Maine Coalition for Housing & Quality Services
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DHHS-OADS Person-Centered Planning Training Series

5/26/2023

 
Person-Centered Planning Training Series 

Please join the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) for a four (4) part series of the Person-Centered Planning (PCP) Process. This training series will thoroughly examine the core principles and values of Person-Centered Planning and equip participants with tools and skills to use with the people they support. The PCP process emphasizes the importance of empowering the person to control their plan.  

This four-part training series includes the following: 
  1. Building a Foundation for Person-Centered Thinking
  2. Initial Assessments and Using Person-Centered Thinking (Phases 1 and 2)
  3. The Planning Meeting: Preparation and Facilitation (Phase 3)
  4. After the Meeting: Identifying Supports and/or Services, SIPs, and 90 Day Reviews/ongoing Getting to Know the Person (Phases 4 and 5)

A recording will be made of each training. After the event, this recording and any accompanying materials will be posted to the OADS website.  

We encourage Case Managers and staff with Provider agencies who work directly with waiver members to attend and participate. Each attendee must register and use their unique link to join the sessions to receive a certificate of attendance. Using another attendee’s unique login link will result in your attendance not being recorded.  

If you require accommodation, such as real-time transcription and captioning (CART), American Sign Language (ASL), or other language interpretation, please contact Miranda Whalen at miranda.whalen@maine.gov by two weeks prior. 
 
Training 1: Building a Foundation for Person-Centered Thinking 
Please save the date and join us for the first training: Building a Foundation for Person-Centered Thinking. This training will focus on “Part 1 – Maine’s Approach to Person-Centered Planning” of the Maine Person-Centered Planning Process- Instruction Guide. This guide is available on the OADS website for your reference. We encourage Case Managers and staff with Provider agencies who work directly with waiver members to attend and participate. 

There will be two opportunities to attend this first training.  
  1. June 20, 2023: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
  2. June 22, 2023: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Please register at this link to assist us with pre-planning group activities for discussions: 
https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwofumgqT8iHNVd9OVHF5kErVysSM_eKWt5  
 
Training 2: Initial Assessments and Using Person-Centered Thinking (Phase 1 and 2) 
Please save the date and join us for the second training: Initial Assessments and Using Person-Centered Thinking (Phases 1 and 2). This training will focus on Phases 1 and Phase 2 of “Part II: Five-Phase Approach to Person-Centered Planning” section of the Maine Person-Centered Planning Process- Instruction Guide. This guide is available on the OADS website for your reference. We encourage Case Managers and staff with Provider agencies who work directly with waiver members to attend and participate.  
​
There will be 2 opportunities to attend this second training. 
  1. June 27, 2023: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
  2. June 29, 2023: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Please register at this link to assist us with pre-planning group activities for discussions: 
https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIodOyhpj4uE9Bxcs6hWzk7Yy52DbpcSlC9  
 
Training 3 and 4 will be held later this summer. 

DHHS OADS HCBS Innovation Grant Webinars – Summer 2023

5/24/2023

 
HCBS Innovation Grant Webinars – Summer 2023
Please join the Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) as we offer three webinars during the summer of 2023.   The webinars will explain the 19 projects awarded to 14 provider awardees.  The sessions are organized by three groupings by type of project – Technology, Employment and Training and Community Inclusion.
We invite you to attend these sessions to learn about the innovative projects that have begun in Maine and will continue through December 2024. The links below will allow you to register for the events and to receive a link to the Webinar.
 All sessions are from 3PM to 4:30PM


June 27 – Technology:
 https://mainestate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WBgQH5nxS4-JfiRkVZW4Zg
 July 18 – Employment and Training:
https://mainestate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PQB9wKBhR76JVzocIyOuKw
 August 14 – Community Inclusion:
https://mainestate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_faTPJB9jQG6J2ntfbgjegA

​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 miranda.whalen@maine.gov.

Federal webinar of interest on 5/11: Improving living options for people with I/DD

5/9/2023

 
Integrated Housing Options for People with I/DDSecond webinar of a three-part series focused on improving community living options for people with I/DD

Thursday, May 11, 2023 | 4:00–5:30 PM ET

​Safe, accessible, and affordable integrated housing options for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are extremely limited. As a result, almost 70% of adults with I/DD live with their families, and most who live outside the family home live in group settings.

To improve and expand community living options for people with I/DD, ACL is hosting a three-part webinar series that explores the housing needs of people with I/DD, barriers they face in securing housing (including limited inventory), and innovative strategies, resources, partners, and funding streams to help create more integrated housing options for people with I/DD. "Turning Resources into Action" is the second webinar in this series.

The series centers the perspectives and experiences of individuals with I/DD. It is intended for state and local disability, aging, health, and housing agencies; housing providers; disability and aging advocates; and researchers, as well as people with I/DD and their families. 
After registration, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar. Everyone who registers by 12:00 PM ET on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, will receive the slides in advance. A recording of the webinar and the slides will be available on the Housing and Services Resource Center website later this month.

The webinar will include real-time captioning and ASL interpretation. For additional accommodations or questions, please contact Allison Cruz. 

DHHS OADS “A PATH FOR ME” SIS-A UPDATES AND QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS

5/5/2023

 
 “A PATH FOR ME” SIS-A UPDATES AND QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS
​

Assessments for Sections 21 and 29

Please join the Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) and Maximus, our “A Path for ME” assessment vendor. The session will offer updates and question and answer time.   The sessions will focus on the Supports Intensity Scale for Adults 2nd Edition (SIS-A) needs assessments.  These needs assessments will be for Sections 21 and 29 members and those on the waitlists.  They will be required for participation in the developing ‘Lifespan Waiver’.

We invite you to attend these sessions to learn about the SIS-A in Maine. There will also be time for attendees to ask questions.

There are three sessions scheduled. These will be held on the 2nd Thursday of each month for April, May, and June. These sessions will be held on Zoom from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM (one hour).  Additional sessions will be added in the future.

All attendees are required to register for each session using the links below.  A link to join the Zoom session will be sent to your email after you have registered. You are welcome to attend any or all sessions.

May 11 from 4 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkc-6rrz0pEtRgt5YHjYvE84VR88ZkaV0p
 
June 8 from 4 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrf-qoqzspHd2o9NP0Bq6wUNhWSkddN6zR

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 miranda.whalen@maine.gov.

Maine Children’s Alliance 2023 Maine KIDS COUNT Data Book

5/4/2023

 
Maine Children’s Alliance 2023 Maine KIDS COUNT Data Book 

Maine Children’s Alliance 2023 KIDS COUNT Data Book – with a new look and features -- is now available on the MCA website https://www.mekids.org/databook/   It was a huge undertaking to redesign the book, select  featured indicators and to include some comments from parents and youth about their experiences.  Thank you all who have contributed data for the Data Book.
 
As a fellow data person, I welcome your feedback and questions.
 
Highlights of the Data Book include:
  • Child poverty is trending lower than in 2012-2019 but remains an issue. With a child poverty rate of 13.8% in 2021, nearly 34,000 Maine children were living in households that face challenges to achieving economic security. Federal pandemic relief demonstrated the power of cash support and tax credits to reduce child poverty.
 
  • Maine’s rate of child maltreatment was the highest in the nation at 18.9 per 1,000 children in 2020. Trauma from abuse and neglect have long-term implications for children’s health and well-being. Services and supports to strengthen families help provide safety and stability for children.
 
  • In the area of youth mental health, the data is sobering. Youth need timely access to the right level of behavioral health care.
    • In 2021, nearly half of Maine high school females reported feeling sad or hopeless in the 2021 MIYHS results.
    • Due to violence and discrimination and lack of adult support, 38% of youth who are LGBTQ+ have seriously considered suicide according to the 2021 MIYHS results.
    • Comparing 2021 to the previous year, there was an increase of over 500 emergency room visits by Maine youth under 19 for suicidal thoughts or attempts. In 2022, the number of visits did not decrease, with 2,654 visits.
 
The Data Book was featured in a recent editorial in the Portland Press Herald: Our View: Child welfare report should light a fire under Maine - Portland Press Herald.

Helen Hemminger
Research and KIDS COUNT Associate
Maine Children’s Alliance
331 State Street
Augusta, ME 04330
hhemminger@mekids.org

SMACT meeting this Friday May 5th at 1:00

5/1/2023

 
Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition (SMACT)

Please join us by Zoom this Friday, May 5th at 1:00 for the last SMACT meeting of the year!
 
Our presenter will be Diane Luce, Community Work Incentives Coordinator with Maine Medical Center. Diane will present on the Benefits Counseling Services that help Maine people understand how working affects their Social Security disability and other public benefits.
 
Link to join:
 
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86383263889?pwd=WU5RdnovQVgrUS9GYVpPNEZ3c25nQT09 Meeting ID: 863 8326 3889 Passcode: 781988

Mon 5/1 LD 1666 to increase state SSI payments and make them 'marriage equal' (HHS cmte)

4/27/2023

 
Maine Disability Alerts ACTION ALERT:

​Dear Friends of Mainers with Disabilities,
 
Mon May 1 at 1 pm the HHS committee will have public hearing on LD 1666, "An Act to Modernize the State Supplement to Supplemental Security Income by Updating the State Supplement and Removing Marriage Disincentives"
 
LD 1666 would do two important things: raise Maine's SSI supplement and eliminate the marriage penalty from Maine's SSI supplement
 
A. Raising the Payment
 
About half of state (including Maine) supplement federal SSI payments with a "state supplement". Federal SSI payments to individuals have come up from $140 in 1974 to $914 in 2023 (more than 6.5 times higher). But in Maine the state SSI supplement is still stuck at $10 for an individual.
 
LD 1666 would raise the statement SSI supplement proportionally with the federal payment. So instead of $10 it would become $65 (so the total of federal + state would go from $924 to $979). It would also index the state supplement to cost of living just like the federal payment is.
 
B. Eliminating the Marriage Penalty from State SSI Supplement
 
Under federal law, when married couple both receive SSI, their payment is only 1.5 times that of a single person. This is a significant "marriage penalty" that stands in the way of truly marriage equality.
 
Maine doesn't have the power to change federal law, but LD 1666 would at least take a stand for disability marriage equality, by setting the state supplement for married couples on SSI at double the amount for a single person (so $130, which is double $65).
 
To testify:
  1. go to https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony
  2. Click on the "Public Hearing" radio button
  3. On the "Choose a Committee" pull-down, choose "Health and Human Services"
  4. On the "Choose date" pull-down, choose May 1 2023 1:00PM
  5. Under "Choose a bill", select LD 1666 - An Act to Modernize the State Supplement to Supplemental Security Income by Updating the State Supplement and Removing Marriage Disincentives
  6. Check "I would like to testify electronically over zoom" to get a link to testify
  7. Upload written testimony or type it in the box
  8. Fill out first name, last name, phone #, town, email address, and check "I'm not a robot"
  9. Press Submit/Register
thank you!

Maine Parent Federation In-Person Family Support Navigator Training NEW DATE: May 23, 2023

4/24/2023

 
Maine Parent Federation

NEW DATE! In-Person Family Support Navigator Training
Cohen Community Center, Hallowell, ME
Tuesday, May 23, 2023

 
We have changed the date of the upcoming Family Support Navigator training so there is still time to apply!
 
Are you the parent of, or caregiver to, a child with a disability
or special health care need?
Would you like to share your knowledge and provide peer-to-peer support to other Maine families?
If so, this virtual training opportunity may be for you!
 
Maine Parent Federation (MPF) is seeking parents, grandparents, and caregivers to children with disabilities and/or special health care needs who would like to attend this training to become a Family Support Navigator (FSN) and provide peer support to other Maine families. The FSN program matches experienced parents with other parents who need support while learning to navigate systems such as Special Education, Vocational Rehabilitation, MaineCare, Adult Services, etc., and assists them in locating local and statewide resources while helping parents learn to advocate for themselves.
 
During the Pandemic all support was provided through phone, text, email, and social media platforms such as Zoom. Now that restrictions are easing if both parent and Navigator agree, meetings can be held in-person.
 
As a parent who has been involved with MPF in the past, we are contacting you to see if you would like to use your skills and knowledge to support other families. A Family Support Navigator is a part-time independent consultant position. MPF contracts with you to provide up to 10 hours of support to each family you help. We pay $15.00 per hour for direct support to a family, provide a $40 monthly stipend for phone/internet when actively working with families, and .46 cents per mile travel reimbursement. This is a flexible opportunity where you set your own hours/schedule. MPF provides on-going supervision and technical assistance.
 
This in-person training will be held on Tuesday, May 23rd from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, There will be four other pre-recorded segments to the training that you can complete at your convenience.
 
Once you have completed the training we will provide you with a $150 stipend.
 
Please contact Deborah Newcombe at (800) 870-7746 or E-mail: dnewcombe@mpf.org to receive the application and job description and/or to answer any questions.

Improving Oral Health Care for Children with Disabilities in Maine

4/23/2023

 
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) has partnered with the Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine to gather information about the oral health care needs of children with disabilities throughout the state. They are looking for parents, caregivers, and family members of children with disabilities to share their experiences about oral health care through a short survey and/or participating in a focus group.  The results of this project will be used to support ongoing work to increase access to oral health care for children with disabilities in Maine.
 
You can access the survey by clicking this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MBTN22N
 
They will also be holding a virtual focus group on Zoom on Wednesday, April 26th from 6-7pm to learn more. If you would like to join, please register at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlcOqtpjsoEtEXLdXyUvXM6xO1cj24eTJr
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May SMACT Meeting

4/13/2023

 
Join us for the last SMACT meeting of the school year. Our featured speaker will be Diane Luce Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) for Maine Medical Center. Diane will present on the Benefits Counseling Services that help Maine people understand how working affects their Social Security disability and other public benefits.
 
The meeting is by Zoom on Friday May 5th at 1:00.
 
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86383263889?pwd=WU5RdnovQVgrUS9GYVpPNEZ3c25nQT09

Meeting ID: 863 8326 3889
Passcode: 781988
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Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services - This is your Coalition.  Thank you for being a part of it!
c/o Community Housing of Maine, One City Center, 4th Floor, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 879-0347
  • Home
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