright colors, while fostering communication. HAI provides the artist, the program provides the staff. Ideally there are 15 people in a group, but they will go up to 30 if it’s appropriate. Workshops cost $175 per week, and can be for all ages, pre-school and up. Individuals can also sign up, they don’t have to come with a group. HAI will come to a residence, day hab, school, or any setting.
In terms of day hab without walls, HAI is working with community groups such as Friends of the Highline to work in spaces in the community. HAI is also looking to work with inter-generational groups, and in integrated settings, such as some of the holiday parties which are for people with and without disabilities. HAI has art openings and art galleries for everyone who is able to participate. HAI also operates “omni-buses” that they rent out to transport people to shows and back. They are driven by former MTA bus drivers, and include a bus monitor/escort. They can hold ten wheelchairs or 37 ambulatory people, or a combination of both. It is $655 for the first four rentals in a fiscal year, $600 for each additional rental. Each rental day is about six hours.
For more information, see the attached flyers, or go to www.hainyc.org.
V. State News
The Front Door Policy will go into effect in July. It is a process for coordinated intake and eligibility, assessment, referral, and authorization of services for all OPWDD services. Families and individuals will do everything through their local DDRO’s. There was extensive discussion regarding the Council’s concerns regarding the implementation and lack of communication between OPWDD and the provider agencies and the families. Marco will contact Donna Limiti from OPWDD and see if she is available to speak with the Council before the June meeting.
For more details, go to http://www.opwdd.ny.gov/welcome-front-door/resource-booklet
Pathways to Employment is expected to start in October or November.
VI. City News
The position of DOHMH Assistant Commissioner will be filled, but will be re-titled as Executive Director of the Bureau of Developmental Disabilities. The Director of Contracts position is also open. The Council needs to work on the Local Government Plan, which is now called “Community Services Plan.”
VII. IAC/Federation Report
IAC:
Regarding the OPWDD budget, last month Wini Schiff of IAC reported on the resolution to the $90M reduction. IAC has a concern that some of the remedies may have a negative impact on the future budgets under managed care.
The moratorium on pre-school admissions has resulted in a backup of 300 children awaiting admission.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) will provide a 75% match for “money follows the person” for the first year.
The State is claiming that CMS wants the residential services provider to be separated from the room and board provider.
Some agencies are experiencing huge increases (600%) in workers’ compensation premiums.
A bill to have insurance companies pay for EI (fully or partially), either directly or into a pool is gaining support in Albany.
There is a bill on restoration of some or all of the $90 million to make OPWDD whole for another year.
IAC, with AHRC and other agencies, is applying for travel training grant from the federal government for a train-the-trainer approach.
DOH Article 28 take-backs are still on hold. Discussions are now underway on recoupments at 30% less than in the original plan.
IAC is exploring a closer relationship with the Long Island Alliance.
IAC’s second annual conference will be held on May 30 – 31.
Federation: The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21.
VIII. Committee Reports
Family Support – The space where the Family Support Fair is usually held is booked through March of 2014, so the Committee is exploring alternate options. If anyone knows of any reasonably priced comparable space, which is accessible and easy for families to get to, please contact abittinger@ucpnyc.org or Jennifer.Shaoul@yai.org.
At the last meeting, there was a presentation by two independent living organizations and the Self Advocacy Association. At the next meeting, there will be a presentation by Clara Berg, who is the parent of a son who is deaf, blind, with IDD. She has developed the “Tell Your Story Project.” She will show you how to tell your family’s story to an agency, legislator, etc. in three minutes or less in an effective way.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 6/11, at 10am at YAI, 460 West 34th Street, 11th floor. Call 718-859-5420, ext. 234 for more information.
Legislative – The DD Councils are considering organizing a coordinated city wide legislative effort over the summer, inviting Legislators to programs, going to visit Legislators in the their offices, and other outreach. If you are interested in being involved, please contact jmalley@esperanzacenter.net.
Transition – The Committee met last week, and primarily spoke about OPWDD’s Front Door process in terms of next year’s graduates, but now it turns out that this year’s graduates will also have to go through the Front Door, so they will be working on that, too. More than half of the graduates for this year who were seeking OPWDD day services had identified where they wanted to go. There are about 25 of this year’s graduates still without OPWDD eligibility at this time, who will probably not have a program in June (delay was in getting their evals complete, for a variety of reasons).
The next meeting will be on Wednesday 6/12 at 9:30 at AHRC Redfield, 156 William Street. Call Kathy Kelly at 212-780-2724 for more information.
Manhattan Family Support Services Advisory Council – There will be one evening session at the next meeting on Wednesday, June 5, featuring former OPWDD Associate Commissioner Kathy Broderick. She will talk about what is going on in the field with the recent budget cuts, the new reforms, and how it might affect services for people with developmental disabilities. The meeting will be at 5:30 on 6/5 at 75 Morton Street. Call Margaret Puddington for more information, 212-799-2042.
Service Coordination – The MSC Forum will be held on Thursday, May 23 at 9am at PACE University. To participate on the Committee or to become involved in any capacity, please contact Carol Lincoln at clincoln@ucpnyc.org.
Children’s Committee – The Committee will meet again in September. For information about the Committee, contact Christina Muccioli at Christina.Muccioli@ahrcnyc.org.
Next meeting: Thursday, June 13 at YAI, 460 West 34th Street, 11th floor.