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Disability Policy Consortium Weekly Update
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We begin this week by announcing the honorees at our Fourth Annual Awards Reception to be held on Thursday, October 13 at the NonProfit Center in Boston.
On the PCA overtime front, the DPC has sent a Freedom of Information Act request to MassHealth to gather the information we need to make policy recommendations on controlling PCA spending without endangering our lives.
We have some interesting news stories for you and some calendar events. We urge you to attend the MassHealth hearing on Managed Care on August 10th in Boston.
Have a good week and a
s always, happy
reading.
John Winske
Disability Policy Consortium
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DPC Update: Annual Award Recipients Announced
The DPC is pleased to announce that our Fourth Annual Award Ceremony and Reception will be held on Thursday, October 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at a new location, the NonProfit Center, 89 South Street in Boston near South Station.
This year we are honoring four extraordinary individuals. The winner of the Thomas Menino Award is Audrey Shelto, President of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. Ms. Shelto's previous experience includes serving as the Chief Operating Officer of Neighborhood Health Plan, and Executive Director for the Boston Mayor's Advisory Committee on Health Care.
In addition to Ms. Shelto, we honor the BCBSMA Foundation. Over the past decade the Foundation has invested well over a million dollars in disability led organizations. This commitment of valuable resources has ensured that the needs of our community are represented when health care reforms are being discussed by policy makers.
The William Allan Award is being presented to Ruthie Poole. Ms. Poole has been a tireless advocate in the psychiatric survivors movement. Ruthie was first hired by Pat Deegan and Charlie Carr at the Northeast Independent Living Program in 1989. She worked, as a community organizer, with people receiving services from the Department of Mental Health. She has worked as the Director of Advocacy at the Transformation Center and been the Chair of MPower. Ruthie has been relentless voice for self-advocacy and social justice.
Over the past two years Lydia X. Z. Brown and Finn Gardiner have burst on to the local advocacy scene through their roles with the Autism Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). They are the winners of the Mary Lou Maloney Award.
Lydia has served as a Policy Analyst in the Washington office of ASAN. She is the Chair of the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council, and is a second year law student at Northeastern University.
Finn Gardner is the Boston Community Coordinator for ASAN. He was the 2015 Barbara Wilensky Gopen Fellow at the Institute for Community Inclusion where he developed resources for adults on the autism spectrum. He is also a member of the Attorney General's Disability Advisory Committee.
Tickets for the Annual Awards Reception will go on sale within the next three weeks. We hope you will join us for a great evening as we honor these extraordinary individuals.
John Winske
Disability Policy Consortium
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Employment Opportunity: Human Resources Manager at NILP
Job Purpose:
The Human Resources Manager is responsible for managing all functions around all employee relations concerning but not limited to, employment, compensation, benefits, training, etc.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Essential Job Functions:
- Provide new hire orientation by coordinating all systems for insuring the understanding and completion of policies and procedures along with benefits, accruals, etc.
- Administer current and renewal plans for annual Health and Dental Insurance, Health Reimbursement Account, Life and Disability Insurance, 403B Retirement Plan, and other employee benefits
- Maintain confidentiality in all aspects of consumers, staff and, agency information
- Conduct monthly enrollments for new hires and Qualifying Event changes for current employees
- Ensure all employee's personal auto insurance and driver's license information is up to date and on file
- Assist with development, monitoring, and coordination of recruitment outreach systems
- Coordinate all recruitment, hiring and training functions
- Assist with reasonable accommodations for identified staff
- Conduct CORIs on new employees and on a regular basis
- Primary contact for all employee benefit issues/concerns
- Assist in the creation of job descriptions and skills/experience templates for current and vacant positions
- Perform fair labor standard act analysis on new and existing positions while consulting with the hiring mangers on exempt/non-exempt determinations
- Maintain and update organizational chart
- Health Insurance COBRA administration
- Perform monthly exemption from Federal Health Insurance Plans for all employees and stipend workers
- Perform and maintain census data collection
- Develop and maintain all archiving of human resource files; both electronically and hard copies
- Insure all personnel information is secured and up to date including introductory and annual reviews
- Maintain knowledge of, and carefully follow, all applicable federal and state compliance requirements and regulations
- Works closely with the Financial Department for accurate deductions of the companies' 403B plan and other employee benefits
- Other duties as assigned
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Net News: Luke's Best Chance
Rolling Stone had a long story on services for children on the autism spectrum and their transition to adulthood. It is an interesting read and it is good to see a mainstream magazine looking at the issue.
You can read more here.
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Net News: Engaged Disabled Would Lose Benefits if they Wed
The Columbus Dispatch had a story about the marriage penalty that was reprinted in Disability Scoop. It focuses on people in Ohio with disabilities who have wed or would like to get married.
You can read it here.
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Calendar: Managed Care Lock-in
When: Wednesday, August 10, 2016, 10:00 A.M.
Where: One Ashburton Place, Boston, 21st Floor Conference Room
In January, EOHHS announced plans to implement a Managed Care lock-in policy effective October 1, 2016.
This will restrict the ability of MassHealth members to freely change managed care plans to a 12 month cycle. This means a person will have a 90 day trial period, but after that time will be stuck in a plan for an entire year unless they meet exemption criteria!
We have learned from One Care that a very high percentage of people who are "passively" enrolled in a plan don't even know that they are enrolled until 90 after days or more.
A public hearing is scheduled for Wed. August 10 at 10 am in Boston. Written comments are also due by 5 pm August 10.
The public notice, proposed rules, current rules, & a link to sign up to testify are all posted at
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/laws-regs/masshealth/masshealth-proposed-regs.html
Make sure you get the word out. We need a strong representation
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Calendar:
Movie Premiere
When: Tuesday, August 16, 2016, 7:00 P.M.
Where: Kendall Square Cinema, One Kendall Square at 355 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA
You are invited to a screening of HEALING VOICES, featuring a dialogue after the film with:
PJ Moynihan (Writer/Director)
Oryx Cohen (Subject/Co-Producer)
Chris Griffin (Executive Director of the Disability Law Center)
Officials from the Massachusetts Public Health Community and additional guests.
** This event is free and open to the public but space is limited. You must RSVP to attend this event **
RSVP and request accommodations by August 14, 2016
Register Online, or contact Amanda if you have any questions.
mail@dlc-ma.org or 617-723-8455 x 123
Communication Access Realtime Translation will be provided.
Please Note: Out of consideration for people with environmental illness and/or multiple chemical sensitivity, please refrain from using perfume or other scented products.
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Calendar: Mental Health Laws Training
When: Friday, August 19, 2016, 9:30 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.
Where: Hilton Garden Inn, 800 Hall of Fame Avenue, Sprinfield, MA 01105
Presenters:
Nancy Murphy, Staff Attorney, Disability Law Center
Walter Noons, Staff Attorney, Disability Law Center
Nathan Frommer, Staff Attorney, Committee for Public Counsel Services
Moderator:
Christine Griffin, Executive Director, Disability Law Center
Registration: 9:30 am
Training on Fundamental Rights: 10:00 - 12:30 pm
Lunch: 12:30 - 1:30 pm
Input from the Community: 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Join us for a training on the six fundamental rights and mental health laws in Massachusetts. This will be followed by a Community Feedback Forum.
We are looking for your input on the issues you face as a person or family member of a person with lived experiences of a mental health diagnosis.
Please Note:
Out of consideration for people with environmental illness and/or multiple chemical sensitivity, please refrain from using perfume or other scented products.
This event is free and open to the public but you must RSVP to attend.
RSVP by August 12, 2016
Register here or contact Amanda at mail@dlc-ma.org or 617-723-8455 x 123
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DPC Needs your Help!!!
The DPC uses the PayPal PayFast system for your tax deductible charitable donations. You do not need to have a PayPal account to use this system because credit card payments are also accepted.
The DPC also uses the Causes program for recurring donations (as well as one time donations). This is a great way to make a smaller monthly donation.
Donate by Mail
Make check or money order payable to:
Disability Policy Consortium
11 Dartmouth Street
Suite 301
Malden, MA 02148 |
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