Illinois Action Alert!!!!!!!
People with developmental disabilities are too often treated as outcasts and second class citizens in our country. For decades, they were put away in institutions where they were mistreated severely. Once those atrocities were exposed, community-based services were created, which were supposed to help to provide people with the means to gain an independent life and end institutionalization forever.
That hasn't happened.
Instead, hundreds of thousands of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are still waiting for services. Some states have an estimated 50-100,000 people who have not been able to access the needed services and there are hundreds of thousands waiting nationally.
Also, those who finally do receive services are unable to move from state to state, because they start over in their new location, interrupting their needed services sometimes for many years.
Now, healthcare reform is moving forward with very little understanding of the long-term needs of people with developmental disabilities – some of whom cannot cross the street alone, get out of bed without assistance, or feed themselves.
Health Care Reform must provide community-based services when they are needed and allow for the continuation/portability of services across state lines.
Please lend your voice to let the President and Congress know that our most vulnerable citizens deserve the most basic human rights – freedom from institutionalization and life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the community like you and I enjoy
HB 3841
DHS Home and Community Services
This Bill passed the House 104 - 12
your e-mails, phone calls, and letters are needed to move this bill into the Senate!
Among other enhancements this bill providesDSP's with a $1.00 per hour increase in pay
enter your zip code in the box below to find out who your Senator is
and their contact information
click on gov press release above for full text of this bill
H.R.1279 is now
H.R.868
use the link below to write your representative and urge them to co-sponsor H.R.868
Subject: Workforce Bill Reintroduced in the U.S. House - Contact Your Representative Today!
Friends of ANCOR:
Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) and
Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE) have introduced H.R.868, the
Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2009. Like previous legislation considered during the
110th Congress, H.R.868 helps address the workforce crisis by giving states a much-needed option to secure additional federal dollars for the direct support workforce.
Now that the wage bill has been re-introduced, we need to get members of the
House of Representatives to demonstrate their support by co-sponsoring the bill. To do this, ANCOR needs you to write your Representative and urge his or her support of H.R.868.
Click here to contact your Representative:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.ancor.org%2Fcapwiz%2Findex.cfm
President-Elect Obama has talked about healthcare and improving the lives of
people with disabilities. Any program is only as good as the people providing the services. There can be no solution to the healthcare crisis in this country without a solution to the DSP workforce crisis.
Log onto
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://change.gov%2Fpage%2Fs%2Fyourstory and tell president-elect Obama about the need for increasing DSP wages. Explain to him how DSPs play a vital role in the lives of people with disabilities. Tell your story to the President-Elect.
| | | Work With Local Media to Press for Quick Congressional Action on Economic Recovery Package with Medicaid FMAP | | | Public Support Must Be Built for Congress to Agree on Economic Recovery Package | More Info | | Important to Demonstrate Need for Additional Federal Medicaid Funding | | | The Senate is debating throughout the week on its version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, hoping to vote on the legislation by Friday, February 6th. It is an evolving process with differences over the scope, size, and components of a rescue plan. The Senate is considering hundreds of floor amendments, votes to remove or add new provisions, with some bipartisan support to cut federal spending currently in the Senate bill.
The Senate version that emerges will differ significantly from the bill passed by the House on January 28th--requiring both chambers to reconcile the differences into one single bill--with the House and Senate to vote on the same identical bill and send to President Obama--all before the scheduled Congressional recess February 16-20th.
With so much at stake, ANCOR members are urged to use their local media to press for quick Congressional action on a rescue plan that provides an infusion of federal funding to states--an increase in each state's federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP).
Now is the time to pull out all stops to gain support for federal Medicaid funds in the economic recovery package. ANCOR Capitol Hill visits this week reveal that there is growing concerns over spending levels, state aid, and other provisions in the recovery package. A public appeal is needed through letters to the editor and op-ed pieces in local newspapers and call-ins to radio and television programs to generate support for the temporary, increased in federal Medicaid funding to assist states.
To help you in your efforts, use the following ANCOR tools:
Why reach out to the media? Public support for the economic recovery package encourages elected officials to vote in favor of the bill. There are three purposes for your outreach throughout the next 10 days: (1) to generate awareness of the role private providers play in their communities and the lives of individuals with disabilities; (2) to increase understanding of Medicaid's role and public support as to why the nearly $88 billion in additional federal Medicaid funding to states is needed; and (3) to build support for your state using its allocation of additional federal Medicaid funding in a fair, responsible way to reflect--at minimum--current eligibility, benefits and provider payments for services and supports to individuals with disabilities.
- Your audience is the public. Refrain from using acronyms-FMAP or DSP-and other terms familiar to us, but unfamiliar to the public.
- Personalize your message and communicate your passion.
- Utilize all of your resources to deliver your messages, including influential members of your community, Board of Directors, local business leaders, family members, and employees.
- For additional suggestions see ANCOR's talking points.
- Check out examples of ANCOR member media outreach on our website.
Remember to send copies of your submissions or accounts of your activities to ANCOR (afiala@ancor.org).
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Illinois - 51st & Failing
Things continue to get worse in Illinois. The Governor has balanced the state budget on the backs of individuals with developmental disabilities and the workers that support them. The recent state budget that was returned to the House contains deep cuts for community services.
Items Cut from New State Budget –
· $0.50 an-hour wage increase for direct care staff.
· Increased funds for CILA (Residential) Nursing Services
· Help for young adults to transition out of the school system
· Funding to address the waiting list of aging caregivers
· Autism Diagnosis Education Program
· Family Assistance and home-based support services program
· Placements from state institutions to community programs
· Specialized services for individuals with developmental disabilities
· Transitions for young adults from Department of Children and Family Services to adult Develomental Disability Services
· 2% across the board cuts to state agencies.
If you would like to see services improved for individuals with developmental disabilities then your action is needed. Please call your local state representative and ask them to return these items to the new state budget. We are all impacted by these cuts. Lack of financial support from the state could result in no wage increases for employees. Agencys could be in the situation of needing to reduce staff. Those cuts could impact the provision and quality of care
TAKE ACTION NOW!!!!!!!!!!