February 10, 2025
Minutes
Minutes
Attendees via Zoom: Betsy Hopkins, Brenda Smith, Carol Snyder, Craig Patterson, David Cowing, Ilea Sangillo, Jamie Whitehouse, Jane Moore, Janet DiBiase, Jennifer Frey, Julianne Zaharis, Keri Lopes, Kristin Overton, Laura Cordes, Lauren Kage, Libby Stone-Sterling, Luc Nya, Lorraine DeFreitas, Lucas Cuellar, Maggie Hoffman, Margaret Cardoza, Mark Kemmerle, Melissa Bliss, Michaela York, Robin Levesque, Sammy-Ellie MacKinnon, Shelley Zielinski, Shelly King, Titus O’Rourke, Todd Goodwin, Vickey Merrill, Cullen Ryan, a few people who joined after the meeting began and left prior to the conclusion of the meeting.
Cullen Ryan introduced himself and welcomed the group. Minutes from the last meeting were accepted.
Featured Speaker: Libby Stone-Sterling, Director, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, Maine Department of Labor. www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr Topic: Overview of the Pathways to Partnerships Grant (P2P): This innovative grant is exploring how offering model services to children as young as 10 can improve post-secondary employment and education goals for students with disabilities.
Cullen: I am pleased to welcome Libby Stone-Sterling, Director of the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services with the Maine Department of Labor presenting an overview of the Pathways to Partnerships (P2P) Grant: This innovative grant explores how offering model services to children as young as 10 can improve post-secondary employment and education goals for students with disabilities. Thank you for being here today, Libby!
Libby Stone-Sterling: Thank you all for having me! This is a partnerships project; you’ll see that we’re really trying to demonstrate that in the work that we’re doing. One of the key pieces is that this project was one of the few grant opportunities that came along and was a way to move the work we’re already doing forward. When we go after grants, we want to make sure they’re well-aligned with where we want to go as a state, and you’ll see how this project really fits well and supports our ongoing work.
Begin Presentation (click here for the presentation)
Libby: One of the requirements of the grant is that three entities had to be core partners: a division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Department of Education (DOE), and a center for independent living (Alpha One). The grant was all front-loaded, meaning we were able to get approval for the total dollar amount right up front. We’re constantly talking about working with children and families earlier – this grant focuses on children ages 10 to 24 – earlier than the usual age of transition. The grant website will go live this week. We began our first year of the grant on October 1, 2023. This project is meant to be innovative. We’re meant to try things, see what works, learn from what doesn’t, tweak things and improve them, and continue to move forward. We know that sometimes things look great on paper but don’t work well out in the field.
The P2P Model Services that you’ll see mentioned throughout the presentation are benefit planning, financial literacy, career exploration, pre-employment transition services (pre-ETS), and self-advocacy. We are lucky to have a wonderful group of partners for our P2PO Model Services, including Maine Parent Federation – and I see that Robin is here today.
Robin Levesque – Maine Parent Federation (MPF): This is more Dylan’s area of expertise. There’s a lot going on and we’re really excited about this!
Libby: We’re also working with Maine Health’s Benefits Counseling Services, and Julianne is here with us today as well.
Julianne Zaharis – Maine Health Benefits Counseling Services: We’re excited to have this multi-faceted approach to this initiative. Historically we’ve had a hard time wiggling our way into working with transition-age youth so we’re very excited.
Libby: We’re hoping to reach a different pool of people than we usually do with benefits counseling which is wonderful. This is information that people and their families ought to know early on, so having this start at an earlier age is advantageous.
Libby: We’re working with OSSIE for our Pre-ETS Model Service, with which Titus is involved.
Titus O’Rourke – Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE): It is truly a collaborative effort in the way that we’re addressing Pre-ETS, and the way that we’re disseminating the information. We are pushing the development of post-secondary soft and hard skills, as well as the career exploration to an earlier age which brings about career awareness. Opportunities and access ought to be provided from the earliest age. This initiative starts at 10 years old – our vision is to start at pre-k. We have this collaborative vision that we’re working towards over the next three to five years.
Discussion:
-A self-advocate mentioned Disability Rights Maine’s youth advocacy project, and suggested if they’re not working with them, they ought to consider it.
Titus O’Rourke: We’re absolutely working with Dylan and DRM – there are several initiatives they’re involved with including P2P, our transition work, and we have a self-advocacy collaboration as well. We view this as more than one initiative – we view it as a cross-collaboration undertaking.
Betsy Hopkins – DHHS-OADS: All of the things that everyone has discussed regarding this work connects perfectly with the vision we have for the Lifespan Waiver. Getting young people engaged at a younger age to think about what they want to do while they’re still in school is important. This way when they transition to adult services they will have been thinking about and working on this. As Titus said, we like to have conversations regarding setting expectations regarding employment earlier. Shelly, who’s here today, has been our point person on this.
Shelly King: I’ll add that it’s been a pleasure being part of the P2P Advisory Group. Having the transition liaisons be part of the work more on the local, ground-level is exciting as well.
Libby: We’re excited about the work thus far, and for what’s to come as we continue with our second year of the grant.
-A self-advocate asked about the diversity of disability populations being considered for the initiative (individuals needing a wheelchair, people who are blind or visually impaired, etc.).
Libby: It’s a wide population of individuals with disabling conditions that can be part of the project. It could be a young person with a mental health diagnosis, a young person who uses a wheelchair, a young person with ID/DD.
-A self-advocate asked about the curriculum involved considering the young age, the population, and the community. She stated that Houlton is very different from Belfast – geography plays a role in career opportunities within a community. She stated that local opportunities, which can lead to apprenticeships etc., are very important.
Libby: Every school district is going to look different. What are kids thinking about for careers here now? This allows us to look at a wide range of possibilities.
Titus: That’s the first consideration – before we even think about purchasing curriculum. There are various explorations and opportunities for employment access. It’s an immersive, interactive curriculum so it’s about the students grappling with an actual activity versus a curriculum where a student has a pencil and worksheet. This is all about what career opportunities look like in Maine, and then regionally within Maine. Many of the lessons and activities are differentiated for grades 1-3 and then scaffolded up based on students’ needs. This is also why training is very important as students engage in these immersive opportunities.
-A self-advocate asked if supported decision-making (SDM) will be part of this work. She also asked if people will be given information about Able accounts.
Libby: Yes, Able accounts will be part of this through our Maine Health team. And we will be very much connected with SDM in our self-advocacy work.
Titus: We are also doing cross-agency presentations at schools and at conferences based on the self-advocacy SDM work.
Lucas Cuellar – DRM: Is the ultimate vision that this will be in all school districts? And what’s the timing?
Libby: We have the funding for five years. But regarding the lessons learned from this work – yes absolutely we want this across the entire state, and we feel confident we’ll be able to do that.
Titus: By creating really strong regions through this five-year project we can use them to pull in other regions.
Cullen: My son is someone who has been able to volunteer successfully for a number of years in multiple locations. It makes a huge difference in his life – he gets a sense of joy and that he’s making a difference. There were a lot of heroic efforts to get him employed, but it just didn’t work for him. There are likely other people like my son who may not have a pathway to gainful employment but may get the same experience and community inclusion out of volunteer opportunities. I was wondering if this pathway is considered in this work.
Libby: That’s a great reminder about the different pathways. It’s about what works for each individual. What we really want to do is make sure that regardless of whatever pathway a young person wants to follow, that they have the information to make that decision.
Libby: If anyone has any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Cullen: Thank you, Libby, for this informative presentation. You’ve been doing this work for a long time, and with your partners who we also heard from today, you’re building scaffolding to make a real difference in people’s lives and the world. Thank you again – 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
Shelly King:
Lifespan Provider Readiness Project: Launched in spring 2024, and presented to the provider network in fall 2024, the project is partnering with National Disability Institute (NDI) to help the provider network build capacity for the upcoming Lifespan Waiver implementation. OADS and the provider network have been collaborating since 2023 to support the Innovation Pilot Grant project. As part of this effort, the project has developed a technical assistance application. More than 100 providers applied for this technical assistance along with some stipends to help them prepare for Lifespan Waiver services. Those award notices were sent to providers on Friday, February 7th, with a kickoff meeting planned for all on February 11th. The technical assistance and support for providers will continue through June 30th, 2025. You can find more information about this work here
Housing Services: Last week, OADS launched a new Housing Services web page, outlining housing supports for individuals with IDD, autism, and brain injury.
Innovation Summit: We will be opening registration later this week for OADS’s Innovation Summit which is being held on May 19th and 20th at the Holiday Inn By the Bay In Portland, Maine. We look forward to seeing you there!
MaineCare Notice of Agency Waiver Renewal, MaineCare Benefits Manual, Section 21, Home and Community Benefits for Members with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Division of Policy posts all proposed and recently adopted rules on MaineCare’s Policy and Rules webpage. This website keeps the proposed rules on file until they are finalized and until the Secretary of State website is updated to reflect the changes. The MaineCare Benefits Manual is available on-line at the Secretary of State’s website. You can access the complete details at http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/oms/rules/index.shtml.
DHHS-OADS: Home and Community Based Services Survey: Home and Community-Based Services Access Rule Feedback Request – As part of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) preparations for the Access Rule, there is a survey where you can provide feedback on planning for the new rule. When you have a few moments, please consider filling out the survey here. It will be open through February 14th, 2025. As a reminder, you may also provide written feedback on planning for the Access Rule requirements and current processes by emailing [email protected] by February 14th, 2025. Please indicate your relationship with Maine’s Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) programs in the email. To better understand how OADS is striving to make Medicaid services easier to access and better for everyone, find out more here.
DHHS-OADS: Home & Community-Based Services Quality Assurance Project Town Hall Follow-Up: Thank You to Those Who Participated in the Town Hall! On Tuesday, January 21st, DHHS hosted a town hall meeting with a group called Alvarez and Marsal (A&M) to share information about its Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) Quality Assurance project and to ask for your feedback. DHHS is grateful to everyone who joined and shared ideas about how DHHS can improve the way it handles problems to make services safer and better. Your input is helping to make a difference in how problems like injuries or medication mistakes are handled! If you couldn’t join the live session, the recording is available on the DHHS website. You can watch the recording here. In addition to hearing initial feedback and questions during the town hall, DHHS wanted to hear more about your experiences in other settings that may be more comfortable for sharing feedback. As such, DHHS held focused listening sessions at the end of January with small groups and created a survey as opportunities to hear more from you.
Survey for all Interested Parties – DHHS also wants to collect your feedback through a survey. All members, families, advocates, and support groups are encouraged to complete the survey. This survey will not collect any identifying information, such as name or email address, from respondents. This survey will ask questions related to how DHHS handles problems to make services safer and better. Your answers could help DHHS make the system that handles problems better! Click here to take our SURVEY
DHHS-OADS: Individual-Directed Goods and Services (IDGS): An Overview Video: The Office of Aging and Disability Services (“OADS”) in partnership with Applied Self-Direction has created a new training video to support the Self-Directed Services of Individual-Directed Goods and Services. In this video, we explain the concept of Individual-Directed Goods and Services (IDGS) in the Maine Self-Direction Program. IDGS offers flexibility for members to purchase items or services to manage disabilities that work towards goals. Learn how IDGS accrual works, the process of requesting purchases, and the importance of aligning purchases with the member's needs and goals. Viewers are reminded to include all IDGS items in the spending plan and to follow guidelines to ensure purchases are allowed. The link to access this training video can be found here. The OADS Self-Direction website offers a comprehensive collection of employer resources, budgeting tools, and educational materials, including handbooks, video guides, and workflow documentation to help individuals throughout their self-direction journey. From practical tools like the updated Individual-Directed Goods and Services Request Form to essential guidance through the Employer Handbook and its video series, the site ensures users have everything they need to successfully manage support and services.
Cullen: Thank you, Shelly!
DHHS – Children’s Behavioral Health Services (CBHS), Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/obh/support-services/childrens-behavioral-health - No Update
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
Libby Stone-Sterling: We do a series of college bus tours throughout the summer. There will be some ads on the radio in February highlighting those tours. Information on these tours will also be on our website. Additionally, there has also been a lot of hiring within DVR, so you’ll likely see a lot of new names and faces.
Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE) - www.maine.gov/doe/learning/specialed
Titus:
Inclusive Education Conference: We are still working on the Inclusion Conference, which is being held April 10th. We have close to 40 booths, supporters, and presenters so far. Registration is currently open (click here to register). This conference is educationally focused. We want to ensure we bring all of our state partners to the table to work together to provide a common understanding of what inclusivity means in the state of Maine. This is about re-looking at how we do our work so that it supports each other and that messaging around inclusion.
Literacy Work: Our literacy work is ongoing, and we have close to 300 teachers participating in modules that will support further understanding of evidence-based practice around literacy will look like in Maine. There are also strategies to support the younger grades (pre-K through 3 years old).
Transition Maine: Transition Maine is still building its EST Committee members. We have about 10 students participating. The participants are mostly male – so if you know of female students that would be interested in this work, please send them my way! As a reminder they receive $20/hour for up to 20 hours per month to support any topic that they deem relevant to their lives that they’re passionate about that relates to transition.
I Belong Youth Summit: We’re expanding the I Belong Youth Summitt to two locations this year: CMCC (Central Maine Community College) and SMCC (Southern Maine Community College). We’ll be adding Virtual Reality Goggles to this as well which is very exciting!
-A self-advocate asked if she had heard of the Telling Room. She stated that it’s a nonprofit in Portland that works with students in schools on how to tell stories about themselves, their families, etc. This assists with learning speech, public speaking, etc. and they’re publishing their stories, which is amazing.
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) Update:
Sammy-Ellie MacKinnon: As you may remember from when I presented previously, we received a grant from OVW (Office on Violence Against Women) which funds the program I run, ThriveTogether Maine, a collaboration between DRM, Speaking Up for Us (SUFU), Maine Association for Community Service Providers (MACSP), and Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA). The program is designed to support agencies to improve their systems to help survivors of sexual violence with disabilities. Over the past several months I’ve been working on a needs assessment with all of our agency partners. I’m pleased to say that we’ve finished with the needs assessment itself and we’re moving into our strategic planning process.
Lucas Cuellar: Our 2024 election report has been released. We’re very concerned about people who want to vote being able to access the polls. The good news is that we have an amazing Voting Access Advocate, Molly Thompson. Since she’s joined us, we’ve seen improvements in voting access. Maine is increasing overall access to voting, especially for people with disabilities which is wonderful. Our Youth Self-Advocacy Program continues. The funding stream for this ended but we were able to extend the program, which is great.
-A self-advocate stated that the President’s Executive Orders, specifically regarding inclusiveness and the hiring of people with disabilities, have been triggering. She stated that it’s stressful because she doesn’t understand all of the information that’s out there. She added that parents might want to check in with their loved ones with disabilities, as it’s confusing and scary.
Titus: I don’t think anyone has an answer for you. I think we’re all in a state of shock. The goalpost keeps moving – whatever we think we know it is now constantly changing. On the education side, we’ve been told to do what we do, and to continue to do so, until we’re told otherwise. We’re also being careful about language, for the sole purpose of ensuring that our work persists and continues unobstructed.
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen: It is a very stressful time. Titus said it well – there’s an effort to sow seeds of fear and chaos. And an effort to thwart a lot of government programs that have had funding authorized by Congress. Margaret, thank you for reminding us of the stress experienced by people with ID/DD around this. There are a lot of questions regarding what’s going to happen because of the illegality of the actions, but the system is slow to catch up with the many lawsuits being filed. All of us ought to focus on continuing our efforts despite these attempts to undermine our work. It’s very good that we have this Coalition, a group of people coming together to promote information sharing and to come together in solidarity. We have the benefit of a Delegation that appears to be on the side of trying to stop these efforts. The biggest threat that we’re facing, I believe, is potential cuts to Medicaid. As we saw during President Trump’s first presidency, Medicaid appears to again be the target of cuts through various Medicaid per capita cap and block grant proposals floating around Congress (see below for more information). We will be watching this closely. We will also continue to closely monitor Executive Orders and other policy proposals which would affect housing, services, and other resources for people with ID/DD. When things arise, we will be sure to make you aware through action alerts.
-Executive Orders – After his Inauguration, President Trump initiated a series of Executive Orders (EOs) which, if implemented/upheld by the courts, could make more difficult for everyone to access to an affordable, accessible home. Per NLIHC, the new Administration’s first actions include:
-Senate Republican Budget Proposal – Per CBPP: On 2/7, Senate Republicans released a budget framework which lays a path for a future budget bill that appears to c increase military and homeland security spending and reduce food assistance and health coverage. The plan would direct four committees in the Senate, including those with jurisdiction over Medicaid, SNAP, student loans, and certain energy resilience programs to make cuts totaling at least $1 billion each. Currently there is only information on which committees would be required to find cuts to offset the spending, it is unknown how much would come from each committee or which programs they would target for cuts.
-Rumored House Republican Budget & Tax Proposals – Per the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CPBB): A new House Republican budget and tax options list, reported in Politico, includes cuts and barriers to accessing health coverage, food assistance, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for millions of people. The list details cuts that could increase poverty and hardship for kids, adults, seniors, children and adults with disabilities, and workers. Some items on this list would:
-FY 25 Budget – Congress passed, and the President Joe Biden signed into law on 12/21 a bill to temporarily extend funding for the federal government and provide assistance to communities and individuals impacted by recent disasters. The agreement funds the federal government until 3/14/25. It also provides approximately $110 billion in disaster relief, including $29 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund and $12 billion for HUD’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. Final FY 25 appropriations will be addressed under the new Congress. Additionally, per CBPP: “The Republican-led Congress appears poised in January to quickly pass a budget resolution, an internal budget plan for Congress that unlocks the reconciliation process. A reconciliation bill is not subject to the Senate’s filibuster and so can pass with only 51 votes in the Senate and does not have to be signed by the President so this could occur prior to Inauguration.
-Congressional Medicaid Per Capita Cap Proposals – There are various Medicaid Per Capita Cap policy proposals currently floating around in Congress. Per CBPP: Recent proposals from Republican congressional leaders and a conservative think tank would impose a per capita cap on federal Medicaid funding or, similarly, turn Medicaid into a block grant. These proposals would dramatically change Medicaid’s funding structure, deeply cut federal funding, and shift costs and financial risks to states. Should this happen, faced with large and growing reductions in federal funding, states could cut eligibility and benefits, which could put millions of people at risk of losing health coverage and access to Medicaid-funded services. There are also various proposals from Republican Congressional leaders that would impose work requirements for Medicaid. Per CBPP: that 36 million Medicaid enrollees — including people in every state — could be at risk of losing their coverage under various proposals.
Due to the start of the new Congress, the following bills that the group has been tracking would need to be reintroduced.
State Legislature Update:
Laura Cordes – MACSP (Maine Association for Community Service Providers): As I have in previous years, I created the MCHQS 132nd Maine Legislature First Regular Session 2025 Resource Document, which is a Google Document that can be edited – please let me know if you have any edits. This document includes summary document links under the Budget section. There’s also a Memo I linked to that came up from the Department discussing what they’re doing to cut and initiate savings. Part A of the Budget goes through each program line-by-line, and that is also linked.
Supplemental Budget – click here for the General Fund Language; click here for Part A. Public Hearings and work sessions have been held. In its report back to the Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee recommended restoring COLAs. The AFA Committee did not accept the HHS Committee recommendation to include funds for COLAs. The AFA Committee voted ought to pass as amended and the Supplemental Budget now faces votes in the House and Senate, likely this week.
Biennial Budget – click here for the General Fund Budget Language; click here for Part A. Public Hearings and work sessions are underway. There is a Public Hearing on Wednesday, 2/12, at 1:00pm pertaining to a few areas of the budget that I’ll highlight:
I’ve included a list of bills in the Google Doc – some are still Legislative Requests (LRs) and may merge with other bills. Some of these bills may look familiar from previous Legislative Sessions. Some bills have been printed, and some have even had Public Hearings already.
-A parent asked what options there are if you can’t attend the Public Hearing in person on Wednesday.
Laura: If you can’t attend the Public Hearing, I would encourage you to submit testimony online , ideally on the day of the hearing. It is an AFA hearing, with HHS there as guests.
-A self-advocate asked if any of the newly elected Legislators have a background in the disability community.
Laura: It’s a great question and I think we all would want to know the answer. I haven’t seen any formal list or document. I thought you were going to ask if incoming Legislators receive any training on the disability community and continuum of care. They’ve had some more formal groups brief committees this year, but historically a variety of groups have presented this information as well. Every year the Maine Developmental Services Oversight and Advisory Board presents its Annual report to the Legislature which is another opportunity for education. This is a great reminder that if you haven’t met with your Senator or Representative yet, there’s no time like the present!
Cullen: There is a lot of chaos going on – at every level. Please continue to raise your voice and tell your stories so that lawmakers can make good policy decisions on the needs of people with disabilities in Maine. Thank you, Laura, for this information, for all you do, and for all you will do this Legislative Session! It will be a very busy, chaotic stretch but thank you for rallying and answering calls to action throughout the Legislative Session. We are all better for your advocacy.
-A parent stated that it’s sometimes easy to take the Coalition for granted because it’s been a constant in our lives for 19 years. But he would be remiss not to mention the enormous amount of work that goes into this Coalition, and he doesn’t know where any of us would be without that essential information sharing.
Cullen: Thank you for the kind words, but I want to turn the spotlight back on all of you. Each and every one of you makes up this Coalition – thank you for all that you do to make the world a better place for people with ID/DD!
The next meeting will be on Monday, March 10, 2025, 12-2:00pm, via Zoom*.
Featured Speaker: Cumberland County District Attorney Jackie Sartoris
Topic: The people who fall through the cracks and into the criminal justice system.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2pm.
(In 2025 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.
Featured Speaker: Libby Stone-Sterling, Director, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, Maine Department of Labor. www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr Topic: Overview of the Pathways to Partnerships Grant (P2P): This innovative grant is exploring how offering model services to children as young as 10 can improve post-secondary employment and education goals for students with disabilities.
Cullen: I am pleased to welcome Libby Stone-Sterling, Director of the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services with the Maine Department of Labor presenting an overview of the Pathways to Partnerships (P2P) Grant: This innovative grant explores how offering model services to children as young as 10 can improve post-secondary employment and education goals for students with disabilities. Thank you for being here today, Libby!
Libby Stone-Sterling: Thank you all for having me! This is a partnerships project; you’ll see that we’re really trying to demonstrate that in the work that we’re doing. One of the key pieces is that this project was one of the few grant opportunities that came along and was a way to move the work we’re already doing forward. When we go after grants, we want to make sure they’re well-aligned with where we want to go as a state, and you’ll see how this project really fits well and supports our ongoing work.
Begin Presentation (click here for the presentation)
Libby: One of the requirements of the grant is that three entities had to be core partners: a division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Department of Education (DOE), and a center for independent living (Alpha One). The grant was all front-loaded, meaning we were able to get approval for the total dollar amount right up front. We’re constantly talking about working with children and families earlier – this grant focuses on children ages 10 to 24 – earlier than the usual age of transition. The grant website will go live this week. We began our first year of the grant on October 1, 2023. This project is meant to be innovative. We’re meant to try things, see what works, learn from what doesn’t, tweak things and improve them, and continue to move forward. We know that sometimes things look great on paper but don’t work well out in the field.
The P2P Model Services that you’ll see mentioned throughout the presentation are benefit planning, financial literacy, career exploration, pre-employment transition services (pre-ETS), and self-advocacy. We are lucky to have a wonderful group of partners for our P2PO Model Services, including Maine Parent Federation – and I see that Robin is here today.
Robin Levesque – Maine Parent Federation (MPF): This is more Dylan’s area of expertise. There’s a lot going on and we’re really excited about this!
Libby: We’re also working with Maine Health’s Benefits Counseling Services, and Julianne is here with us today as well.
Julianne Zaharis – Maine Health Benefits Counseling Services: We’re excited to have this multi-faceted approach to this initiative. Historically we’ve had a hard time wiggling our way into working with transition-age youth so we’re very excited.
Libby: We’re hoping to reach a different pool of people than we usually do with benefits counseling which is wonderful. This is information that people and their families ought to know early on, so having this start at an earlier age is advantageous.
Libby: We’re working with OSSIE for our Pre-ETS Model Service, with which Titus is involved.
Titus O’Rourke – Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE): It is truly a collaborative effort in the way that we’re addressing Pre-ETS, and the way that we’re disseminating the information. We are pushing the development of post-secondary soft and hard skills, as well as the career exploration to an earlier age which brings about career awareness. Opportunities and access ought to be provided from the earliest age. This initiative starts at 10 years old – our vision is to start at pre-k. We have this collaborative vision that we’re working towards over the next three to five years.
Discussion:
-A self-advocate mentioned Disability Rights Maine’s youth advocacy project, and suggested if they’re not working with them, they ought to consider it.
Titus O’Rourke: We’re absolutely working with Dylan and DRM – there are several initiatives they’re involved with including P2P, our transition work, and we have a self-advocacy collaboration as well. We view this as more than one initiative – we view it as a cross-collaboration undertaking.
Betsy Hopkins – DHHS-OADS: All of the things that everyone has discussed regarding this work connects perfectly with the vision we have for the Lifespan Waiver. Getting young people engaged at a younger age to think about what they want to do while they’re still in school is important. This way when they transition to adult services they will have been thinking about and working on this. As Titus said, we like to have conversations regarding setting expectations regarding employment earlier. Shelly, who’s here today, has been our point person on this.
Shelly King: I’ll add that it’s been a pleasure being part of the P2P Advisory Group. Having the transition liaisons be part of the work more on the local, ground-level is exciting as well.
Libby: We’re excited about the work thus far, and for what’s to come as we continue with our second year of the grant.
-A self-advocate asked about the diversity of disability populations being considered for the initiative (individuals needing a wheelchair, people who are blind or visually impaired, etc.).
Libby: It’s a wide population of individuals with disabling conditions that can be part of the project. It could be a young person with a mental health diagnosis, a young person who uses a wheelchair, a young person with ID/DD.
-A self-advocate asked about the curriculum involved considering the young age, the population, and the community. She stated that Houlton is very different from Belfast – geography plays a role in career opportunities within a community. She stated that local opportunities, which can lead to apprenticeships etc., are very important.
Libby: Every school district is going to look different. What are kids thinking about for careers here now? This allows us to look at a wide range of possibilities.
Titus: That’s the first consideration – before we even think about purchasing curriculum. There are various explorations and opportunities for employment access. It’s an immersive, interactive curriculum so it’s about the students grappling with an actual activity versus a curriculum where a student has a pencil and worksheet. This is all about what career opportunities look like in Maine, and then regionally within Maine. Many of the lessons and activities are differentiated for grades 1-3 and then scaffolded up based on students’ needs. This is also why training is very important as students engage in these immersive opportunities.
-A self-advocate asked if supported decision-making (SDM) will be part of this work. She also asked if people will be given information about Able accounts.
Libby: Yes, Able accounts will be part of this through our Maine Health team. And we will be very much connected with SDM in our self-advocacy work.
Titus: We are also doing cross-agency presentations at schools and at conferences based on the self-advocacy SDM work.
Lucas Cuellar – DRM: Is the ultimate vision that this will be in all school districts? And what’s the timing?
Libby: We have the funding for five years. But regarding the lessons learned from this work – yes absolutely we want this across the entire state, and we feel confident we’ll be able to do that.
Titus: By creating really strong regions through this five-year project we can use them to pull in other regions.
Cullen: My son is someone who has been able to volunteer successfully for a number of years in multiple locations. It makes a huge difference in his life – he gets a sense of joy and that he’s making a difference. There were a lot of heroic efforts to get him employed, but it just didn’t work for him. There are likely other people like my son who may not have a pathway to gainful employment but may get the same experience and community inclusion out of volunteer opportunities. I was wondering if this pathway is considered in this work.
Libby: That’s a great reminder about the different pathways. It’s about what works for each individual. What we really want to do is make sure that regardless of whatever pathway a young person wants to follow, that they have the information to make that decision.
Libby: If anyone has any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Cullen: Thank you, Libby, for this informative presentation. You’ve been doing this work for a long time, and with your partners who we also heard from today, you’re building scaffolding to make a real difference in people’s lives and the world. Thank you again – 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
Shelly King:
Lifespan Provider Readiness Project: Launched in spring 2024, and presented to the provider network in fall 2024, the project is partnering with National Disability Institute (NDI) to help the provider network build capacity for the upcoming Lifespan Waiver implementation. OADS and the provider network have been collaborating since 2023 to support the Innovation Pilot Grant project. As part of this effort, the project has developed a technical assistance application. More than 100 providers applied for this technical assistance along with some stipends to help them prepare for Lifespan Waiver services. Those award notices were sent to providers on Friday, February 7th, with a kickoff meeting planned for all on February 11th. The technical assistance and support for providers will continue through June 30th, 2025. You can find more information about this work here
Housing Services: Last week, OADS launched a new Housing Services web page, outlining housing supports for individuals with IDD, autism, and brain injury.
Innovation Summit: We will be opening registration later this week for OADS’s Innovation Summit which is being held on May 19th and 20th at the Holiday Inn By the Bay In Portland, Maine. We look forward to seeing you there!
MaineCare Notice of Agency Waiver Renewal, MaineCare Benefits Manual, Section 21, Home and Community Benefits for Members with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Division of Policy posts all proposed and recently adopted rules on MaineCare’s Policy and Rules webpage. This website keeps the proposed rules on file until they are finalized and until the Secretary of State website is updated to reflect the changes. The MaineCare Benefits Manual is available on-line at the Secretary of State’s website. You can access the complete details at http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/oms/rules/index.shtml.
DHHS-OADS: Home and Community Based Services Survey: Home and Community-Based Services Access Rule Feedback Request – As part of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) preparations for the Access Rule, there is a survey where you can provide feedback on planning for the new rule. When you have a few moments, please consider filling out the survey here. It will be open through February 14th, 2025. As a reminder, you may also provide written feedback on planning for the Access Rule requirements and current processes by emailing [email protected] by February 14th, 2025. Please indicate your relationship with Maine’s Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) programs in the email. To better understand how OADS is striving to make Medicaid services easier to access and better for everyone, find out more here.
DHHS-OADS: Home & Community-Based Services Quality Assurance Project Town Hall Follow-Up: Thank You to Those Who Participated in the Town Hall! On Tuesday, January 21st, DHHS hosted a town hall meeting with a group called Alvarez and Marsal (A&M) to share information about its Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) Quality Assurance project and to ask for your feedback. DHHS is grateful to everyone who joined and shared ideas about how DHHS can improve the way it handles problems to make services safer and better. Your input is helping to make a difference in how problems like injuries or medication mistakes are handled! If you couldn’t join the live session, the recording is available on the DHHS website. You can watch the recording here. In addition to hearing initial feedback and questions during the town hall, DHHS wanted to hear more about your experiences in other settings that may be more comfortable for sharing feedback. As such, DHHS held focused listening sessions at the end of January with small groups and created a survey as opportunities to hear more from you.
Survey for all Interested Parties – DHHS also wants to collect your feedback through a survey. All members, families, advocates, and support groups are encouraged to complete the survey. This survey will not collect any identifying information, such as name or email address, from respondents. This survey will ask questions related to how DHHS handles problems to make services safer and better. Your answers could help DHHS make the system that handles problems better! Click here to take our SURVEY
DHHS-OADS: Individual-Directed Goods and Services (IDGS): An Overview Video: The Office of Aging and Disability Services (“OADS”) in partnership with Applied Self-Direction has created a new training video to support the Self-Directed Services of Individual-Directed Goods and Services. In this video, we explain the concept of Individual-Directed Goods and Services (IDGS) in the Maine Self-Direction Program. IDGS offers flexibility for members to purchase items or services to manage disabilities that work towards goals. Learn how IDGS accrual works, the process of requesting purchases, and the importance of aligning purchases with the member's needs and goals. Viewers are reminded to include all IDGS items in the spending plan and to follow guidelines to ensure purchases are allowed. The link to access this training video can be found here. The OADS Self-Direction website offers a comprehensive collection of employer resources, budgeting tools, and educational materials, including handbooks, video guides, and workflow documentation to help individuals throughout their self-direction journey. From practical tools like the updated Individual-Directed Goods and Services Request Form to essential guidance through the Employer Handbook and its video series, the site ensures users have everything they need to successfully manage support and services.
Cullen: Thank you, Shelly!
DHHS – Children’s Behavioral Health Services (CBHS), Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/obh/support-services/childrens-behavioral-health - No Update
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
Libby Stone-Sterling: We do a series of college bus tours throughout the summer. There will be some ads on the radio in February highlighting those tours. Information on these tours will also be on our website. Additionally, there has also been a lot of hiring within DVR, so you’ll likely see a lot of new names and faces.
Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE) - www.maine.gov/doe/learning/specialed
Titus:
Inclusive Education Conference: We are still working on the Inclusion Conference, which is being held April 10th. We have close to 40 booths, supporters, and presenters so far. Registration is currently open (click here to register). This conference is educationally focused. We want to ensure we bring all of our state partners to the table to work together to provide a common understanding of what inclusivity means in the state of Maine. This is about re-looking at how we do our work so that it supports each other and that messaging around inclusion.
Literacy Work: Our literacy work is ongoing, and we have close to 300 teachers participating in modules that will support further understanding of evidence-based practice around literacy will look like in Maine. There are also strategies to support the younger grades (pre-K through 3 years old).
Transition Maine: Transition Maine is still building its EST Committee members. We have about 10 students participating. The participants are mostly male – so if you know of female students that would be interested in this work, please send them my way! As a reminder they receive $20/hour for up to 20 hours per month to support any topic that they deem relevant to their lives that they’re passionate about that relates to transition.
I Belong Youth Summit: We’re expanding the I Belong Youth Summitt to two locations this year: CMCC (Central Maine Community College) and SMCC (Southern Maine Community College). We’ll be adding Virtual Reality Goggles to this as well which is very exciting!
-A self-advocate asked if she had heard of the Telling Room. She stated that it’s a nonprofit in Portland that works with students in schools on how to tell stories about themselves, their families, etc. This assists with learning speech, public speaking, etc. and they’re publishing their stories, which is amazing.
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) Update:
Sammy-Ellie MacKinnon: As you may remember from when I presented previously, we received a grant from OVW (Office on Violence Against Women) which funds the program I run, ThriveTogether Maine, a collaboration between DRM, Speaking Up for Us (SUFU), Maine Association for Community Service Providers (MACSP), and Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA). The program is designed to support agencies to improve their systems to help survivors of sexual violence with disabilities. Over the past several months I’ve been working on a needs assessment with all of our agency partners. I’m pleased to say that we’ve finished with the needs assessment itself and we’re moving into our strategic planning process.
Lucas Cuellar: Our 2024 election report has been released. We’re very concerned about people who want to vote being able to access the polls. The good news is that we have an amazing Voting Access Advocate, Molly Thompson. Since she’s joined us, we’ve seen improvements in voting access. Maine is increasing overall access to voting, especially for people with disabilities which is wonderful. Our Youth Self-Advocacy Program continues. The funding stream for this ended but we were able to extend the program, which is great.
-A self-advocate stated that the President’s Executive Orders, specifically regarding inclusiveness and the hiring of people with disabilities, have been triggering. She stated that it’s stressful because she doesn’t understand all of the information that’s out there. She added that parents might want to check in with their loved ones with disabilities, as it’s confusing and scary.
Titus: I don’t think anyone has an answer for you. I think we’re all in a state of shock. The goalpost keeps moving – whatever we think we know it is now constantly changing. On the education side, we’ve been told to do what we do, and to continue to do so, until we’re told otherwise. We’re also being careful about language, for the sole purpose of ensuring that our work persists and continues unobstructed.
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen: It is a very stressful time. Titus said it well – there’s an effort to sow seeds of fear and chaos. And an effort to thwart a lot of government programs that have had funding authorized by Congress. Margaret, thank you for reminding us of the stress experienced by people with ID/DD around this. There are a lot of questions regarding what’s going to happen because of the illegality of the actions, but the system is slow to catch up with the many lawsuits being filed. All of us ought to focus on continuing our efforts despite these attempts to undermine our work. It’s very good that we have this Coalition, a group of people coming together to promote information sharing and to come together in solidarity. We have the benefit of a Delegation that appears to be on the side of trying to stop these efforts. The biggest threat that we’re facing, I believe, is potential cuts to Medicaid. As we saw during President Trump’s first presidency, Medicaid appears to again be the target of cuts through various Medicaid per capita cap and block grant proposals floating around Congress (see below for more information). We will be watching this closely. We will also continue to closely monitor Executive Orders and other policy proposals which would affect housing, services, and other resources for people with ID/DD. When things arise, we will be sure to make you aware through action alerts.
-Executive Orders – After his Inauguration, President Trump initiated a series of Executive Orders (EOs) which, if implemented/upheld by the courts, could make more difficult for everyone to access to an affordable, accessible home. Per NLIHC, the new Administration’s first actions include:
- Directing federal agencies to terminate all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) practices and policies and rescind previous executive actions expanding DEI efforts to underserved communities.
- Institute a hiring freeze which would prevent HUD from hiring essential staff.
- Denying fair housing and civil rights protections to LGBTQ individuals and directing HUD to rescind protections for transgender people experiencing homelessness and seeking shelter, which could lead to more people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Directing federal agencies to prevent sanctuary jurisdictions, or jurisdictions that limit or deny cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, from receiving federal investments. If this EO is used to deny states and localities access to federal housing, homelessness, and community development funding/programs, it would undermine local governments’ ability to help families purchase a home, build more affordable rental housing, and prevent and address homelessness.
-Senate Republican Budget Proposal – Per CBPP: On 2/7, Senate Republicans released a budget framework which lays a path for a future budget bill that appears to c increase military and homeland security spending and reduce food assistance and health coverage. The plan would direct four committees in the Senate, including those with jurisdiction over Medicaid, SNAP, student loans, and certain energy resilience programs to make cuts totaling at least $1 billion each. Currently there is only information on which committees would be required to find cuts to offset the spending, it is unknown how much would come from each committee or which programs they would target for cuts.
-Rumored House Republican Budget & Tax Proposals – Per the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CPBB): A new House Republican budget and tax options list, reported in Politico, includes cuts and barriers to accessing health coverage, food assistance, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for millions of people. The list details cuts that could increase poverty and hardship for kids, adults, seniors, children and adults with disabilities, and workers. Some items on this list would:
- Shift billions in Medicaid costs to states (per-capita cap/block grant proposals) and take coverage away from millions of people.
- Make it harder for eligible people to get Medicaid coverage and lower nursing home standards.
- Take Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage away from many workers’ families.
- Cut food assistance for 40 million people.
- Make it harder for schools that serve large numbers of low-income children to provide free meals to all students.
- Take away the Child Tax Credit from children who are U.S. citizens.
- Take away support for working people with low and moderate incomes by cutting the EITC.
- Increase poverty in families with more than one disabled child.
- Take health care away from groups of immigrants with a lawful status.
-FY 25 Budget – Congress passed, and the President Joe Biden signed into law on 12/21 a bill to temporarily extend funding for the federal government and provide assistance to communities and individuals impacted by recent disasters. The agreement funds the federal government until 3/14/25. It also provides approximately $110 billion in disaster relief, including $29 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund and $12 billion for HUD’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. Final FY 25 appropriations will be addressed under the new Congress. Additionally, per CBPP: “The Republican-led Congress appears poised in January to quickly pass a budget resolution, an internal budget plan for Congress that unlocks the reconciliation process. A reconciliation bill is not subject to the Senate’s filibuster and so can pass with only 51 votes in the Senate and does not have to be signed by the President so this could occur prior to Inauguration.
- House T-HUD Bill: On 7/10 the House Appropriations Committee passed its proposal to cut funding for HUD programs in FY 25 spending bill. Overall, the proposal would fund HUD at $73.2 billion – $2.3 billion, or about 3%, less than the FY 24 funding level. No housing-related amendments were passed.
- Senate T-HUD Bill: In August, the Senate’s THUD Appropriations Committee approved its FY 25 draft spending bill. Overall, the bill provides $78.2 billion for HUD’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs, an increase of $8.2 billion – or more than 10% – over FY24-enacted levels. The bill proposes:
- $35.3B for $2.9B increase for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program ($2.9B increase vs FY 24 and $3 billion more than the funding proposed in the House THUD bill). The funding provided may be sufficient to cover the full cost of renewing existing TBRA voucher contracts.
- Increased funding for: Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), and Section 202 Housing for the Elderly.
-Congressional Medicaid Per Capita Cap Proposals – There are various Medicaid Per Capita Cap policy proposals currently floating around in Congress. Per CBPP: Recent proposals from Republican congressional leaders and a conservative think tank would impose a per capita cap on federal Medicaid funding or, similarly, turn Medicaid into a block grant. These proposals would dramatically change Medicaid’s funding structure, deeply cut federal funding, and shift costs and financial risks to states. Should this happen, faced with large and growing reductions in federal funding, states could cut eligibility and benefits, which could put millions of people at risk of losing health coverage and access to Medicaid-funded services. There are also various proposals from Republican Congressional leaders that would impose work requirements for Medicaid. Per CBPP: that 36 million Medicaid enrollees — including people in every state — could be at risk of losing their coverage under various proposals.
Due to the start of the new Congress, the following bills that the group has been tracking would need to be reintroduced.
- HR 7024 The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act – On 8/1, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act (formerly S 1557/ HR 3238 The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act – see below for more info. On this bill which is included in HR 7024) was brought to the Senate floor for a vote, and it failed to pass. The legislation passed the House of Representatives earlier this year by a wide bipartisan vote of 357 to 70. The provisions in H.R. 7024 would finance the construction of over 200,000 new affordable homes nationwide. As a result, these provisions would finance 1,500 new rental homes in Maine generating new jobs throughout Maine.
- The American Housing and Economic Mobility (AHEM) Act of 2024 – Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) reintroduced the American Housing and Economic Mobility (AHEM) Act in the Senate and House on 7/9. The bill would provide the large-scale investments required to construct nearly 3 million new units of affordable housing. If enacted, the AHEM Act would provide:
- More than $44 billion dollars in the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF) annually for 10 years, resulting in $445 billion in total investments to build, repair, and operate nearly 2 million homes for households with low incomes.
- More than $1 billion in the construction of new rental housing and homeownership opportunities in rural communities.
- S 570/H.R. 1342, Medicaid Dental Benefit Act of 2023 – Introduced by Senator Cardin, this bill requires state Medicaid programs to cover dental and oral health services for adults. It also increases the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) for such services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must develop oral health quality and equity measures and conduct outreach relating to such coverage. Additionally, the Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Payment and Access Commission must report on specified information relating to adult oral health care.
- S 2767/HR 5408 SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act – This bipartisan, bicameral bill was reintroduced in the Senate and House. The bill will update SSI’s asset limits for the first time since the 1980s to ensure people with disabilities and seniors are able to prepare themselves for a financial emergency without putting the benefits that they rely on to live at risk. After advocacy from Maine Senator Collins signed on to this bill.
- HR 7055 The Eliminating the Marriage Penalty in SSI Act (EMPSA) – This bill excludes a spouse's income and resources when determining eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and disregards marital status when calculating the SSI benefit amount, for an adult who has a diagnosed intellectual or developmental disability. (SSI is a federal income supplement program designed to help aged, blind, and disabled individuals with limited income and resources meet basic needs.).
- S 1557/ HR 3238 The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act – Senator Angus King cosponsored bipartisan legislation to create nearly two million new affordable homes across the country – including thousands in Maine. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to provide more homes for low-income people, support small businesses trying to attract workers, and fill the state’s gap of more than 20,000 affordable housing units. It appears this bill has strong bipartisan support, increasing its likelihood for passage.
- S 1332 / HR 2941 The Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act – The Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act would give a standard occupational classification to Direct Support Professionals, an important first step toward professionalizing this career and improving salaries and training. The Senate passed this bill the week of 5/6. The House has yet to approve its companion bill.
- S4120 / HR 7994 The Long-term Care Workforce Support Act – This bill would increase FMAP and offer grants to all DSPs and caregivers for the elderly and for people with I/DD and autism. VOR worked with members of the Senate Aging and Disability Policy Committee and other peer organizations to improve this bill from its original form. It is not perfect, and it contains one major flaw to which we continue to object (the permanent reauthorization of the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program) but we will continue to work to improve this bill and remove its flaws.
- HR 7267 Disability Community Act of 2023 – This bill would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a temporary higher Federal medical assistance percentage for Federal expenditures under the Medicaid program that are associated with the cost of compliance with certain Federal regulations with respect to services furnished in certain intermediate care facilities or home and community-based services furnished to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- S 7302 The Credit for Caregiving Act of 2024 (Sen. Michael Bennett (D-CO)) – This bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a nonrefundable credit for working family caregivers. In the case of an eligible caregiver, there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter for the taxable year an amount equal to 30 percent of the qualified expenses paid by the taxpayer during the taxable year to the extent that such expenses exceed $2,000. The tax credit does not exceed $5,000 per year.
- HR 3380 - HEADs UP Act of 2023 (Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA)) – This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to support health centers that provide services for individuals with developmental disabilities, including dental care. Grant recipients must provide specialized treatment to individuals with developmental disabilities, as necessary.
- HR 553 Workplace Choice and Flexibility for Individuals with Disabilities Act (Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6)) – This bill would amend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to clarify the definition of competitive integrated employment.
- HR 1296 Restoration of Employment Choice for Adults with Disabilities Act (Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6)) – To amend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure workplace choice and opportunity for young adults with disabilities.
State Legislature Update:
Laura Cordes – MACSP (Maine Association for Community Service Providers): As I have in previous years, I created the MCHQS 132nd Maine Legislature First Regular Session 2025 Resource Document, which is a Google Document that can be edited – please let me know if you have any edits. This document includes summary document links under the Budget section. There’s also a Memo I linked to that came up from the Department discussing what they’re doing to cut and initiate savings. Part A of the Budget goes through each program line-by-line, and that is also linked.
Supplemental Budget – click here for the General Fund Language; click here for Part A. Public Hearings and work sessions have been held. In its report back to the Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee recommended restoring COLAs. The AFA Committee did not accept the HHS Committee recommendation to include funds for COLAs. The AFA Committee voted ought to pass as amended and the Supplemental Budget now faces votes in the House and Senate, likely this week.
Biennial Budget – click here for the General Fund Budget Language; click here for Part A. Public Hearings and work sessions are underway. There is a Public Hearing on Wednesday, 2/12, at 1:00pm pertaining to a few areas of the budget that I’ll highlight:
- The Governor is proposing to suspend COLAs for the next two years.
- The Biennial Budget specifically suspends COLA adjustments for the biennium (FY 26 and FY 27) and stipulates that rate adjustments are subject to available appropriations. This undermines the exiting codified rate setting system.
I’ve included a list of bills in the Google Doc – some are still Legislative Requests (LRs) and may merge with other bills. Some of these bills may look familiar from previous Legislative Sessions. Some bills have been printed, and some have even had Public Hearings already.
-A parent asked what options there are if you can’t attend the Public Hearing in person on Wednesday.
Laura: If you can’t attend the Public Hearing, I would encourage you to submit testimony online , ideally on the day of the hearing. It is an AFA hearing, with HHS there as guests.
-A self-advocate asked if any of the newly elected Legislators have a background in the disability community.
Laura: It’s a great question and I think we all would want to know the answer. I haven’t seen any formal list or document. I thought you were going to ask if incoming Legislators receive any training on the disability community and continuum of care. They’ve had some more formal groups brief committees this year, but historically a variety of groups have presented this information as well. Every year the Maine Developmental Services Oversight and Advisory Board presents its Annual report to the Legislature which is another opportunity for education. This is a great reminder that if you haven’t met with your Senator or Representative yet, there’s no time like the present!
Cullen: There is a lot of chaos going on – at every level. Please continue to raise your voice and tell your stories so that lawmakers can make good policy decisions on the needs of people with disabilities in Maine. Thank you, Laura, for this information, for all you do, and for all you will do this Legislative Session! It will be a very busy, chaotic stretch but thank you for rallying and answering calls to action throughout the Legislative Session. We are all better for your advocacy.
-A parent stated that it’s sometimes easy to take the Coalition for granted because it’s been a constant in our lives for 19 years. But he would be remiss not to mention the enormous amount of work that goes into this Coalition, and he doesn’t know where any of us would be without that essential information sharing.
Cullen: Thank you for the kind words, but I want to turn the spotlight back on all of you. Each and every one of you makes up this Coalition – thank you for all that you do to make the world a better place for people with ID/DD!
The next meeting will be on Monday, March 10, 2025, 12-2:00pm, via Zoom*.
Featured Speaker: Cumberland County District Attorney Jackie Sartoris
Topic: The people who fall through the cracks and into the criminal justice system.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2pm.
(In 2025 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].