This is a very interesting article inDisability Scoopwritten by Jay Hancock about changes in the managed care system. He points out that Medicaid programs across the country are outsourcing management care. This is especially interesting given the current happenings in Wisconsin.

New Rules Expected For Medicaid Managed Care

By Jay Hancock

HARTSVILLE, Tenn. Lynda Douglas thought she had a deal with Tennessee. She would adopt and love a tiny, unwanted, girl with profound disabilities named Charla. The private insurance companies that run Tennessees Medicaid program would cover Charlas health care.

Douglas doesnt think the state and its contractors have held up their end. In recent years she says she has fought battle after battle to secure essential care to control Charlas seizures, protect her from choking and tube-feed and medicate her multiple times a day.

If you have special-needs children you would not want to be taking care of these children and be harassed like this, Lynda Douglas said. This is not right. No way, shape or form is this right.

State Medicaid programs across the country, which operate with large federal contributions, have outsourced most of their care management in recent years to insurance companies like the ones in Tennessee. The companies cover Medicaid members who are poor and those with disabilities in return for a fixed payment from taxpayers.

That helps government budgets but sets up a fundamental conflict of interest: the less care these companies deliver, the more money they make. Nationwide, such firms made operating profits of $2.4 billion last year, according to regulatory data compiled by Mark Farrah Associates and analyzed by Kaiser Health News.

In an attempt to manage that tension, Washington regulators are about to initiate thebiggest overhaul of Medicaid managed-care rulesin a decade. Prompted by growth of Medicaid outsourcing, concerns about access to care and stories like Charla Douglas, the regulations are expected to limit profits and set stricter requirements for care quality and the size of doctor networks.

We want the enrollees to have timely access to integrated, high-quality care, James Golden, who oversees Medicaid managed care for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told a group of insurance executives in February. Theres been some question about some of these issues.

Tennessee Medicaid plans operated by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, UnitedHealthcare and Anthem are amongthemostprofitableMedicaid insurers in the country, according to data from Milliman, a consulting firm. The state, which runs one of the most respected Medicaid managed-care programs in the country, adopted that design in the 1990s and named it TennCare.

State officials point to quality data and survey results as evidence that the companies are doing a good job while allowing the state to spend far less on Medicaid than predicted. More than90 percent of TennCare customers surveyedlast year said they were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied, officials note.

Our patient satisfaction scores are at the highest over the last five years theyve been in 20 years of the program, said TennCare director Darin Gordon, who worries new HHS rules could hinder states from improving Medicaid quality while controlling costs. Dont hamstring us from doing other innovative activities that are going to be able to help try to improve the health and well-being of our population.

But doctors and patient advocates say state savings and insurer profits come at the price of inadequate physician networks, long waits for care and denial of treatments like the ones for Charla Douglas. Answering another question in the survey,30 percent of adultssaid the quality of their TennCare care last year was only fair or poor.

BlueCross is more organized and more strategic in its denials, and the other plans might be more careless, but the way it plays out for folks on the ground level is the same, said Michele Johnson, executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, a nonprofit law firm that helps TennCare members navigate the system. What we find is that all three plans will deny care.

Medicaids expansion in most states under the Affordable Care Act has obscured another big but more gradual change:More than half of Medicaid beneficiariesnow receive coverage from private insurers, known as managed care companies, with incentives to limit care. The surge helped prompt inquiries by HHS inspector general last year that found widely varying state standards for access to doctors and poor information for members on where to find them.

In one nationwide study, half the doctors listed in official directories werent taking Medicaid patients. Among doctors who were, a quarter couldnt see patients for a month.

In Tennessee views diverge sharply on whether the proposed federal rules, expected soon, are necessary. Many say the system is far from adequate.

Dena Deweese, who runs a primary care practice in Knoxville, has problems finding specialists for her patients who are covered through Amerigroup, a TennCare contractor and Anthem affiliate that recently began operating in the area.

I kept running into no, no, no, she said. Ive still got lots of folks that are simply not taking it.

Amerigroup says it only recently started covering TennCare members in the area and is still expanding its network. Since January we have added more than 3,600 specialty physicians, said company spokeswoman Cindy Wakefield.

TennCares member-per-doctor standard for primary care is among the worst in states that have such rules one provider per 2,500 members. Even for urgent care, TennCare rules allow waiting times of up to two days for an appointment.

The state allows one neurologist per 35,000 TennCare members, although most states have no network standards at all for such specialists.

Even when children are having seizures, Crossville pediatrician Suzanne Berman often cant get a TennCare neurology referral for weeks.

I have a kid who urgently needs to see a specialist, she said. We call and we beg. We can see you in three months, the neurologists nurse will say. OK we can see you in two weeks. No, we cant wait that long.

Often she must send the child to a hospital emergency room to get the proper care its the only way I have found to jump the queue, she said.

Douglas Springer, a gastroenterologist and, until recently, president of the Tennessee Medical Association, recognizes states need to control Medicaid expense.

The cost in that population keeps going up and up and up, he said.

But he favors new rules to ensure adequate doctor networks and limit insurer profits.

If they can make it hard on [a patient], and make it so the networks are poorly funded or poorly populated, then nobody can go see anybody, he said. They dont have to spend any money.

Evelyn Manley said she had to fight to get TennCares insurers to cover even a portion of the behavioral therapy that doctors recommend for Christian, her five-year-old son with diagnoses of autism and Down syndrome.

Im grateful for TennCare, she said. But it could definitely improve.

Lynda Douglas, 69, knew she wanted to adopt Charla a decade ago as soon as she took her for foster care from the state. Charlas problems include cerebral palsy, a badly curved spine, frequent seizures and osteoporosis. She cannot speak and takes most food by tube. She is 16, weighs less than 80 pounds and loves Barney the dinosaur.

Douglas, who lives about an hour east of Nashville, says she has often struggled to get adequate treatment for Charla. But she was grateful that TennCares contractors sent daytime nurses to monitor her seizures, keep her from choking, activate an implanted device to control seizures, administer medicine and maintain a tube that delivers medicine or nourishment eight times a day.

Then more than a year ago UnitedHealthcare reduced the nursing to one hour a day even though Charlas condition hadnt improved. Douglas protested with the help of the Tennessee Justice Center and a pro-bono lawyer and won, but TennCare appealed. It took two more rounds of adjudication before a judge ruled in Douglas favor late last year.

The managed-care companies are making a mint down here, Douglas said. Theyre getting rich at the expense of the kids. This is not right.

UnitedHealthcare made operating profit of $236 million last year on revenue of $2.8 billion in its Tennessee Medicaid business, according tostate filings. Anthems operating profit for TennCarecame to $53 millionon revenue of $946 million. BlueCrosss operating profit for TennCarewas $121 millionon revenue of $1.8 billion. Those results do not include expenses for taxes, depreciation and other items not directly related to health coverage.

Our care teams worked with the family and with [Charla Douglas] physicians and other providers to assure that her services were appropriate for her special health care needs, UnitedHealthcare said in a prepared statement. The managed-care plan followed TennCares contract and care guidelines, it said.

This year Charla switched to the BlueCross TennCare plan to better coordinate her care with two other children with disabilities in the Douglas household, one foster and one adopted. In March the plan denied coverage of the seizure-control pump that Charlas doctors prescribed, saying it was medically unnecessary.

BlueCross now says it will pay for the procedure. A spokeswoman blamed the initial denial on a physicians failure to provide the needed medical information.

Like TennCare officials, the managed-care industry is urging HHS not to publish overly rigid regulations that bog plans down in paperwork and hinder them from making investments to keep members healthy.

Youre dealing with a huge variation in population covered by Medicaid from state to state, said Jeff Myers, CEO of Medicaid Health Plans of America, an industry lobby. Each state has an insurance commissioner. Presumably theyre very good about making decisions about insurance regulation to suit local conditions, he said.

Myers and other officials expect HHS to issue rules for medical loss ratios that limit profits and force plans to spend a minimum portion of revenue on medical care. Such restrictions already apply to other insurance under the health law.

Imposing blanket profit standards on diverse Medicaid programs would be terrible policy, he said.

TennCare director Gordon, who frequently advises other states on Medicaid, rejects suggestions that managed-care networks are inadequate or that contractors deny needed care. Third-party surveys show that 90 percent of Tennessee doctors take TennCare and most of them take new TennCare patients, he said, although consumer advocates dispute this.

TennCare members sometimes have trouble seeing specialist doctors, but so do patients in commercial plans, he said. Like many state Medicaid directors, he wonders how HHS can publish network rules for 50 states with widely varying geographies and health systems.

We actually have a pretty solid network, he said, with systems to closely track how contracted insurers are performing. The HHS investigation into Medicaid doctor networks looked at it very narrowly and gives you a less complete picture of whats going on in the states, he said.

Written the wrong way, Gordon said, HHS limits on managed-care profits could discourage spending on coordinators who improve care quality at decreased cost.

Yeah, were a little concerned, about the proposed rules to be published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, he added. There are some things that we think may have adverse effects.

Other Tennesseans tend to oppose Washington decrees no matter what they say.

We need to keep CMS out of our business. They have done nothing but screw everybody up, said Iris Snider, an Athens pediatrician who praises the job Gordon and other officials have done with TennCare. It really worries me when we finally get a system thats working reasonably well for my patients.

Source: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/04/29/new-rules-medicaid-care/20254/

TheInterfaith Disability Advocacy Coalitionof the American Association of Persons with Disabilities and theNational Collaborative on Faith and Disabilityhave initiated the ADA25 and Faith Campaign to encourage faith communities and organizations to sponsor and join in celebrations and activities related to ADA25. Congregations can sign aFaith Community Proclamationdeveloped in collaboration with the ADA National Network recommitting to the vision of the ADA as well as customizeresources to educational and celebration events.

Publicityis going out through religious organizations and networks but people with disabilities, families and disability organizations can also play a vital role by inviting their own faith community and/or others in their community to participate.

Questions regarding this initiative can be directed to:

Connect|Share|Learn|http://sdnetworkwi.org/

Thank You to Our New NetworkSponsors!

We would like to thank Innovative Services, Inc. and LinkEd for becoming our newest sponsors of the Self-Determination Network. The Network would not exist without its fabulous sponsors, who provide in-kind and financial support.To learn about how you can become a Network Sponsor, contactDeb Wisniewski.

Aging Empowerment Conference

Join InControl Wisconsin and other sponsors on June 1^stfor a one-day conference exploring self-determination and empowerment in aging at the Glacier Canyon Lodge Conference Center at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells. This statewide event will examine new approaches to providing support to older adults that encourage autonomy and choice.

The keynote address entitled, Self-Determination: Past, Present, & Future will be given by Dr. Kevin Manhoney. Dr. Mahoney, Professor of Social Work at Boston College and Founding Director of the National Resource Center for Participant-Directed Services, will share a national perspective on the expansion of self-determination in long-term care. To prepare for the future, we need to understand the past and achievements that bring us here today. What can we learn from the evidence of success that supports this model of service delivery as we look toward the future? This keynote will help us understand the challenges and opportunities we may face in continuing to advance self-determination.

Stay tuned for registration information!

Check out this months Member Spotlight

The Self-Determination Network includes some very talented members and we want to help you to get to know each other a little better. Member Spotlight is a great way for us to get to know each other better.

For this month, we shine the Spotlight on April Nutter. This great parent believes that self-directing your supports can make a world of difference. Stop by this monthsMember Spotlightand get to know April!

Who should we shine the Spotlight on next?

Stay informed about the latest on the Budget Proposal

We continue to keep theBudget Proposal pagewith the latest information. On theLearn pagewe just added links to informational hearings that were held at the capitol about Long-Term Care. Now is the critical time totake action! Let your voice be heard!

The Results are In!

We asked people what they are doing about the proposed changes to IRIS and Family Care. Nearly 50% of people said that theyre sharing their story/thoughts with the Governors office and/or their legislators. Over 20% of people attended Disability Advocacy Day, budget training workshops, and/or public hearings. Nearly 20% of people also reported that theyre talking to people about the changes and/or reading about them. About 9% of people said that they are talking to local media and/or writing letters to newspapers about the proposed changes. Now, we want to know which programs you use to self-direct. Take our newone-minute poll.

Join us for another Coffee Break!

• Coffee Break: An Update on Wisconsins State Budget Proposal: Thursday, May 6th, 2015, 9:00a.m. to 9:30a.m. CST

Family Care. IRIS. SeniorCare. ADRCs. Personal Care...

Wisconsin Governor's Budget Proposal is currently in the hands of the Joint Finance Committee. It includes major changes to the Long-Term Care system in Wisconsin.

So what's in the budget? What's not? How will it affect your life or the life of people you care about? What can you do about the changes being proposed?

Join our special guest,Lynn Breedlove, to ask questions, share your thoughts andlearn more about the budget proposal. Lynn is the board president for InControl Wisconsin and a outspoken advocate for self-determination.

The Coffee Break is a live discussion (chat) on the Network, open to all members. Each Coffee Break has a different theme - participants will be asked to share their thoughts, questions, ideas and challenges on the subject.

You can join the discussion (chat) any time during the Coffee Break. Just sign in on the SD Network during the time you want to participate on the Network and then go to the Chat Room.

There's no need to register - however, it would help if you would RSVP so we have some idea if you will be joining us.

Stacys Journal

Network Manager, Stacy Ellingen, continues to share some of her personal experiences with us. This month she shares herJourney to Employmentwith us. We encourage you to ask her questions and/or share your experiences as well.

It Only Takes "Five"

Take five minutes to check out what's happening on the Self-Determination Network:

• Take a Survey about the ADA: The ADA Wisconsin Partnership posted a survey people can take about the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Neat Resource: The ADA Wisconsin Partnership posted a really neat resource about an online newsletter regarding the ADA. Check it out!
• Accessible City: This is a great article about how Madison is becoming more accessible for people with disabilities.
• ABLE Act: An article about how the ABLE Act is moving forward in some states.
• Questionable SSI Payments: This is an interesting article about how there were billions of dollars of questionable SSI payments in 2014.
• Call for Exhibitors: The Across the Lifespan Conference is looking for exhibitors for their 2015 conference. Find out how to get involved today!
• Call for Proposals: The Across the Lifespan Conference is looking for presenters for their 2015 conference. Find out how to get involved today!
• Caregiver Pay: An interesting article about the push to give in-home caregivers pay protections.
• Service Animal Fraud: This is a blog about how service animal fraud is on the rise and whats being done to prevent it.
• Free Bus Rides: Find out which Wisconsin county is offering free bus rides to people with disabilities.
• Youth Leadership Forum: The Wisconsin Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) is now accepting applications for 2015. The deadline is May 11^th.
• Post news or start a discussion: It's easy to do and a great way to share information and network with others!

New Members

Stop by to welcomeournewest members

• Sheworksfor a company whose mission revolves around self-determination.
• This person iscommitted to self-determination.
• Hes a smallbusiness ownerwho is very interested in advocacy.
• Thisguardianis very upset about what the government is trying to do with self-directed support programs.
• She is theDirector of Vocational Serviceswith Innovative Services, Inc.
• This person has a ton of experienceworking with people with disabilities.
• Hespassionate about self-determination.

Do you know someone who should join the Self-Determination Network? Spread the word and invite friends, families and other interested folks!

Upcoming Events

Here's a sample ofupcoming eventslisted on the Self-Determination Network:

• WI FACETS Spring Self-Advocacy Workshop: Self-Advocate Spotlight: April 28^th, 6pm to 8pm, WI FACETS, Milwaukee WI
• Circles of Life Conference 2015; April 30^thto May 1^st, Holiday Inn Convention Center, Stevens Point WI
• Coffee Break: An Update on Wisconsins State Budget Proposal: May 6^th, 9am to 9:30am,SD Network Chat Room
• The National ADA Symposium: May 10^thto 13^th, National Center for Civil & Human Rights, Atlanta GA
• Living a Self-Determined Life Conference: June 1^stto 2^nd, Wilderness Resort, Wisconsin Dells WI
• ADA Free Pontoon Boat Rides on Madison Lakes: June 14^thto August 16^th, Tenney Park, Madison WI
• ADA Legacy Bus Tour: June 25^th, 11am to 4pm, State Capitol, Madison WI
• State-wide Institute on Best Practices in Inclusive Education 2015:July 27^thto 29^th, Westwood Conference Center, Wausau WI
• 3rd Annual Disability Pride Festival: July 25^th, 12pm to 5pm, Brittingham Park, Madison WI
• Self-Determination Conference: November 9^thto 11^th, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells WI

Post your eventon the Self-Determination Network and it can be included in future Network News emails to members! Questions? Suggestions? ContactStacy Ellingen.

The Self-Determination Network is powered by In Control Wisconsin and supported financially by ourmembersandSponsors. We couldn't keep this Network going with you! Find out how you can help support the Network.

Impact is a newsletter series published by the Institute on Community Integration.It includes strategies, research, and success stories in specific focus areas related to persons with intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities. Their recent edition focuses on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Here is a link to the newsletter online. It's described as follows:

A newsletter issue marking the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In thisImpact, the ADA's promise for people with disabilities is seen as both having arrived, and still on the way. For many of the individuals who contributed to this issue, the ADA is a promise our nation has made that Americans with disabilities will have the same opportunity as Americans without disabilities to experience freedom, dignity, meaning, and inclusion. At the same time, a number of contributors talk about ways in which that promise, or the realization of that promise, is incomplete because it doesn't yet fully include everyone. Specifically, there are ways in which people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have often not reaped the full benefit of the ADA because many of the barriers they face in seeking equal opportunity are not yet fully addressed. By sharing this range of perspectives, thisImpactissue encourages readers to both pause to celebrate the anniversary of the ADA as a turning point in our nation's journey, and then continue traveling toward that horizon of full inclusion we have yet to reach.

The Southwest ADA Center is carrying out research to investigate the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). As part of this research, we are asking people who have personal or professional experience on disability issues to complete the attached survey.

The information gathered from this survey will help us 1) understand what aspects of society have become more accessible due to the ADA; 2) understand what areas of society still require further investigation and proposed solutions; and 3) to develop and improve the information, support, and guidance needed to help further the goals of the ADA. These findings will also provide the foundation for further research on the ADA and its impact on people with disabilities.

To share your thoughts and views, please complete the online survey at:https://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/12291g568bd.The survey takes only about 10 or 15 minutes to complete.

Meet April Nutter. Shes a devoted mother who strongly believes that self-determining who your care workers are can make a world of difference. Shes a fantastic advocate for her son Joey. Read more about April in this months SD Network Member Spotlight.

How are you involved with self-determination? Why did you join the SDNetwork?

I joined the SD network looking for answers to the upcoming budget problems and the removal of IRIS. I got very scared at the thought of losing the ability to choose who can work with our son since he is very complicated. Joey is 21 and has seizures, cognitive delays, and mood disorders.

Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms self-determination?

Self-determining our care workers has helped us choose who is a good match for his needs and ours! We live in a rural farm area with many animals and have other children in our home. We have been able to find people who can help keep Joey involved in his interests and share the same interests! At first, I was nervous about self-determination, but the IRIS consultants are amazing; they have been more like family rather than workers. Self-determination has also given us the flexibility to change schedules if need be, and change transportation methods when needed. As much as we try to keep every day routines the same, life throws twists in there that need adjusting and its nice to know we can adjust when needed. Because we have found the right people Joey now has kept two jobs for two years!

What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to direct their own supports, or who would want to be more self-determined?

I would just recommend being confident, dont be afraid to ask a lot of questions, and remember that self-determination is easier than sounds because you already know whats best and what a lot of the future goals are!

What message would you like to share with themembersof the SDNetwork?

Just remember you are never alone...there are soooo many wonderful people to help guide you through the good and bad times!

What's your dream vacation?

We have never really talked or thought about it... Joeys dream vacation is to see his brother in England--he is in the Air Force.

When I sit back and reflect on my employment journey, I cant help but think about how crazy it has been. Before I move on, I want to mention that at the age of four, an insurance company deemed me unemployable without even meeting me! At four years old they made that determination! Of course, I dont really remember it, but thats what my parents tell me. That always has stuck in the back of my mind.

My employment journeystarted back in 2009 after I graduated from UW-Whitewater. Actually, I should mention thatI had the opportunity to write a column in The Fond du Lac Reporter for about two years while I was in Whitewater. I wrote every other week about having a physical disability. It was all volunteer, but the exposure was incredible. I also was an online mentor for students with disabilities starting the year before I graduated. It was through Midwest Alliance.I helped them with such things as goal setting, accommodations, study skills, self-advocacy skills, and transitioning.I did that for just over three years, and had 8 or 9 students.After graduating, I continued to work with the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to try to find employment. I had been a client of DVR since my junior year of high school. They helped me get setup with my accommodations I needed at Whitewater.

After I graduated college, I lived at my parents in Fond du Lac to start with, so I was with the Fond du Lac DVR. They hired an employment vendor to try to help me find employment. They helped me get a work experience with an advertising agency in Appleton. I designed ads for a coupon magazine from home. I loved doing it, but, unfortunately, the company wasn't in place to hire me at the time. After that, the employmentvendor basically left me hanging. Long story short, for the next year, I was basically applied for jobs on my own and checkedin with DVR every so often. Eventually, DVR put me on a waiting list for customized employment through Clarity Care.

I moved to Oshkosh in February 2011 and started with DVR in Winnebago County. Shortly after, Istarted Customized Employment with Clarity Care. I went through their program steps which included such things as doing an employment profile, creating a visual resume, and creating a portfolio, so we could show employers my work. We tried getting some work experiences, but didnt have any luck. In February 2012, I went to a breakout session about Vocational Futures Planning and Support (VFPS) at the Transition Conference.VFPS is a specific approach meant for people with physical disabilities. Mom and I talked to the founders after the session and I brought the information back to Clarity Care and DVR. There was nobody in my partof the state trained on VFPS, so Clarity Care bought the training and one of the founders trained them using me as an example. It was interesting too because I was the first IRIS participant to go through it which made a difference with funding.

VFPS is a multi-step team approach that looks at all aspects of my life and basically assesses all my barriers. Because of my situation, we weren't able to follow VFPS exactly. We did what was appropriate for me. I had an assistive technology evaluation done which was when I got my Ipad for communication. I also got a whole new computer setup which included things such as two computer screens, new updated design software, and an accessible computer table. Everything I needed so I would be ready to work. I also had a benefits analysis done to learn how income would affect my benefits. I created an online portfolio to show potential employers my work. We also did a couple of informational interviews, so I could ask questions of employers so I could get a better understanding of what they were looking for.

We tried getting some work experiences, but again we didnt have much luck. In October 2012, I was told I had a job designing ads for a coupon mailer. I was toldit wasn'tjust an experience; it was apermanentjob at first. Well, over the course of four months, there were several miscommunications and I was told several different things. In the end, it endedup being a work experience which ended up not leading to a job.While I was grateful for the opportunity, this was so incredibly frustrating. In the middle of the experience, one of the people trained on VFPS left Clarity Care. Soon after, the other person who was trained left also. It was unbelievable! I admit, after that fiasco, it took me a couple of weeks to clear my head and refocus. Eventually, with the support of my employment team and my family, Istarted my own business and did some freelance things. I do freelance graphic design and social media. Its called Design Wheels. I advertise on places such as Craigslist and Facebook.

Then, last March, I received an email encouraging me to apply for the Online Community Network Manager position for InControl Wisconsin. I applied, had an interview, and was offered the position. Its really ideal for me. Im able to work from home, and, obviously, its something Im really passionate about. June 1^st will mark one year of being employed by InControl Wisconsin.

In December, after 14 years, we were able to successfully close my DVR case. Given, the severity of my limitations, people tell me its a pretty amazing achievement. It had been always a goal of mine to prove that insurance company wrong. I knew I couldif given the chance!

When I think about my journey, although there were many times wanted to give up, Im so glad I didnt! I encourage people to keep pursuing their dreams even if people tell you they will never happen. With perseverance and determination, anything is possible!

The views expressed here are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of InControl Wisconsin, the Network or any of our sponsors.

Wisconsin Youth Leadership Forum Now Accepting Applications!!! Come celebrate our 15thanniversary with us!!!

The WI YLF is a FREE, week-long leadership training and career awareness program for high school students with disabilities. It will be heldJuly 26-31, 2015at the Edgewood College campus in Madison, WI.

If you know a high school student with a disability who is active in their school and/or community and would like to develop leadership and advocacy skills, learn more about college and career options, and start making valuable connections with other young leaders in our state, please forward them this information so they can apply today!

Applications and more information is available at:http://www.wi-bpdd.org/projects/YouthLeadershipForum.cfm.

Application Deadline:May 11, 2015

Please direct questions to John Shaw at WI BPDD john1.shaw@wisconsin.govor(608) 266-7707.

A great article in theMilwaukee Courierwritten by Tiffany Crouse about how theMilwaukee County Transit System is now offering unlimited free rides to seniors and persons with disabilities through a new transit card.

Seniors and Persons with Disabilities Can Now Ride Bus for Free

By Tiffany Crouse

The Milwaukee County Transit System is now offering unlimited free rides to seniors and persons with disabilities through a new transitcard. Applications were first accepted and processed Tuesday, March 31. That same day the first Go Passes were handed out to eligible people.

Oncethe applicationhas been filled out, processed, and you receive your Go Pass, you can use it that same day.

Long lines and long waits for the first day said Brandon Conway, Media Coordinator for MCTS. Conway believes that the long waits will only be for the first few weeks. After the initial wave of people coming to get their IDs, it should only take about five minutes to get your go pass.

In order to receive a Go Pass you need only one of these four things.

You need to be 65 or older with a current ID that proves Milwaukee residency.

You need a government ID that proves age and Milwaukee residency.

You must have a doctors note describing your disability on a professional letterhead or a prescription slip. Both of these things need to be paired with aphotoID. Look at therequirements forpersons with disabilities to be eligible for a Go Pass here:http://www.ridemcts.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/go-pass-application.pdf.

Seniors and persons with disabilities currently ride the bus at half fare, but MTCS wanted to make the bus more accessible for those who need it most in their community.

In order to get a Go Pass for yourself or another person, you will need tofill outthe applicationand bring it to the MCTS administrative building: 1942 N 17^thStreet, Milwaukee WI 53205.

We might be in your neighborhood in May, said Conway.

MCTS says that they will be opening local application drop offlocationsin May, but as of right now in order to get a Go Pass you must go to the administrative building.

They will be accepting applications from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. MCTS advises Milwaukee residences tofill outtheir applicationat homeand bring it to their registration to cut down on wait times.

The applicationandmore informationcan be found at the Milwaukee County Transit Systems website at:http://www.ridemcts.com/fares-passes/go-pass.

Source: http://milwaukeecourieronline.com/index.php/2015/04/06/seniors-and-persons-with-disabilities-can-now-ride-bus-for-free/

This is an interesting blog in theHuffington Postwritten by Cathy Kangas about how people pass their pets off as service animals. She explains that doing this is fraud, yet it's so easy to do. Service animal organizations and the Department of Justice are taking steps to prevent this.

Phony Service Dogs

By Cathy Kangas

Nothing drives me crazier than people with phony service dogs. I can't count the times I have been at a well-attended event to find a cute Pekinese decked out in a tiny service dog vest. This "service dog" spends most of the evening barking and nipping at heels when he is placed on the floor. We have become so politically correct that no one wants to say anything to the owner.

Passing a pet off as a service dog is fraud, yet all it takes to make a pet look like a trained assistance animal is buying an easily available vest on the Internet - no questions asked, just send in your money.

But remember this: Impersonating someone with a disability to obtain benefits that don't belong to you is a crime - and it's punishable in many states by fines and jail time. And when untrained pets behave badly, the people who actually need assistance dogs wind up suffering the most. Enough is enough!

Canine Companions for Independence is leading the effort to urge the Department of Justice to crack down on the sale of fake service dog products, and you can sign their letter at cci.org/stopfraud. This wonderful organization provides highly trained service dogs for free to servicemen and women who have been wounded in combat, as well as men, women and children with disabilities. The dogs take two years to train and learn more than 40 commands.

I was moved by Betsy Alison's story. She is the Head Paralympics Coach of the U.S. Sailing Team Sperry. She has been coaching sailors with disabilities for 17 years accompanied by her dog, Morrow. The interaction between Morrow and her athletes has had a positive impact on the well-being and performance of her team. Morrow provides critical emotional and psychological support for athletes when they are on the road training or competing.

I asked Betsy how she felt about people passing off their pets as service dogs. "It is a shame that people are taking advantage of the privilege of being able to have a trained service animal in public places. Many times it is quite apparent that these dogs are not trained and their behavior is less than admirable. I am often asked to show Morrow's Canine Companion for Independence Public Access Certification Card with its permit number," she said.

Cara Miller, who was born with a profound hearing loss, had her dog Maya by her side as she earned a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. Her dissertation research centered around deaf identity and attitudes toward hearing dog partnerships. She discovered that many hearing dog partners felt as she did that their hearing dogs were not only a source of safety and security, but also served as a "social lubricant" inviting and facilitating conversations with other people.

Maya passed away and Cara now has an assistance dog named Turf. He helps her with her job in the Office of Diversity and Equity for Students at Gallaudet.

She is troubled by the fact that her right to public access with Turf under the Americans with Disabilities Act is threatened by disruptive behavior of phony service dogs. It lowers the public trust in the legitimacy of the training that she and Turf received to be able to function safely and successfully as a team out in the world. "I believe strongly that as an assistance dog team we are ambassadors at all times not only for Canine Companions for Independence, but for all assistance dog teams that the public might encounter in the near or far future."

These are just two stories. There are countless more about these wonderful dogs who help people with disabilities lead fuller lives. That's why it is imperative that we demand an end to phony service dogs.

Debra Dougherty, Executive Director Canine Companions for Independence Northeast Region, said: "There are an alarming number of Internet companies that sell assistance dog vests and identification to anyone who wants to purchase them. The fake certification allows people to claim their untrained pet dogs are service dogs so they will be permitted inside grocery stores, restaurants and other public places where family pets are otherwise not allowed.

As a result of this fraudulent practice, people with disabilities who have a legitimate need for an assistance dog face added discrimination and are being denied access to public places, which is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act."

A great way to hear more wonderful stories about the work of Canine Companions for Independence is to attend their Hearts & Heroes Gala on Thursday, April 16th at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. New York State Comptroller, The Honorable Thomas P. DiNapoli will be the special guest auctioneer and Linda Schmidt from Fox 5 NY is the master of ceremonies. For ticket information visit: cci.org/HH2015.

We need to make sure that service dogs continued to be welcomed in all public places and that those who try to pass off a family pet as an assistance dog are punished to the full extent of the law.

Source:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cathy-kangas/phony-service-dogs_b_6978790.html