Family Voices Indiana

The Social Security has  announced  a 2.8 percent increase in Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for 2019. The eight million SSI beneficiaries will receive the increase beginning on December 31, 2018. Social Security benefits will increase as of January 1, 2019. For details, see this  fact sheet .

By   LAUREN BAVIS   Indiana suspended a Medicaid policy that locked participants out of coverage for failing to confirm their eligibility for health care with the state. The state's Medicaid program, called the  Healthy Indiana Plan , requires members to submit paperwork to the state every 12 months to verify their eligibility for Medicaid. If that paperwork isn’t completed, they will be ineligible for coverage for up to six months. Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration, which is responsible for maintaining HIP, announced Oct. 18 it would “pause” this eligibility process, which the state calls  redetermination . “As part of our ongoing HIP program review, FSSA will continue to examine the HIP lockout provision and provide ongoing updates as we revise this component of HIP,” FSSA spokeswoman Marni Lemons said in an email. Additional questions were directed to FSSA spokesman Jim Gavin, who could not speak with Side Effects by phone Thursday. HIP members who

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Timothy J. Rigby, who practices with Hart, Southworth & Witsman in Springfield, Illinois. The firm’s focus is estate planning and transactional matters, and Tim concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning and special needs planning.   Sometimes Less is More - Alternatives to Plenary Guardianship The day on which a person attains 18 years of age is generally recognized within our society as a significant milestone. On that day a person can legally vote in political elections, join the military, leave home and live independently, and marry the person of his or her choice. The day on which a person with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD) attains 18 years of age may be one of the more significant age-based milestones that the person will experience. An 18-year-old person with an IDD is considered under the law to be an emanci

Please join the National Genetics Education and Family Support Center on Wednesday, November 7 th  at 12:00 p.m. Eastern for a webinar highlighting partnerships between family-led organizations and Regional Genetics Networks. During this webinar you’ll hear about the roles of these organizations and how they collaborate and listen to a moderated question and answer session with the presenters. For more details and to register for the webinar click  here . Featured presenters include: Beth Vogel, NYMAC Dana V Yarbrough, Parent to Parent of Virginia Jennifer Akers, Family Voices Indiana Kristen Reese, Midwest Regional Genetics Network Lin Perry, Parent to Parent of New York State Melissa Raspa, NYMAC Moderator: Joel Lopez, National Genetics Education & Family Support Center We hope you are able to attend this upcoming webinar. For those unable to make it to the live discussion, we are recording the webinar and will provide a link for streaming online.

·        Coping Strategies for Anxious Kids, What Parents Need to Know Friday, November 2, 2018  |  12:00 – 1:00 PM ET Join NIMH for a webinar on coping strategies for anxious kids. During the webinar, Dr Erin Berman will discuss how to identify an anxious child; how to change anxious thinking; the science and biological roots of anxiety in children; how computer technology is transforming the understanding of anxiety; and current treatment options (medications & CBT: cognitive behavioral therapy).  Click here t o register  for the webinar. ·        Are You Concerned About Your Child’s Irritability? Wednesday, November 7, 2018  |  3:00 – 4:00 PM ET Join NIMH for a webinar on irritability in children. Children pass through many phases of development as they grow up. It can be hard to know if a child is going through normal development or showing signs of something more serious. Occasional outbursts and irritability are a normal outcome of being tired, uncomfortable, or frustr

Family Voices Indiana is s eeking Family Leaders  to serve as  Health Information Specialists in their community: Fort Wayne and/or surrounding counties If you are a parent of a child with a disability, Family Voices of Indiana wants and needs YOU!  Indiana’s Family to Family Health Information Center: Addresses the health care financing information needs of Indiana’s families raising children with special health care needs and disabilities ages 0-21 Connects families to existing resources, direct support and advocacy Supports and expands the Family Leadership Network statewide Now accepting applications from Family Leaders to support this project as contractors working up to 40 hours a month from your own community (additional hours available through Feb 2019) Applications Due by 11/2/18 Email Jennifer@fvindiana.org for an Application Requirements:   Parent/caregiver of a child with special health care needs    Knowledge of services and sy

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be holding an Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Stakeholder Forum on November 7, 2018 from 1 to 3 pm EST.   This is an important opportunity to share your concerns and ask questions!   It is critical that CMS hear from stakeholders about their concerns with EVV, questions, and areas where further guidance is needed.   These may include questions and comments about how the EVV system in your state should protect privacy, independence and community integration.  You can submit comments and questions to the CMS EVV mailbox ( EVV@cms.hhs.gov ) by October 26, 2018. Include “November 7 Stakeholder Call Feedback” in the subject line of your email. Areas where you may want to raise concerns or ask questions include: Concerns about privacy and questions about steps states can and should take to protect information Concerns about the tracking of individuals and questions about the alternatives to GPS that states can use Conc

Deadline: December 3, 2018 The Administration for Community Living is leading the Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts to establish two new advisory councils, one to address the needs of family caregivers and a second to focus on the needs grandparents raising grandchildren and older relatives caring for children. The  RAISE Family Caregivers Act  directed the establishment of the Family Caregiving Advisory Council to provide recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on effective models of both family caregiving and support to family caregivers, as well as improving coordination across federal government programs.   The Advisory Council will include up to 15 voting members, with at least one from each of the following constituencies: family caregivers; older adults who need long-term services and supports; individuals with disabilities; health care and social service providers; providers of long-term services and supports; employers; paraprofessi

from the Arc of Indiana: October 18, 2018 The Task Force for Assessment of Services & Supports for People with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities was created by House Enrolled Act 1102 in the 2017 session of the Indiana General Assembly.  A broad assessment of intellectual and developmental disabilities services has not taken place since 1997, when the 317 Commission was established to create a comprehensive plan for services during the time state-run institutions were closing and services were shifting to home and community-based supports. Meetings were held throughout the state to gather input and prepare a comprehensive plan for implementation of community-based services provided to people with intellectual and other disabilities. A final report was issued on October 18, 2018. 1102 Task Force Final Report  Meeting Minutes, Agendas and Recordings Survey Response Report to 1102 Task Force – Survey Response from Parents, Family Members and People with Disab

Accessible Health for All Workshop in Indianapolis The IIDC’s  Center for Health Equity  will host its second  Accessible Health for All workshop  on October 18, 2018, in Indianapolis. Targeted to an audience of health care and health promotion professionals, the day will feature a variety of speakers addressing accessible health issues.  Peter Berg, Director of Technical Assistance for  Great Lakes ADA Center , will talk about best practices for meeting the communication needs of clientele. Architect Kim Parrlberg, a member of the  International Code Council , will share strategies to make health care facilities more accessible and compliant with the ADA. Invited local panelists with disabilities will share some issues and experiences they have faced in health care, health promotion, and dental settings.  This workshop is free with support from the  Indiana State Department of Health  and the  Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities . Continuing education credi

In case you missed it, the August 2018 edition of the INvision newsletter, from the Indiana Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS), included a link to the LifeCourse “Daily Life and Employment” planning guide.  Developed by Missouri Family to Family, in partnership with Show Me Careers, the guide contains easy-to-use activities and resources so that students can begin to chart their course toward their employment vision. We’ve attached a copy of  “Daily Life and Employment”  here. As a companion to the guide, the University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development also developed  “Charting the LifeCourse: Daily Life and Employment,”  six short video modules that introduce students and their supporters to “ questions to ask, things to do, and resources that can help lead them to a job, career, volunteering, college or continuing education, and ultimately, the lives they want.”