Friday, February 17th at 1:00 p.m

We are honored to have distinguished community leaders leading our way into a whole new world and are delighted to announce that Frank Urtasun, Regional Vice President of External Relations for San Diego Gas & Electric, and his wife Caren, will serve as the 2012 Gala Co-Chairs. SDG&E has been a strong supporter of Access to Independence and we are grateful to have them involved in such a significant way. We would also like to announce that Mark Guglielmo, Vice President of Ballpark Operations for the San Diego Padres, will serve as our Honorary Gala Chair. The San Diego Padres have a long-standing relationship with Access to Independence as Mark served as executive board chair for five years. The team wouldn’t be complete without our 2012 Auction Co-Chairs, Nicholas & Clara Aguilera with Diego and Son printing, who also served as auction chairs for our 2011 gala. Our gala is not to be missed! Stay tuned each month for updates on our awardee nominations, incredible live and silent auctions and unforgettable entertainment.

For more information, visit our Gala site.

• February 17^th: Employment- Presenter, Sonia Silva from Access to Independence - The Employment Program assists clients of the Department of Rehabilitation in obtaining, maintaining, and/or regaining employment by providing instruction, creating resumes, identifying jobs relevant to a clients’ interests and qualifications
• March 16^th: Self-Esteem- Presenter, Mariana Villalas from SURE Helpline - What is High Self-Esteem, Low Self-Esteem and how to regain it!

Peer Support Group meets 2:30 – 3:30 PM

• January 20th: Department of Labor - Learn how to deal with “Harassment.” Know how to report and differentiate harassment.

• February 17th: Special Needs Trust -  Enables a person under a physical or mental disability, or an individual with a chronic or acquired illness, to have, held in Trust for his or her benefit, an unlimited amount of assets.  In a properly-drafted SNT those assets are not considered countable assets for purposes of qualification for certain governmental benefits.

• March 16th:  Department of Rehabilitation –  Will be an integral, invaluable partner with other agencies that are committed to increasing employment opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities.

• April 20th: TERO (Tribal Employment Rights Office) – Learn specific requirements imposed on employers regulating their employment practices and their obligations to provide preference in recruiting, hiring, training, and promotions to Native Americans.

• May 18th: Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program - Learn how working Californians with disabilities are able to earn up to $55,000/year & still  keep their Medi-Cal & IHSS and new features of the program including the ability to save assets without a limit.

• June 15th: Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Programs (HICAP) -  Learn to understand your specific rights and health care options, help Medicare beneficiaries, their families and/or providers on a variety of Medicare and other health care issues

CONTACT:
Liz Pazdral, Executive Director
State Independent Living Council
916- 445-0142

Louis Frick, Executive Director
Access to Independence
619-293-3500

California Independent Living Centers Offer Resources on Personal Assistant Services

San Diego, CA – During this busy time of year, Access to Independence Executive Director Louis Frick is reminded daily of the value of personal assistance services for people with disabilities. These services give individuals with disabilities the option to live independently in their own homes as opposed to living in institutional settings. In California, personal assistance services are provided by the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program to people who are impoverished; whereas, those who don’t meet the eligibility requirements are forced to pay out of pocket for the services. According to Frick, who became a quadriplegic after a car accident when he was 19 years old, “The two most significant barriers or hurdles for people with disabilities to live independently are affordable and accessible housing and personal assistance services. These services are critical for people with disabilities who want to live independently within their communities.”

Assistance varies depending upon the person’s needs and can range from basic services of cooking and cleaning to more personal services such as dressing and bathing and more. IHSS provides funding for many Californians to receive such services. To be eligible, individuals must be more than 65 years of age, have a disability, be blind or have child with a disability. According to the California Department of Social Services website, individuals are interviewed by county social workers to determine eligibility and the need for IHSS funding. Additionally, the social worker assesses the types of services needed in the home and the number of hours required and authorizes the services. If an individual is approved for IHSS funding, he/she hires a personal assistant to provide the authorized services and is considered an employer. Therefore that person is responsible for hiring, training, supervising and firing the personal assistant. Or, if the county in which one lives has contracted for IHSS providers, he/she may select services provided by those individuals.

“Although this may seem onerous at first, the benefits far outweigh the initial requirements,” says Frick. “These services are a blessing for people with disabilities and are much less expensive than nursing homes or institutional care.”

If IHSS funding were to be significantly cut, fewer individuals would have access to personal assistance services. Frick believes people with disabilities are living in nursing homes unnecessarily because they don’t have access to in-home services. He states, “Without personal services, people are housed in nursing homes, which is always the fallback position, and a costly one at that.”

Frick goes on to say, “We can reduce the cost of health care for people with disabilities by keeping them at home. The average cost of a nursing home is about $80,000 annually and around $10,000 to $12,000 for in-home care in California. Additionally, the program is cost effective and positively impacts the person’s quality of life while reducing secondary and tertiary institutional costs, such as treatment for depression and other health problems associated with living in such an environment.”

Frick serves on the State Independent Living Council, which will be meeting in early December in San Diego to discuss barriers to independence for people with disabilities. Within California, there are 29 independent living centers, all of which provide people with disabilities information on personal assistance services. Several centers have ongoing, updated registries and offer training to individuals on how to hire and manage personal assistance providers. For more information, visit www.silc.org.

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The California State Independent Living Council is an independent state agency which, in cooperation with the California State Department of Rehabilitation, prepares and monitors the State Plan for Independent Living. SILC solicits continual public feedback on the effectiveness of independent living services and coordinates with similar agencies and councils at the state and federal levels to increase communication and help assure that services to people with disabilities are delivered effectively.

Judge Grants Reprieve to 372,000 Targeted for In-Home Supportive Services Cuts

A Federal judge has apparently granted at least a temporary reprieve to 372,000 elderly and disabled Californians who faced a 20 percent cut in their in-home care on Jan. 1.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken of Oakland issued a temporary restraining order Thursday that prohibits the state from taking any immediate steps to carry out the reductions — in particular, from mailing out notices to all recipients, starting next week.  Wilken said a lawsuit by disability-rights groups and other advocates raised “serious questions” about whether the cuts would violate Federal health and disability laws by forcing recipients into nursing homes.

That means it’s highly unlikely the reductions can take effect Jan. 1, said Stacey Leyton, one of the lawyers who filed the suit. She said the state’s attorneys had told Wilken they needed to send out the notices next week to start the clock running for cutbacks on New Year’s Day.

The judge has tentatively scheduled a hearing Dec. 15 on a request for a preliminary injunction that would block the cuts indefinitely. Even if she decides the state acted legally and denies the injunction, Leyton and other advocates said the cutbacks probably would be delayed by at least a few weeks. And Wilken’s ruling Thursday contained some strong language suggesting that she might well issue an injunction: She said the proposed reductions would put recipients “at imminent and serious risk of harm to their health and safety” and also risk “unnecessary and unwanted out-of-home placement, including institutionalization.” The state’s only concern is saving money, she said, while in-home care patients face “life-or-death consequences.”

The program, called In-Home Supportive Services, provides care to about 440,000 low-income Californians, including the blind and disabled and those over 65 who need help with daily tasks to live at home. The federal government pays about 60 percent of the cost.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation in June that required the 20 percent cutback in services to 372,000 recipients in January if the state’s revenues fell short of projections, which they did. The law allows recipients to apply for an exemption if they can show they would be at serious risk of being forced into an institution. However, lawyers for the recipients say the exemption uses the same flawed standards that Wilken rejected in 2009 when she blocked the state from eliminating in-home care to 36,000 people and cutting it back for another 97,000.

While the ruling is good news for people getting in-home care, it’s another financial setback for the state.

• Tuesday, March 6th, 5:30-7:30 PM
• Tuesday, April 3rd, 5:30-7:30 PM
• Tuesday, May 1st, 5:30-7:30 PM
• Tuesday, June 5th, 5:30-7:30 PM
• Tuesday, July 10th, 5:30-7:30 PM
• Tuesday, August 7th, 5:30-7:30 PM
• Tuesday, September 4th, 5:30-7:30 PM
• Tuesday, October 2nd, 5:30-7:30 PM
• Tuesday, November 6th, 5:30-7:30 PM
• Tuesday, December 4th, 5:30-7:30 PM

For additional information or to RSVP, please contact Ruben Ceballos @ (619) 293-3500 ext. 216 or email rceballos@a2isd.org

Giving Back Magazine – June 01, 2011

full article

Connie Soucy, Systems Change Manager points out that few found eligible for MediCal and food stamps in spite of excess county reserves…

full article