November 13, 2023
Minutes
Minutes
Attendees via Zoom: Alexandria Twombly, Alina Smith, Anne Marie Mayberry, Becky Okolita, Betsy Hopkins, Carol Snyder, Cathy Curtis, Daniel Sheehan, Darla Chafin, David Cowing, Debbie Dionne, Helen Hemminger, Jamie Whitehouse, Jennifer ASM, Jill McKenney, Julianne Zaharis, Kim Humphrey, Lorraine DeFreitas, Maggie Hoffman, Margaret Cardoza, Mark Kemmerle, Paula Bush, Rebecca Hill, Scott McKeough, Shane Ashe, Shelley Zielinski, Shelly King, S Medina, Sue Wall, Tammy Richardson, Titus O’Rourke, Todd Goodwin, Wendy Parker, Vickey Merrill, Cullen Ryan, and a few people who didn’t identify themselves and/or left prior to the conclusion of the meeting.
Cullen Ryan introduced himself and welcomed the group. The group took a moment to reflect on the tragedy in Lewiston. Minutes from the last meeting were accepted. For the sake of time, Cullen read the names of participants.
Featured Speaker: Betsy Hopkins, Associate Director, Developmental Disability and Brain Injury Services, DHHS-OADS. www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads Topic: Update on the transition liaison project and information about a new pilot to help inform lifespan support for transition-age youth and their families.
Cullen: I am pleased to welcome Betsy Hopkins, Associate Director, Developmental Disability and Brain Injury Services, DHHS-OADS presenting an update on the transition liaison project and information about a new pilot to help inform lifespan support for transition-age youth and their families. Thank you for being here, Betsy, and for creating such an informative presentation!
Betsy Hopkins: Thank you, I’m very happy to be here. I’m joined by a few co-workers, as well as Alina Smith from OCFS.
Begin presentation (Click here for the presentation).
Betsy: I think it’s helpful to discuss the two projects I’ll be covering in the context of Lifespan.
-Betsy covered the following Lifespan topics in detail in her presentation: Highlights of Lifespan; Features of Lifespan; and the current state of transition including barriers between the children and adult systems (slides 3 through 8).
Betsy: In order to support the transition to the Lifespan Waiver we created two pilot projects. The first of which is the Transition Liaison Project.
Shelly King: The Goals of the Transition Liaison Project line up with the barriers identified. While we’re talking a lot from the system’s perspective, we often ground ourselves in the fact that there’s always a person at the center of the process.
-Shelly reviewed the Transition Liaison Project in detail in the presentation including: project goals; the project’s framework; the youth transition team and the contact email [email protected] (slides 9 through 12). The team of Transition Liaisons introduced themselves to the group, the districts they cover, and their extensive background, including professional and personal experience.
-Shelly reviewed the project Milestones, set to be achieved before the project is scheduled to end in March of 2025 (slide 13).
Shelly: There are a variety of goals for the project, but the overarching ultimate goal is access to services and better experiences for youth and their families. The goals not only inform our project and act as the voice of transition-age youth, but also inform the Lifespan project.
Project Milestones include:
Shelly: CCMs play a crucial role in transition. We have received a lot of feedback from case managers and people who work with them which led to our next project, which Betsy will discuss.
-Betsy thoroughly reviewed the Community Resource Coordinator (CRC) Role, CRC Project goals, and CRC requirements for recruitment in her presentation (slides 15 through 20).
Betsy: The Community Resource Coordinator (CRC) Role moves beyond existing case management, existing care coordination, and existing support coordination roles to a more broad-based resource coordination role. This role will be critical to the success of Lifespan to support the individual in their Person-Centered Planning (PCP) process. We’ve received funding for the CRC Pilot Project to provide services to members on Sections 21 and 29 and will also support Lifespan Waiver members when that initiative begins.
Cullen: Thank you both for such an informative, thorough, thoughtful presentation!
Discussion:
-A parent and former special educator stated that this was a lot of information, and the initiatives seem very thoughtfully designed. He asked for clarification about the current Section 21 priorities and the Lifespan enrollment groups.
Betsy: Right now, to be eligible for a Priority 1 Section 21 waiver slot someone has to meet very specific criteria, including being at risk for abuse, neglect, exploitation, etc. One of the benefits of Lifespan is that people can plan better, and plan for needing additional support needs over time.
-A parent stated that the CRC Role appears to supplement not supplant the CM role but asked Betsy to clarify.
Betsy: In the pilot, the CRC will function similarly to a case manager and will help fill some of the gaps we have in the system right now. Someone won’t be able to have a CRC and a targeted case manager (TCM). There are still details that need to be worked out; at age 14 someone will automatically be eligible for case management services under Lifespan so we need to work out some policy details around this and how it will work.
-A parent and former special educator stated that quarterly reviews as part of the IEP process would be advantageous.
Shelly: The quarterly meetings that I referred to are between state offices. However, we’re looking at an IEP invitation communication type process that we’ve seen work well in other states.
Titus O’Rourke: What we’re talking about is a process flow including state agencies that are educator-facing. Giving the state agencies insight into the value of their input and the development of the IEP, having it be student-centered, and securing family voice and engagement.
-It was asked if there will be more flexibility for residential options with Lifespan, specifically across waivers.
Betsy: We received strong feedback that it would be advantageous to serve across waivers in residential settings. This is something we’re looking into and will be able to better speak to when Lifespan rolls out.
-A self-advocate stated this can be overwhelming and confusing to a recipient. Having a clear vision of how someone who had been receiving self-directed services out of state would transition to adult services in Maine would be helpful.
Betsy: When Lifespan opens, the goal is that the CRC is the one person helping someone navigate all of the current systems and services that we have. When we think about youth, or someone else coming into the system, the CRC will be key to helping the person navigate this confusing system that we have.
-A self-advocate stated that self-directed services are included in Section 29. She asked if there would be some type of incorporation of self-direction in Lifespan.
Betsy: Anyone in Section 21 or Section 29 right now does not have to switch to Lifespan – they can continue as long as they want. There will be an option to switch to Lifespan a year after it gets off the ground. There will be many opportunities for self-direction in the Lifespan Waiver.
-It was asked what the mission statement/purpose of the Transition Liaison Project is.
Betsy: The slide I showed with the barriers between OCFS and OADS (slide 7) – the Transition Liaison team is working to bridge those various gaps between children and adult services. The goal is to make it smoother, make it so people don’t get lost in the cracks, to have a place where individuals and families can go to get questions answered, etc.
Cullen: Your transition away from traditional case management services to the Community Resource Coordinator – can you describe the main differences you see between the current case management system and the CRC role?
Betsy: When we’ve talked about the CRC role, we think about it as coordination across many different systems. Because it’s in Lifespan, it can be funded a little bit differently. We’ve discussed a monthly rate, for example. Right now, for TCM, the billing and work involved is fairly time intensive. We think the CRC under Lifespan will free up some time for people to do more of that cross-coordination work that we would like to see, and we’ve heard would be helpful. We think there will be more flexibility for the CRCs to do that work. The plan with the Pilot is to try it out, see how it goes, delineate those differences more, and to get it ready for the Lifespan Waiver.
Cullen: Thank you for describing that more. It’s exciting to contemplate a system where people aren’t spending an inordinate amount of time billing etc.
-A provider stated that this sounds good to him. He stated his organization operates an array of services for adults, as well as special-purpose private schools. They are laying the groundwork to create a position that doesn’t exist in his organization, akin to the CRC or Transition Liaison. If was asked if there would be opportunities for that position to spend time with and learn from the State side of all this.
Betsy: Absolutely. We want to put together measures to be able to determine the Pilot’s success from day one. I’m happy to come back like we did with the Transition Pilot and share that information. We’ll share the job descriptions for the CRC Role and we’re happy to share that with you for your own position.
Shelly: There’s also an opportunity for Lifespan provider readiness as well, which could be helpful for this.
-A parent stated that this is all very exciting. She stated that over the years there have been a lot of opportunities to provide feedback about barriers and to see that the Department took that feedback and really thought through how to address those barriers is great. The group echoed thanks for this.
-A parent stated that she would hate for her daughter to lose her case manager entirely. The system is very complicated and it’s not only overwhelming for parents/family members but for the case managers as well, especially taking into account the residential aspect. She stated that if the CRC simplifies things that will be great, but we ought to remember that there are a lot of little pieces involved with ensuring people have the support they need.
Cullen: Thank you all again and thank you for your approach to all of this. I saw a lot of the Blueprint for Effective Transition embedded in all of this. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, but also thank you for pioneering projects and for the flexibility to make changes to ensure the system works. Thank you for such a comprehensive description of all of this; it’s a lot to digest and I presume people will continue to think of questions as they process this. I hope that you come back to continue this dialogue. Thank you all 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 - No update
Betsy Hopkins: We are still in the process of completing SIS-A assessments for people in our system to gather data about people we’re serving to see what their support needs are. We’re holding stakeholder meetings around this as well. We’re still designing Lifespan. A rate study is underway which has to be completed before we submit our Lifespan Waiver application to CMS. There will be a meeting in December for self-advocates and current Members to get some targeted input on Lifespan.
For up to date information on the work that is going on regarding our Lifespan Project, you can go to our website: HCBS Lifespan Project | Department of Health and Human Services (maine.gov)
- A Path for ME Highlights – October 2024: This is a new bi-monthly newsletter highlighting important information about the SIS-A assessment tool, the Lifespan Waiver, and other services relating to A Path for ME. We hope you find this newsletter helpful and welcome your feedback.
- Listening Session Announcement: SIS-A Updates and Question & Answer Session – November 16, 2023 – The Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) invites Section 21 and 29 members, their families, and guardians, as well as waitlist members to attend the upcoming listening session: SIS-A Updates and Q & A. This event will take place from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 16, 2023. This session will give members and their support teams an opportunity to learn about important Supports Intensity Scale for Adults ® (SIS-A) updates. They can also answer questions about the Lifespan Waiver planning and SIS-A processes. The SIS-A is the assessment tool being used by OADS to gather data and develop new and better member services. Click here to register for the November 2023 SIS-A Updates and Q & A Session
-Learn More About the New $100 SIS-A Incentive Launched for Section 21 or 29 or Waitlist Members – The Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) uses the Supports Intensity Scale for Adults ® (SIS-A) to support the design of a variety of proposed services through the new Lifespan Waiver. The SIS-A is a high-quality data collection tool that informs the Person-Centered Planning process. We encourage all members to take the SIS-A. Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below to learn more about this special offer.
Q: Who is eligible for the new Member Incentive for the SIS-A assessment?
A: There is a new Member Incentive to take the SIS-A right now. The previous Maximus SIS-A Training assessment incentive ended on March 15, 2023. A new incentive for people interested in taking the SIS-A assessment was announced in late July 2023. It is available for those who are:
-A Section 21 or 29 member or on the waitlist for these waivers.
-Among the first 800 members who received an assessment.
-Someone who has fully completed a valid, non-training assessment earlier in 2023.
Please keep in mind, training assessments do not qualify, as there has already been reimbursement for training assessments. Other attendees at a SIS-A assessment do not qualify as this incentive is for the member only.
Q: How do I request more information about the new SIS-A Member Incentive?
A: Contact the Maximus Help Desk to schedule a SIS-A assessment. Tell them you are also interested in the $100 SIS-A Member Incentive: call 833-771-4639 or email [email protected]. Click the link to see these and other frequently asked questions. SIS-A Assessment FAQs – Updated August 8, 2023
- SIS-A Support Resources:
- Contact the Maine SIS-A Assessments Help Desk – If a member would like to schedule a SIS-A assessment or has other SIS-A assessment related questions: Contact Maximus - Maine SIS Help Desk from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday – Friday by calling 833.771.4639 or email: [email protected].
DHHS – Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs
Alina Smith: We’ve been working with OADS on the Transition Liaison Project. We should have more updates for the group in the coming months.
Cullen: Thank you, Alina. We would welcome you providing a more in-depth update at a future meeting.
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
No one from DOL was in attendance. Cullen offered the agenda time to briefly discuss the MMC Benefits Counseling Program.
Julianne Zaharis, MMC Benefits Counseling: Maine Medical Center (MMC) Benefits Counseling isn’t part of DOL. However, we help folks with a disabling condition receiving a disability benefit who are considering employment or are working and concerned about how working affects benefits. Our team has been granted an Innovation Grant from OADS to bring Benefits Counseling to Members receiving Section 21 as part of a pilot project. The goal is to increase awareness that working is possible; Maine is an Employment First state, and we want to support people in their employment goals.
Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE) - www.maine.gov/doe/learning/specialed - No update
Titus O’Rourke: As you know our Office had a name change to the Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE). The idea of inclusion is critical, and it’s driving all of our work. OSSIE is dedicated to improving results for students with disabilities by providing leadership, support, and oversight to local education agencies. OSSIE is committed to ensuring the provision of a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment for children with disabilities (ages 3 to 22) as well as early intervention services to infants and toddlers (birth through age 2). Our work is accomplished through collaboration with families, school districts, public and private agencies, and other programs. We just hosted a conference and had more than 400 people attend, in support of our students and supporting not only access to curriculum but supporting educators as well. Through Math4ME we are supporting more than 70 schools in developing opportunities for our educators to understand how students can access curriculum and the small things in the classroom that can support behaviors around math. Math4ME is designed to implement evidence-based professional development which increases math proficiency and inclusionary practices for students with exceptionalities and improves instructional practices for educators of all students. As far as transition, we have been making amazing strides with the DHHS teams, understanding the continuum of services, and working with the Executive Student Transition (EST) Committee. The EST is a passionate group of young self-advocates with diverse abilities and unique challenges, dedicated to shaping a brighter future for individuals transitioning into adulthood. Its mission is to expand its reach across the state, extending support to more communities, schools, and groups. The focus is on enhancing opportunities for both current students and recent graduates to access essential transition services. The EST is working on putting together a Statewide Youth Summit for 2024. I would love to have the EST Committee come to one of these meetings and present what they’re doing, as they are the experts in their work. We’re doing a lot of strategic planning to maximize student success; this involves working with the compliance team as well, reviewing data, and pivoting as needed. We’ve also partnered with DOL Voc Rehab and secured a Pathways to Partnerships grant. We will launch a web-based site to serve as a primary hub for cross-agency transition information, training, and learning opportunities across the state, develop accessible on-demand curricula on transition topics such as benefits counseling, financial literacy, and pre-employment transition services, and increase awareness and use of work-based learning, internships, pre-apprenticeship, and Registered Apprenticeship. In addition to extensive training and establishing a seamless system across agencies involved in the project, 300 - 500 children ages 10-13 will be provided opportunities to gain career readiness skills and 300 - 500 youth ages 14-21 will be competitively employed. Recognizing the important role of interagency collaboration in this grant’s success, the Maine Department of Education and Alpha One, Maines sole Center for Independent Living, will also serve as core partners in Pathways to Partnerships. Additionally, numerous youth-serving state and community agencies, including MDOLs Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired, will join in the collaborative efforts. Regional School Unit #29 in Houlton, which also serves the towns of Hammond, Littleton, and Monticello, and Regional School Unit # 71 in Belfast have been identified to pilot activities for students. All schools serve diverse populations, including those experiencing economic disadvantages.
-A self-advocate asked about working to get students into standard classrooms.
Titus: You’re speaking about inclusion and that’s our focus. We’re focusing on inclusive practices, understandings around leadership and supports around co-teaching, etc. We’re focusing on inclusion at every level and ensuring that every classroom, every teacher, every Superintendent understands the true meaning of inclusion. There are many initiatives in place and cross-agency collaborations focused on this inclusion.
-A self-advocate asked about data and statistics around moving students from composite classrooms and including them in standard classrooms. She stated that composite rooms are not inclusive. Communication between the schools and the state is fundamental to working together.
Titus: We’ve been working with data teams to access that data. If we found that there were gaps in using data to inform our work, we’re coalescing around that and moving in a really data-driven, evidence-based manner. I do not know specifically about that data, but I will look into it and get back to the group. Thank you very much for this question.
Cullen: Thank you for this information and for being here, Titus!
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) Update:
Staci Converse had to leave the meeting early but passed along the following information: The one thing I did want to make sure people knew about was this resource information in response to the tragic events in Lewiston: https://drme.org/news/2023/resources-re-lewiston There are some specific information for members of the deaf community as well as more general resources.
LD 924 Task Force Update:
Titus O’Rourke: We’ve been hosting monthly meetings to determine if there’s been any movement from the Legislature regarding this. And to date we haven’t received any updates. I’m using the data and the work that came out of this as the driver for strategic planning, including short- and long-term initiatives/goals for Transition Maine.
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen:
State Legislature Update –
Cullen: We’re in between sessions, so this is an excellent time to reach out to your legislators and educate them about what you’re encountering, offering your expertise, and help them understand the needs of people with ID/DD, so that they can make good decisions. Sharing your personal stories is very effective, and we’re all better for it. Thank you for raising your voice!
There are a number of carry-over bills that will be considered in the Second Session of the 131st Legislature. Many of these have already had public hearings and as such will not receive additional public hearings. The list of bills submitted for consideration as emergency legislation in the Second Session has been posted on the Legislature’s website. As has the list of Department bills. In order to be considered in the Second Session, bills have to pass the Legislative Council.
From a previous meeting: Laura Cordes – Maine Association for Community Service Providers (MACSP): Over the past few years, I’ve built a Google doc to support the MCHQS' interest in monitoring and engaging in bills of interest in the 131st Legislature. The doc contains an updated list of bills of interest, links on how to testify in person, by zoom, and/or how to submit testimony, as well as a list of Committee members (click here for more information). The Second Session is the “Short Session” and only emergency bills, Governor’s bills, and bills carried over from the previous session will be heard. All new bills must pass the Legislative Council in order to move forward.
-There was discussion regarding the outcome of Question #8 about guardianship. It was stated that Question 8 proposed an amendment to Maine’s Constitution. Question 8 wouldn’t have provided more voting rights; it would have just fixed an error. This measure failed to pass. This doesn’t change anything, people will still be able to vote, but it also won’t clean up language in State law about this. This outcome does show that we have more advocacy work and education to do.
Other Business:
Cullen welcomed Sue Wall, Treasurer, Portland Wheelers and invited her to speak about the program.
Sue: Thank you for the time; I’m grateful to be on the agenda. Portland Wheelers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015. A volunteer-led nonprofit organization with a small and incredibly mighty staff. Our wheelers are the people we serve – the ones we love to see smile! Wheelers are individuals who cannot ride a bike themselves but would love to go for a bike ride. Our volunteers are the heart of Portland Wheelers. Volunteer pilots pedal our trikes, engage with our wheelers, and share with them the experience of our community on three wheels. They bring miles of smiles to our wheelers. We're aiming to recruit two or three new board members in the next six months and are reaching out to several people through MANP. However, we are really hoping to attract someone (or a family member) who is actually living with a disability and can bring that experience to our program's mission. Our Board of Directors are also volunteers and manage many organizational functions: volunteer coordination, ride partner relations, trike maintenance and repair, community outreach, finance … you name it, volunteers do it. The Board meets once a month in Portland. The Board Recruitment Packet provides all the details. Anyone interested can contact [email protected] for this packet.
Cullen: Thank you for this, Sue! My son was involved in adaptive skiing years back and it is amazing to see the difference it makes for people. Thank you for all you’re doing, Sue!
The next meeting will be on Monday, December 11, 2023, 12-2pm, via Zoom*.
Featured Speakers and Topic TBD.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2pm.
(In 2024 the October and November meetings will be the 3rd Monday due to the holidays)
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. The group took a moment to reflect on the tragedy in Lewiston. Minutes from the last meeting were accepted. For the sake of time, Cullen read the names of participants.
Featured Speaker: Betsy Hopkins, Associate Director, Developmental Disability and Brain Injury Services, DHHS-OADS. www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads Topic: Update on the transition liaison project and information about a new pilot to help inform lifespan support for transition-age youth and their families.
Cullen: I am pleased to welcome Betsy Hopkins, Associate Director, Developmental Disability and Brain Injury Services, DHHS-OADS presenting an update on the transition liaison project and information about a new pilot to help inform lifespan support for transition-age youth and their families. Thank you for being here, Betsy, and for creating such an informative presentation!
Betsy Hopkins: Thank you, I’m very happy to be here. I’m joined by a few co-workers, as well as Alina Smith from OCFS.
Begin presentation (Click here for the presentation).
Betsy: I think it’s helpful to discuss the two projects I’ll be covering in the context of Lifespan.
-Betsy covered the following Lifespan topics in detail in her presentation: Highlights of Lifespan; Features of Lifespan; and the current state of transition including barriers between the children and adult systems (slides 3 through 8).
Betsy: In order to support the transition to the Lifespan Waiver we created two pilot projects. The first of which is the Transition Liaison Project.
Shelly King: The Goals of the Transition Liaison Project line up with the barriers identified. While we’re talking a lot from the system’s perspective, we often ground ourselves in the fact that there’s always a person at the center of the process.
-Shelly reviewed the Transition Liaison Project in detail in the presentation including: project goals; the project’s framework; the youth transition team and the contact email [email protected] (slides 9 through 12). The team of Transition Liaisons introduced themselves to the group, the districts they cover, and their extensive background, including professional and personal experience.
-Shelly reviewed the project Milestones, set to be achieved before the project is scheduled to end in March of 2025 (slide 13).
Shelly: There are a variety of goals for the project, but the overarching ultimate goal is access to services and better experiences for youth and their families. The goals not only inform our project and act as the voice of transition-age youth, but also inform the Lifespan project.
Project Milestones include:
- Data sourcing and analysis – holding regular transition meetings in order to increase communication/information sharing. Data collected through case consultation and Lifespan Stakeholder Meetings.
- Resource Library of transition best practices – includes evidence-based best practices and has gone through an accessibility review. Those resources will be getting to our website this month.
- Collateral material development for Transition/Resource fairs – materials and messaging for transition resource fairs have been created and disseminated.
- Standard Operating Procedure for Quarterly Review of Transition Age Youth developed and implemented.
- Transition training of community case managers (CCMs) – more than 300 CCMs have received this training.
- Training for Special Educators on DS Services/CM involvement in the IEP process
- Information and resource development for youth and families related to Lifespan – coming in 2024.
- Quarterly Plan Communication with Transition Resources – coming in 2024.
- Continuous Quality Improvement Plan based on Stakeholder feedback – coming in 2024.
- Present updates to the Legislature on LD 106 – January 2024.
Shelly: CCMs play a crucial role in transition. We have received a lot of feedback from case managers and people who work with them which led to our next project, which Betsy will discuss.
-Betsy thoroughly reviewed the Community Resource Coordinator (CRC) Role, CRC Project goals, and CRC requirements for recruitment in her presentation (slides 15 through 20).
Betsy: The Community Resource Coordinator (CRC) Role moves beyond existing case management, existing care coordination, and existing support coordination roles to a more broad-based resource coordination role. This role will be critical to the success of Lifespan to support the individual in their Person-Centered Planning (PCP) process. We’ve received funding for the CRC Pilot Project to provide services to members on Sections 21 and 29 and will also support Lifespan Waiver members when that initiative begins.
Cullen: Thank you both for such an informative, thorough, thoughtful presentation!
Discussion:
-A parent and former special educator stated that this was a lot of information, and the initiatives seem very thoughtfully designed. He asked for clarification about the current Section 21 priorities and the Lifespan enrollment groups.
Betsy: Right now, to be eligible for a Priority 1 Section 21 waiver slot someone has to meet very specific criteria, including being at risk for abuse, neglect, exploitation, etc. One of the benefits of Lifespan is that people can plan better, and plan for needing additional support needs over time.
-A parent stated that the CRC Role appears to supplement not supplant the CM role but asked Betsy to clarify.
Betsy: In the pilot, the CRC will function similarly to a case manager and will help fill some of the gaps we have in the system right now. Someone won’t be able to have a CRC and a targeted case manager (TCM). There are still details that need to be worked out; at age 14 someone will automatically be eligible for case management services under Lifespan so we need to work out some policy details around this and how it will work.
-A parent and former special educator stated that quarterly reviews as part of the IEP process would be advantageous.
Shelly: The quarterly meetings that I referred to are between state offices. However, we’re looking at an IEP invitation communication type process that we’ve seen work well in other states.
Titus O’Rourke: What we’re talking about is a process flow including state agencies that are educator-facing. Giving the state agencies insight into the value of their input and the development of the IEP, having it be student-centered, and securing family voice and engagement.
-It was asked if there will be more flexibility for residential options with Lifespan, specifically across waivers.
Betsy: We received strong feedback that it would be advantageous to serve across waivers in residential settings. This is something we’re looking into and will be able to better speak to when Lifespan rolls out.
-A self-advocate stated this can be overwhelming and confusing to a recipient. Having a clear vision of how someone who had been receiving self-directed services out of state would transition to adult services in Maine would be helpful.
Betsy: When Lifespan opens, the goal is that the CRC is the one person helping someone navigate all of the current systems and services that we have. When we think about youth, or someone else coming into the system, the CRC will be key to helping the person navigate this confusing system that we have.
-A self-advocate stated that self-directed services are included in Section 29. She asked if there would be some type of incorporation of self-direction in Lifespan.
Betsy: Anyone in Section 21 or Section 29 right now does not have to switch to Lifespan – they can continue as long as they want. There will be an option to switch to Lifespan a year after it gets off the ground. There will be many opportunities for self-direction in the Lifespan Waiver.
-It was asked what the mission statement/purpose of the Transition Liaison Project is.
Betsy: The slide I showed with the barriers between OCFS and OADS (slide 7) – the Transition Liaison team is working to bridge those various gaps between children and adult services. The goal is to make it smoother, make it so people don’t get lost in the cracks, to have a place where individuals and families can go to get questions answered, etc.
Cullen: Your transition away from traditional case management services to the Community Resource Coordinator – can you describe the main differences you see between the current case management system and the CRC role?
Betsy: When we’ve talked about the CRC role, we think about it as coordination across many different systems. Because it’s in Lifespan, it can be funded a little bit differently. We’ve discussed a monthly rate, for example. Right now, for TCM, the billing and work involved is fairly time intensive. We think the CRC under Lifespan will free up some time for people to do more of that cross-coordination work that we would like to see, and we’ve heard would be helpful. We think there will be more flexibility for the CRCs to do that work. The plan with the Pilot is to try it out, see how it goes, delineate those differences more, and to get it ready for the Lifespan Waiver.
Cullen: Thank you for describing that more. It’s exciting to contemplate a system where people aren’t spending an inordinate amount of time billing etc.
-A provider stated that this sounds good to him. He stated his organization operates an array of services for adults, as well as special-purpose private schools. They are laying the groundwork to create a position that doesn’t exist in his organization, akin to the CRC or Transition Liaison. If was asked if there would be opportunities for that position to spend time with and learn from the State side of all this.
Betsy: Absolutely. We want to put together measures to be able to determine the Pilot’s success from day one. I’m happy to come back like we did with the Transition Pilot and share that information. We’ll share the job descriptions for the CRC Role and we’re happy to share that with you for your own position.
Shelly: There’s also an opportunity for Lifespan provider readiness as well, which could be helpful for this.
-A parent stated that this is all very exciting. She stated that over the years there have been a lot of opportunities to provide feedback about barriers and to see that the Department took that feedback and really thought through how to address those barriers is great. The group echoed thanks for this.
-A parent stated that she would hate for her daughter to lose her case manager entirely. The system is very complicated and it’s not only overwhelming for parents/family members but for the case managers as well, especially taking into account the residential aspect. She stated that if the CRC simplifies things that will be great, but we ought to remember that there are a lot of little pieces involved with ensuring people have the support they need.
Cullen: Thank you all again and thank you for your approach to all of this. I saw a lot of the Blueprint for Effective Transition embedded in all of this. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, but also thank you for pioneering projects and for the flexibility to make changes to ensure the system works. Thank you for such a comprehensive description of all of this; it’s a lot to digest and I presume people will continue to think of questions as they process this. I hope that you come back to continue this dialogue. Thank you all 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 - No update
Betsy Hopkins: We are still in the process of completing SIS-A assessments for people in our system to gather data about people we’re serving to see what their support needs are. We’re holding stakeholder meetings around this as well. We’re still designing Lifespan. A rate study is underway which has to be completed before we submit our Lifespan Waiver application to CMS. There will be a meeting in December for self-advocates and current Members to get some targeted input on Lifespan.
For up to date information on the work that is going on regarding our Lifespan Project, you can go to our website: HCBS Lifespan Project | Department of Health and Human Services (maine.gov)
- A Path for ME Highlights – October 2024: This is a new bi-monthly newsletter highlighting important information about the SIS-A assessment tool, the Lifespan Waiver, and other services relating to A Path for ME. We hope you find this newsletter helpful and welcome your feedback.
- Listening Session Announcement: SIS-A Updates and Question & Answer Session – November 16, 2023 – The Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) invites Section 21 and 29 members, their families, and guardians, as well as waitlist members to attend the upcoming listening session: SIS-A Updates and Q & A. This event will take place from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 16, 2023. This session will give members and their support teams an opportunity to learn about important Supports Intensity Scale for Adults ® (SIS-A) updates. They can also answer questions about the Lifespan Waiver planning and SIS-A processes. The SIS-A is the assessment tool being used by OADS to gather data and develop new and better member services. Click here to register for the November 2023 SIS-A Updates and Q & A Session
-Learn More About the New $100 SIS-A Incentive Launched for Section 21 or 29 or Waitlist Members – The Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) uses the Supports Intensity Scale for Adults ® (SIS-A) to support the design of a variety of proposed services through the new Lifespan Waiver. The SIS-A is a high-quality data collection tool that informs the Person-Centered Planning process. We encourage all members to take the SIS-A. Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below to learn more about this special offer.
Q: Who is eligible for the new Member Incentive for the SIS-A assessment?
A: There is a new Member Incentive to take the SIS-A right now. The previous Maximus SIS-A Training assessment incentive ended on March 15, 2023. A new incentive for people interested in taking the SIS-A assessment was announced in late July 2023. It is available for those who are:
-A Section 21 or 29 member or on the waitlist for these waivers.
-Among the first 800 members who received an assessment.
-Someone who has fully completed a valid, non-training assessment earlier in 2023.
Please keep in mind, training assessments do not qualify, as there has already been reimbursement for training assessments. Other attendees at a SIS-A assessment do not qualify as this incentive is for the member only.
Q: How do I request more information about the new SIS-A Member Incentive?
A: Contact the Maximus Help Desk to schedule a SIS-A assessment. Tell them you are also interested in the $100 SIS-A Member Incentive: call 833-771-4639 or email [email protected]. Click the link to see these and other frequently asked questions. SIS-A Assessment FAQs – Updated August 8, 2023
- SIS-A Support Resources:
- SIS-A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Updated 8/9/23.
- OADS Website - "A Path for ME" Needs Assessments
- SIS-A Assessment Report – AAIDD Sample
- Maine SIS-A Resources – Maximus Website
- OADS Presentation – Orientation to “A Path for ME” Needs Assessment
- American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Website
- Contact the Maine SIS-A Assessments Help Desk – If a member would like to schedule a SIS-A assessment or has other SIS-A assessment related questions: Contact Maximus - Maine SIS Help Desk from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday – Friday by calling 833.771.4639 or email: [email protected].
DHHS – Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs
Alina Smith: We’ve been working with OADS on the Transition Liaison Project. We should have more updates for the group in the coming months.
Cullen: Thank you, Alina. We would welcome you providing a more in-depth update at a future meeting.
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
No one from DOL was in attendance. Cullen offered the agenda time to briefly discuss the MMC Benefits Counseling Program.
Julianne Zaharis, MMC Benefits Counseling: Maine Medical Center (MMC) Benefits Counseling isn’t part of DOL. However, we help folks with a disabling condition receiving a disability benefit who are considering employment or are working and concerned about how working affects benefits. Our team has been granted an Innovation Grant from OADS to bring Benefits Counseling to Members receiving Section 21 as part of a pilot project. The goal is to increase awareness that working is possible; Maine is an Employment First state, and we want to support people in their employment goals.
Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE) - www.maine.gov/doe/learning/specialed - No update
Titus O’Rourke: As you know our Office had a name change to the Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE). The idea of inclusion is critical, and it’s driving all of our work. OSSIE is dedicated to improving results for students with disabilities by providing leadership, support, and oversight to local education agencies. OSSIE is committed to ensuring the provision of a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment for children with disabilities (ages 3 to 22) as well as early intervention services to infants and toddlers (birth through age 2). Our work is accomplished through collaboration with families, school districts, public and private agencies, and other programs. We just hosted a conference and had more than 400 people attend, in support of our students and supporting not only access to curriculum but supporting educators as well. Through Math4ME we are supporting more than 70 schools in developing opportunities for our educators to understand how students can access curriculum and the small things in the classroom that can support behaviors around math. Math4ME is designed to implement evidence-based professional development which increases math proficiency and inclusionary practices for students with exceptionalities and improves instructional practices for educators of all students. As far as transition, we have been making amazing strides with the DHHS teams, understanding the continuum of services, and working with the Executive Student Transition (EST) Committee. The EST is a passionate group of young self-advocates with diverse abilities and unique challenges, dedicated to shaping a brighter future for individuals transitioning into adulthood. Its mission is to expand its reach across the state, extending support to more communities, schools, and groups. The focus is on enhancing opportunities for both current students and recent graduates to access essential transition services. The EST is working on putting together a Statewide Youth Summit for 2024. I would love to have the EST Committee come to one of these meetings and present what they’re doing, as they are the experts in their work. We’re doing a lot of strategic planning to maximize student success; this involves working with the compliance team as well, reviewing data, and pivoting as needed. We’ve also partnered with DOL Voc Rehab and secured a Pathways to Partnerships grant. We will launch a web-based site to serve as a primary hub for cross-agency transition information, training, and learning opportunities across the state, develop accessible on-demand curricula on transition topics such as benefits counseling, financial literacy, and pre-employment transition services, and increase awareness and use of work-based learning, internships, pre-apprenticeship, and Registered Apprenticeship. In addition to extensive training and establishing a seamless system across agencies involved in the project, 300 - 500 children ages 10-13 will be provided opportunities to gain career readiness skills and 300 - 500 youth ages 14-21 will be competitively employed. Recognizing the important role of interagency collaboration in this grant’s success, the Maine Department of Education and Alpha One, Maines sole Center for Independent Living, will also serve as core partners in Pathways to Partnerships. Additionally, numerous youth-serving state and community agencies, including MDOLs Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired, will join in the collaborative efforts. Regional School Unit #29 in Houlton, which also serves the towns of Hammond, Littleton, and Monticello, and Regional School Unit # 71 in Belfast have been identified to pilot activities for students. All schools serve diverse populations, including those experiencing economic disadvantages.
-A self-advocate asked about working to get students into standard classrooms.
Titus: You’re speaking about inclusion and that’s our focus. We’re focusing on inclusive practices, understandings around leadership and supports around co-teaching, etc. We’re focusing on inclusion at every level and ensuring that every classroom, every teacher, every Superintendent understands the true meaning of inclusion. There are many initiatives in place and cross-agency collaborations focused on this inclusion.
-A self-advocate asked about data and statistics around moving students from composite classrooms and including them in standard classrooms. She stated that composite rooms are not inclusive. Communication between the schools and the state is fundamental to working together.
Titus: We’ve been working with data teams to access that data. If we found that there were gaps in using data to inform our work, we’re coalescing around that and moving in a really data-driven, evidence-based manner. I do not know specifically about that data, but I will look into it and get back to the group. Thank you very much for this question.
Cullen: Thank you for this information and for being here, Titus!
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) Update:
Staci Converse had to leave the meeting early but passed along the following information: The one thing I did want to make sure people knew about was this resource information in response to the tragic events in Lewiston: https://drme.org/news/2023/resources-re-lewiston There are some specific information for members of the deaf community as well as more general resources.
LD 924 Task Force Update:
Titus O’Rourke: We’ve been hosting monthly meetings to determine if there’s been any movement from the Legislature regarding this. And to date we haven’t received any updates. I’m using the data and the work that came out of this as the driver for strategic planning, including short- and long-term initiatives/goals for Transition Maine.
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen:
- FY 24 Budget – Congress passed, and the President signed a 45-day Continuing resolution (CR), funding the government at FY 23 levels through 11/17, extending several expiring authorities, and including disaster relief funds, giving Congress more time to reach a final agreement on FY 24 spending bills.
- Senate FY 24 T HUD Appropriation Bill: On 7/20 the Senate T-HUD Appropriations Committee released its FY 24 spending bill. Overall, the bill provides $70.06 billion for HUD’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs, an increase of $8.26 billion (or slightly more than 13%) over FY23-enacted levels. However, HUD needs to increase funding by approximately $13 billion just to maintain existing levels of assistance. Though, the Senate draft proposes $1.86 billion more in funding for HUD’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs than the draft spending bill released by the U.S. House of Representatives on 7/11. The Senate THUD bill provides increased funding for key HUD programs, particularly those vital to getting or keeping people with the lowest incomes housed.
- House FY 24 Appropriation Bills (including HUD): The House is scheduled to vote soon on its FY24 THUD spending bill. The bill proposes funding HUD at $68.2 billion, a $6.4 billion (or roughly 10%) increase to HUD programs over previously enacted levels. HUD needs an approximately $13 billion increase in funding over current levels just to maintain existing assistance. The spending bill proposes deep cuts to or even elimination of some HUD programs but appears to adequately fund most rental assistance programs.
- S 570, 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.
- 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.
State Legislature Update –
Cullen: We’re in between sessions, so this is an excellent time to reach out to your legislators and educate them about what you’re encountering, offering your expertise, and help them understand the needs of people with ID/DD, so that they can make good decisions. Sharing your personal stories is very effective, and we’re all better for it. Thank you for raising your voice!
There are a number of carry-over bills that will be considered in the Second Session of the 131st Legislature. Many of these have already had public hearings and as such will not receive additional public hearings. The list of bills submitted for consideration as emergency legislation in the Second Session has been posted on the Legislature’s website. As has the list of Department bills. In order to be considered in the Second Session, bills have to pass the Legislative Council.
From a previous meeting: Laura Cordes – Maine Association for Community Service Providers (MACSP): Over the past few years, I’ve built a Google doc to support the MCHQS' interest in monitoring and engaging in bills of interest in the 131st Legislature. The doc contains an updated list of bills of interest, links on how to testify in person, by zoom, and/or how to submit testimony, as well as a list of Committee members (click here for more information). The Second Session is the “Short Session” and only emergency bills, Governor’s bills, and bills carried over from the previous session will be heard. All new bills must pass the Legislative Council in order to move forward.
-There was discussion regarding the outcome of Question #8 about guardianship. It was stated that Question 8 proposed an amendment to Maine’s Constitution. Question 8 wouldn’t have provided more voting rights; it would have just fixed an error. This measure failed to pass. This doesn’t change anything, people will still be able to vote, but it also won’t clean up language in State law about this. This outcome does show that we have more advocacy work and education to do.
Other Business:
Cullen welcomed Sue Wall, Treasurer, Portland Wheelers and invited her to speak about the program.
Sue: Thank you for the time; I’m grateful to be on the agenda. Portland Wheelers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015. A volunteer-led nonprofit organization with a small and incredibly mighty staff. Our wheelers are the people we serve – the ones we love to see smile! Wheelers are individuals who cannot ride a bike themselves but would love to go for a bike ride. Our volunteers are the heart of Portland Wheelers. Volunteer pilots pedal our trikes, engage with our wheelers, and share with them the experience of our community on three wheels. They bring miles of smiles to our wheelers. We're aiming to recruit two or three new board members in the next six months and are reaching out to several people through MANP. However, we are really hoping to attract someone (or a family member) who is actually living with a disability and can bring that experience to our program's mission. Our Board of Directors are also volunteers and manage many organizational functions: volunteer coordination, ride partner relations, trike maintenance and repair, community outreach, finance … you name it, volunteers do it. The Board meets once a month in Portland. The Board Recruitment Packet provides all the details. Anyone interested can contact [email protected] for this packet.
Cullen: Thank you for this, Sue! My son was involved in adaptive skiing years back and it is amazing to see the difference it makes for people. Thank you for all you’re doing, Sue!
The next meeting will be on Monday, December 11, 2023, 12-2pm, via Zoom*.
Featured Speakers and Topic TBD.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2pm.
(In 2024 the October and November meetings will be the 3rd Monday due to the holidays)
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].