I. Introductions were completed.
II. Minutes from February were accepted.
III. Announcements
YAI
The first week in May is the YAI International Conference (May 2nd – 5th). On May 4th at the International Conference, Premier HealthCare will be having a one day Training Institute, and the keynote speaker will be Arthur Webb.
AHRC
Judy DeIasi announced that there are openings at the Lodge Camp (see attached). She also thanked everyone for the beautiful piece of artwork presented at the legislative breakfast. The vacancy list is attached. Judy also mentioned “Shredability”, a new all certified shredding business from AHRC, that employees people with developmental disabilities. They will come to your business to pick up materials for shredding.
UCP
There are openings in the overnight respite program. Please call 212.919.9700 ext.70 for more information.
The Self-Advocacy Association
The 25th Jubilee celebration will be on June 17th.
FEGS
The vacancy list is attached. Please call Anne Wolff with any questions 212.366.8257.
YAI
The vacancy list is attached. The spring schedule of the Family Support Series for Caregivers of People with Autism Spectrum Disorders is also attached. Call YAI LINK at 212.273.6182 for referrals and any other information.
IV. Presentation
Christine Minerly from AHRC’s ADEPT program on Evaluating Behavior Changes in an Aging ID/DD Population gave a presentation on the program. Please see attached for more information.
V. State News
Manhattan has an allocation for new family support services of $463,500. We received 28 proposals. For the day services RFS, we received 14 proposals. The Enhanced Supported Employment (E-SEMP) RFS will be going out this week. There is also an Aging Out/ACS RFS, which is a joint citywide effort. People are being enrolled in SEMP ongoing on a rolling basis. New agencies should check with VESID, now called ACCES-VR.
VI. City News
There was no City report. They are in the process of moving office locations. There will be a local government plan meeting on April 26th at 1 PM at YAI.
VII. IAC/Federation Report
IAC: There were no restorations to the OPWDD budget. However, for Early Intervention, the Governor’s proposed 10% cut was reduced to 5%. IAC is working out with the state the formulas for the reductions. Because agencies are curtailing outside training, much IAC training has been cut back.
Federation: The next meeting will be held in May.
VIII. Committee Reports
Family Support – DDP forms (developmental disabilities profile) were reviewed at the last meeting. The next meeting will be on April 12 at UCP/NYC, 120 East 23rd Street, 5th floor. Call 212-979-9700, ext. 708 for more information. The process of Medicaid application for children will be reviewed.
Legislative – Thank you to everyone for attending the Legislative breakfast. There is a major debate taking place regarding Medicaid and Medicare; many believe that entitlements are out of control. There are proposals at the federal level to voucherize or block grant Medicaid. The OPWDD regulations related to recent cuts are available on the OPWDD website. The cuts vary by agency.
Transition – At the March meeting Allen Rosen from YAI presented on home health care. For 2011 graduates, referrals have been made. At this point, the committee does not foresee any gaps. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, 4/13 at 9:30 AM at UCP, 122 East 23rd Street, 1st floor boardroom. Future planning and trusts will be discussed. Call Kathy Kelly at 212-780-2724 for more information.
Manhattan Family Support Services Advisory Council – At the last meeting Dr. Butkus presented on the budget. In June there will be an evening meeting June 9, 5;30-7:30 PM and a morning meeting June 10, 10AM – noon. Both sessions will be held at 75 Morton Street. Call Margaret Puddington for more information, 212-799-2042.
Service Coordination – At the March meeting they spoke about benefits and entitlements. The MSC Forum is scheduled for Friday, May 13th. If you are interested in participating, please email irina.tuchina@yai.org.
Children’s Committee – The next meeting will be in June—date to be announced. For information about the Committee, contact Christina Muccioli at Christina.Muccioli@ahrcnyc.org.
Website Update – Elly Rufer asked for the Council’s website info to be included on anything that gets distributed at meetings. Elly is also in the process of upgrading the website. It is manhattanddcouncil.org.
Next meeting: Thursday, May 12th at AHRC, 83 Maiden Lane, 11th floor