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AUGUST 2007 EDITION
WELCOME
to the NYAIL newsletter. This monthly e-newsletter is for and about NYAIL and
NYAIL members, so please send your comments, suggestions, and items for
inclusion to info@ilny.org by August 20
for distribution in September. Please forward this newsletter to board
members and staff and encourage them to sign up for their own copy by
emailing info@ilny.org with their email
address.
National Council on Independent Living 2007 Conference and
25th Anniversary Celebration
The 2007 National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Conference
was held July 9-12 in Washington,
DC. In recognition of the
event’s 25th anniversary, the conference theme was Celebrating
Accomplishments and Forging New Leaders. Workshops and plenary
presentations covered a variety of issues of interest to the board, staff and
consumers of independent living organizations, while giving special attention
to the topic of fostering youth leadership.
The annual march to Capitol
Building on July 10 was
not stopped by the 100+ degree temperature. And the torrential rain and
lightening, which began shortly after the group’s arrival at Capital Hill to
rally, only heightened the drama in the already charged atmosphere. But the
rally was cut a bit short and many participants sought shelter from the rain
in the offices of elected officials, where meetings had been scheduled in
advance to discuss state and local issues, as well as the priorities
identified by NCIL in their 2007 Legislative Agenda. Click here to view the
2007 Legislative Agenda: http://www.ncil.org/training/2007priorities.html.
Aging and Disability Resource Centers / ILC
Collaboration Luncheon
On the last full day of the conference, July 12, Josefina Carbonell, US
Assistant Secretary for Aging, and, Bob Kafka, ADAPT Co-Director, led a
plenary luncheon that focused on collaboration between ILCs and Aging and
Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs). The presenters discussed ways in
which ILCs have been successful in tapping into the ADRC system and how ILCs
can work with, or advocate for, better representation in the ADRCs in their
state.
This luncheon was held in conjunction with the national ADRC
conference July 12-13 in Washington,
DC. Following the luncheon,
ADRC conference attendees returned to their meeting space and divided into
break-out rooms to discuss opportunities in their respective states for
strengthening partnerships between ADRCs and ILCs. Click here
to download the notes (as a Microsoft Word document) compiled from these
groups and synthesized into common themes.
New York
State’s long term care
point of entry (POE) system, spearheaded by the State Office for the Aging
(NYSOFA) and known as NY Connects, has been compared to the federally-funded
ADRCs in other states. NYAIL continues to advocate in a variety of forums
with NYSOFA and the NYS Department of Health on the development of the POE
system, including pointing to the fostering of collaboration between ILCs and
ADRCs in other states.
US Senate Community Services Hearing a Success
Coinciding with NCIL’s march to Capital Hill on July 10 was a US Senate Health
Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on community services
and supports legislation, including the Community Choice Act and the
Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act (CLASS Act). With the
help of NCIL conference attendees and members of ADAPT, more than 300 people
packed the main hearing room and 100 more filled an overflow room.
Six individuals testified on the need for long term care
reform. They discussed the institutional bias of Medicaid, the need for more
community choices, as well as the urgency of the need for system change as
the demand for long term care becomes even greater.
The Committee Chair, Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts;
the Ranking Minority Member, Senator Enzi of Wyoming;
Senator Murkowski of Alaska; Senator Harkin
of Iowa; and Senator Brown of Ohio
were present. Senator Harkin spoke about the importance of the Community
Choice Act, as did Senator Kennedy, who emphasized the great need for choices
and community services, in general.
After the hearing nearly 50 ADAPT members visited the offices
of Senator Baucus of Montana,
Chair of the Finance Committee to which the Community Choice Act (S.799) has
been referred. The group met with the Staff Director of the Committee, who
promised to set a date for a hearing on the Community Choice Act. After the
hearing and subsequent “meeting,” advocates from across the country were
encouraged to fax Senator Baucus to thank him for his commitment and ask that
the hearing be scheduled promptly.
The Senate Finance Committee has since scheduled a hearing to
discuss the Community Choice Act and other community-based long term care
options! The Hearing will be held on September 25, 2007 at 10:00 am in Washington,
DC.
Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council Update
The Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council (MISCC) met
on July 16, 2007 at the Empire
State Plaza.
A webcast of the meeting is now available at http://www.omr.state.ny.us/MISCC/index.jsp.
The following is a summary of recent MISCC activities as
discussed at the July 16 meeting:
- The MISCC launched a website,
which provides a MISCC meeting schedule, press releases, as well as live
and archived webcasts of MISCC meetings. A public listserv is being
developed.
- Member state agencies are
taking steps to establish or identify stakeholder groups that, with
“strong representation of consumers and advocates,” will assist in MISCC
plan implementation.
- Housing is a primary MISCC
concern.
- A MISCC Housing Task Force
was established, which will identify “best practices” that support
people with disabilities to live most independently in their
communities of choice. The Task Force met twice in July and is
coordinated by the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR).
- The Task Force will work to
collect data on the numbers of individuals who are being satisfactorily
housed and those who are awaiting more integrated housing.
- The Task Force reported that
the NYS Accessible Housing Registry is available
online. The registry is managed by NYAIL member, the Center for Independence
of the Disabled, New York.
- The Spitzer Administration
will be establishing an interagency housing sub-cabinet.
- DHCR Commissioner Deborah
van Amerongen and Deputy Commissioner Lorrie Pizzola presented a new
DVD on the Access to Home Program. The video highlights NYAIL members,
the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester
and Access to Independence of Cortland County. Click
here to view the video or read a transcript.
- Upcoming MISCC meetings will
address the identification of data on state efforts to advance community
integration goals of people with disabilities (e.g. housing, employment/
education, transportation, community supports).
The next quarterly MISCC meeting date has not been set. NYAIL
will keep members informed regarding upcoming meetings and other MISCC
developments. While we are encouraged by the activity of the MISCC under the
new Spitzer Administration and MISCC leadership by Office of Mental
Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter,
we hope for ongoing participation by NYAIL members in the MISCC meetings and
Committee.
Sign up now for the remaining ILC Technical Assistance
Program webinars! - the series continues in August!
Remaining webinars include:
- Marketing, Communications,
and Positioning
Date: 8/16/07
Presenter: Mandy Rigg & Eric Hozempa
- Volunteer Management—How to
Attract, Train, and Retain the Lifeblood of Your ILC
Date: 8/22/07
Presenter: Eric Hozempa
- Executive Director
Development—It’s Tough at the Top
Date: 8/28/07
Presenter: Richard Male
Click here
for descriptions of, and instructions on registering for, remaining webinar sessions!
Center technical assistance consulting:
The webinars provide a wealth of information for ILC board and staff members,
but the technical assistance program also makes available individual
consulting for your ILC's specific needs. If your ILC has been struggling
with a problem that might benefit from some individual advice from
professional consultants, remember that the month of August is the last
available opportunity to take advantage of this FREE program. Help is just an
email away—please contact howard@richardmale.com
if you would like to request technical assistance.
Upcoming Events
Resource Center for Independent Living presents “A
Personal Story from Welfare to Work”—August 16, 2007
The Resource Center for Independent Living (RCIL) will provide a forum for
discussion on August 16, 2007 in Utica about the poverty level of people with
disabilities. The event will feature Susan Kemp, who will discuss her
personal journey from welfare-dependency to Assistant Welfare Commissioner
for the State of New York.
Please click here to view
the event flyer or contact Lindsey Hoham at RCIL (315) 797-4642 for more
information.
IL NET Online Course: Cultural Competence—September
10-28, 2007
This course will provide a framework to help centers and SILCs ensure
services fully meet the needs of people from a variety of backgrounds and
that centers are fully welcoming to all. Participants will learn about a
strategic process to fully engage people from a variety of cultural and
ethnic groups in center and SILC activities and to improve capacity to offer
services that are consistent with and supportive of all cultures. The
deadline for registration is August 27, 2007. Click
here for more information.
IL NET On-Site Training: Youth Transition &
Leadership Programs for CILs—September 11-14, 2007
This September 11-14th in Denver,
CO, IL NET will present a
National On-site Training on Youth Leadership and Transition. This
two-training conference will allow attendees to choose training about
transition programs, leadership programs, or both. Independent Living
advocates will gain an understanding of the specific considerations when
working with young people with disabilities. All new curricula on High School
/ High Tech and Guideposts for Success (youth transition) programs, tailored
specifically for ILCs, will be presented. Click
here for more information.
New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation
Services 25th Silver Anniversary Conference—October 3-5, 2007
The New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) will
present its 25th Silver Anniversary Conference, 25 Years of Leading the
Way to Recovery, Rehabilitation and Rights, at the Nevele Grande Hotel
in Ellenville, NY, October 3-5, 2007. The conference will include over 80
workshops and plenary presentations, 16 interstate panels, an arts fair and
multicultural exhibition, employment and cultural competence leadership
summits, a 25-year NYAPRS retrospective and memorabilia show, and the first
annual Criminal Justice Intensive. Please go to http://www.nyaprs.org/
to download the complete conference announcement and registration form.
Westchester Independent Living Center Conference, Uniting
Systems, Empowering Lives—October 19, 2007
The Westchester Independent Living Center invites you to discuss ways to Unite
Systems and Empower Lives on October 19, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
in White Plains.
Keynote presenters at will include Judith E. Heumann, internationally
recognized leader in the disability rights movement, and Peter S. Kahrmann,
creator of Life Growth, a philosophy and life-management system for people
who have experienced trauma. Workshop presenters will include Denise
Figueroa, Executive Director of the Independent
Living Center
of the Hudson
Valley and NYAIL board
chairperson. For more information about this event, click
here.
The National ADA Symposium—May 12-14, 2008
The National ADA Symposium scheduled for May 12-14, 2008 at the America’s
Center in St. Louis, MO is a conference dedicated to the
Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability laws. Sponsored by the
National Network of Disability and Business
Technical Assistance
Centers, the event
offers a wide variety of workshop topics. Presenters will include key
representatives from the US Department of Justice, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,
US Access Board, US Department of Labor, and the US Department of Education.
Click here for more information: http://www.adasymposium.org/.
New Online Resources
New
York State
Accessible Housing Registry
The NYS Accessible Housing Registry is now online at http://www.mnip-net.org/NY/nyhr.nsf/pages/home?open.
The registry contains information about accessible apartments located
throughout New York
State. If you are a
person with a disability looking for housing, or you are helping someone find
accessible housing, you can search the registry by location (town, zip code,
and major cities), and/or by viewing income, age, or disability requirements
to obtain information about housing opportunities to meet those needs.
This project is managed by NYAIL member, the Center for Independence
of the Disabled, New York.
Support for this project comes from the NYS Division of Housing and Community
Renewal and the NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.
Reports on the Americans with Disabilities Act by the
National Council on Disability
July 26, 2007 was the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA). The National Council on Disability and the Office on
Disability Employment Policy recognized the ADA
anniversary by releasing two reports demonstrating that ADA
implementation is not only possible and practicable, but is also good for
business.
- Implementation of the
Americans with Disabilities Act: Challenges, Best Practices, and New
Opportunities for Success (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/implementation_07-26-07.htm)
- The Impact of the Americans
with Disabilities Act: Assessing the Progress Toward Achieving the Goals
of the ADA (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/ada_impact_07-26-07.htm)
On August 7, an audio conference hosted by the National
Network of Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers discussed
these new reports. Click here
to access the archived presentation.
American Association of People with Disabilities ADA
Restoration Act Blog
On July 26, 2007, the 17th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), the disability community celebrated the bi-partisan
introduction of the ADA Restoration Act of 2007 in both the US House and Senate.
The ADA Restoration Act of 2007 would strengthen the ADA
and give people with disabilities full legal protection against acts of
discrimination, particularly in the area of employment.
Advocates have worked, and continue to work, tirelessly to get new
co-sponsors of this bill. And in an effort to bring advocates the latest
information on these nationwide efforts, the American Association of People
with Disabilities (AAPD) has launched an ADA Restoration Act blog: http://adarestoration.blogspot.com/.
Visitors to the site can post comments—AAPD invites you to
post your reactions to updates and provide updates on your own efforts to
secure additional co-sponsors from your home states and districts. The site
also contains links to the text of the ADA Restoration Act of 2007
legislation, Congressional press releases, news coverage, and lists of
co-sponsors.
AARP Study on Economic Value of Informal Services and
Supports
AARP released a study in June 2007 that quantifies the
informal support that family members provide—billions of dollars worth—for
loved ones with disabilities each year in the US. AARP estimates the economic
value of family services and supports at $350 billion in 2006. In New
York State,
the estimated value of this service is $24 billion. The report concludes that
adequate funding for family members who provide services and supports will
create an excellent return on investment. The report also demonstrates that
providing better support for family members is essential to the well-being of
our healthcare system, our long-term care system, and our economy. Click
here to view the report and additional state-by-state data.
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NYAIL NOTES
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Updated NYAIL meeting schedule
August 3 , 2007 meeting cancelled. The
meeting to discuss IL funding distribution schedule for August 3, 2007 has
been cancelled.
September
27-28, 2007
Quarterly NYAIL board meeting
November
29-30, 2007
Quarterly NYAIL board meeting
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FUNDING NOTES
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The ELA Foundation (www.ela.org) has a vision
of “Changing the Face of Disability on the Planet.” There is a September
15 deadline for online applications from established programs in
the areas of arts and advocacy which are led by or support adults with
disabilities who are 22 or older. Program grants range from $1,000 to
$5,000 and must demonstrate support by other foundations, corporations and individuals
in the local community.
- In the Arts—programs that support
professional artists with disabilities or encourage a professional
environment while enhancing creativity among people with disabilities
who are not professional artists themselves.
- In Advocacy—programs that promote
change in legislation, or provide education that will enhance
knowledge and action to create laws and policies that will result in
better lives for people with disabilities.
ELA offers grant tips that are applicable to any funder or
proposal:
- Read the entire grants
section on the website thoroughly, including frequently asked
questions and the former grantees section.
- Follow the directions and
checklist from the "How to Apply" section completely.
- Communicate with the staff
of the ELA Foundation directly if you have questions that are not
answered on the ELA website.
CVS Caremark Community Grants has an October
31 deadline for programs targeting children under age 18 with
disabilities that address any of the following:
- Health and Rehabilitation
Services to assure that children with disabilities develop the skills
needed to live as independently as possible at home, in school and in
the community. CVS Caremark Community Grants support programs that
promote independence among children with disabilities including
physical and occupational therapies, speech and hearing therapies,
assistive technology and recreational therapies.
- A greater level of
inclusion in public school activities and extracurricular programs. Programs must be fully
inclusive where children with disabilities are full participants in an
early childhood, adolescent, or teenage program alongside peers.
- Creating opportunities or
facilities which give greater access to physical movement and play. Proposed programs may
include either physical activities or play opportunities and should
address the specific needs of the population served.
Full guidelines and an online application are available at http://www.cvs.com/.
Career Opportunities
The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation is accepting
applications for two Public Policy Fellowship Programs:
- Professional Public Policy
Fellowship Program: The foundation is seeking outstanding
professionals working in the field of inclusive services and supports
for people with mental retardation, intellectual, and developmental
disabilities for an intensive one-year Public Policy Fellowship in
Washington, D.C.
- Parent Public Policy
Fellowship Program: The foundation is seeking a parent or close family
member of a person with mental retardation, intellectual, and
developmental disabilities for an intensive one-year Public Policy
Fellowship in Washington, D.C.
During these year-long fellowships, the successful
applicants will learn how legislation is initiated, developed, and passed
by the Congress, or how programs are administered and regulations
promulgated by federal agencies. Fellows will also participate in an
advocacy training workshop, national disability policy seminars, and the
intensive week-long Bioethics course at Georgetown
University’s Kennedy
Institute of Ethics. The program provides a one-year full-time exposure to
the federal public policymaking process, and includes a stipend and
relocation expenses. Selected fellows must be prepared to live in the Washington,
D.C., area during their
fellowship year and to devote themselves full-time to the fellowship.
The mission of the Kennedy Foundation is to provide
leadership in the field of intellectual disabilities and service to persons
with intellectual disabilities, both those born and unborn, and their
families. The foundation was established in 1946 by Ambassador and Mrs.
Joseph P. Kennedy and honors their eldest son who was killed in World War
II.
Applications must be emailed by September 14. Visit http://www.jpkf.org/ for
complete details.
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JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Executive
Director, Action Toward Independence, Middletown
Action Toward Independence, Inc. seeks an experienced, dynamic
Executive Director with vision, leadership and solid management skills to
take this 20 year-old community organization to the next level of strategic
growth.
Please click
here for the full job announcement.
Advocate/Trainer, Access for Independence and
Mobility, Corning
Advocate/Trainer wanted for model Transition Programs for students with
disabilities serving a five school district region. Candidate should be a
highly experienced soft skills trainer/advocate for diverse job-readiness
and employment workshop in classroom, off-site, and one-on-one. Heavy
travel required. Must have reliable car. Please send cover letter, resume,
and salary requirements to demuth@aimcil.com.
No phone calls/no walk ins. AIM is an equal opportunity employer.
Independent Living Transition Counselor, North
Country Center
for Independence, Plattsburgh
The North Country Center
for Independence,
(NCCI) is seeking to fill a full-time position for a program serving youth
with disabilities. The Independent Living Transition Counselor provides a
variety of services designed to help students with disabilities aged 14-21
make a successful transition from school to adult life. Elements of the
program will include: individual student counseling in future life
planning, independent living skills training, peer mentoring, and other
consultation on disability services to school staff, parents, and area
agency personnel. In addition, an Independent Living Transition Counselor
is responsible for record-keeping and reporting on program services and
activities. The Independent Living Transition Counselors will be an
employee of NCCI, but will primarily work on location at Peru
High School. Full description
and instructions on applying are available from Andrew D. Pulrang,
Executive Director, at andrew@ncci-online.com
or (518) 563-9058 Voice & TTY.
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RICH TIPS
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Leadership
in Times of Change
Every now and then organizations go through great turmoil,
crisis and/or change. Perhaps a major funding source has just notified your
organization that it won't be receiving a large grant you were counting on,
or a government agency refuses the continuation of a contract, or the CEO
of 15 years announces she is leaving the organization, or a staff member
runs off with $250,000 and the media is all over it. Leading an
organization during these times requires great skill, patience, and
finesse.
Leaders are judged in times of adversity and change not
in times of success. In the face of turmoil and change we tend to look
for leaders that are simultaneously strong and compassionate. It seems like
we have to go through a crisis every once in a while to allow our true
leadership qualities to come to the surface.
Continue with the Top 10 tips here.
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NEWSLETTER INFO
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Remember,
every issue of NYAIL News is archived in the Members Only section of our
website (http://www.ilny.org/)! Please
contact us at info@ilny.org if have
questions about accessing the Members Only section.
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CONTACT NYAIL
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One Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Ave
Suite 806A
Albany, NY
12210
(518) 465-4650 ph
(518) 465-4625 fax
info@ilny.org
http://www.ilny.org/
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