March 11th, 2010 by John Dickerson
The response to the announcement of our Building Pathways to Empowerment campaign has been so reinforcing. The offers of help, both personal and financial, are tremendous. Families and self-advocates have called and their excitement is contagious!
A parent who serves on our board shared with me that it is so important for us to get the message out that we are not simply trying to survive this crisis - we are finding and working towards new ways to thrive.
A mother shared with me that she certainly could do with less and would be glad to - but wants to make sure there is less bureaucracy in the system as well.
Provider response is also positive - providers are ready for change. At a meeting of the Indiana Conference of Executive Directors of Arcs, (ICEArc) Directors said that they clearly see the need for change and the value of redefining outcomes to focus on relationships and happiness. They also see the need to not wait for the state to begin saving money. One of our chapters has identified that just within their agency over $4 million dollars a year of savings can be made.
In an interview with a Fort Wayne newspaper yesterday I laid out critical areas where savings can be captured - housemates, sensible approaches to serving people with high costs, and administrative reform to reduce bureaucracy. We will link you to this article when it runs in the Fort Wayne paper.
Our goal is get the word out to the general public through at least 100 interviews with newspapers, radio, and television between now and November. Sally Morris, The Arc’s Assistant Director of Public Relations, is coordinating a new effort with communication staff at our local Arcs. If you have ideas or want to help, please contact Sally at smorris@arcind.org. Mark Kevitt, The Arc’s Director of Program Services, is serving as our “Campaign Manager.” Please contact Mark with any ideas or offers to help at mkevitt@arcind.org.
Tags: Building Pathways to Empowerment, Developmental Disabilities, fiscal crisis, Intellectual Disabilities, John Dickerson, Public Policy, Self-Advocacy, The Arc of Indiana
Posted in Building Pathways to Empowerment, General, John Dickerson's Blog, Public Policy | Leave Feedback
February 18th, 2010 by John Dickerson
Did the federal stimulus work? One can only wonder how people in Indiana would have been impacted had we not had the stimulus program to avoid massive cuts in education and Medicaid. An article in the February 18th issue of the Indianapolis Star on this topic mentions only briefly that stimulus funds kept teachers employed and provided Medicaid health benefits. Indiana expects to receive a total of $1.4 billion in Medicaid stimulus funding, not $1.4 million as reported in an early edition of the Star. These funds are critical to the lives of Hoosiers who are elderly or disabled, as well as to the staff that serve them.
Home care for people with disabilities and seniors is a key example. Stimulus funds provided an increase in the federal contribution to Indiana’s Medicaid program, allowing thousands of vulnerable Hoosiers to receive the supports they need to live in their homes. The people who serve them continued to receive a paycheck, pay taxes, support their families and not end up on Medicaid and/or unemployment themselves.
It is quite amazing that politics continues to be played on the stimulus and other critical issues, rather than all sides pulling together to work to address the tremendous problems facing our state and country.
The Arc of Indiana is committed to finding better and smarter ways to utilize federal and state funds that are so important to the people we represent. We understand that we must all work together to develop new approaches that use tax dollars in the most effective way and direct help to those most in need. We have been working for several months in partnership with leaders of provider agencies to push for the implementation of real reforms that can save significant funds and allow people to continue to receive vital services. Without the federal stimulus dollars, we would be in a far different position - scrabbling to react to cuts in funding and services beyond those that have occurred, rather than working towards more innovative approaches to using scarce resources.
While it is fair to ask if the stimulus worked, political noise should not be allowed to drown out reasonable voices that seek to rebuild our economy while at the same time take care of vulnerable citizens.
Tags: Budget, Developmental Disabilities, Federal Stimulus, fiscal crisis, home and community-based services, Indiana Medicaid, Intellectual Disabilities, John Dickerson, Public Funding, Public Policy, The Arc of Indiana
Posted in John Dickerson's Blog, Public Policy | Leave Feedback
June 12th, 2009 by John Dickerson
Indiana’s economic situation is forcing new budget realities for the state. While federal stimulus dollars have provided some short-term breathing room, there is no denying the economy is driving the discussion on how Indiana will use its financial resources in a new state budget.
In this era of person-centered planning and individual Medicaid waiver budgets, there are competing interests. On one hand, there is the individual and his or her goals, needs and dreams. On the other hand, there is the “greater good” to thousands of people who are waiting for services. With nearly 14,000 people on or targeted for the DD, Autism, and Support Services Medicaid waivers; nearly 3,800 people in group homes and approximately 1,500 people funded with state dollars, there are nearly 20,000 people in services. There are nearly that many on the official waiting list, and an unknown number that do not even know they should be on the waiting list.
What does fairness mean to each of these individuals and their families? To those waiting it is when is my chance; to those in services it is how can I get or keep getting what I need. In many cases families and people with disabilities share the same concern - they do not trust the state to take care of them, or keep taking care of them.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: individual budgets, Public Policy, special session
Posted in John Dickerson's Blog | Leave Feedback
Click here to receive content updates.
