Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services
Meeting Agenda
June 9, 2025 12:00-2:00pm
Meeting participants can connect to the meeting via Zoom in their homes or offices as applicable.
You can obtain the Zoom link by contacting Vickey Merrill at least two hours prior to the start of the meeting at [email protected].
Meeting Agenda
June 9, 2025 12:00-2:00pm
Meeting participants can connect to the meeting via Zoom in their homes or offices as applicable.
You can obtain the Zoom link by contacting Vickey Merrill at least two hours prior to the start of the meeting at [email protected].
1. 12:00pm – Welcome
The Coalition is designed to be an open and inclusive clearinghouse of information. All are welcome.
This meeting will continue a broad discussion, including context, of how we came to this crisis of current and impending waitlists for services and lack of affordable supportive housing in Maine, and what parents, relatives, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, advocates, service providers, DHHS, Special Education, and the experts on Transition can and are doing about it. The major focus will be information sharing and discussion about services that work, housing, transition, employment, the state and federal budgets, advocacy, and resources. This meeting will also focus on seeing through the implementation of a Continuum of Care and Blueprint for Effective Transition so that housing and service needs are met for everyone, and true community inclusion occurs.
2. 12:05pm - Review agenda, review/accept minutes, introductions
3. 12:10pm - Featured Speaker: Bonnie Jean Brooks, Executive Director, Maine Developmental Services Oversight and Advisory Board (MDSOAB). Topic: 2025 MDSOAB Annual Forum Part 1.
4. 1:30pm – Brief Updates:
a. Services:
b. Advocacy:
c. Housing and Federal Funding
d. State Legislature – MACSP and Legislators in attendance
e. Other business:
Next meeting: Monday, July 14, 2025, 12-2:00pm, via Zoom*. Featured Speaker: Bonnie Jean Brooks, Executive Director, Maine Developmental Services Oversight and Advisory Board (MDSOAB). Topic: 2025 MDSOAB Annual Forum Part 2. And, Laura Cordes, Executive Director, Maine Association for Community Service Providers (MACSP). Topic: Wrap up of the First Session of the 132nd Legislature.
Unless otherwise decided: All Coalition meetings are the second Monday of the month from 12-2:00pm.
(In 2025 the October and meeting will be the 3rd Monday due to the holiday)
*Until further notice meetings will be held solely via Zoom*
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].
The Coalition is designed to be an open and inclusive clearinghouse of information. All are welcome.
This meeting will continue a broad discussion, including context, of how we came to this crisis of current and impending waitlists for services and lack of affordable supportive housing in Maine, and what parents, relatives, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, advocates, service providers, DHHS, Special Education, and the experts on Transition can and are doing about it. The major focus will be information sharing and discussion about services that work, housing, transition, employment, the state and federal budgets, advocacy, and resources. This meeting will also focus on seeing through the implementation of a Continuum of Care and Blueprint for Effective Transition so that housing and service needs are met for everyone, and true community inclusion occurs.
2. 12:05pm - Review agenda, review/accept minutes, introductions
3. 12:10pm - Featured Speaker: Bonnie Jean Brooks, Executive Director, Maine Developmental Services Oversight and Advisory Board (MDSOAB). Topic: 2025 MDSOAB Annual Forum Part 1.
4. 1:30pm – Brief Updates:
a. Services:
- DHHS, Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) – Betsy Hopkins and Craig Peterson
- DHHS, Children’s Behavioral Health Services, Office of Behavioral Health (OBH)
- DOL, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation – Libby Stone-Sterling
- DOE, Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE) – Sandy Flacke and Titus O’Rourke
b. Advocacy:
- Disability Rights Maine (DRM) – Lucas Cuellar
c. Housing and Federal Funding
- Federal funding update
- Section 8 Update
- HUD Section 811 Update
d. State Legislature – MACSP and Legislators in attendance
e. Other business:
- Coalition Website Update – www.maineparentcoalition.org
- Other updates, announcements, and Agenda for next Coalition meeting
Next meeting: Monday, July 14, 2025, 12-2:00pm, via Zoom*. Featured Speaker: Bonnie Jean Brooks, Executive Director, Maine Developmental Services Oversight and Advisory Board (MDSOAB). Topic: 2025 MDSOAB Annual Forum Part 2. And, Laura Cordes, Executive Director, Maine Association for Community Service Providers (MACSP). Topic: Wrap up of the First Session of the 132nd Legislature.
Unless otherwise decided: All Coalition meetings are the second Monday of the month from 12-2:00pm.
(In 2025 the October and meeting will be the 3rd Monday due to the holiday)
*Until further notice meetings will be held solely via Zoom*
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].