February 14, 2022
Minutes
Minutes
Attendees via Zoom: Maggie Hoffman, Alan Kurtz, Allie Vercoe, Annie Galloway, Barry Schklair, Betsy Hopkins, Betsy Mahoney, Brenda Smith, Bryan Gordon, Cedric Mfuranzima, Chelsea Monzel, Carol Snyder, Darla Chafin, Debbie Dionne, Diane Boas, Erin H, Gregory Bush, Heather Hannafin, Helen Hemminger, Jamie Whitehouse, Janet Dibiase, Janet Hamel, Jeff Hoke, Jodi Benvie, Julia Endicott, Kim Humphrey, Laura Cordes, Libby Stone-Sterling, Linda Lee, Lisa Wesel, Lorraine DeFreitas, LyAnn Grogan, Margaret Cardoza, Mark Kemmerle, Mary Chris Semrow, MCA, Melissa Mancire, Michaela York, Paula Bush, Ray Nagel, Robin Levesque, Ryan Jackson, Shane Ashe, Sue Murphy, Ed & Suellen Doggett, Susan Farwell, Staci Converse, Teresa Barrows, Trena Jackson, Nancy Peavy, Vickey Rand, Cullen Ryan, and about three to five people who joined the meeting in progress and/or left prior to its conclusion.
Cullen Ryan introduced himself and welcomed the group. Minutes from the last meeting were accepted. For the sake of time, Cullen read the names of participants.
Featured Speakers: Kim Humphrey, Founder and President, Community Connect Maine, www.communityconnectme.org, Maggie Hoffman, Parent, and Alan Kurtz, Coordinator of Education and Autism, Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, ccids.umaine.edu. Topic: Sharing Life Experiences to Increase Understanding through Digital Storytelling - “Jay and Alan”, “Shoes”, and “Rock Life”.
Cullen: Today I’m thrilled to welcome Kim Humphrey, Founder and President of Community Connect Maine, Maggie Hoffman a parent, and Alan Kurtz, Coordinator of Education and Autism with the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies. They will be sharing life experiences of people with ID/DD to increase understanding through digital storytelling through a series of videos. This is a project that a group of people have been undertaking to help tell their stories to legislators in a new and exciting way. This will be a great tool to tell stories and advocate for the needs of people with ID/DD in Maine. Thank you all for being here today!
Kim Humphrey: Thank you for having us present these stories today! Community Connect Maine is a grass-roots family-driven, 501(c)(3), non-profit, organization. We aim to make the disability community more visible by creating relationships and sharing our stories. Community Connect’s mission is to connect individuals, families, caregivers, and communities to improve the system of care for people with developmental disabilities and related conditions. Our vision is that all people have the support they need, when they need it, to live a full life within their communities of choice. We were fortunate to be able to take a class offered by Anne Aronson, a Professor Emerita at Metropolitan State University, who created Digital Story Makers. The course helped us better learn how to tell our stories through digital storytelling. Three of us who attended the class will be showing three videos we created. There’s a lot to think about in terms of where and how we use these stories. We really would welcome your input.
Click here for Kim Humphrey’s video Shoes.
Feedback:
Maggie Hoffman: I’m thrilled to be part of this today. Early on in the class we made small elevator pitches. For mine, I was looking to introduce folks in Maine to self-directed services and express how self-directed services can be useful across the intensity of need that a person might have. I hope that these translated well in the video.
Click here for Maggie Hoffman’s video Rock Life.
Feedback:
Maggie: The end of the story in the video is yet to be told. However, OADS is looking at launching self-directed services as an option which is incredibly exciting and will make for a bright future in Maine.
-It was asked what the purpose of the videos is.
Kim: The videos are for advocacy and education. They’re to tell people’s stories, which could involve what’s missing, but it could also include what’s working well. There is an array of need for this population, which is hard to understand without experience. Even if you’ve experienced it your whole life someone else will have a very different experience from yours.
Alan Kurtz: I was very happy when Kim asked me to be part of the visual story telling group. I love to tell one story about one particular person and my connection with him. He’s someone who doesn’t speak but communicates very well with people. A number of years ago someone who was working with me said “Jay really teaches you what you need to know!” And it’s so true.
Click here for Alan Kurtz’ video Jay and Alan.
Feedback:
Cullen: A huge thank you to you Kim, Maggie, and Alan, for opening the doors to your lives and letting us take a look inside. I appreciate each of you taking the risk of doing that to show how powerful this type of media is. Well done and congratulations! Kim, I think it’s fantastic that under your leadership Community Connect is opening this up to others. We need more of this type of visual storytelling. Thank you all again!
End Presentation (round of applause would have occurred were it not for everyone being muted and on Zoom)
Featured Speaker: Linda Lee, Parent. Topic: LD 924 Task Force Parent-to-Parent Survey results.
Cullen: I am happy to also have Linda Lee here to present on the results of the Parent-to-Parent survey as part of the LD 924 Task Force, the Task Force which resulted from LD 924, Resolve, To Establish a Task Force To Study the Coordination of Services and Expansion of Educational Programs for Young Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities To Identify Barriers to Full Societal Integration. Thank you for being here, Linda!
Linda Lee: When we started the work behind LD 924, we were experiencing many of the same issues conveyed in the videos today. We didn’t have videos, but we still had our stories and we told them to legislators over and over for three years until the legislation was finally passed. Now, we’re participating in the Task Force and working to better transitions for kids with ID/DD in Maine.
Maggie Hoffman: Regarding the Parent-to-Parent Survey – as the Task Force was looking to get a real look at transition and what happens when folks leave school, we knew we wanted to have a short, anonymous survey focused on lived experience. Often, we’re working in silos – what happens in case management, or what happens in school, etc. – there’s very little opportunity to look at the young adult themselves and ask how we can work across all the silos to ensure a seamless transition. For many families, they felt like they were running an obstacle course without a clear pathway to navigate. The survey resulted in numerous stories from families which is exactly what we wanted so we could bring what was and was not working back to the Task Force.
Begin presentation. (Click here for the presentation.)
Discussion:
-A provider stated that the presentation was excellent. He stated that one of the realities of working is that people with disabilities who receive services often times will receive reductions in benefits/services because they have exceeded the amount that they can earn to maintain MaineCare, Social Security, etc. He stated that he’s working with a few people currently who are trying to get back on MaineCare and reduce their earnings. He suggested that the Department ought to update its Employment First manual which states that this is a myth, because it’s not. He stated if we could do something to raise the threshold or eliminate it altogether it would be very advantageous.
Linda: I’m dealing with this as we speak. I’ve spoken with OADS and OCFS and they are working right now on a fix to this.
Julia Endicott – DRM: There are a lot of protections that do exist, but the biggest problem is that people aren’t aware of different work protections and incentives. For instance, the 1619b threshold is more than $44k. Maine Medical Center’s Vocational Services has a lot of extremely helpful and informative fact sheets (click this link, scroll down, and click + Fact Sheets to expand all of the Fact Sheets). Thresholds vary based on different work incentives for which people are eligible – it’s very individualized.
Staci Converse: Maine Medical Center’s Benefits Counseling is a very helpful resource as well. It’s all incredibly complicated.
-A provider stated that they support people who receive Section 21 and Section 29 and who also work 20-30 hours per week. She reiterated that it is all very difficult to navigate and very complicated.
-A self-advocate stated that if family stress levels are higher as a result of the system it is representative of the lack of respite services available.
Greg Bush: The rural voice needs to be around the table for these discussions because transition looks very different in rural communities. Where is the sense of community in smaller towns? We need to be better at addressing that around the state. It might be building up and invigorating online communities.
Laura Cordes: Is this the first of many report-backs to the Legislature?
Linda: The Task Force’s final report and recommendations are due to the Legislature in November 2022. There are four sub-groups that will work on different aspects of it.
Greg: We need to look at what’s working in other parts of the world and bring those best practices to Maine.
Cullen: This is a standing agenda item so we can continue this discussion each month. Thank you for this informative presentation, Linda, and for all your work to see this Task Force come to fruition. Well done!
End Presentation (round of applause would have occurred were it not for everyone being muted and on Zoom)
DHHS – Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads
Betsy Hopkins: I’m excited to share that some of our reform work has culminated into final recommendations – specifically from the Innovation Stakeholder Group and the Community Membership Stakeholder Group. These groups have finalized their work with reports and recommendations. I’m looking forward to digesting these recommendations and working to implement them. (Click here for the Innovation Stakeholder Group Recommendations Report; click here for the Community Membership Stakeholder Group Recommendations Report.)
FMAP funds for the first half of bonuses for DSPS have been distributed (click here for more information). The remaining FMAP funds will be included in the Governor’s supplemental budget which is coming out this week.
OADS held our Listening Session to seek input on our Innovation Grants. We received some great questions and input which helped inform our Application Process and Criteria for the grants which we are still finalizing. We plan to send out the request for applications in mid-March and we will hold a further “bidder’s conference” after we have opened the application process to respond to all follow up questions at that time.
OADS is hosting a virtual listening session to gather input on providing eligible Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) providers with Section 9817 American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to assist with the costs of complying with the HCBS Settings Rule. The goal of this initiative is to support HCBS providers with costs they have incurred to implement the requirements of the HCBS Settings Rule, including systemic reforms, workforce skill development, and some specific capital improvements. The Department will provide these one-time funds to assist with the costs of complying with the HCBS Settings Rule, based on approved Transition to Compliance Plans, using Section 9817 authority.
NEW Listening Session Date:
Register in advance for this meeting: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkduqhrTgvHN1xchQAXLAAFCaxj4sq2LdM
Additionally, the HCBS Global Rule was Adopted on January 19th, 2022.
Cullen: Thank you very much, Betsy, for being here today and for providing all of this information!
DHHS – Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs
Teresa Barrows: We’ve said this for quite a while but we’re continuing working with OADS to work on a smoother transition from Children’s Behavioral Health Services and the Office of Aging and Disability Services. Betsy and I will be presenting on this for this group next month.
Cullen: Thank you Teresa, I’m glad you were able to join us, and we look forward to that presentation next month!
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
Betsy Hopkins: Libby texted that she had to leave the meeting early. I can say that I know that we’re both very excited for the two new OADS Employment Specialist will be embedded in Voc Rehab offices in underserved areas of the state. We hope to have them in place in March.
SMACT (Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition)
Nancy Peavy: The SMACT website and the Coalition website are cross-linked for convenience and information-sharing. As a reminder, if you want to be on the email list feel free to email Nancy ([email protected]). SMACT meetings occur the first Friday of each month throughout the school year. The March meeting will be on Friday, 3/4 and will feature Bangor Savings Bank presenting on Maine ABLE Accounts.
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) Update:
Julia Endicott: I work with the Employment Advocacy Programs at DRM, which includes our Client Assistance Program. The Client Assistance Program (CAP) is a federally funded program that provides information, assistance, and advocacy to people with disabilities who are applying for or receiving services under the Rehabilitation Act (click here for the CAP Fact Sheet). We also have our Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) program. The purpose of this program is to protect the legal rights of Social Security beneficiaries in their efforts to secure or regain employment (click here for the PABSS Brochure). DRM also has two Virtual Employment Town Halls coming up – one tomorrow and one on 3/1 (click here for more information).
LD 924 Task Force Update: No additional updates
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen:
State Legislature Update:
Laura Cordes – MACSP (Maine Association for Community Service Providers): I reviewed the updated Google Doc amended for this Session at the last meeting which includes LDs, LRs, and carry over bills. This is a working document and can be edited. (Click here for the Google Doc for the 2nd Session of the 130th Legislature.).
Since we last met there have been some public hearings and movement, but the biggest thing on the horizon is it is expected the Governor will release her Supplemental Budget tomorrow. The Budget would go to the Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee, with an opportunity to provide public comments.
For bills carried over from last year with a fiscal note, commonly known as bills left “on the Table”, I’ve put a note in the document where there’s a possibility the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee could work to include them in the Supplemental Budget. This would provide an opportunity for additional advocacy for these initiatives.
It’s important to note because there’s been some confusion, that the rate increase to 125% of minimum wage has not actually gone into effect, though it was supposed to as of 1/1/2022. The Department released a memo pertaining to this, stating that when the rates do come out, they will be retroactive to 1/1/2022; however, the rate increases will not go into effect until the Governor’s supplemental budget passes, which is expected to include additional funding to pay for this increase as well as additional cost of living increases. It may be a few more months until providers can access the funds needed to actualize these increases.
I’ll provide some quick updates on some of the new bills this group reviewed last month:
Other Business:
The next meeting will be on Monday, March 14, 2022, 12-2pm, via Zoom*.
Featured Speakers: Teresa Barrows, Children’s Behavioral Health Services Manager, DHHS-OCFS, and Betsy Hopkins, Associate Director, Developmental Disability and Brain Injury Services, DHHS-OADS.
Topic: An update on the transition work between Children’s Behavioral Health Services and the Office of Aging and Disability Services to optimize transitions.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2pm.
(in 2022 the October meeting will be the 3rd Monday due to the holiday)
The Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services provides equal opportunity for meeting participation. If you wish to attend but require an interpreter or other accommodation, please forward your request two weeks prior to the monthly meeting to [email protected].
Cullen Ryan introduced himself and welcomed the group. Minutes from the last meeting were accepted. For the sake of time, Cullen read the names of participants.
Featured Speakers: Kim Humphrey, Founder and President, Community Connect Maine, www.communityconnectme.org, Maggie Hoffman, Parent, and Alan Kurtz, Coordinator of Education and Autism, Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, ccids.umaine.edu. Topic: Sharing Life Experiences to Increase Understanding through Digital Storytelling - “Jay and Alan”, “Shoes”, and “Rock Life”.
Cullen: Today I’m thrilled to welcome Kim Humphrey, Founder and President of Community Connect Maine, Maggie Hoffman a parent, and Alan Kurtz, Coordinator of Education and Autism with the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies. They will be sharing life experiences of people with ID/DD to increase understanding through digital storytelling through a series of videos. This is a project that a group of people have been undertaking to help tell their stories to legislators in a new and exciting way. This will be a great tool to tell stories and advocate for the needs of people with ID/DD in Maine. Thank you all for being here today!
Kim Humphrey: Thank you for having us present these stories today! Community Connect Maine is a grass-roots family-driven, 501(c)(3), non-profit, organization. We aim to make the disability community more visible by creating relationships and sharing our stories. Community Connect’s mission is to connect individuals, families, caregivers, and communities to improve the system of care for people with developmental disabilities and related conditions. Our vision is that all people have the support they need, when they need it, to live a full life within their communities of choice. We were fortunate to be able to take a class offered by Anne Aronson, a Professor Emerita at Metropolitan State University, who created Digital Story Makers. The course helped us better learn how to tell our stories through digital storytelling. Three of us who attended the class will be showing three videos we created. There’s a lot to think about in terms of where and how we use these stories. We really would welcome your input.
Click here for Kim Humphrey’s video Shoes.
Feedback:
- A parent stated that the video was absolutely wonderful.
- Another parent stated that this is emblematic of what parents and people have struggled with for years.
- A self-advocate stated that it was very well done and that she loved the overall intention of the message. She suggested adding some other points such as: Stating that this is from her point of view as a parent and her experiences with her son; more viewpoints from the family; including different generational perspectives; including that the services provided are done so by the State; and including a way to follow up with Community Connect at the end of the video.
Maggie Hoffman: I’m thrilled to be part of this today. Early on in the class we made small elevator pitches. For mine, I was looking to introduce folks in Maine to self-directed services and express how self-directed services can be useful across the intensity of need that a person might have. I hope that these translated well in the video.
Click here for Maggie Hoffman’s video Rock Life.
Feedback:
- Seeing self-directed services in practice is very helpful.
- The focus on work and the difference it can make in someone’s life was wonderful.
- If someone wants to learn more about self-directed services, Maggie will be a speaker at the MACSP 2/24 webinar (Click here for information on MACSP’s 2/24 webinar on Self-Directed Services, including how to register).
Maggie: The end of the story in the video is yet to be told. However, OADS is looking at launching self-directed services as an option which is incredibly exciting and will make for a bright future in Maine.
-It was asked what the purpose of the videos is.
Kim: The videos are for advocacy and education. They’re to tell people’s stories, which could involve what’s missing, but it could also include what’s working well. There is an array of need for this population, which is hard to understand without experience. Even if you’ve experienced it your whole life someone else will have a very different experience from yours.
Alan Kurtz: I was very happy when Kim asked me to be part of the visual story telling group. I love to tell one story about one particular person and my connection with him. He’s someone who doesn’t speak but communicates very well with people. A number of years ago someone who was working with me said “Jay really teaches you what you need to know!” And it’s so true.
Click here for Alan Kurtz’ video Jay and Alan.
Feedback:
- This was a very powerful, emotional, and beautiful video.
- The video displays exactly what people need – for people to take the time to figure out what a person actually needs.
- A parent stated that this could have been her story. All of the stories are different, but they all have a common goal: To give people the best lives possible. People who don’t live this every day can really get a sense of things.
- These are really strong messages – with the right tools and supports people can lead fulfilling lives.
- Having real stories with real people can emotionally and effectively convey what life is like and it is incredible and moving.
- A parent stated that what she’s struggled with when she’s written letters or testified is how she tells her daughter’s story and protects her wishes, autonomy, and privacy.
- These videos would be useful tools to train staff, to advocate for funding, to bring to PCP meetings so that the entire team can see the individual at their workplace or mastering last year’s goal, etc. There are so many exciting ways these stories can be used.
- Stories are the way to reach people’s hearts. Graphs and statistics are important, but everyone can be moved by a story.
- A self-advocate stated that she was screaming “yay!” when she heard Jay had the option to buy the home in which he’s currently living because there’s nothing more empowering than that. She also stated that she liked that the unfortunate truths and difficult history that was illustrated, and the progress made as it is important and powerful.
- Sharing these stories in this way can bring about real change and it’s beautiful.
- These videos speak to what is needed throughout our entire system. Having these videos on the OADS website would be helpful for training DSPs etc.
- The videos are humbling. It’s easy to get caught up in the regulations and what boxes need to be checked that you lose sight of the person. These videos bring the focus right back to the person and illustrates why we get into this work to begin with.
- Explaining regression to DSPs and other staff can be very difficult. These videos visualize what happens when someone regresses because they don’t have what they need. This is extraordinarily important.
- Each video conveys a different story, but they all share the same message: The system needs to be inclusive of everyone. The overarching point is that people can’t be pigeon-holed into a process or system; rather the system needs to be flexible enough to accommodate the person and their individual needs.
- When telling people’s stories, including how families are affected as well is important and something that perhaps should be considered.
Cullen: A huge thank you to you Kim, Maggie, and Alan, for opening the doors to your lives and letting us take a look inside. I appreciate each of you taking the risk of doing that to show how powerful this type of media is. Well done and congratulations! Kim, I think it’s fantastic that under your leadership Community Connect is opening this up to others. We need more of this type of visual storytelling. Thank you all again!
End Presentation (round of applause would have occurred were it not for everyone being muted and on Zoom)
Featured Speaker: Linda Lee, Parent. Topic: LD 924 Task Force Parent-to-Parent Survey results.
Cullen: I am happy to also have Linda Lee here to present on the results of the Parent-to-Parent survey as part of the LD 924 Task Force, the Task Force which resulted from LD 924, Resolve, To Establish a Task Force To Study the Coordination of Services and Expansion of Educational Programs for Young Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities To Identify Barriers to Full Societal Integration. Thank you for being here, Linda!
Linda Lee: When we started the work behind LD 924, we were experiencing many of the same issues conveyed in the videos today. We didn’t have videos, but we still had our stories and we told them to legislators over and over for three years until the legislation was finally passed. Now, we’re participating in the Task Force and working to better transitions for kids with ID/DD in Maine.
Maggie Hoffman: Regarding the Parent-to-Parent Survey – as the Task Force was looking to get a real look at transition and what happens when folks leave school, we knew we wanted to have a short, anonymous survey focused on lived experience. Often, we’re working in silos – what happens in case management, or what happens in school, etc. – there’s very little opportunity to look at the young adult themselves and ask how we can work across all the silos to ensure a seamless transition. For many families, they felt like they were running an obstacle course without a clear pathway to navigate. The survey resulted in numerous stories from families which is exactly what we wanted so we could bring what was and was not working back to the Task Force.
Begin presentation. (Click here for the presentation.)
Discussion:
-A provider stated that the presentation was excellent. He stated that one of the realities of working is that people with disabilities who receive services often times will receive reductions in benefits/services because they have exceeded the amount that they can earn to maintain MaineCare, Social Security, etc. He stated that he’s working with a few people currently who are trying to get back on MaineCare and reduce their earnings. He suggested that the Department ought to update its Employment First manual which states that this is a myth, because it’s not. He stated if we could do something to raise the threshold or eliminate it altogether it would be very advantageous.
Linda: I’m dealing with this as we speak. I’ve spoken with OADS and OCFS and they are working right now on a fix to this.
Julia Endicott – DRM: There are a lot of protections that do exist, but the biggest problem is that people aren’t aware of different work protections and incentives. For instance, the 1619b threshold is more than $44k. Maine Medical Center’s Vocational Services has a lot of extremely helpful and informative fact sheets (click this link, scroll down, and click + Fact Sheets to expand all of the Fact Sheets). Thresholds vary based on different work incentives for which people are eligible – it’s very individualized.
Staci Converse: Maine Medical Center’s Benefits Counseling is a very helpful resource as well. It’s all incredibly complicated.
-A provider stated that they support people who receive Section 21 and Section 29 and who also work 20-30 hours per week. She reiterated that it is all very difficult to navigate and very complicated.
-A self-advocate stated that if family stress levels are higher as a result of the system it is representative of the lack of respite services available.
Greg Bush: The rural voice needs to be around the table for these discussions because transition looks very different in rural communities. Where is the sense of community in smaller towns? We need to be better at addressing that around the state. It might be building up and invigorating online communities.
Laura Cordes: Is this the first of many report-backs to the Legislature?
Linda: The Task Force’s final report and recommendations are due to the Legislature in November 2022. There are four sub-groups that will work on different aspects of it.
Greg: We need to look at what’s working in other parts of the world and bring those best practices to Maine.
Cullen: This is a standing agenda item so we can continue this discussion each month. Thank you for this informative presentation, Linda, and for all your work to see this Task Force come to fruition. Well done!
End Presentation (round of applause would have occurred were it not for everyone being muted and on Zoom)
DHHS – Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads
Betsy Hopkins: I’m excited to share that some of our reform work has culminated into final recommendations – specifically from the Innovation Stakeholder Group and the Community Membership Stakeholder Group. These groups have finalized their work with reports and recommendations. I’m looking forward to digesting these recommendations and working to implement them. (Click here for the Innovation Stakeholder Group Recommendations Report; click here for the Community Membership Stakeholder Group Recommendations Report.)
FMAP funds for the first half of bonuses for DSPS have been distributed (click here for more information). The remaining FMAP funds will be included in the Governor’s supplemental budget which is coming out this week.
OADS held our Listening Session to seek input on our Innovation Grants. We received some great questions and input which helped inform our Application Process and Criteria for the grants which we are still finalizing. We plan to send out the request for applications in mid-March and we will hold a further “bidder’s conference” after we have opened the application process to respond to all follow up questions at that time.
OADS is hosting a virtual listening session to gather input on providing eligible Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) providers with Section 9817 American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to assist with the costs of complying with the HCBS Settings Rule. The goal of this initiative is to support HCBS providers with costs they have incurred to implement the requirements of the HCBS Settings Rule, including systemic reforms, workforce skill development, and some specific capital improvements. The Department will provide these one-time funds to assist with the costs of complying with the HCBS Settings Rule, based on approved Transition to Compliance Plans, using Section 9817 authority.
NEW Listening Session Date:
- Thursday, February 17, 2022, at 11:00 AM -12:30 PM
- All are welcome to attend. To register, please use the link below. Interpreter services will be provided during the listening session. Written comments may also be submitted to [email protected] until Friday, February 25, 2022.
- Ideas for submitting reimbursement requests (website portal, paper, etc.…)
- Length of time for application process
- Costs to be considered for reimbursement
- Criteria used to cap grant amounts - for example # of settings and/or number of individuals served
- Please register in advance for this meeting:
Register in advance for this meeting: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkduqhrTgvHN1xchQAXLAAFCaxj4sq2LdM
Additionally, the HCBS Global Rule was Adopted on January 19th, 2022.
Cullen: Thank you very much, Betsy, for being here today and for providing all of this information!
DHHS – Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs
Teresa Barrows: We’ve said this for quite a while but we’re continuing working with OADS to work on a smoother transition from Children’s Behavioral Health Services and the Office of Aging and Disability Services. Betsy and I will be presenting on this for this group next month.
Cullen: Thank you Teresa, I’m glad you were able to join us, and we look forward to that presentation next month!
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
Betsy Hopkins: Libby texted that she had to leave the meeting early. I can say that I know that we’re both very excited for the two new OADS Employment Specialist will be embedded in Voc Rehab offices in underserved areas of the state. We hope to have them in place in March.
SMACT (Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition)
Nancy Peavy: The SMACT website and the Coalition website are cross-linked for convenience and information-sharing. As a reminder, if you want to be on the email list feel free to email Nancy ([email protected]). SMACT meetings occur the first Friday of each month throughout the school year. The March meeting will be on Friday, 3/4 and will feature Bangor Savings Bank presenting on Maine ABLE Accounts.
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) Update:
Julia Endicott: I work with the Employment Advocacy Programs at DRM, which includes our Client Assistance Program. The Client Assistance Program (CAP) is a federally funded program that provides information, assistance, and advocacy to people with disabilities who are applying for or receiving services under the Rehabilitation Act (click here for the CAP Fact Sheet). We also have our Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) program. The purpose of this program is to protect the legal rights of Social Security beneficiaries in their efforts to secure or regain employment (click here for the PABSS Brochure). DRM also has two Virtual Employment Town Halls coming up – one tomorrow and one on 3/1 (click here for more information).
LD 924 Task Force Update: No additional updates
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen:
- Federal Budget & Debt Ceiling: Congressional appropriators in the House and Senate announced progress towards reaching a deal on a federal spending package for FY 22. The announcement came after a 1/13 meeting between Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-AL) and House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Ranking Member Kay Granger (R-TX). The current CR is set to expire February 18, at which point Congress will need to pass an FY22 spending bill, enact another CR, or face a government shutdown. Per NLIHC, the FY22 budget presents Congress with an opportunity to move our nation towards universal, stable, and affordable homes for all by making significant investments in affordable housing, including expanding Housing Choice Vouchers to an additional 125,000 households with low incomes.
- The House T-HUD spending bill would fund HUD programs at almost $7 billion above FY 21 enacted levels and includes significant funding increases to nearly all HUD programs, including an expansion of rental assistance through the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program to an additional 125,000 households.
- -The Senate proposal, however, would provide HUD with over $1 billion less than the House proposal and does not include the major expansion of rental assistance.
- Congress’ Budget Resolution & “Build Back Better Act” Infrastructure Reconciliation Package: On 1/19, President Biden stated at a press conference that the Build Back Better Act will likely be “substantially slimmed down” before it’s enacted. Recent reports suggests that housing is not currently included in the priorities for the reconfigured/slimmed down bill. It is possible that some of the provisions originally included in the Build Back Better Act will be put forth as smaller, individual bills for consideration. As passed by the House, the Build Back Better Act is a $1.75 trillion package – negotiated down from $3.5 trillion – and includes $150 billion in affordable housing investments, including:
- $25 billion in rental assistance for hundreds of thousands of households.
- $65 billion to preserve our nation’s public housing infrastructure.
- $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF) to build and preserve over 150,000 homes affordable to extremely low-income households.
- And $150 billion for Home and Community-Based Services.
- National Housing Trust Fund: There are various efforts in Congress to increase the National Housing Trust Fund, including the Decent, Affordable, Safe Housing for All (DASH) Act which would provide $10 billion in the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) for the next ten years to states to acquire, develop, or rehabilitate deeply affordable housing. In Maine, resources from the HTF are the primary funding mechanism for supportive housing development.
State Legislature Update:
Laura Cordes – MACSP (Maine Association for Community Service Providers): I reviewed the updated Google Doc amended for this Session at the last meeting which includes LDs, LRs, and carry over bills. This is a working document and can be edited. (Click here for the Google Doc for the 2nd Session of the 130th Legislature.).
Since we last met there have been some public hearings and movement, but the biggest thing on the horizon is it is expected the Governor will release her Supplemental Budget tomorrow. The Budget would go to the Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee, with an opportunity to provide public comments.
For bills carried over from last year with a fiscal note, commonly known as bills left “on the Table”, I’ve put a note in the document where there’s a possibility the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee could work to include them in the Supplemental Budget. This would provide an opportunity for additional advocacy for these initiatives.
It’s important to note because there’s been some confusion, that the rate increase to 125% of minimum wage has not actually gone into effect, though it was supposed to as of 1/1/2022. The Department released a memo pertaining to this, stating that when the rates do come out, they will be retroactive to 1/1/2022; however, the rate increases will not go into effect until the Governor’s supplemental budget passes, which is expected to include additional funding to pay for this increase as well as additional cost of living increases. It may be a few more months until providers can access the funds needed to actualize these increases.
I’ll provide some quick updates on some of the new bills this group reviewed last month:
- LD 1773, An Act to Make MaineCare Rules Pertaining to Global Home And Community-Based Services.
- Current Status: Public Hearing was held on 1/28 in front of the HHS Committee.
- Laura: As Betsy stated in her update, the Rule was adopted on 1/19, ahead of the hearing, so based on my understanding the provisions of the bill are likely moot. Rep. Craven is proposing an amendment with new language to: Make all future changes to this state Global HCBS Waiver Rule Major Substantive (requiring legislative review); extend by 2 months the deadline for providers to demonstrate compliance with their transition plans. Current deadline is September 30, 2022; and create a Stakeholder Group focused on understanding and aligning current and forthcoming guidelines, policies, and requirements within the different divisions of DHHS (for current transition plans and the system post 2023 federal deadline). The Stakeholder Group will also identify if additional funding is needed beyond the recently approved HCBS FMAP Plan’s Transition to Compliance grant program. I included a link to the definition of Major Substantive in the Google Doc. The Legislature reviews Major Substantive Rules because “the subject matter or anticipated impact, are reasonably expected to result in a significant increase in the cost of doing business.”
- LD 1867, An Act To Codify MaineCare Rate System Reform.
- Current Status: Public Hearing held on 2/2 in front of the HHS Committee. This bill formalizes the Department’s reimbursement rate system reform effort by establishing rate development principles and processes, including specifying rule-making requirements for rate adjustments among other things.
Other Business:
- Click here for information on MACSP’s 2/24 webinar on Self-Directed Services, including how to register.
- Click here for information on the Maine Parent Federation 2022 Annual Virtual Conference.
The next meeting will be on Monday, March 14, 2022, 12-2pm, via Zoom*.
Featured Speakers: Teresa Barrows, Children’s Behavioral Health Services Manager, DHHS-OCFS, and Betsy Hopkins, Associate Director, Developmental Disability and Brain Injury Services, DHHS-OADS.
Topic: An update on the transition work between Children’s Behavioral Health Services and the Office of Aging and Disability Services to optimize transitions.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2pm.
(in 2022 the October meeting will be the 3rd Monday due to the holiday)
The Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services provides equal opportunity for meeting participation. If you wish to attend but require an interpreter or other accommodation, please forward your request two weeks prior to the monthly meeting to [email protected].