Hello ABLE supporters and advocates:
 
My personal apologies for the short notice. As part of our efforts to develop and promote a Maine-based ABLE product, Senator Nate Libby of Lewiston has agreed to sponsor legislation to: 1) prevent Medicaid clawbacks that might deter Mainers from opening and growing ABLE accounts; 2) exempt gains in ABLE accounts from state taxation (as is already true in the federal tax code) and; 3) exempt ABLE accounts from asset tests for other state benefits. Thank you to Senator Libby for sponsoring!
 

LD 1637 An Act To Prevent Medicaid Payment from a Savings Account Established under the Federal ABLE Act - Read the proposed legislation here: http://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/bills_129th/billtexts/SP052601.asp
 
The bill will be heard this Thursday at 1 PM at the Health and Human Services Committee, Room 209 of the Cross Office Building in Augusta. You do not need to attend in person to make a difference but you are welcome to attend.
 
I encourage you to submit testimony online here: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/
 
Or, you may email me testimony at henry.e.m.beck@maine.gov. Supportive testimony is best when it is concise, personal, and helpful. Something like: “I encourage the Legislature to pass the bill to give certainty to Maine ABLE account holders and encourage savings.” Do not hesitate to share why an ABLE account will make a difference for you or someone you know.
 
Thank you for your patience and support of the ABLE program.
 
Henry E. M. Beck, Esq. | Maine State Treasurer | Office of the State Treasurer
39 State House Station | Augusta, Maine 04333-0039
Burton M. Cross Building, 111 Sewall Street, 3rd Floor
p. 207.624.7477 | TTY Maine Relay 711 | henry.e.m.beck@maine.gov
www.maine.gov/treasurer | www.maine.gov/upsearch |

Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition Meeting (SMACT)

WHEN: FRIDAY, May 3, 2019 TIME: 1:00 – 3:00
 
Portland Career Center
151 Jetport Boulevard, Portland, Maine
 
Join Us For SMACT’s April Meeting Presentation
Maine Apprenticeship Program
Joan Dolan, Director of Maine's Apprenticeship Program, will share information about the careers that offer apprenticeships in southern Maine, about the application process and about the benefits of participating in the program. We'll also learn about the Pre-Apprenticeship Program for high school juniors and seniors.
*Light Snacks Will Be Provided*

Wish to attend but require an interpreter? Please forward your request for an interpreter two weeks prior to the monthly meeting to esmith27@maine.rr.com and one will be provided for your party.

Please, feel free to distribute this flyer to anyone interested in joining us and/or receiving these e-mails. You can also now follow us on our Website or Facebook Page!

Don’t Miss Our Resources:
 
Website:  https://someadvisorycouncilontransiton.blogspot.com/
Facebook Page:  www.facebook.com/someadvisorycouncilontransition
 
 
Thank you all for doing such wonderful work on behalf of students!

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training for Parents
 
Presented by: NAMI Maine
June 7. 2019
8:00 am - 4:30 pm
At NAMI Maine, 52 Water Street in Hallowell, ME
 
Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach adults how to help a youth or teen (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge or crisis. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, and disruptive behavior disorders.This course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent
development, and teaches a 5-step action plan on how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations.
 
For parents who are also professionals you will earn 8 continuing education credits and a three-year national certification from NCFBH. This training meets the state mandate for school staff in suicide awareness.
 
This training is offered at no cost to parents.  There will be a half hour break for lunch, lunch is not provided so please plan accordingly.
 
To register go to: https://www.namimaine.org/events/register.aspx?id=1224525&itemid=8b2db312-3185-4b7d-a445-bd5ba5bbc219
 
For more information on this training, please contact Maine Parent Federation: parentconnect@mpf.org, (800) 870-7746 or Libby Wright: libby@namimaine.org, (207) 622-5767 x2320. 
​
Please contact Libby for information on other community trainings or to schedule a
private training for your agency.

Please see the flyer below for information on a forum from Maggie Hoffman:

An exciting program for young adults to socialize and have fun!
Young Adult Social Activities Group
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 six Thursday afternoons from 4pm-6pm:
May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, and June 6, 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: $180.00, 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

​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