New State of California "Employment First" Policy

To All Advocates:

On July 27, 2011, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities will vote on an “Employment First” Policy for California. That policy will be recommended to the Legislature to become law in California. The Employment First policy has a very good intent – to improve employment outcomes for people with developmental disabilities.

The Arc strongly supports the effort to improve employment outcomes for people with developmental disabilities. And we certainly support our friends at the State Council. But we have a difference of opinion about what is the best wording for an Employment First policy for California. The State Council will vote for this wording to become law in California:

“It is the policy of the State of California that integrated competitive employment is the priority outcome for working age individuals with developmental disabilities. In plain language: WORK IS FOR ALL”.

We object to this wording because, in California, every person with an intellectual and developmental disability has the right, through the IPP, to determine his or her own goals. In California, the State is not supposed to tell people what their “priority outcome” must be. We know there are people who believe that anyone who objects to the proposed wording is just trying to protect the status quo. If the status quo is the IPP, we agree!

We want a strong Employment First policy that improves employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities, without weakening the right of every individual to determine his or her own goals through the Individual Program Plan (IPP) process.

The Arc of California is urging the State Council to adopt an alternative statement – one that respects the IPP and the individual’s right to choose. We invite you to do the same. Please see the sample below.

Please share your comments with the State Council before they vote on July 27!

Send an e-mail to: council@scdd.ca.gov

Write to: State Council on Developmental Disabilities

1507 21st Street, Suite 210

Sacramento, CA 95811

Be sure to request that all Council members receive a copy of your message.

___________________________________________________

Dear State Council on Developmental Disabilities;

I am writing to express opposition to the draft Employment First policy unless it is amended. Please transmit my comments to all members of the council.

The Arc of San Francisco strongly believes in paid employment and the competitive labor market. The Arc closed its sheltered workshops 8 years ago to promote the inclusion of our clients in paid employment.

But the policy as written subverts the right of people with developmental disabilities to set their developmental goals through the IPP process.

The draft policy does not account for the state’s own actions in continually reducing funding for employment programs that have significantly reduced our capacity to provide the employment and job placement services presumed available by the Employment First policy.

The draft policy does not account for the state’s dismal performance generating new jobs and economic growth, placing people with developmental disabilities at even further disadvantage when pursuing paid employment in a competitive labor market.

The draft policy does not account for the state’s failure to provide a free, appropriate public education for youth with developmental disabilities that adequately prepares students for paid employment when they leave school.

The draft policy does not account for people with developmental disabilities who can afford not to have paid employment, are too sick to have regular paid employment, or wish to pursue higher education through community college or 4-year institution.

The draft Employment First policy will not create any new jobs or new placements in paid employment for clients served by The Arc of San Francisco. The draft policy will subvert choice for people with developmental disabilities in California.

Please vote NO and adopt a policy that respects individual choice and the IPP.

___________________________________________________

Alan S. Fox, M.P.A.

Chief Operating Officer

Wells Fargo Bank Gives a Boost to Arc Job-Seekers

Arc Job-Seekers Join Staff from Wells Fargo at a Presentation About Successful Job Interviews

The Arc, the Rotary and Wells Fargo all think alike: more jobs for our clients means more dignity, pride and independence for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This week, Wells Fargo Foundation’s Katy Johnson presented The Arc with $10,000 for our Supported Employment program. Wells’ HR Strategy Consultant, Eric Schmautz is a longtime Arc volunteer, (remember the tall smiling fellow in the chef’s hat at our Thanksgiving luncheon—that’s him!) and a big booster of more opportunities to bring clients of The Arc in to the workforce, and we thank Eric, Katy and all the Wells team for their vision and support of our mission.

As part of the Rotary “We Gotta Job” project, Wells Fargo hosted 7 client job-seekers at their downtown office, followed by mock job interviews.

The presentation included tips on how to be successful in a job interview, including a note to remember to ask for the job.

At the close of the presentation, one of our clients respectfully raised her hand and asked, "What about here? Do you have any jobs at Wells Fargo?”

Now that’s the right job-seeking attitude!

Tim Hornbecker, CEO

CDC Study Reports 17% Increase in Developmental Disabilities

Developmental disability is on the rise in the U.S. Between 1997 and 2008, the number of school-age children diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or another developmental disability rose by about 17 percent, a new study showed.
That means roughly 15 percent of kids - nearly 10 million - have such a disability.
The numbers were based on information collected from parents, who were asked whether their kids had been diagnosed with a variety of developmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy, seizures, stuttering or stammering, hearing loss, blindness, and learning disorders, as well as autism and ADHD.
Boys were twice as likely to have a developmental disability, according to the study, which was published in the June 2011 issue of Pediatrics. And except for autism, developmental disabilities were more common among children from low-income families.
"We don't know for sure why the increase happened," study author Sheree Boulet of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Reuters. There is now a bigger emphasis on early treatment, she said, and greater awareness about the conditions among parents.
But Philip Landrigan of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, told USA Today that improvements in diagnosis can't fully explain the increase. Research suggests that environmental chemicals - including pesticides and the phthalates found in soft plastics - can affect kids' mental development, he said.
Whatever the cause of the increase, experts said the finding should remind parents to make sure their kids get screened. As Alison Schonwald of Children's Hospital Boston told USA Today, "It's great to diagnose them early, so we can intervene early and help them reach their full potential."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on developmental disabilities.
March 23, 2011 by David Freeman (CBS News Health)
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20065315-10391704.html

DDS Hearing Update

Dear Advocates,

The Oakland DDS hearing with Terri Delgadillo, Executive Director, was attended by over 300 parents, self-advocates and advocates from the Bay Area, especially The Arcs of San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa. After a 2 1/2 hour wait in line in the cold wind just to get into the Federal Building for the hearing, we made our testimony. Terri Delgadillo responded to my concern that there were no details to the DDS Headquarter and Developmental Center budget cut proposed savings of 55 million dollars. She will send out a chart with the details per our request.

The Arc has supported AB171, the Autism Insurance Bill, which was not in the budget proposals but we recommend. The Arc has reserved our support for many of the proposed recommendations by DDS until they actually publish the implementation details in Trailer Bills that will be part of the Governor’s budget. The devil is indeed in the details, which hurt us in last year’s budget.

Please keep advocating. Disability Capitol Action Day will be on May 25, Wednesday, 10 AM – 2 PM. A March to the Capitol, Educational Rally, and Resource Fair will take place in front of the Capitol Building with over 3,000 advocates expected. Please contact me if you are interested in attending.

Thank you,
Timothy Hornbecker, CEO

Calling All Advocates

Dear Arc of San Francisco Advocates,

I want to make sure that you have the local hearing location and time on the proposed savings (Budget Cut) of $174 million from the Department of Developmental Services. Please attend if you can, call in, or send your comments.
See the complete DDS Proposal here.

I will be sending recommendations from The Arc California and the Lanterman Coalition hopefully by Thursday, 5/5.

WHERE AND WHEN

DDS Hearing:
Monday, May 9, 2011 - Oakland
1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Federal Building Auditorium
1301 Clay Street, Oakland 94612
DDS Public Forum Conference Call Number: (800) 288-8968

Written input is also welcome and should be submitted by May 9, 2011, to Patti Samuel at the following address. For additional information, please contact Patti at (916) 651-1484.

Department of Developmental Services
Office of the Director
1600 9th Street, Room 240, MS 2-13
Sacramento, CA 95814

Thanks for advocating on behalf of The Arc,

Timothy P. Hornbecker
CEO

Fight to Protect Medicaid

HOW IMPORTANT IS MEDICAID TO YOU?
Then fight to preserve it!

Do you or someone you know:

* receive home and community based services from your state developmental disability agency?
* rely on Medicaid to pay for doctor's visits and other health care?
Unless we mobilize to support the Medicaid program, these critical services could disappear for many people. The U.S. House of Representatives has already voted to:
• cut Medicaid by 20% (or about $770 billion over 10 years)
• cap the amount the federal goverment spends on it. The funding would not keep up with health care inflation.
• block grant it to the states. This means that states can spend the money almost any way they like and can just cut out groups of people or services. They could even return to placing people in institutions. (Click here for more information)

Take Action

Call your U.S. Senators today and ask them to speak up and support The Arc in this fight. Contact your Senator today.

Here is what to say:
• Medicaid is a lifeline for people with I/DD and we need you to be our champion;
• Please oppose block grants or caps for Medicaid that would hurt programs that help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live in the community; and
• Don’t risk the health and safety of people with I/DD by slashing funding for Medicaid.

New Housing, New Life for Sarah

This week, 19 new apartment units for people with developmental disabilities opened, and we're working to secure the next 14 units.

Dreams of independence (in housing that is actually affordable--and green!) are coming true at last. Check out Sarah as she gives us (and Senator Pelosi, Mayor Lee and a host of other VIPs) a tour of her new digs.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/26/BA761J74BO.DTL


Photo: Mike Kepka/The Chronicle

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Meredith Manning
Marketing and Community Relations Manager