In this issue:
- ODDC Seeks Applicants for Membership
- Name Change Legislation Passed by General Assembly
- Chairman's Message
- Save the Date - Developing Successful Employment Opportunities: A Forum for Ohioans with Disabilities
- ODDC Supports Visitability
- Ohio's DD Network Supports Solidarity 2009
- Ohio's Medicaid School Program: What You Need to Know
- Directory Helps People with Developmental Disabilities Find Fitness and Recreation Programs
- Pilot Sites Needed for E-Mentoring Program
- Organization Advocates for Increased Awareness and Safer Environments
- News from Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS)
- ODJFS Issues MBIWD Annual Report
About the DD Quarterly
Copyright © 2009, Content may be reprinted upon request.
ODDC Seeks Applicants for Membership
ODDC is currently seeking applicants for membership terms beginning in October 2009. ODDC membership must comply with categories listed in the federal Developmental Disabilities Act. Openings this year will be for the following categories:
- One individual with a developmental disability.
- One individual who represents a private non-profit organization serving persons with developmental disabilities.
- One parent or guardian of a person with a developmental disability who resides in or who has resided in an institution, OR an individual with a developmental disability who resides in or who has resided in an institution.
All candidates for ODDC membership should have experience serving on committees, boards or organizations. Experience with persons with developmental disabilities would be especially relevant. Applicants should have first-hand knowledge about developmental disabilities in Ohio.
It is very important that applicants have time to attend six meetings per year and serve on at least two committees. Each meeting of ODDC occurs over a two-day period.
Serving as a member of ODDC provides the opportunity to get involved and work in a collaborative manner with state and federal policymakers, state and local providers, and individuals with developmental disabilities and their family members. ODDC advocates to improve the system of supports and services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, and it conducts grant activities for the same purpose.
Governor Strickland will appoint members for three-year terms beginning October 1, 2009 and ending September 30, 2012. Applications must be completed and returned to ODDC by June 30, 2009.
Apply for ODDC membership:
- on ODDC's website
- by email: Carla.Sykes@dmr.state.oh.us
- in person or by mail: ODDC, 8 East Long Street, Suite 1200, Columbus, Ohio 43215
- by phone: (614) 466-5205 or (800) 766-7426
If you leave a message, please spell your name and provide your phone number and address, including zip code.
Name Change Legislation Passed by General Assembly
The Ohio House of Representatives has taken quick action on House Bill (H.B.) 118 and Senate Bill (S.B.) 79. The bills, introduced by State Senator Jimmy Stewart (R-Albany) and State Representatives Deborah Newcomb (D-Conneaut) and Debbie Phillips (D-Athens), remove the term "mental retardation" from the names of state and county agencies supporting individuals with developmental disabilities. The House passed both bills out of committee in early June. S.B. 79, which had already passed the Senate in April, was approved by the House on June 10, 2009 by a unanimous vote of 98-0. The bill now goes to the Senate for concurrence and then to the Governor for his signature.
Local Advocacy Efforts
Self-advocacy groups in southeast Ohio supported this name change for many years and focused their advocacy efforts on a local county service provider. Advocates from Personnel Plus, a supported employment program in Athens, along with other advocates from southeast Ohio supported by an ODDC grant, advocated for the Athens County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities to drop the words mental retardation from their official agency name. The Athens County Board became the tenth county in the state to change their name.
The Athens County advocates then met with their former state representative convincing him to draft and introduce legislation to make the name change official in state law and consistent for all counties.
Effective Statewide Advocacy
Thanks to the leadership of the Athens area advocates and their state legislators, this issue was quickly addressed by the General Assembly and will be enacted into law later this month. Self-advocates from southeast Ohio and across the state deserve credit for the outstanding efforts they made to educate and inform their own legislators and to gain their support for the name change legislation.
The progress of S.B. 79 and H.B. 118 is proof that self advocates have an impact and that legislators hear their call to action. To become involved as an advocate in your area of the state, contact Paul Jarvis at paul.jarvis@dmr.state.oh.us or (614) 466-5205 or (800) 766-7426.
Advocate's Name Change Testimony
Margaret Demko, ODDC member and mother of a child with a disability, testified to the House Local Government and Public Administration Committee in support of H.B. 118. Demko's powerful testimony included her experiences as a parent and board member of the Athens CBMRDD. As a board member, she listened to the stories of the advocates from Personnel Plus encouraging the elimination of the use of the term 'mental retardation' from the board's name. The personal stories of the advocates brought Demko to tears causing her to reflect on her own life before her daughter was born. "They made me think about my own life, my own ignorance, and the change that has come over me by having a loved one with a developmental disability," testified Demko. "I'll admit that I used the word 'retarded' as an adjective and in a derogatory manner. I would use it to describe people, things, places, it didn't matter. It was just a word to me. I never thought about how it made anyone feel," said Demko.
Demko testified that the birth of her daughter, who is diagnosed with Trisomy 21, was a life changing moment in many ways. She encountered people who used the word "retard" or "retarded" when referring to her daughter. "These public experiences of ridicule that were aimed at my child and my family caused me to stop and think about all the times I used that word. All the hurt I may have caused to someone who didn't deserve it, who didn't ask to be born or become developmentally disabled. I have never used the word retarded again to describe anything, or anyone. I shudder when I hear teenagers and adults utter the word."
Demko concluded her testimony stating she is on a mission to never have her daughter called retarded. She knows this is unrealistic but told the committee members, "I know that I cannot remove the word from the dictionary, from people's vocabulary, but I can fight the fight. I can try to help her and other people with developmental disabilities live in a world where that word is not accepted. I can do everything in my power to help push it that way."
Chairman's Message
By Peter Keiser, Chairman of ODDC
As the newly appointed chair of ODDC, I have received feedback from the membership about the first two ODDC meetings I chaired. The general theme of the comments revolved around the productivity and efficacy of the proceedings. Members mentioned a renewed sense of accomplishment and satisfaction with the general positive environment at the committee and the general business meetings.
While I would like to take credit for this, I cannot. I attribute much of this change to the ten new ODDC members appointed by Governor Strickland in February and December of 2008. These new members and the four new state or local agency representatives add a great deal of energy, enthusiasm, knowledge and skills to the current dedicated Council members. I also think with fewer meetings each year the members are experiencing a sense of urgency to focus and achieve closure on specific meeting agenda items.
It is a real pleasure to be the chair of ODDC and lead this group. I feel confident that, with ODDC staff support, this group of members will achieve ODDC's mission to create change that improves independence, productivity and inclusion for people with developmental disabilities and their families in community life. The first steps of this were achieved at the May meeting when the members reviewed and provided input on the "Implementation Plan to Address the 2008 Program and Fiscal Audits." This plan, which includes policies and procedures, will guide and improve the way ODDC functions and assist us as we fulfill our mission.
Finally, as you may know, Carolyn Knight still carries the title of Interim Executive Director of ODDC. Carolyn and I have been meeting regularly with John Martin, the director of the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, to maintain an ongoing dialogue and to identify areas in which we can work cooperatively. At our meeting in April, Director Martin and I agreed it is time to identify a permanent director for ODDC. ODDC, under my direction, will conduct a search process starting in May or June.
Save the Date - Developing Successful Employment Opportunities: A Forum for Ohioans with Disabilities
"Developing Successful Employment Opportunities: A Forum for Ohioans with Disabilities" will be held on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 from 9am - 4pm at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio.
People with disabilities, their families, friends and people who serve them are invited to attend this open forum and give their experiences about what is keeping them from getting a job.
Now is the time to hear from people with disabilities themselves about how to make positive change. All testimony will be recorded and a summary will be prepared. The final report will include recommendations to improve gainful employment for people with all types of disabilities. It will be shared with people who can make a difference - service providers, legislators, government officials, employers and others.
The forum is free and open to the public. Come ready to provide oral or written testimony, or to support those who are presenting. The event will open with a keynote speaker and lunch will be provided.
For further details as they become available and registration information, please send your name and email address to: axiscenter@aol.com.
ODDC Supports Visitability
ODDC is part of a coalition, Visitability Strategy Group, formed to make visitability a reality in Ohio. Visitability is a housing design feature that enables all people to access residential homes without adaptive equipment or costly home modifications for a homeowner.
The coalition is organizing a grass roots advocacy campaign targeting legislators to educate and inform them about the value of visitability design standards. Advocacy efforts are designed to show that legislating visitability standards is a long-term approach for improving the availability of accessible homes for people with disabilities and for enhancing long-term planning options for aging Ohioans.
The coalition, whose members represent a variety of interests, including people with disabilities, state government, non-profit organizations and advocacy organizations, is advocating for a visitability standard in all new home construction in Ohio. For more information: Visitability Ohio.
To send your legislators a message expressing support for visitability standards in new home construction, go to: NACDD Public Policy Action Alert.
Visitability Design Standards
Visitability refers to homes designed in such a way that they can be lived in or visited by people who have trouble with steps or who use wheelchairs or walkers. A house is visitable when it meets three basic requirements:
- one zero-step entrance.
- doors with at least 32 inches of clear passage space.
- one bathroom on the main floor that can be accessed using a wheelchair.
Ohio's DD Network Supports Solidarity 2009
Representatives from Ohio's Developmental Disability (DD) Network were active participants at Solidarity 2009, Ohio's largest conference planned by and for people with disabilities. The DD Network partners, ODDC, Ohio's two University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS), assisted in funding this year's event, presented workshops and hosted booths at the conference's technology and resource fair.
Conference Workshops
Solidarity '09 workshops featured eight speakers from the DD Network who addressed issues important to people with disabilities including state-level advocacy activities, legislative updates, sibling support, nutrition, housing rights, public policy and Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities. These interactive workshops, according to many participants, were helpful and educational. Participants asked questions and received practical solutions for everyday issues that affect their lives. Some workshops featured co-presenters from two of the DD Network entities.
ODDC, OLRS and the UCEDD at Nisonger Center provided conference participants free materials and an opportunity to discuss specific issues at their exhibit tables at the technology and resource fair.
About the Conference
Solidarity first took place in 1991 after a core group of advocates from around the state organized as Solidarity Ohio. In 1993, the group became the Disability Network of Ohio-Solidarity, Inc. (DNOS), and continues to host the conference every two years. DNOS is seeking members for the Solidarity 2011 planning committee. For more information, contact Frank Anderson, DNOS president at (800) 863-0344 or visit the DNOS website.
Ohio's Medicaid School Program: What You Need to Know
The Medicaid School Program (MSP) will provide federal Medicaid reimbursement to school districts for many of the same services that were once provided by CAFS (see From CAFS to MSP. The program is a collaboration between the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), the state Medicaid agency, and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) that allows schools, with parents' consent, to request reimbursement from Medicaid for certain services identified on the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP).
For schools to seek reimbursement, a child must be between the ages of 3 and 21, receiving Medicaid, and have an IEP with related skilled professional services. Schools can also seek reimbursement for children with a disability over age 2 who need assessment/ evaluation services. The MSP will begin in fall 2009 but schools can request reimbursement for past services provided after July 2005.
The MSP covered services include, but are not limited to, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, nursing, and mental health services (psychology, school psychology, counseling and social work). Targeted case management, and specialized transportation, equipment and medical supplies used in the school setting are reimbursable services. Administrative activities for operating the MSP are also reimbursable. A child's IEP must clearly identify the reimbursable service, with the exception of the initial assessment/evaluation.
School districts and schools choose whether to participate as a MSP provider. To date nearly 400 public school districts, 45 public community schools and the state schools for the deaf and for the blind have enrolled as providers. Providers may contract with other entities to provide services to their students, for example, county boards of mental retardation and developmental disabilities, Education Service Centers or Head Start.
No increase in state funds is anticipated as a result of MSP implementation. Ohio projects that more than $56 million in federal Medicaid funds will be drawn down in state fiscal year 2009. The MSP providers are responsible for the non-federal share of costs.
What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know
A school district's responsibility under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not change. Medicaid requirements do not change what a child is entitled to through IDEA. Schools must still comply with ODE's "Operating Standards for Ohio Educational Agencies Serving Children with Disabilities," as well as the IDEA, and the federal regulations that interpret IDEA.
Parents of, and others with legal responsibility for, children with disabilities should know that schools can only bill Medicaid or another public insurance program for costs of special education if:
- parents have been fully informed of all information relevant to the activity for which parental consent is sought, in her or his native language, or other mode of communication;
- parents understand and agree in writing, and the written consent describes the activity and lists the records (if any) that will be released and to whom;
- parents understand that their consent is voluntary and can be revoked at any time;
- parental consent must be obtained each time the school seeks access to public benefits or insurance;
- parents must be notified that refusal to allow access to their public benefits or insurance does not relieve the school of its responsibility to ensure that all required services are provided to the child at no cost to the parent;
- progress on IEP goals must be reported to parents at least as frequently as the school sends interim reports or report cards for all children;
- licensed professionals are acting within the scope of their practice under Ohio law and hold a current license through their state boards. These professionals include: occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant, physical therapist and physical therapy assistant, speech-language pathologist and speech-language pathology aide, audiologist and audiology aide, registered nurse and licensed practical nurse, clinical counselor, independent social worker or social worker, psychologist and school psychologist.
Comments on Rules Implementing MSP
The Ohio Legal Rights Service, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Legal Aid Society of Columbus, Northeast Ohio Legal Services, Ohio State Legal Services Association, Southeastern Ohio Legal Services and others submitted comments to ODJFS on the proposed rules implementing the MSP. Those comments included concerns about timely and adequate access to health care and comparability of services. The legal community also expressed concern about the MSP violating Medicaid state wideness since medically necessary services will only be available to students who live in districts that choose to participate. Students may not be provided with the same amount, duration and scope of services available to others. Read the comments on the OLRS website (PDF file)
The final rules governing the MSP went into effect on March 2, 2009. The MSP rules are in Chapter 5101:3-35 of the Ohio Administrative Code.
From CAFS to MSP
Many families are familiar with the Medicaid program called CAFS (Community Alternative Funding System) that was operated under the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (ODMRDD). County boards of MRDD, school districts and private agencies utilized CAFS funding to provide Medicaid therapy, psychology, nursing and case management services for children and adults with developmental disabilities and children with Individualized Education Programs and Individual Services Plans. The county boards or school districts provided the non-federal matching funds under CAFS. Educational Service Centers were CAFS providers.
The state terminated CAFS at the end of June 2005 because of numerous compliance problems with federal Medicaid requirements and because county boards would have to provide the matching funds for private providers. Among the federal compliance problems in the CAFS program were free choice of providers, habilitation center contracting requirements, requiring plans of care for Medicaid state plan services, bundling of services and variation of rates of payment.
A coalition of school districts filed a lawsuit to continue Medicaid coverage for children receiving special education related services. In settling this lawsuit the state agreed to request approval from the federal government to establish a school-based Medicaid program. A Medicaid State Plan Amendment was approved by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services in August 2008 retroactive to July 2005.
Directory Helps People with Developmental Disabilities Find Fitness and Recreation Programs
by Tena Benson, University of Cincinnati University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Physical health is a fun and important way to improve the health of all Americans, including those with developmental disabilities. We know the importance of physical activity: it can help keep us healthy and make us feel happier, give us more energy, lower blood pressure, control our weight, help us sleep better, decrease depression and anxiety, help prevent secondary medical conditions and complications, lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease and increase muscle and bone strength. However, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Americans with disabilities weigh more, have less physical activity and exercise and have more chronic health problems than individuals without disabilities. One reason individuals with developmental disabilities find it hard to be active is that they do not know where to go for recreation and fitness programs.
Fun and Fit Directory
The Cincinnati UCEDD administers a grant project from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities that focuses on the health promotion and fitness needs of children, adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities by looking at community capacity of health, fitness, recreational programs and activities. The grant's Health and Fitness Advisory Committee, with members including self-advocates, parents and representatives from health, recreation and community based providers, identified the importance of getting quality information out to the public. This led to the development of "Fun and Fit: A Recreation Directory for People with Developmental Disabilities in the Greater Cincinnati Area." The directory helps people with developmental disabilities of all ages, their families, friends and community providers find recreation and fitness opportunities in the Greater Cincinnati area. Also included are programs specially developed for individuals with developmental disabilities, and accessible swimming pools, walking paths and parks.
Where to Find the Directory
Over 150 copies of "Fun and Fit" have been distributed to advocacy organizations, health care providers, area county boards of developmental disabilities, schools, supported living providers and park and recreation districts. Copies of the "2009 Spaces and Places for Physical Activity in Hamilton County" from the Cardiovascular Health Coalition of Hamilton County and Cincinnati Health Department and "Grow Outside-A Guide to Outdoor Play" from Leave No Child Inside of Greater Cincinnati are also available with the "Fun and Fit" directory. The directory will be available online when the new Cincinnati UCEDD website becomes available.
For more information, contact Tena Benson, RN, MPH, Project Coordinator, Health and Fitness Across the Lifespan at (513) 636-4333 or Tena.benson@cchmc.org.
Pilot Sites Needed for E-Mentoring Program
by Margo Vreeburg Izzo, Nisonger Center, UCEDD
Students and teachers from area schools give high scores to an innovative new program called E-Mentoring. The program, recently piloted by the Ohio State School for the Blind, Columbus Hearing Impaired Program and Southwest Career Academy, is a 21st century online curriculum that:
- integrates reading, writing and technology content;
- teaches information technology (IT) literacy skills; and
- assists students to use the Internet to explore careers, complete age-appropriate transition assessments and develop self-directed transition plans.
The E-Mentoring program is a project of the Nisonger Center's Transition Services Program at The Ohio State University.
Program Curriculum
The growing emphasis on academic proficiency, standards-based reform and high-stakes testing for an increasingly technologically-driven world has become the guiding force of recent legislation and educational trends. Although No Child Left Behind (NCLB) emphasizes standards-based instruction for all students, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that schools provide individualized education programs that prepare students with disabilities for college, employment and independent living. In short, the individual educational and transition needs of students with disabilities through IDEA are at odds with the NCLB push for higher standards for all students. This creates a challenge for educators: How do they align transition with standards-based education?
The E-Mentoring program is designed to prepare students for these mandated assessments while they complete activities that help them discover their learning and personality styles in the context of transition planning. Teachers, mentors and family members assist students in exploring careers that are potential matches to their personality, interests, abilities and strengths. By the end of the program, students will have created their own self-directed Transition Portfolio. According to one student, "Before E-Mentoring, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was interested in so many different things. It helped me decide what careers best suited my skills."
For students who need assistance with reading content from the Internet, a "SmartDrive" is provided that contains assistive technology, such as text-to-speech software. The SmartDrive also stores the Transition Portfolio content so students have digital copies of important documents such as resumes, cover letters and transition plans.
Become a Pilot Site
The E-Mentoring program provides students with comprehensive transition curricula that is essential to empower them to make their own life choices and set realistic goals. The program also provides teachers with a curriculum that integrates academic, technology and transition skills to better prepare students to navigate college and the workforce. Nisonger is currently recruiting classroom teachers from grades 8-12 interested in piloting the E-Mentoring program during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years. For more information about piloting the program, contact Margo Izzo at izzo.1@osu.edu or (614) 292-9218 or visit the Nisonger Center's website.
Organization Advocates for Increased Awareness and Safer Environments
by Toni Temple, President, Ohio Network for the Chemically Injured
"Green Progress" is taking place in Ohio to create a safer environment for those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a chronic health condition caused by exposure to toxic environmental chemicals that surround individuals in their daily lives. Those with MCS frequently develop neurological, pulmonary, cardiac, rheumatic and vascular conditions from toxic exposures. Others develop cancer, asthma, diabetes, depression, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, birth defects and other serious health conditions from the same toxic exposures that cause MCS.
MCS Awareness Month
Senators Dale Miller (D-Cleveland) and Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls) introduced Ohio Senate Bill (S.B.) 117 to permanently designate May as MCS Awareness Month in Ohio. The purpose of the bill is to increase awareness and to encourage people and communities to take simple steps to remove chemical barriers and to improve the environment for people with MCS.
Senator Dale Miller told the committee during sponsor testimony that over 11% of the population shows sensitivity to chemicals. Miller said several other states initiated MCS awareness programs and he hopes the designation of May as MCS Awareness Month creates awareness events throughout Ohio's communities with the goal of increasing public knowledge of MCS issues.
Taking Emissions Out of Admissions
The Ohio Network for the Chemically Injured (ONFCI) is a non-profit organization established in the early 1990s that advocates on behalf of those with MCS. ONFCI's latest mission, Taking Emissions Out of Admissions, strives to prevent further chemical injury to those with MCS during ambulance transport. Ambulance diesel exhaust can further harm those with MCS and others already in distress.
The joint efforts of the ONFCI and the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) resulted in the first ambulance diesel retrofits in the state installed on Parma Heights ambulances. In addition, the Parma Fire Department created the first MCS Standard Operating Procedures in Ohio to accommodate MCS during ambulance transport and a Parma Hospital EMS physician issued an MCS Paramedic Protocol. The ONFCI encourages citizens to inform their local fire departments and hospitals about solutions to minimize harmful diesel emissions.
Simple Steps
While much has been accomplished, there is still much more to do. We hope you are inspired by this article and will create some "simple steps" to help those with MCS and related disorders. For example, contact your state senator on S.B. 117 or educate yourself about the potentially harmful ingredients in cleaning products, personal care items, foods, and pharmaceuticals, and make safer selections by refusing to buy products with toxic ingredients and strong chemical odors. MCS is not an easy disability to understand but ONFCI hopes this article will increase awareness and help those who need someone to listen, understand and support them. These small things help when medical science has no answers.
MCS Resources
- ONFCI
- Ohio Environmental Council (diesel retrofit grants)
- MCS books and video
News from Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS)
OLRS Budget Testimony
Michael Kirkman, executive director of OLRS, testified before the House and Senate Finance Committees in support of the OLRS budget.
Kirkman's testimony provided background information about the agency as Ohio's protection and advocacy (P&A) system to protect the legal rights for people with disabilities. Kirkman emphasized that Ohio continues to illegally segregate thousands of individuals who want to and could be served more appropriately in an integrated community setting. He informed the Finance Committee that OLRS has turned its focus in this area to the thousands of individuals with brain injury, or physical or psychiatric disabilities who are placed, inappropriately and in violation of federal law, in the state's nursing facilities.
Kirkman testified that since he became executive director in 2007, he has focused on making the agency more accountable to clients, the OLRS Commission and the agency's appointing authorities. He noted that the agency is in full compliance with controlling statutes. Kirkman said the agency is making changes to improve efficacy and service capacity. He told the committee members, "Most importantly, I can also report to you that our service to clients is more robust than ever."
Finally, Kirkman addressed language included in the budget bill that requires the OLRS Commission to conduct a study concerning a potential transition of federal protection and advocacy grants from a public entity to a nonprofit organization effective July 1, 2011. The study and recommendations to the Governor and leadership in the General Assembly must be completed within a six-month time frame. Kirkman, in his Senate testimony, said the OLRS Commission supports the study but due to its complexity and broad scope, "seeks additional time to conduct the study, a full year rather than six months."
Read the full text of the testimony
Agency and Client Receive National Advocacy Award
OLRS and one of its clients each received the Training and Advocacy Support Center's (TASC) Advocacy Award at TASC's Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. The 2009 TASC Advocacy Award acknowledges the client and OLRS' legal advocacy efforts in the Doe v Salvation Army employment discrimination case. OLRS PAIMI Advisory Council Vice Chairperson Anna Kvinta accepted the award on behalf of the client and OLRS Commissioner Ted Sipes and OLRS Legal Director Kerstin Sjoberg-Witt accepted the award on behalf of the agency.
TASC annually recognizes state protection and advocacy (P&A) systems for excellence in protecting and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. Ohio and Wisconsin were the only state P&A agencies to receive TASC awards this year.
TASC is a division of the National Disability Rights Network, a nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated P&As and Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the P&A/CAP network is the largest provider of legal advocacy to people with disabilities in the United States.
Read more about Doe v Salvation Army
ODJFS Issues MBIWD Annual Report
Over 2,300 Ohioans with disabilities are working, accepting job promotions, earning money and establishing savings accounts without risking the loss of their Medicaid health care coverage. These and other descriptive statistical data are in the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services' (ODJFS) Annual Report on the Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities (MBIWD) program. Ohio law established the MBIWD Advisory Council and the MBIWD program to enable people with disabilities to work and not lose their health care coverage.
Statewide Data
This first report provides statewide data about the MBIWD program from April 1, 2008 when the program began through December 2008. According to the report, there are 2,341 people with disabilities enrolled in the MBIWD program. Over half (58%) of them are not required to pay a premium to maintain their Medicaid health care coverage. For those who are paying a premium, their average payment per month is about $40. ODJFS collected almost $80,000 in premium payments during the first eight months of the program.
Overall, Medicaid spending for enrollees in the MBIWD program was $11.6 million according to ODJFS estimates. The report also shows that people throughout the state who are enrolled in the MBIWD program have greatly reduced their out-of-pocket spending on health care.
County Data
The annual report includes county specific data. The data show a vast discrepancy in the number of enrollees in the MBIWD program across counties of similar size. The MBIWD Advisory Council is reviewing this enrollment disparity among counties and is considering ways to make the MBIWD program more widely known to people with disabilities, advocates and staff at local agencies, such as county departments of job and family services and county boards of mental retardation and developmental disabilities. The Advisory Council recognizes the need to inform people about the program and to encourage people with disabilities to enroll in the program. For more information about the MBIWD program, eligibility guidelines, and an application go to Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities (MBIWD) section of the ODJFS website.
Current Status
According to an April MBIWD program update report from ODJFS, since the annual report was issued, an additional 567 individuals enrolled bringing the total enrollment in the MBIWD program to 2,908. This latest report also showed that 23% withdrew from the program. The MBIWD Advisory Council has requested ODJFS to provide additional information on the reasons for the withdrawals from the program.
Contact Information
DD Quarterly is produced by the Ohio Legal Rights Service. To share your comments or suggestions about the newsletter, or to sign-up to receive email notification when the DD Quarterly is published, contact:
Ohio Legal Rights Service
Attn: Tom Hemmert
50 W. Broad Street, Suite 1400
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Voice: (614) 466-7264 or (800) 282-9181
TTY: (614) 728-2553 or (800) 858-3542
Fax: (614) 644-1888
Email: Newsletter@olrs.state.oh.us
About ODDC
The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council is a group of 35 people, appointed by the governor, who plan and advocate for Ohioans with disabilities. ODDC receives federal funds and distributes those funds by awarding grants for projects and activities that create visions, influence public policy, pilot new approaches, empower individuals and families, and advocate system change. Contact information for ODDC is: 8 East Long Street, Suite 1200 Columbus, Ohio 43215, Voice phone: (614) 466-5205 (800) 766-7426 (Toll free in Ohio); TTY: (614) 644-5530; Fax: (614) 466-0298; Web site: www.ddc.ohio.gov
DD Quarterly Collaboration
The DD Quarterly newsletter is an ongoing collaboration among the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, Ohio Legal Rights Service, the Nisonger Center and the University of Cincinnati, University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.