November 14, 2022
Minutes
Minutes
Attendees via Zoom: Alexandria Twombly, Alina Smith, Amanda Parker, Betsy Hopkins, Bev Baker, Bonnie Robinson, Bonnie-Jean Brooks, Bryan Gordon, Carol Snyder, Catherine Thibedeau, Christa Silva, David Cowing, Debbie Dionne, Dennis Strout, Erin Martinez, Heidi Mansir, Helen Hemminger, Jamie Whitehouse, Janet DiBiase, JC Edelberg, Jen Paquet, Julianne Zaharis, Kathy Rickards, Libby Stone-Sterling, Liz Hansen, Lorrie Mitchell, Margaret Cardoza, Michaela York, Rachel Dyer, Robin Levesque, Sammie-Ellie MacKinnon, Shane Ashe, Shelley Zielinski, Stacy Lamontagne, Staci Converse, Stacy Lamontagne, Sue Murphy, Teresa Barrows, Vickey Merrill, and Cullen Ryan.
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: Betsy Hopkins, Associate Director, Developmental Disability and Brain Injury Services, DHHS-OADS, and Lorrie Mitchell, Program Administrator, DHHS-OADS Crisis Prevention/Intervention Services (CPIS). www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads. Topic: Crisis Prevention/Intervention Services (CPIS) Program Overview.
Cullen: Today I’m pleased to welcome Betsy Hopkins, Associate Director, Developmental Disability and Brain Injury Services, and Lorrie Mitchell, Program Administrator of Crisis Prevention/Intervention Services (CPIS), both with DHHS-OADS, who will be providing an overview of the CPIS Program. We’ve been talking here for years about some of the challenges in the system and where there’s room for improvement. Crisis services is an area where there has been room for improvement, and an area that OADS has worked diligently to enhance. It’s been mentioned that when people find themselves is crisis, how that plays out is a tipping point for having people’s wellness needs met – the situation can get much worse and affect the future if there isn’t adequate access to crisis services. There can be some pretty unimaginable circumstances in which people find themselves. We’re fortunate to have the CPIS program to address people’s needs so that they can be well. Thank you both for being here!
Betsy Hopkins: Thank you for having us. This is one of the many systems of support out there. We recognize that behavioral health supports for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (ID/DD) in our state have been a gap for a long time. We acknowledge that and have worked very hard to improve that. People don’t always know about the CPIS team so this provides a great opportunity for us to share this information so people can be more aware. During the pandemic, this team was critical in supporting agencies and individuals experiencing some pretty significant crises. Now we’re focusing on looking at the prevention side of crisis services to get those supports to people ahead of time, while they’re still in their home, to help keep them in their home.
Lorrie Mitchell: Thank you for having me, I’m very excited to talk about the CPIS team.
Begin presentation (Click here for the presentation):
Lorrie: This is an evidenced-based model which includes significant training, including START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment) training for the team to increase their ability to work effectively with people with ID/DD going through crises. As Betsy said, we’re really trying to increase our footprint in prevention services. We’re making plans to meet with law enforcement, hospitals, agency staff, etc., to help deescalate situations before they reach crisis levels. We do a lot of collaboration with community case managers, which is reflected in the crisis services by mode of delivery data. We’ve discovered that remote teams have been able to serve people quite effectively and efficiently, especially in areas of the state that required significant travel time. Crisis staff review reportable events every day, communicate with people’s teams, and request follow-ups as needed. Many people just need crisis telephone services, as it provides a friendly voice on the other side of the phone. If more crisis outreach is needed referrals are made to mobile crisis outreach services. In-home crisis supports are unique, individualized, enhanced supports intended for when someone needs a little more than an hour or so of outreach to keep them in their home environment. In terms or residential crisis services, there are two beds in each of the four crisis homes in the state – and we are almost always at capacity. When there is a bed available, we have to look at the needs of the other individual in the home prior to taking referrals. Emergency transitional housing (ETH) is short-term and contracted through residential providers. ETH differs from other services – there’s not time limit for how long someone can stay in an ETH bed, giving them more time to find supports in the community.
Betsy: We’re happy to take questions.
Discussion:
-A provider asked if they envision the number of residential beds available for crisis situations increasing in the next few years. It was stated that the lack of beds has been a challenge.
Betsy: In the past we’ve had other agencies that have provided ETH, and we’re open to and very interested in working with other agencies who might be willing to provide that kind of support in the way that it’s provided now. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and the workforce shortage, which everyone has been dealing with, we haven’t been successful in attracting more agencies. That’s what we’d like to expand.
-It was stated that the UNH Institute on Disability National Center for START system evaluation report has come back and there will be changes coming soon based upon that report. It was asked if this will result in changes in the crisis system as well.
Betsy: Yes, you’re right about that. UNH START will be providing a presentation on the larger report which I’ll discuss later in the meeting, but right now we have the Executive Summary. We have some recommendations from UNH START and we’ve put together an additional list of things we want to tackle over the next couple of years. We’re not at the place to talk in-depth about anything, but we’ve discussed making some additions or changes to the crisis system and enhancing it in a variety of ways.
-A self-advocate stated that addressing crises before they escalate through prevention is great. It was asked if there are any plan of incorporating DS crisis services into the new 988 system.
Betsy: We had a plan in place to change all of that when the pandemic hit, but we were afraid to make that change mid-stream when so many agencies knew the DS crisis telephone number. We’re definitely considering how we can get integrated in the 988 number and have that connect to crisis services.
- It was stated that community education and law enforcement training is imperative in order to address, deescalate, and properly handle crisis situations. Some agencies call the police whenever there’s an issue when it could have been better handled with a call to crisis services. It was asked how agencies are being trained on this. It appears that some agencies would benefit from proactive, preventative training. It was stated that educating neighbors of residential homes would be advantageous as well, as neighbors sometimes go right to police involvement as well. This could be accomplished through neighborhood gatherings.
Betsy: What we’ve found with the START training Lorrie discussed is that it could be beneficial to additional staff. This was one of the recommendations coming out of the systems analysis as well. We’re in talks about what providing that training to agencies would look like and it will be discussed at the 12/5 Stakeholders Meeting. You’ve mentioned a lot of great ideas, especially thinking outside the usual stakeholder box, and involving the community. It’s certainly a challenging topic so any and all ideas are very much welcome.
Cullen: Thank you both for being here and for all of this great information! I think this topic will likely keep bubbling up, so I look forward to continuing our dialogue. Through this presentation we have a great baseline now and I look forward to that information base growing. 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
Betsy Hopkins: I’ll go through a couple of quick updates from OADS:
The Department has reviewed this report and will present proposed action plans to address the issues raised in this report from NCSS. A copy of The Executive Summary can be found here. After this stakeholder meeting, the full report, and the Department’s proposed action plan will be shared on OADS’ website.
System stakeholders, including service providers, people receiving these services, family members, advocates, and others are invited to attend.
This meeting will be held on Monday, December 5, 2022, from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Please use this link to register to attend: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrc-6hqjwuGd0p11yEXNBjeYLxR5PCKLrg
If you need an accommodation, such as real time transcription and captioning (CART) or American Sign Language (ASL) or other language interpretation, please contact Miranda Whalen at [email protected] by November 28, 2022.
*The Center for START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment) Services at the Institute on Disability/UCED at the University of New Hampshire is a national initiative that works to strengthen efficiencies and service outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs in the community.
Providers of Section 21 and 29 services: December 15, 11am-12pm.
Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qc-Ghqz4pEteeT9DfhCVElBUlAexV-PvP
Register in advance for this meeting: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0odu6rqTMqHdJHOUb3uwdCvV7l5ttXa9ha
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Cullen: Thank you for being here, Betsy, and for all this information. And thank you for being so thoughtful and inclusive with all of the various stakeholder groups!
DHHS – Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs
Teresa Barrows: We continue to have children in emergency departments due to a lack of resources, which is one of the reasons why I was late to the meeting. We’re working to address this, but it remains an unfortunate reality. On the transition front, we’re still in the process of hiring for the Transition Liaison positions. Alina Smith, who’s here today, is assisting with that and will be overseeing those positions.
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
Libby Stone-Sterling: I wanted to share a few quick things with you:
Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE):
Titus O’Rourke was unable to attend the meeting today but sent the following updates for the group: A few updates from OSSIE:
SMACT (Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition):
This year’s SMACT meetings will be held quarterly. The rest of the year’s meetings will be the first Friday of March and May. 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]).
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) Update:
Staci Converse: Before the election we did a lot of education, outreach, and training around voter registration and voting. We also conducted a statewide survey of polling places and their accessibility. We also did a training for attorneys who want to learn how to terminate guardianships. We’ve found that the probate court process is set up to create guardianships but not to terminate them. We also had a training for attorneys on ableism, which included self-advocates as panelists. Additionally, DRM, with support from the Maine Health Access Foundation, is conducting a research project focusing on the barriers people with disabilities face accessing health care in Maine. We have a short survey we’d really like people to take, as it’s a great opportunity to share information and make some changes in the state. (Click here for the survey.)
-A self-advocate stated that everyone can relate to the difficulties involved with the healthcare system; these difficulties are often worse/more complex for people with disabilities.
Cullen: Thank you, Staci!
LD 924 Task Force Update:
Titus O’Rourke was unable to attend the meeting today but sent the following updates for the group: I met with the MDOE (Maine Department of Education) legislative team this morning and reviewed the needs of the updated LD 924 report. The report was reviewed with all agencies and secured unanimous support; however, we are awaiting updated language from DHHS. The legislative team will review the report format and reschedule the review for later this week or early next. We plan to regroup in the 2nd week of January with the Taskforce and re-address presentation needs.
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen: The results of the general election held on 11/8 are not yet finalized for Congress, with control of the House not yet known due to close races and run-off elections. However, Democrats appear to have maintained a majority in the Senate.
State Legislature Update
Cullen: I want to thank the group for their advocacy and for voting in the recent election. I wanted to opine a bit about the last 16 years. This Coalition came into existence in 2006, during the Baldacci Administration. Soon thereafter, the rather dramatic increase in the prevalence of Autism led to worries about sustainability and ultimately, we saw the onset of waiting lists for services (a waiting list that has steadily grown). Next, we saw an Administration that shrunk DHHS causing the loss of organizational knowledge and cutbacks in services, and waiting lists grew significantly, although the Section 29 Waiver was expanded to meet some of the need. Over the past four years we’ve had an Administration that started to rebuild the system, though much work remains. And here we are now, midway through the current Administration with an election behind us and the future ahead. I’m hopeful that the outcome of the election will embolden our elected officials, Governor, and state government to make significant progress and investments in people with ID/DD in Maine. It would be an opportune time to do so.
In terms of the election results in Maine, Governor Mills was reelected Governor and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree was reelected to the House representing Congressional District 1. The results of the Congressional District 2 race are not yet known, as no candidate reached 50% of the vote which means ranked choice will come into play; Congressman Golden is currently leading. Democrats retained majorities in both chambers of the Maine Legislature.
The First regular Session of the 131st Legislature convenes on Wednesday, 12/7/22. Per the Legislature’s website, cloture (when bill titles must be submitted for consideration) will be established by Joint Rule when the 131st Legislature convenes. Per statute, in the first regular session cloture occurs at 4pm on the 3rd Friday in December.
I want to encourage you to connect with newly elected legislators to educate them about you and your family’s needs – this is a wonderful time to tell your story before the Legislature gets into full swing. Please let them know how important resources and services are for people with ID/DD in Maine. Help them understand all of the dynamics involved, so that people in decision-making positions are well poised to make good choices.
Other Business:
The next meeting will be on Monday, November 12, 2022, 12-1:30pm, via Zoom*.
Featured Speakers: Rachel Dyer, Associate Director, and Nancy Cronin, Executive Director, Maine Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC). Topic: Focus group regarding the development of a toolkit about protecting rights and promoting choices. Presentation on the new history website: Out of the Shadows – the Legacy of Pineland.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2:00pm.
(In 2023 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: Betsy Hopkins, Associate Director, Developmental Disability and Brain Injury Services, DHHS-OADS, and Lorrie Mitchell, Program Administrator, DHHS-OADS Crisis Prevention/Intervention Services (CPIS). www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads. Topic: Crisis Prevention/Intervention Services (CPIS) Program Overview.
Cullen: Today I’m pleased to welcome Betsy Hopkins, Associate Director, Developmental Disability and Brain Injury Services, and Lorrie Mitchell, Program Administrator of Crisis Prevention/Intervention Services (CPIS), both with DHHS-OADS, who will be providing an overview of the CPIS Program. We’ve been talking here for years about some of the challenges in the system and where there’s room for improvement. Crisis services is an area where there has been room for improvement, and an area that OADS has worked diligently to enhance. It’s been mentioned that when people find themselves is crisis, how that plays out is a tipping point for having people’s wellness needs met – the situation can get much worse and affect the future if there isn’t adequate access to crisis services. There can be some pretty unimaginable circumstances in which people find themselves. We’re fortunate to have the CPIS program to address people’s needs so that they can be well. Thank you both for being here!
Betsy Hopkins: Thank you for having us. This is one of the many systems of support out there. We recognize that behavioral health supports for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (ID/DD) in our state have been a gap for a long time. We acknowledge that and have worked very hard to improve that. People don’t always know about the CPIS team so this provides a great opportunity for us to share this information so people can be more aware. During the pandemic, this team was critical in supporting agencies and individuals experiencing some pretty significant crises. Now we’re focusing on looking at the prevention side of crisis services to get those supports to people ahead of time, while they’re still in their home, to help keep them in their home.
Lorrie Mitchell: Thank you for having me, I’m very excited to talk about the CPIS team.
Begin presentation (Click here for the presentation):
Lorrie: This is an evidenced-based model which includes significant training, including START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment) training for the team to increase their ability to work effectively with people with ID/DD going through crises. As Betsy said, we’re really trying to increase our footprint in prevention services. We’re making plans to meet with law enforcement, hospitals, agency staff, etc., to help deescalate situations before they reach crisis levels. We do a lot of collaboration with community case managers, which is reflected in the crisis services by mode of delivery data. We’ve discovered that remote teams have been able to serve people quite effectively and efficiently, especially in areas of the state that required significant travel time. Crisis staff review reportable events every day, communicate with people’s teams, and request follow-ups as needed. Many people just need crisis telephone services, as it provides a friendly voice on the other side of the phone. If more crisis outreach is needed referrals are made to mobile crisis outreach services. In-home crisis supports are unique, individualized, enhanced supports intended for when someone needs a little more than an hour or so of outreach to keep them in their home environment. In terms or residential crisis services, there are two beds in each of the four crisis homes in the state – and we are almost always at capacity. When there is a bed available, we have to look at the needs of the other individual in the home prior to taking referrals. Emergency transitional housing (ETH) is short-term and contracted through residential providers. ETH differs from other services – there’s not time limit for how long someone can stay in an ETH bed, giving them more time to find supports in the community.
Betsy: We’re happy to take questions.
Discussion:
-A provider asked if they envision the number of residential beds available for crisis situations increasing in the next few years. It was stated that the lack of beds has been a challenge.
Betsy: In the past we’ve had other agencies that have provided ETH, and we’re open to and very interested in working with other agencies who might be willing to provide that kind of support in the way that it’s provided now. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and the workforce shortage, which everyone has been dealing with, we haven’t been successful in attracting more agencies. That’s what we’d like to expand.
-It was stated that the UNH Institute on Disability National Center for START system evaluation report has come back and there will be changes coming soon based upon that report. It was asked if this will result in changes in the crisis system as well.
Betsy: Yes, you’re right about that. UNH START will be providing a presentation on the larger report which I’ll discuss later in the meeting, but right now we have the Executive Summary. We have some recommendations from UNH START and we’ve put together an additional list of things we want to tackle over the next couple of years. We’re not at the place to talk in-depth about anything, but we’ve discussed making some additions or changes to the crisis system and enhancing it in a variety of ways.
-A self-advocate stated that addressing crises before they escalate through prevention is great. It was asked if there are any plan of incorporating DS crisis services into the new 988 system.
Betsy: We had a plan in place to change all of that when the pandemic hit, but we were afraid to make that change mid-stream when so many agencies knew the DS crisis telephone number. We’re definitely considering how we can get integrated in the 988 number and have that connect to crisis services.
- It was stated that community education and law enforcement training is imperative in order to address, deescalate, and properly handle crisis situations. Some agencies call the police whenever there’s an issue when it could have been better handled with a call to crisis services. It was asked how agencies are being trained on this. It appears that some agencies would benefit from proactive, preventative training. It was stated that educating neighbors of residential homes would be advantageous as well, as neighbors sometimes go right to police involvement as well. This could be accomplished through neighborhood gatherings.
Betsy: What we’ve found with the START training Lorrie discussed is that it could be beneficial to additional staff. This was one of the recommendations coming out of the systems analysis as well. We’re in talks about what providing that training to agencies would look like and it will be discussed at the 12/5 Stakeholders Meeting. You’ve mentioned a lot of great ideas, especially thinking outside the usual stakeholder box, and involving the community. It’s certainly a challenging topic so any and all ideas are very much welcome.
Cullen: Thank you both for being here and for all of this great information! I think this topic will likely keep bubbling up, so I look forward to continuing our dialogue. Through this presentation we have a great baseline now and I look forward to that information base growing. 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
Betsy Hopkins: I’ll go through a couple of quick updates from OADS:
- Behavioral Health Support and Crisis Services System Analysis Report Stakeholder Meeting: You are invited to a meeting with the Office of Aging and Disability Services, Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the National Center for START Services (NCSS)* on Monday, December 5, 2022, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. The Department contracted with the UNH Institute on Disability National Center for START Services to conduct a system evaluation regarding mental health service experiences for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health needs (IDD-MH). At this meeting, the researchers from NCSS will present summaries of data gathered and recommendations for enhancing and improving mental health and crisis services for people with IDD.
The Department has reviewed this report and will present proposed action plans to address the issues raised in this report from NCSS. A copy of The Executive Summary can be found here. After this stakeholder meeting, the full report, and the Department’s proposed action plan will be shared on OADS’ website.
System stakeholders, including service providers, people receiving these services, family members, advocates, and others are invited to attend.
This meeting will be held on Monday, December 5, 2022, from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Please use this link to register to attend: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrc-6hqjwuGd0p11yEXNBjeYLxR5PCKLrg
If you need an accommodation, such as real time transcription and captioning (CART) or American Sign Language (ASL) or other language interpretation, please contact Miranda Whalen at [email protected] by November 28, 2022.
*The Center for START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment) Services at the Institute on Disability/UCED at the University of New Hampshire is a national initiative that works to strengthen efficiencies and service outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs in the community.
- A Path for ME Assessment Orientation – Waiver Members and Families/Guardians: December 13, 4-5pm.
Providers of Section 21 and 29 services: December 15, 11am-12pm.
Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qc-Ghqz4pEteeT9DfhCVElBUlAexV-PvP
- Lifespan Project Stakeholder Work Group Invitation – Invitation to volunteer for a Lifespan Project Stakeholder work group by sending nominations (and self-nominations) to [email protected] by 11/15/22. The work group to be held every other month will be co-led by Dr. Lisa Mills and OADS Associate Director Betsy Hopkins, with support from Project Manager Craig Donnan. It will include representatives from the following groups:
- Waiver Members Receiving Services (3)
- Family Members and/or Guardians of Members (3)
- Provider Representatives (4): 1 case management provider, 1 shared living provider and 2 open seat provider representatives
- Advocacy Organizations (3)
- State Staff to include the following representatives (5): 1 case manager liaison, 1 resource coordinator, 1 community support and employment manager and 1 Office of Children and Family Services and 1 Office of MaineCare Services
- Section 21/29 Waiver Application Training for DS Case Managers: This training will introduce the concepts of OADS’ enhanced person-centered planning process and review the forms and assessments required for applications for Sections 21 and 29 waiver services. This training is suitable for new and seasoned case managers whether they have never submitted an application, have not submitted one in a while, or submit them often and want to learn how to make the process less difficult and time-consuming. We will also discuss the priority levels for the Section 21 waiting list and when to submit a Reconsideration of Priority.
Register in advance for this meeting: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0odu6rqTMqHdJHOUb3uwdCvV7l5ttXa9ha
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Cullen: Thank you for being here, Betsy, and for all this information. And thank you for being so thoughtful and inclusive with all of the various stakeholder groups!
DHHS – Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs
Teresa Barrows: We continue to have children in emergency departments due to a lack of resources, which is one of the reasons why I was late to the meeting. We’re working to address this, but it remains an unfortunate reality. On the transition front, we’re still in the process of hiring for the Transition Liaison positions. Alina Smith, who’s here today, is assisting with that and will be overseeing those positions.
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
Libby Stone-Sterling: I wanted to share a few quick things with you:
- The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) is currently working with the State Rehabilitation Council on our triennial Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment. This is a great opportunity to learn more about who we are currently serving and what populations may be underserved by Vocational Rehabilitation services.
- We are currently enrolling for the next telehealth cohort of the (evidence-based) PEERS social skills curriculum for young people ages 14-24 with ASD. The 16-week group is held over Zoom and teaches and reinforces many practical communication skills. Individuals who wish to learn more and schedule a screening can use this link: Schedule a PEERS Screening
- DVR continues to work closely with OADS to promote employment outcomes for Waiver members – including through co-location of OADS staff in underserved regions.
- The VR application and consumer handbook are now available in Spanish via our website. Reach out to me if you know of other languages this ought to be translated ([email protected]).
- Maine Life did a great segment on employment for people with disabilities from employers’ perspective (click here for the segment).
Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE):
Titus O’Rourke was unable to attend the meeting today but sent the following updates for the group: A few updates from OSSIE:
- A few things we’re developing: A Transition Web Page for MDOE (Maine Department of Education) OSSIE; a Business Case for TranistionME Cross Agency Hub; cross-agency collaboration with DECD (Department of Economic and Community Development) and Adult ED/College Navigators to support Work Base Learning for our scholars with diverse needs. ($500/40hrs)
- We are supporting educators to access and participate in the ACRE training. ACRE training is designed to provide individuals with the requisite skills for understanding and delivering employment supports to individuals with disabilities.
- We’re working towards developing cross-agency collaboration with DOL – Apprenticeship and MDOE – Experiential Learning Opportunities.
- We are collaborating with Career and Technical Education to support the Process and Procedure for admissions and program support.
- I attended the DCDT (Division on Career Development and Transition) conference in Arkansas last week. Here are some highlights:
- Our Executive Student Transition committee co-chair presented at a national conference in Arkansas on Youth Engagement.
- Arkansas now has a Life 360 program that supports students with disabilities from the moment they are eligible for their lifespan. I hope to access the Arkansas Waiver update info and bring it to Maine for consideration.
- I attended a Pre-K to Post Secondary Transition Curriculum hosted by Cornell University. I hope to address this opportunity with a few districts to emulate and secure buy-in across all Local Education administrations.
- Developing initiative to further Project Impact for transition support for Adjudicated Youth.
SMACT (Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition):
This year’s SMACT meetings will be held quarterly. The rest of the year’s meetings will be the first Friday of March and May. 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]).
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) Update:
Staci Converse: Before the election we did a lot of education, outreach, and training around voter registration and voting. We also conducted a statewide survey of polling places and their accessibility. We also did a training for attorneys who want to learn how to terminate guardianships. We’ve found that the probate court process is set up to create guardianships but not to terminate them. We also had a training for attorneys on ableism, which included self-advocates as panelists. Additionally, DRM, with support from the Maine Health Access Foundation, is conducting a research project focusing on the barriers people with disabilities face accessing health care in Maine. We have a short survey we’d really like people to take, as it’s a great opportunity to share information and make some changes in the state. (Click here for the survey.)
-A self-advocate stated that everyone can relate to the difficulties involved with the healthcare system; these difficulties are often worse/more complex for people with disabilities.
Cullen: Thank you, Staci!
LD 924 Task Force Update:
Titus O’Rourke was unable to attend the meeting today but sent the following updates for the group: I met with the MDOE (Maine Department of Education) legislative team this morning and reviewed the needs of the updated LD 924 report. The report was reviewed with all agencies and secured unanimous support; however, we are awaiting updated language from DHHS. The legislative team will review the report format and reschedule the review for later this week or early next. We plan to regroup in the 2nd week of January with the Taskforce and re-address presentation needs.
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen: The results of the general election held on 11/8 are not yet finalized for Congress, with control of the House not yet known due to close races and run-off elections. However, Democrats appear to have maintained a majority in the Senate.
- FY 23 Budget: The President signed a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) on 9/30, averting a government shutdown. The CR funds the federal government at FY 22 levels through 12/16, when Congress would have to either pass an Omnibus spending bill for FY 23 or another CR. Congress returned to DC today for a one-week session before leaving again for the Thanksgiving break. Congressional and appropriations continue behind-the-scenes discussions over a final FY 23 spending bill.
- National Housing Trust Fund: There are various efforts in Congress to increase the National Housing Trust Fund, including the Homes for All Act which would invest $200 billion over 10 years into the National Housing Trust Fund. And, the Housing for All Act of 2022, which would invest $45 billion into the National Housing Trust Fund. In Maine, resources from the HTF are the primary funding mechanism for supportive housing development.
State Legislature Update
Cullen: I want to thank the group for their advocacy and for voting in the recent election. I wanted to opine a bit about the last 16 years. This Coalition came into existence in 2006, during the Baldacci Administration. Soon thereafter, the rather dramatic increase in the prevalence of Autism led to worries about sustainability and ultimately, we saw the onset of waiting lists for services (a waiting list that has steadily grown). Next, we saw an Administration that shrunk DHHS causing the loss of organizational knowledge and cutbacks in services, and waiting lists grew significantly, although the Section 29 Waiver was expanded to meet some of the need. Over the past four years we’ve had an Administration that started to rebuild the system, though much work remains. And here we are now, midway through the current Administration with an election behind us and the future ahead. I’m hopeful that the outcome of the election will embolden our elected officials, Governor, and state government to make significant progress and investments in people with ID/DD in Maine. It would be an opportune time to do so.
In terms of the election results in Maine, Governor Mills was reelected Governor and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree was reelected to the House representing Congressional District 1. The results of the Congressional District 2 race are not yet known, as no candidate reached 50% of the vote which means ranked choice will come into play; Congressman Golden is currently leading. Democrats retained majorities in both chambers of the Maine Legislature.
The First regular Session of the 131st Legislature convenes on Wednesday, 12/7/22. Per the Legislature’s website, cloture (when bill titles must be submitted for consideration) will be established by Joint Rule when the 131st Legislature convenes. Per statute, in the first regular session cloture occurs at 4pm on the 3rd Friday in December.
I want to encourage you to connect with newly elected legislators to educate them about you and your family’s needs – this is a wonderful time to tell your story before the Legislature gets into full swing. Please let them know how important resources and services are for people with ID/DD in Maine. Help them understand all of the dynamics involved, so that people in decision-making positions are well poised to make good choices.
Other Business:
- Click here for Maine Children’s Alliance’s “The Latest Demographic Trends Hold Promise for Maine” brief, written by Helen Hemminger, Research and KIDS COUNT Associate, Maine Children's Alliance. This brief includes informative statistics of which this group ought to be aware.
- Maine Children’s Alliance Champions for Children Event will be held on 12/1 at 9am at Maple Hill Farm, Hallowell. Click here for more information and for tickets.
- There was discussion regarding the Parent Forum on the Coalition’s website. The group was encouraged to use this as a resource to communicate with one another, ask questions, and network to problem solve together.
- The MACSP (Maine Association for Community Service Providers) 2022 Policy Summit is on 11/15 at Maple Hill Farm, Hallowell from 9am-2:30pm.
The next meeting will be on Monday, November 12, 2022, 12-1:30pm, via Zoom*.
Featured Speakers: Rachel Dyer, Associate Director, and Nancy Cronin, Executive Director, Maine Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC). Topic: Focus group regarding the development of a toolkit about protecting rights and promoting choices. Presentation on the new history website: Out of the Shadows – the Legacy of Pineland.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2:00pm.
(In 2023 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].