​Autism Society Statement Regarding President's Budget Cuts to
Special Olympics and other Education Programs
 
Bethesda, Maryland, March 28, 2019 -- The Autism Society has received requests for information about the President's Budget for the Fiscal Year 2020 cuts to Special Olympics and other education programs following congressional testimony provided by Education Secretay Betsy DeVos on March 27, 2019, before the House of Representatives. She was scheduled to testify before the Senate today.
 
During the House of Representatives hearing on the President's Budget, Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) asked about cuts to the U.S. Department of Education FY 2020 budget that impact people with disabilities.
 
The President's Budget eliminates federal support ($17.6 million) for Special Olympics' Unified Champion Schools program, in which students with disabilities team up with students without disabilities in various sports and activities. The program is offered in 6,500 schools nationwide and could impact approximately 272,000 students with disabilities if it is eliminated as proposed. Mr. Pocan also pointed out that the President's Budget makes cuts to other disability-related programs in the Department of Education. These include cuts to special education technical assistance ($18 million) and the complete elimination of the supported employment program ($22 million).
 
The Autism Society of America opposes these cuts but would like to point other cuts to the education budget that are of concern. For example, as Secretary DeVos points out, the special education state grant program under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is level-funded. However, as the child count goes up, along with inflation, the continued level-funding of special education programs amounts to a significant cut.  When IDEA was enacted in 1975 it promised to provide 40 percent of the per-pupil cost of providing special education. The percentage provided now is at 13 percent and trending downward. Early intervention and preschool services, where many students with autism and other developmental disabilities get the most benefit, has been level-funded for years.
 
In addition, the continued promotion of voucher programs using public dollars for private schools is of great concern. The President's Budget provides $500 million, an increase of $60 million over FY 2019, for this purpose. Many students with autism, developmental disabilities, or those with mental or behavioral disabilities are shut out of these options. Private schools also often require parents to waive their educational and due process rights under IDEA when they make this choice and many parents are not even made aware of their rights before making these important decisions.
 
Finally, the Autism Society is most concerned with proposals in the Budget to cut and cap the Medicaid program. Medicaid supports schools by funding many of the health and related services that allow students with autism to be successful in schools, such as behavioral health, occupational, speech and language therapies. This Budget proposes $777 billion in cuts (over ten years) to Medicaid along with structural changes to the program. Medicaid is the only federal program that provides long-term services and supports in the community. This would be devastating to the lives of families impacted by autism.
 
The Autism Society is pleased to see bipartisan Members of Congress challenge the Administration's proposed cuts to programs that support people with autism and other disabilities.  We will be working with Congress as the appropriations subcommittees mark up their funding bills to ensure the highest possible funding levels that assist people with autism to be successful and have high-quality lives.
 
For more information about the Autism Society, please visit our website at
http://www.autism-society.org/
 
 
Kim Musheno
Vice President of Public Policy
Autism Society of America

From ANCOR:

​The Senate is now considering H.R. 1839, which passed the House of Representatives on March 25 and gives the Money Follows the Person (MFP) program an extra $20 million dollars to extend its operations through the fall, pending a longer-term agreement.
The Ask: Please use our call tool and our email tool to ask your Senators to vote YES on H.R. 1839.
The Details: Currently, the MFP program is operating on a 3-month funding package which was slated to run out in April, although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has recently assessed that states will be able to stretch out this funding until September. On March 25 the House voted to give the program extra funding to be stable during negotiations for a longer-term renewal, such as a five-year renewal or making the program permanent. The Senate is now considering the same bill, which Senate champions are trying to bring up for a vote this week - so this is a very timely moment to show support for this program by asking your Senators to vote yes on H.R. 1839.
MFP is an important rebalancing program which has so far helped over 85,000 people with disabilities and/or chronic conditions who have asked to move out of state-run institutions live instead with the community with their family and peers. Because of its importance in supporting the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream society, renewal of the MFP program is a policy priority for ANCOR, and ANCOR has been a leader on these bills in the Congress. ANCOR has heard from Congressional allies that this longer-term renewal will be proposed in the fall - please stay tuned for more advocacy opportunities on MFP this summer!
Have an extra minute? Please share your support for MFP on social media, using #FUNDMFP. We have sample social media at the end of this article.

The State of Maine is hiring an Initiatives and Implementation Manager.  For more information including hte jb description and how to apply please click here.

GEAR Parent Network: 
 
Call 1-800-264-9224 to Register today!

“Do You Speak Teen? 'mnE Ps dnt bleev der is a gNR8N d/c b/t emn thr teen”
Presented by Misty Day, regional Parent Support Coordinator

Thursday, April 18, 2019 10 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
*Webinar
Communicating with teens today is more challenging than ever but not impossible!  This workshop will explore modern technology and give you some new ideas to peek into your teen's world!  The framework of the 40 Development Assets® will also be shared.  Minneapolis-based Search Institute® has identified 40 building blocks of healthy development - known as "developmental assets" - that help influence choices young people make and help them become caring and responsible adults.

Misty Day, Regional Parent Support Coordinator, 207.485.4253 mday@crisisandcounseling.org

GEAR Parent Network: 
 
Call 1-800-264-9224 to Register today!

“Why Can’t Johnny B. Goode at Home?” Presented by Carrie Woodcock, Maine Parent Federation
April 11, 2019 1 p.m.- 2:30 p.m.
*Webinar Only
In this "spin-off" from our popular, Why Can’t Johnny B. Goode at School? workshop, the discussion on challenging behaviors continues.  The focus shifts from school to home.  All children misbehave, but for some children that behavior is more frequent, intense and challenging. During this workshop participants will gain an understanding of some causes of challenging behaviors. Approaches that can be made at home
that work for the whole family, not just the child, will be covered.
Misty Day, Regional Parent Support Coordinator, 207.485.4253 mday@crisisandcounseling.org

The Case for Inclusion is a comprehensive data tool that examines how well programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are serving residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Click here for the website, which contains the report, and has links to other data including data by state on inclusion.

Maine Association for Community Service Providers (MACSP) 
2019 TRAINING SERIES

Beginning in 2019, MACSP will offer a series of trainings held throughout the state on the first Monday of each month, unless otherwise specified. These affordable and accessible trainings will focus on topics of interest to providers and their employees. 

​The fourth training in the series will be held in Westbrook in April.
 
TOPIC: Due Process Toolkit
Presented by: Lydia Dawson, Esq.
Monday, April 1st, 2019
12:00-2:00 PM
Location: GMS 15 Saunders Way/Suite 500-G Westbrook, Maine

 
Target Audience: IDD Provider Staff (Case Managers, Residential Home Supervisors, DSP's, Program Managers)

Cost: $25/person (MACSP Member), $50/person (Non-MACSP Member)

 
2019 Training Schedule
Monday, May 6th Guardianship and Guardianship Alternatives in Gardiner
Monday, June 3rd Due Process Toolkit in Brewer

Due Process Toolkit: Basic overview of the due process rights of MaineCare Members and Providers when interacting with the Department of Health and Human Services. We’ll be going over MaineCare Member Appeals, Provider Appeals, Developmental Services Grievances, and the ins and outs of Administrative Hearings. Learn your rights as an agency and the rights of the people you’re serving so you can support them in knowing what their options are. We’ll be using practical examples and real world application. The goal is to make everything understandable and accessible.
 
Register

​Maine Parent Federation (MPF) is seeking parents of children with disabilities or special health care needs who would like to become a trained Family Support Navigator (FSN) to support other families in your area.  The FSN program matches experienced parents with other parents who need help navigating systems such as Special Education, Vocational Rehabilitation, MaineCare, etc., and helps locate need resources.
 
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 Maine families.  A Family Support Navigator is a consultant position where MPF contracts with you to provide up to 10 hours of support to each family you help.  We pay $13.50 per hour for direct contact with a family and .44 cents per mile travel reimbursement.  This is a flexible opportunity as you set your own hours/schedule.  MPF provides on-going supervision and technical assistance.
 
MPF is holding a FSN Training on Friday, May 3, 2019 from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM at the Hampton Inn in Saco, ME.  We offer a $75 stipend for the one-day training, mileage reimbursement, and lunch is provided.
 
Please contact Jodie Hall at (207) 841-4129 or email: jhall@mpf.org to receive a job application and/or to answer any questions.

Free Screening of Intelligent Lives
with Filmmaker Dan Habib

Screening Location: University of Maine, Jenness Hall, Soderburg Auditorium
41 Flagstaff Road, Orono, ME 04473
 
Date and Time:  Thursday – April 4, 2019, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

 
Intelligent Lives stars three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities—Micah, Naieer, and Naomie—who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce.
 
This screening is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is kindly requested. You may register online through Eventbrite or our Facebook event.
 
For more information; to RSVP by phone or email; or to request a reasonable accommodation; please contact Ann Zielinski at 207.581.1084 or email ccidsmail@maine.edu.

Sponsored by the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies