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Aucocisco School & Learning Center Young Adult Social Activities Group
(Click here for the flyer) An exciting program for young adults to socialize and have fun! This group is a social space to meet new people, and integrates theater games, drama play, and coffee/tea house time. It promotes relationship building and fosters skills in social behavior, communication, and social/emotional problem solving. Dates: The group will meet on eight Tuesday afternoons from 4pm-6pm: September 24; October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; and November 5 and 12, 2019. Staff: The group will be led by professionals with experience in theater arts and working with individuals of all abilities. The group leader will be Susan Bahadori, Speech and Language Pathologist, and there will be guest artists. Enrollment: Limited to 8 Cost: $240.00, scholarships available Location: Aucocisco School and Learning Center 126 Spurwink Avenue, Cape Elizabeth, ME Please call or email Aucocisco for more information and to register. Phone (207) 773-7323; Email: info@aucociscoschool.org Registration Opens!
2019 New England Provider Summit November 6th- 7th SPACE IS LIMITED! REGISTER NOW Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel 250 Market Street Portsmouth, New Hampshire Registration Includes
$249 Non-MACSP member Disability Service Providers from all over New England (and beyond) will come together for this day and half long event. November 6th -- Afternoon Session (Attendees select one of the following Sessions to Attend) I. Coming Your Way Soon – Fee-For Service May Soon be a Thing of the Past – Learn from 3 experts about Value-Based Purchasing, Alternate Payment Methodologies, and Pay-For-Performance Presenters: Mark Davis – President and CEO of PAR – Pennsylvania Advocacy and Resources for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities; Paul Saucier - Director of Maine/DHHS, Office of Aging and Disability Services; Olivia Alford – Director of Value-Based Purchasing, Maine/DHHS, Office of MaineCare Services II. Overview of the CMS Community Settings Rule – The Why, the What and the When! Presenters: TBA III. Introduction to supported Decision-Making: From Justice to Jenny to Justice For All – What was this landmark Supreme Court Case all about and how might it affect you? Presenter: Jonathan Martinis, Esq., J.D. – Senior Director for Law and Policy, Burton Blatt Institute of Syracuse University Post-Conference Reception hosted by Gold Sponsor, Mutual of America November 7th -- All Day Round Table Discussions on issues such as:
Data Strategies to Reduce DSP Turnover with Doug Nafziger, CEO BOOK A ROOM: Click here to book at our discounted group rate. Register Today!
MACSP is partnering with the Burton Blatt Institute for a 2 Part Webinar Series on Supported Decision-Making September 16th and 17th, 2019 Jonathan Martinis, Esq. and Lydia Dawson, Esq., presenters Part I: Introduction to Supported-Decision-Making in Maine September 16th, 1pm-3pm This webinar will provide a basic overview of the tenets of Supported Decision-Making and guardianship within the Maine Probate Code. Using the “Justice for Jenny” case as an example, participants will learn about how Supported Decision-Making can empower people to make their own decisions and direct their own lives with the help they need and want to do so. Note: This is a repeat of the materials presented at the June 2019 SDM conference. Part II: Supported Decision-Making in Maine – Theory to Practice September 17th, 1pm-3pm This webinar will focus on using Supported Decision-Making in healthcare and finances. Participants will learn about how formal and informal supports can be utilized to make healthcare and financial decisions effective and accessible. Register Here Cost Per Webinar: $25 MACSP Members, Self-Advocates, and Family Members $45 Non-MACSP Members Presenters: Lydia Dawson, Esq., currently serves as MACSP's Executive Director Lydia obtained her Juris Doctorate from Roger Williams University School of Law with a focus in public interest and access issues, which ensure support for Mainers with disabilities. She has served as a speaker and trainer both statewide and nationally on topics which include disability rights, due process, and guardianship and guardianship alternatives. Jonathan Martinis, Esq., is the Senior Director for Law and Policy for the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University, leading its efforts to ensure that older adults and people with disabilities have access to the services and supports they need to lead independent, inclusive lives. In 2013, Jonathan represented Margaret “Jenny” Hatch in the “Justice for Jenny” case – the first trial to hold that a person has the right to use Supported Decision-Making to make her own life choices instead of being subjected to a permanent, plenary guardianship. Since then, Jonathan has spoken to and trained thousands of older adults, people with disabilities, families, and professionals across the country about everyone’s Right to Make Choices and direct their own lives. The following was disseminated by the Office of MaineCare Services on Monday, 8/12/2019:
MaineCare in Education Updates MaineCare is currently working to finalize a new school-based services section of policy that will be added to the MaineCare Benefits Manual. In addition to adding new medical services for children, the new policy will provide detailed and clear instructions for providers regarding provision of services, record-keeping, and claims submission for the medically necessary services provided through the school-based services program. These changes will also ensure that services provided are clearly identified to ensure accountability for the state share of costs assessed to districts seeking reimbursement for medically necessary services to MaineCare members through IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). The Department will offer information to providers on this new policy through a number of scheduled in-person trainings across the state and online. Providers will also be able to request individualized training to meet their needs, conducted at their own on-site locations. More details on these changes, including the rulemaking timeline and public comment period, will be shared as they become available. In the meantime, the MaineCare in Education webpage has been updated to provide additional support for school-based providers. These updates include:
MaineCare in Education School-Based Services Billing Guide The MaineCare in Education 2019 guide has been updated to include more detailed descriptions of covered services and policy information regarding current documentation requirements for each service as it relates to the MaineCare school-based services policy that is currently in effect. Providers can view requirements for each covered service and more easily find related provider and documentation requirements mandated in current policy. MaineCare in Education: An Overview for School Administrators A presentation for school administrators, recently shared at the Department of Education’s Commissioner’s Conference is now available. The presentation provides a brief overview of MaineCare and the options that schools currently have regarding enrollment as MaineCare providers. Quick Reference Fact Sheets Accessing MaineCare in Schools Audit Checklist for School-Based Services Claims Status Review Quick Reference Claim Submission Quick Reference Medically Necessary School-Based Services MIHMS Enrollment Checklist Parental Consent Seed All questions relating to MaineCare School-Based Services can be directed to MaineCareinEducation.DHHS@maine.gov. Just a quick update of Sprout’s programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Vacations Most of our July and August trips are filled, however there are a few openings on the following vacations later in the year: Penn Dutch Tuesday September 3 – Friday Sept. 6 Atlantic City Wednesday September 25 – Friday Sept. 27 Williamsburg, VA Monday September 30 – Sunday October 6 Vermont Monday October 21 – Thursday October 24 Philadelphia Tuesday November 19 – Thursday Nov. 21 Mystic, CT Friday November 22 – Sunday Nov. 24 Sprout Film Festival After a summer recess our festivals will start up again this fall with the following: Wednesday, September 18 Jamestown, New York Tuesday, October 8 Klamath Falls, Oregon Saturday, October 19 South Vallejo, California Monday, October 21 North Vallejo, California Sproutflix More and more agencies, schools and training programs are using the films from our catalogue (with over 275 titles) to entertain and enlighten their clientele. For your viewing pleasure here are two shorts recently added to Sproutflix: 100% Myself 6 ½ min. (http://sproutflix.org/all-films/100-myself/) Climbing has helped Georgia, a young woman on the autism spectrum, to confront her issues and realize that, for her, ‘normal’ just isn’t. Wojtek 2 ½ min. (in Polish with English subtitles) (http://sproutflix.org/all-films/wojtek/) Wojtek is a fan of Star Wars with dreams of becoming a pilot. Together with his dad they work hard to achieve what only a few accomplish. Beginning in 2020, Portland Wheelers will be available to help organizations and communities launch ride programs around the state. And, this year, we're offering demo rides to interested leadership.
For more information contact: Doug Malcolm, Portland Wheelers Founder/Director doug@portlandwheelers.org 207-232-7740 www.portlandwheelers.org Hello,
Please read this forwarded message by Disability Rights Maine that gives opportunity to share your family's experience with restraint and seclusion at the state level. If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Dionne, Executive Director, Autism Society of Maine: 1-800-273-5200 or asm@asmonline.org. The Bill is referred to as LD 1376, "An Act To Direct the Department of Education To Amend Its Rules To Ensure That Physical Restraint and Seclusion Policies Are Followed for Special Education Students and Make Biennial Reports on the Use of Physical Restraint and Seclusion." Bill text: https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0997&item=1&snum=129 , also attached. The Bill is scheduled for public hearing on Monday, May 13, 2019 at 1 PM in Augusta at the Cross Building in Room 208. Given your experience with _____ enduring restraint and seclusion in school, I wanted you to be aware of this platform to share, if you are interested. The Bill is designed to add more accountability to school districts in the use of restraint and seclusion. I believe it would be valuable for the members of the Committee On Education and Cultural Affairs to hear your story regardless if you are 'for' or 'neither for nor against' the Bill. We will be there testifying for the Bill and can provide support, if you need. You need to be aware that public hearings are in fact public. Any written testimony provided for the hearing will be placed online on a page associated with the bill and any oral testimony is streamed online and recorded. So you need to take this into account when determining what information to share. Issues that you might highlight: -Experience with restraint and seclusion at a special purpose private school versus a public school, -Special purpose private school's dependence on using the seclusion room for managing behavior, -Overuse of restraint and seclusion, -Inappropriately using restraint or seclusion when there no emergency and the student presented no risk of injury or harm to herself or others, -Not recording as 'seclusion' when the student was alone in the time away room and the doorway was blocked by a staff, -Staff need more training to teach students skills, as opposed to reacting with dangerous restraints or seclusions, -The affects you see on the student from enduring these interventions. Here are some resources to aid you in your testimony: DRM's 2017 Report highlighting the data and flagging issues: https://drme.org/news/2017/chapter-33-report Current resources from MDOE regarding restraint and seclusion: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/restraint Guides on how to testify: https://www.maine.gov/sos/path/exploring/testify.html ,and http://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Documents/Testifying If you are unavailable to attend that day, you can also just submit your comments here: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/ Autism Society of Maine Phone: 1-800-273-5200 or 207-377-9603 Email: info@asmonline.org Legislation: legislation@asmonline.org Fax: 207-377-9434 72 B Main St., Winthrop, ME 04364 Please share with advocates, feel free to redistribute
Dear Friends of Children with Disabilities, LD 632 will have public hearing in the Education Committee Mon at 10 am. It would repeal Kindergarten-CDS choice. Under current law, the IEP Team makes a determination whether it is in the best interests of a child with a disability who has a "late birthday" (July 1 - Oct 15) and who is already receiving CDS services whether to enter kindergarten as one of the youngest children in their class or to stay in CDS for another year. Before about a decade and a half ago, parents of children with late birthdays who didn't have a disability could choose whether their child should enter K as the youngest in their class or whether they should stay out for a year, but parents of children with late birthdays who had a disability didn't have that choice, because they'd lose CDS eligibility as soon as they became *eligible* for kindergarten. But law was changed to allow parents of *all* children with late birthdays to make the choice. A few years ago, the state changed the law from K-CDS *parent* choice to K-CDS *IEP team* choice. Having it be IEP team choice was better than no choice at all, but it would have been better to retain *parent* choice. Now, LD 632 would eliminate choice altogether, returning us to the situation from 15+ years ago, when children with disabilities with late birthdays would be forced into kindergarten as the youngest children in their class. As long as CDS continues to exist, parents of children with disabilities should have the same rights as parents of children without disabilities to choose whether to enter kindergarten as the youngest children in their class. Please contact members of the Education Committee to oppose LD 632. I suggest one of two alternatives: either VOTE AGAINST LD 632 to RETAIN K-CDS CHOICE or AMEND LD 632 to RESTORE PARENT CHOICE. There are three ways you can weigh in:
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