Family Voices Indiana

from The Arc of Indiana: April 26, 2019 The 2019 session of the Indiana General Assembly adjourned on April 24th. We achieved several great successes this year, but are already looking ahead to 2020 to work on some issues that didn’t make it across the finish line. The need for a wage increase for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) continues to be a critical issue. Despite the hard fought efforts of key legislators, leaders of local chapters of The Arc, families, self-advocates and our legislative team, no new funding to increase Medicaid Waiver rates for increasing DSP wages was including in the state budget bill. Quality workers are being lost to other professions. Providers cannot compete in the job market with an average of $11/hour wage. It is crucial we continue making an effort to get our average wage up to $15/hour. This year, money was tight as the revenue forecast gave legislators $100 million less to work with when crafting the budget. We need to continue to let l

Effective June 2014, Indiana automatically enrolls individuals that the Social Security Administration determines eligible for Supplemental Security Income into Indiana Medicaid and accepts all SSA determinations of disability. This change eliminated the arduous and duplicative requirement that these aged, blind and disabled applicants also complete a second application and go through a second medical review process to be determined eligible for Indiana Medicaid with disability coverage. Indiana's Medical Review Team continues to provide  provisional  disability determinations for individuals who have a current application or appeal open with the Social Security Administration. This allows eligible members to receive disability coverage until SSA makes a final determination. Once the final SSA decision is made, it will override the provisional MRT disability determination. The resources below offer further information. Resources Comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FA

Taking responsibility, telling others what you want – and what you need – are essential skills for effective self-advocacy. It isn't always easy, but learning how to do so and practicing what you've learned helps you be in charge of your own life. Think of it as moving from the passenger seat into the driver's seat of a car. You might still need help with directions, but have more control because you're the one doing the driving. It is important to learn how to: Speak up for yourself instead of letting others, such as parents or teachers, do it for you Describe your strengths, disability, needs, and wishes to others Take responsibility for yourself, including for your own health, living situation, and finances. Know your rights Know what resources are available to help you Identify who to ask if you have a question or need help For students with an IEP (Individualized Education Program), around the age of 16, you will be invited to your own IEP meetings. Af

LEADERS WITH DISABILITIES... ARE YOU READY TO #BeTheVoice? Do you already have advocacy experience? Are you committed to making intersectional social and disability justice change? Are you ready to be part of leading the disability rights movement in Indiana? Do you want to stretch your limits and strengthen your capabilities as a disability rights leader and advocate? Do you believe in the motto Nothing About Us, Without Us and that Disability Rights are Civil Rights? If so - Advocates in Action may be for you Advocates in Action   is an advanced disability leadership and systemic advocacy training program and practicum developed by the   Indiana Statewide Independent Living Council (INSILC). INSILC strives to build greater capacity within Hoosier Advocates with disabilities, bolstering their ability to better affect public policy, foster social change, and empower their peers with disabilities to lead and control

The Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Youth Services Association, Indiana School Mental Health Initiative, Indiana Division of Mental Health & Addictions, and the Indiana State Department of Health are grateful to partner with each other and the listed school districts to host regional screening of the documentary  Resilience . All screenings are free and open to the public on a first come, first serve basis and will be followed by a facilitated panel discussion. Details on the dates, times and locations in Richmond, Lafayette, Bloomington, Terre Haute, Muncie, Fort Wayne, Nashville, and Evansville can be found at  https://lookupindiana.org/ schools/school-events/  . A flyer is available at  https://lookupindiana.org/wp- content/uploads/2019/04/ resilienceflyerACC.pdf . Franciscan Health will be hosting some screenings in other regions of the state that are not listed here and will be putting out their own information. Our combined intent is to ensure every part of st

Are you a parent, caregiver or service provider to a child who has trouble seeing the connection between choices and consequences, has difficulty with age-appropriate attentiveness, continues to make poor choices no matter how much appropriate instruction they receive, and who struggles to hold it together at even the smallest disruption of routine?  The Indiana National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome will be providing six hour FASD interactive trainings across the state from May-July.  This training will define FASD, explore prenatal alcohol effects and offer positive interventions. This training is for parents, caregivers, providers and decision makers. Six continuing education units will be provided.  For more information and a listing of trainings  please click here .

CONGRESS ACE Kids Act Enacted On April 18, the President signed into law H.R. 1839, the "Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019." The new law includes the most recent version of the ACE Kids Act, which gives states the option to create Medicaid health homes for children with complex medical conditions in order to improve care coordination for this particularly vulnerable subset of CYSHCN. See  U.S. Congress Passes ACE Kids Act   ( Children's Hospital Association, 4/3/19);  New Medicaid Funding Could Help States Better Integrate Care for Children with Medical Complexity  (National Academy for State Health Policy, 4/15/19). Among other things, the law also provides an additional $20 million to the $120 million allocated earlier this year to fund the "Money Follows the Person" program until September 30, 2019.   Prescription Drug Prices On April 4, the full House Energy & Commerce Committee  reported out several bills ai

NEW  Cultural Competence in Preparedness Planning Wednesday, April 24, 1:00 pm ET Emergency Preparedness Information Center, CDC Please click  this link  to join the webinar Or D ial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 646 876 9923  or +1 669 900 6833 Webinar ID: 204 188 774   NEW  Understanding Ticket to Work: How to Help Your Clients and the People You Serve Wednesday, April 24, 3:00-4:30 pm ET Social Security Administration   Sickle Cell Disease Stakeholder Engagement Thursday, April 25, 12:00-1:00 pm ET Department of Health and Human Services   NEW  Make the Most of Your TRICARE Pharmacy Benefit Thursday, April 25, 1:00-2:00 pm ET TRICARE, Military OneSource   NEW  Using an ABLE Account to Support Youth from Transition to Independent Living Thursday, April 25, 2019 2:00-3:00 pm ET National Disability Institute   NEW  Involving the Patient Voice in Serious Illness Measurement: A Conversation w