News
A new bill is being proposed that would allow people who care for people with disabilities to receive a tax credit. The bill is aimed towards family members who care for loved ones. The credit would be meant to offset costs for caring for individuals with long-term care needs. Caregivers would have to meet certain qualifications to receive the credit.
Read full article here.
Wallethub.com recently released a list of the best and worst cities for people with disabilities for last year. Multiple factors were considered for the rankings.
Find out which two Wisconsin cities made the list of the best cities!
Do you have questions about the proposed long-term care program (Family Care/IRIS 2.0) being proposed by the Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services (DHS)? Check out their Frequently Asked Questions page.
Family Care/IRIS 2.0 Concept Paper Submitted to Joint Committee on Finance
By SD Network, 2016-04-04
The following information was released by the Wisconsin Dept. of Human Services (DHS) on March 31, 2016:
Click here to view the Family Care/IRIS 2.0 Concept Paper
As required by 2015 Act 55, earlier this afternoon the Department submitted the Family Care/IRIS 2.0 Concept Paper to the Joint Committee on Finance. Consistent with the current program, Family Care/IRIS 2.0 will continue to serve adults with physical disabilities, adults with developmental disabilities, and frail elders who meet financial and functional eligibility requirements.
To create this Concept Paper, the Department held 10 public hearing, met with councils, boards, and committees that advise DHS on its long-term care programs; and held additional meetings with a variety of stakeholders to collect input. We received testimony in person and in writing from more than 750 people.
Thank you to everyone who submitted feedback. We value your input and look forward to working with you as we work toward implementing Family Care/IRIS 2.0.
The Family Care/IRIS 2.0 plan outlined in the Concept Paper reflects the Department’s approach that remains centered on the fundamental principles of self-determination, empowerment, member-centeredness, quality, consumer choice, and fiscal stability.
Next Steps for Family Care/IRIS 2.0
Now that the Concept Paper has been submitted to Joint Committee on Finance, it will need to be reviewed and approved by the Legislature. After the Legislature approves the Concept Paper, the Department will begin developing the formal waiver and/or state plan authority documents to submit to federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). DHS will release these documents for public review and will conduct another formal public comment period prior to submission to CMS.
The Wisconsin Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) is a week-long leadership training and career awareness program for high school students with disabilities held June 26- July 1, 2016 at Edgewood College in Madison, WI.
Costs of the program are covered by BPDD.
YLF is for high school students with a disability who are active in their school and/or community and would like to develop leadership and advocacy skills, explore career options, and start making valuable connections with others.
Please forward the application form and other information available at: http://www.wi-bpdd.org/projects/YouthLeadershipForum.cfm to high school students that may be interested.
Application Deadline: Monday, May 1, 2016
Please direct questions to John Shaw at – john1.shaw@wisconsin.gov or (608) 266-7707.
WI DHS implements new National Core Indicators
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is using a new system to get information on the quality of life of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities participating in Wisconsin’s Long Term Care System (Family Care, Family Care Partnership, PACE, IRIS, and Legacy Waivers).
The new system is called the National Core Indicators (NCI). NCI uses written surveys to families/guardians, and face to face interviews with individual with disabilities to ask questions about the quality of the person’s life in areas such as: employment, community involvement, living situation, and community involvement.
DHS is beginning to implement NCI now.
You may be contacted to participate in a survey or interview. It’s your choice whether you participate or not, but we strongly encourage you to participate.
This is a very important opportunity to have your voice be heard and let DHS know how participating in LTC services is impacting the quality of your life.
If you have questions or would like more information, contact Michelle Osness, Wisconsin’s National Core Indicators Coordinator at MichelleM.Osness@dhs.wisconsin.gov .
See a sample letter here: http://www.wi-bpdd.org/docs/2016/2016-NCI-notice-of-sample-selection-letter.pdf
***We thank the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities for providing us with this information.
The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is conducting a study of adults with physical disabilities. We want to know about your barriers to employment as well as resources that you need to support your work / career goals. In addition, we are interested in knowing how you find information on employment services and supports. The target groups for the study are:
• Adults with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, or other physical disabilities; and
• Young adults ages 18 to 65 with any type of physical disability.
• You may be employed or unemployed.
To be eligible to participate, you must be a U.S. citizen and be able to provide legal consent.
Participants will complete an online survey requiring approximately 20 minutes. One hundred participants will be randomly selected to receive a $25 gift card. However, there is no guarantee that everyone who completes the survey will be selected to receive the gift card.
If you are interested in participating, the VCU-RRTC needs your consent. You may do this by following the link below to read more about the study, review the survey questions, and give your consent.
http://vcurrtc.org/surveys/employment_w_pd/
If you have questions or need special accommodations to participate in the study, please contact:
Dr. Katherine Inge
VCU-RRTC
P.O. Box 842011
Richmond, Virginia 23284-011
kinge@vcu.edu
804-828-5956
TTY: (804) 828-2494
This research is sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (#H133B130011) and has been approved by VCU’s Institutional Review Board.
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Explore the New Self-Determination Network Website
Welcome to the new Self-Determination Network. As you probably have noticed, things look a little different. We switched to a new platform called Jamroom. We've excited about this as it has a lot of cool featues. As with any big transition, there is a lot to learn and explore. We understand there will be bumps and detours along the way, but we’re here to help! We've setup this page to help you get started. We encourage you to explore the new site. We've also started a discussion where you can ask questions and post comments about the new website. We want to hear what you think!
Changes to Wisconsin Long-Term Care: What’s Next?
On March 2nd, InControl Wisconsin offered a webinar to provide an update on the current and upcoming developments in the state’s transition to a new Long-Term Care system. It showcased the Stakeholders’ Blueprint for Long-Term Care Redesign and covered the main ideas contained in it. The audio recording of the webinar and the Powerpoint are now available on the InControl Wisconsin website.
Coincidentally, that same day, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services released their concept paper for the redesign of the Long-Term Care System. We've started a discussion where people can share their thoughts and questions about it. What questions do you have about the concept paper? What do you think of the new system they are describing? Join the discussion today!
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 Kathleen Johnson. In addition to being a wife and mother to children with various needs, she recently started a nonprofit art studio/gallery for people with disabilities. Stop by this month's Member Spotlight and get to know Kathleen!
Who should we shine the Spotlight on next?
Take five minutes to check out what's happening on the Self-Determination Network:
- Push to Eliminate Offensive Disability Language: Here's an interesting article about how many people feel we need to eliminate "offensive" terms that are associated with people with disabilities.
- Closed Captions on Flights: A great article about how airlines will soon offer closed caption entertainment videos on flights.
- Call for Proposals: Proposals for presenters for the 2016 Self-Determination Conference are now being accepted. Proposals are due April 8th.
- Traveling with a Disability: Here is a great list of things to know when traveling with a disability.
- Residential Disability Community: Read about a first-of-its-kind residential community for people with developmental disabilities that's set to open this Spring in Florida.
- ABLE Accounts: Learn about how ABLE accounts will be intended to work.
In February, Stacy shared about having the desire for love when you have a physical disability, and for this month's entry, she reflected on all of the therapies she has had over the years. We encourage you to ask her questions and/or share your experiences as well.
Here's a sample of upcoming events listed on the Self-Determination Network:
-
Disability Advocacy Day: March 15th, Monona Terrace, Madison WI
- Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, and Disability 16th Annual Conference: April 13th to 14th, The Ohio State University’s Columbus Campus, Columbus OH
- State Of The Science Conference On The Americans With Disabilities Act: May 4th, Hilton Alexandria, Old Town VA
- 2016 Aging Empowerment Conference: Living A Self-Determined Life: June 6th, Glacier Canyon Lodge Conference Center at the Wilderness Resort, Wisconsin Dells WI
Post your event on the Self-Determination Network and it can be included in future Network News emails to members! Questions? Suggestions? Contact Stacy Ellingen.
The Self-Determination Network is powered by InControl Wisconsin and supported financially by our members and Sponsors. We couldn't keep this Network going with you! Find out how you can help support the Network.