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Series educates on Long Term Care

Friday, May 10th, 2013

By Julie Alexander, Lead Independent Living Services Coordinator

 

During the month of April and into May, the IndependenceFirst Long Term Care Advocacy Team presented the last two sessions in our Long Term Care Brown Bag Lunch Series.

 

On April 26, Hope Lloyd and Elizabeth Mamerow from Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) spoke about the DRW Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. They described the assistance DRW can provide in appealing denials or mediating issues with Family Care providers, as well as how to work with the Include, Respect, I Self Direct (IRIS) program and the assistance DRW can provide when people are having difficulties. Twenty-nine community members with and without disabilities joined us to learn about options for navigating these programs to get their needs met and maintain their independence.

 

 Attendee in group asking question of presenter

 

On May 3, Sue Gadacz from the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division gave a presentation on “Wisconsin’s Perspective on Health Care Reform.” About 30 people with and without disabilities heard this excellent presentation and gained many insights on how Wisconsin and the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division in particular will be affected by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) when some of the pieces of this legislation are implemented in January 2014. The audience also learned how Governor Walker’s proposed budget would impact services and options for people with disabilities in our state.

 

All in all people enjoyed attending and learned a lot from our Long Term Care Brown Bag Lunch Series. We were privileged to offer CEUs for this series. The Long Term Care Advocacy Team will work on future Brown Bag Lunch offerings in the coming months. Stay tuned.

 

 

Posted in Advocacy, Disability News, Health Care, Independent Living, Integration, Medicaid, Mental Health | No Comments »

Reflecting on my time at IndependenceFirst

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

By Tamara Agger, PR/Marketing Intern

 

One of my favorite things to do in life (probably thanks, at least in part, to my love of reading) is to jump into experiences that are new and different from what I already know. I find that these experiences—like my six months studying abroad in Chile—put me into contact with so many interesting places, people and cultures, and teach me to expand the horizons of my understanding. When I was hired as the PR/Marketing Intern for IndependenceFirst in January, I knew I was jumping into something yet again—this time, into the community and organizational culture of IndependenceFirst. And I definitely have not been disappointed—in just a few short months, I’ve a learned a lot! To give you a glimpse of what some of my “big takeaways” from this experience will be, here are three of the most important things I’ve learned working at IndependenceFirst:

 

  1. Words matter. One of the reasons I chose to be an English major is because I appreciate the incredible power that language has to shape our lives. Before coming to IndependenceFirst, I knew that there were mean or insensitive things that a person shouldn’t say regarding disability. But I was still unsure about which words were okay to use. Now I can feel comfortable using People First Language or asking about someone’s preference in a considerate way. Now I feel like I can use my words to empower others, which in turn makes me feel empowered.

 

  1. People with disabilities are just that—people with disabilities. Too often, our societal responses to disability focus too much on a person’s disability and too little on their humanity. Calling people with disabilities “inspirational,” for example, undercuts their achievements and puts them on a pedestal. Saying that they “suffer from” their disability treats them as objects of pity. People with disabilities want the same things out of life as people without disabilities.  They are citizens and community members, and they deserve to be treated the same as any other member of the community. 

 

  1. Disability history is our history, and it’s fascinating. Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to research a lot of disability history-related topics. Did you know, for example, that the first curb cuts in the U.S. were implemented in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the 1940s? There’s a lot of great stuff out there to discover! At the top of my summer reading list, in fact, is a book I recently found out about called A Disability History of the United States. (Did I mention I’m a bit of a history geek, too?)

 

 tamara

 

Working at IndependenceFirst has been a very rewarding experience for me, both personally and professionally. Thank you for being my partners in learning, and I hope that some part of what I’ve written here resonated with your own life and experiences. I wish you the best!

 

Posted in Advocacy, Inclusion | No Comments »

April is National Fair Housing Month

Friday, April 26th, 2013

 By Brian Peters, Housing Policy Advocate

 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has kicked off April’s National Fair Housing Month with an announcement and a video (that is captioned).

 

The Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968, and amended in 1988 to, among other things, add people with disabilities as a protected class. Being part of a protected class means that you cannot be discriminated against because you are a member of that group. For example, a landlord cannot refuse to rent to you because you have a disability. However the landlord can refuse to rent to you for other reasons, such as a bad rental history. The amendment also added minimum accessibility requirements for new construction multi-family housing. 

 

 hseequal

 

Wisconsin also has an Open Housing Law, which adds some protected classes and certain accessibility requirements for buildings being rehabilitated or renovated.

 

If you have a housing discrimination complaint, it can be directed to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, the State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (online forms in English and Spanish) and HUD.

 

Please note that you can also file landlord-tenant complaints through the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

 

Posted in Advocacy, Disability News, housing | No Comments »

Lunches an opportunity to learn more about long term care

Thursday, April 18th, 2013

By Julie Alexander, Lead Independent Living Services Coordinator

 

On April 12, the Long Term Care Consumer Advocacy Team presented the first of three sessions that are part of a series of Brown Bag Lunch events focusing on different areas of Long Term Care. The presentation, entitled “Benefits, Funding Sources & Accessing Long Term Care Services,” was given by Kathy Altman, the Benefits and Employment Program Director at IndependenceFirst, and Ginger Reimer, Vice President of the Personal Assistance Services department at IndependenceFirst. Kathy focused on different options for accessing the Medicaid program and becoming eligible for Long Term Care. Ginger focused on different services offered in the Family Care, IRIS and Partnership Programs in Wisconsin.

 

 woman giving presentation

 

Twenty-nine people attended the presentation, including consumers, personal care workers, individuals from Milwaukee County and Family Care CMUs, as well as a number of individuals who work for other agencies that assist individuals with disabilities in the Milwaukee area. Attendees reported that they learned a lot from the speakers and benefited significantly from coming to this presentation.

 

Our next presentation, “Overcoming Barriers to Obtaining Long Term Care & Connecting with Advocacy Resources,” will take place on April 26 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at IndependenceFirst, 540 S. 1st St in Milwaukee. The session will be presented by Hope Lloyd and Elizabeth Mamerow from Disability Rights Wisconsin. We are looking forward to another excellent presentation that will assist consumers, providers and the community at large in understanding and working through the Long Term Care system.

 

We will be completing our Brown Bag Lunch Series on May 3 when Susan Gadacz of Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division will speak on “Wisconsin’s Perspective on Health Care Reform.” This will be an informative presentation focusing on national health care legislation that will affect all of us in the coming years. We will learn how Wisconsin is going to coordinate its services in light of this national legislation. This session will be held at IndependenceFirst, 540 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, from noon to 1:30 p.m. on May 3.

 

All interested parties are welcome to attend the upcoming sessions. Please RSVP to me at jalexander@independencefirst.org or (414) 226-8378 V/Relay.  For more information, view the series flyer.

 

Posted in Advocacy, Health Care, Independent Living, Medicaid | No Comments »

Hearings offer opportunity for advocacy

Tuesday, April 9th, 2013

By Philip Corona, Independent Living Coordinator

 

ADVOCACY is one of our core services, so we think that everyone should have the chance to express their opinions to elected officials when given the opportunity. One such opportunity is attending one of the Joint Finance Committee listening sessions and having your voice be heard. If you haven’t already attended one of the hearings in your area, here are the remaining statewide dates and locations: 

 

 

Wednesday, April 10th 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Kalahari Resort

Suites 2 and 7 (Main Level)

1305 Kalahari Drive

Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

 

Thursday, April 18th 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Baldwin-WoodvilleHigh School Auditorium

1000 13th Avenue

Baldwin, WI54002

 

 

Remember, if you can’t attend, you can always submit your comments to the Budget Committee by writing to: budgetcomments@legis.wisconsin.gov.

 

 

MH900391700

 

 

Lift your voices and be heard. It is important to let the Joint Finance Committee know how important the issues that affect you and your family members and friends are. The link to the full proposed budget as it is now can be found at http://www.doa.state.wi.us/debf/execbudget.asp?locid=166 for your reference. You may want to consider the 10% cut to transportation, keeping the transit dollars in the dedicated Transportation Fund, Family Care expansion and adequate funding for it, mental health support, and/or Medicaid Expansion with respect to disability issues or impact. However, it’s up to you to express your own opinions to your elected officials and have your voice be heard on the issues that are most important to you.

 

 

 

Posted in Advocacy, Health Care, Medicaid, Transportation | No Comments »

Reminder: speak up for transit on Thursday

Monday, April 1st, 2013

By Autumn Misko, Resource Specialist

 

Currently, the state budget is being worked on and there are many parts of the budget that will impact people with disabilities’ abilities to be independent.

 

Below, please find an action alert to inform people of the important actions they can take to ensure that there are reliable and affordable transportation options for people with disabilities in Wisconsin.

 

This week Thursday, April 4, is the Joint Committee on Finance Hearing at Greendale High School (details below). This meeting is an important time for the public to weigh in on the proposed budget. Please attend! If you have questions, please contact me, Autumn Misko, at amisko@independencefirst.org or at (414) 291-7520 (Voice/TTY). 

 

Woman sharing story at Dec. Transit Listening Session

 

Wisconsin Transit Crisis

Call to Action

 

The Governor’s proposed state budget will lead to significant cuts in public transit statewide. It is crucial to let your state legislators know the significance of transit to you, others who rely on public transit and to Wisconsin as a whole.

 

How can you help?

 

Share Your Story

Please print out and complete the story form – http://midwestadvocates.org/assets/resources/TELL_YOUR_TRANSIT_STORY_jan_13.pdf – and share why public transit is important to you. Then return the form to Community Response to the Transit Crisis c/o Midwest Environmental Advocates: advocate@midwestadvocates.org (preferable) or 612 W. Main St., #312 Madison, WI 53703.

 

Attend and Provide Testimony at the Joint Committee on Finance Hearings

Thursday, April 4th 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Greendale High School Auditorium

6801 Southway

Greendale, WI 53129

 

Monday, April 8th 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Lambeau Field

Legends Club Room – 4th Level

Lambeau Field Atrium

1285 Lombardi Avenue

Green Bay, WI 54304

 

Wednesday, April 10th 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Crystal Grand Music Theatre

430 West Munroe Avenue (HWY 23)

Lake Delton, WI 53940

 

Thursday, April 18th 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Baldwin-Woodville High School Auditorium

1000 13th Avenue

Baldwin, WI 54002

 

Contact the Governor and Your State Representatives

Contact Governor Walker at govgeneral@wisconsin.gov or (608) 266-1212 V/Relay.

 

Go to http://legis.wisconsin.gov/Pages/waml.aspx to locate your representatives.

 

Talking Points

Keep public transit in the segregated transportation fund

Public transit has been facing funding challenges and moving public transit out of the Transportation Fund would drastically complicate and worsen this situation. The segregated transportation fund provides a more stable funding stream for this vital service. Many people with disabilities, older adults and individuals with low incomes depend on public transit to get to work, medical appointments, school, etc. Moving public transit to the General Fund would make funding public transit even more difficult and unpredictable. 

 

Restore the cut made to public transit state operating assistance

Public transit in Wisconsin will face further cuts to service if funding is not restored. Both fixed route and paratransit services will be impacted, which could result in people being unable to access transportation. Restoring this cut from the 2011-2013 State Budget would help to maintain current transit.  

 

Stay in Touch

Like “Community Response to the Transit Crisis” on Facebook to post and receive important information.

 

Posted in Advocacy, Disability News, Independent Living, Integration, Transportation | No Comments »

Input critical to public transit

Wednesday, March 27th, 2013

 

Wisconsin Transit Crisis

Call to Action

 

The Governor’s proposed state budget will lead to significant cuts in public transit statewide.  It is crucial to let your state legislators know the significance of transit to you, others who rely on public transit, and to Wisconsin as a whole.

 

How can you help?

 

Share Your Story

 

Please print out and complete the story form – http://midwestadvocates.org/assets/resources/TELL_YOUR_TRANSIT_STORY_jan_13.pdf - to share why public transit is important to you.  Then return the form to Community Response to the Transit Crisis c/o Midwest Environmental Advocates: advocate@midwestadvocates.org (preferable) or 612 W. Main St., #312 Madison, WI 53703.

 

Speakers at transit listening session

Speakers at transit listening session in Dec.

 

 

Attend and Provide Testimony at the Joint Committee on Finance Hearings

 

Thursday, April 4 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Greendale High School Auditorium

6801 Southway

Greendale, WI 53129

 

Monday, April 8  10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Lambeau Field

Legends Club Room – 4th Level

Lambeau Field Atrium

1285 Lombardi Avenue

Green Bay, WI 54304

 

Wednesday, April 10 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Crystal Grand Music Theatre

430 West Munroe Avenue (HWY 23)

Lake Delton, WI 53940

 

Thursday, April 18 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Baldwin-Woodville High School Auditorium

1000 13th Avenue

Baldwin, WI 54002

 

 

Contact the Governor and Your State Representatives

 

Contact Governor Walker at govgeneral@wisconsin.gov or (608) 266-1212 V/Relay.

 

Go to http://legis.wisconsin.gov/Pages/waml.aspx to locate your representatives.

 

 

Talking Points

 

Keep public transit in the segregated transportation fund

Public transit has been facing funding challenges and moving public transit out of the Transportation Fund would drastically complicate and worsen this situation.  The segregated transportation fund provides a more stable funding stream for this vital service. Many people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals with low incomes depend on public transit to get to work, medical appointments, school, etc.  Moving public transit to the General Fund would make funding public transit even more difficult and unpredictable. 

 

Restore the cut made to public transit state operating assistance

Public transit in Wisconsin will face further cuts to service if funding is not restored.  Both fixed route and paratransit services will be impacted which could result in people being unable to access transportation.  Restoring this cut from the 2011-2013 State Budget would help to maintain current transit.  

 

 

Stay in Touch

 

Like “Community Response to the Transit Crisis” on Facebook to post and receive important information!

 

 

Posted in Advocacy, Disability News, Independent Living, Integration, Transportation | No Comments »

Long Term Care Team presents Brown Bag Lunch series

Wednesday, March 13th, 2013

By the IndependenceFirst Long Term Care Advocacy Team

 

The Long Term Care Advocacy Team is working on a series of Spring 2013 Brown Bag lunches open to consumers, caregivers and community-based professionals.

 

Brown Bag Lunch Schedule:

 

April 12, 2013—Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Benefits, Funding Sources & Accessing Long Term Care Services

Speakers from IndependenceFirst—Kathy Meisner-Altman, Benefits & Employment Program Director, and Ginger Reimer, Vice President, Personal Assistance Services Program

 

April 26, 2013—Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Overcoming Barriers to Obtaining Long Term Care and Connecting with Advocacy Resources

Speakers from Disability Rights Wisconsin—Hope Lloyd and Elizabeth Mamerow, Family Care & IRIS Ombudsmen

 

May 3, 2013—Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Wisconsin’s Perspective on Health Care Reform

Speaker from Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division —Susan Gadacz, Community Services Branch Director

 

 independencefirst logo - person

 

We hope that through this series, the consumer, caregiver and professional will have a broader understanding of Long Term Care services in our community.

 

We are very excited about this upcoming opportunity to interface with the community on these very important and timely issues!

 

For more information, view the event listing on the IndependenceFirst website.

 

Contact Julie Alexander at 414-226-8378 V/Relay or jalexander@independencefirst.org with any questions or to request an accommodation for the Brown Bag Series.

 

 

Posted in Advocacy, Health Care, Independent Living, Medicaid | No Comments »

IndependenceFirst, other CILs, complete training and legislative visits

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

By Brian Peters, Housing Policy Advocate

 

 

Last week, staff from IndependenceFirst participated in the annual training and legislative visits known as “IL Days.” The Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in Wisconsin believe it is important to be constantly training and furthering the knowledge of staff of each of the CILs. Toward that end, on Tuesday staff from the eight CILs in Wisconsin conducted an annual pilgrimage to Madison for an all-day training on a variety of topics, including advocacy, housing, Family Care and IRIS, ethics, and outreach. 

 

 

The next day, everyone headed over to the Capitol for legislative visits. IndependenceFirst staff constituents visited 43 Assembly Representatives and Senators. We discussed the issues of long term care, Medicaid expansion, transportation, and mental health & substance abuse. We also educated legislators about Centers for Independent Living and the role we play in assisting people with disabilities to live independently.

 

 

capitol at night 

 

 

As important as those face-to-face meetings with legislators are, it’s just as important to constantly educate legislators on disability issues throughout the year. New things are happening all the time, so face-to-face meetings, regardless of frequency, aren’t able to cover everything of importance to the disability community. For instance, last Wednesday Governor Walker announced that Wisconsin would not participate in an expansion of Medicaid coverage. Because of the timing of the announcement—shortly AFTER we’d met with legislators—we were not able to provide face-to-face feedback on the decision. Going forward, it’ll be important for all constituents—staff of IndependenceFirst and other CILs, people with disabilities, and interested citizens such as you—to discuss their concerns about this issue and others with legislators.

 

 

If you’d like more information on issues important to CILs this year, you can find the issue papers from the Wisconsin Coalition of Independent Living Centers (WCILC) and the Independent Living Council of Wisconsin (ILCW) at http://www.il-wisconsin.net/coalition-trainings/ under “Issue Papers.”

 

 

Posted in Advocacy, Independent Living, Medicaid | No Comments »

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the FMLA

Tuesday, February 5th, 2013

 

By Kim Nerone, Fund Development/Special Events Coordinator, National Spinal Cord Injury Association – SE Wisconsin


Today family members of all ages express their heartfelt gratitude for the passing of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).


The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with the continuation of group health insurance coverage. It protects employees’ jobs so they cannot be fired for needing to take care of their family. 25 years ago, Wisconsin became one of the first states to pass FMLA at the state level. Today we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the passage of the federal law.


The following is a letter from Kim, a mother from Stevens Point, Wis. Excerpts from her letter will be read by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin on the Congressional Floor as part of the FMLA Anniversary this week. 


“Our family’s challenges began when our son began school. He entered school excited, inquisitive, and eager to learn; however, within the first year, he began to shows signs of anxiety, depression, and unwillingness to learn. My husband and I began seeking specialized treatment for him. Despite various medications and numerous therapies, our son’s condition worsened.


Finally, our son was diagnosed with Asperger’s, ADHD, Anxiety Disorder, and Severe Sensory Processing Disorder. As overwhelming as it was to hear the diagnosis, it was a huge relief to know there were therapies and supports available to help him. We were given the option to continue with his current school and medications, or keep him home and work on eliminating medications and focus on incorporating supports helping him to be successful.


 I applied for FMLA and began my 12-week leave. Without FMLA, I would have been forced to continue sending him to a school where he experienced extreme stress and fueled his desire to quit on life.


Parenting a child is hard enough, but parenting a child with disabilities has its own unique set of challenges. I had to fight and advocate to help him. FMLA gave me that opportunity. Because of FMLA, my son is now happy, stable, successful, and eager to achieve his goals in life.”


Kim and her son


Unfortunately, there are lobbyists who are proposing changes to the state law that would make it harder for Wisconsin families to care for their loved ones during health emergencies like Kim’s and after childbirth. 


Here’s what lobbyists are trying to do:


  • Under current Wisconsin FMLA, employees can substitute any accrued paid leave they’ve earned, like paid sick or vacation time, for unpaid leave. Proposed changes could deny workers the right to use their earned sick time. Workers could be forced to use all their vacation as part of FMLA.


  •  Under current Wisconsin law, workers are eligible for leave after working 1,000 hours in the preceding year. Lobbyists want to increase that total to 1250 hours. This means that some part-time workers who are eligible under the current law would lose job protection. 


  •  Under Wisconsin’s current law, employees can spread out their leave to care for a new baby as well as for a personal or family illness, but proposed rollbacks could force workers take their leave all at one time with no flexibility.


  •  Current Wisconsin law covers employers with 50 workers anywhere in the state. Proposed rollbacks would cut coverage if there aren’t 50 employees within 75 miles of their workplace–denying job protection to rural workers.


These are important issues. Here’s a link to find your legislators. Feel free to let them know where you stand. You just never know when YOU may need to take advantage of FMLA!


For more information about the FMLA, visit http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/.


Posted in Advocacy, Disability News, Health Care, Independent Living, Money Management, Parenting | No Comments »

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