July 5, 2018

In this week's Leo's Letter, The Arc of Massachusetts Executive Director Leo Sarkissian reflects on the meaning of Independence Day - and what a Disability Independence Day could look like.

Watch on YouTube. | Watch on Facebook.

Thank you to the hundreds of individuals, human service agencies, chapters, and corporations who made a gift or sponsored The Arc of Massachusetts in our 2017-18 fiscal year. You have made it possible for The Arc of Massachusetts to keep enhancing the lives of individuals with I/DD, including autism, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We look forward to working with you all in the year to come!

One way for you to support the mission of The Arc of Massachusetts and to leave a lasting legacy is through a bequest. A bequest is a gift made to charity in your will or trust. A significant benefit of making a gift by bequest is that it allows you to continue to use the assets/property you may leave to charity during your life. Your gift can be for a specific amount, a percentage or some portion of the remainder (after family, relatives and friends have received their designated share). Learn more about bequests on our planned giving page.

 

Please do let us know if you have included The Arc of Massachusetts in your will or estate plans. We would very much like to thank you for your foresight and generosity and make you a member of the Advocates for the Future society!

 

Contact Katrin Aback, Director of Development, if you have any questions about how to make a bequest to The Arc of Massachusetts. She can be reached at aback@arcmass.org or 781-891-6270 x105.

The next Massachusetts legislative session (191st) begins in January 2019. As of now, because of some resignations and deaths, there are 16 House district seats and 4 Senate district seats that will be filled with new legislators. In addition, some new legislators will be added if challengers defeat incumbents. Given that at least 10% of the House and the Senate will include new legislators, it is so important that we elect legislators who share our concerns and represent our interests. So, please, REV UP ( Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!) for the upcoming elections. 

As you prepare to vote, be sure to visit our #TheArcVotes webpage, where we share stories of why people vote, blog posts about important topics related to voting, and links to key resources and registration materials. 

Finally, be sure to mark these important dates on your calendar:

Deadline for registration for the Primary Electio n: Wednesday, August 15

Massachusetts Primary Election: Tuesday, September 4

Deadline for registration for the General Election: Wednesday, October 17

Massachusetts General Election: Tuesday, November 6

Update on MassHealth Accountable Care Organization (ACO)

and Managed Care Organization (MCO) Health Plans

Tuesday, July 17 | 10:00 - 11:30 AM

Presenter: Jennifer L. Maynard, BS, RN, WCC, MPA Director, Compliance and Program Operations, ACO and MCO Programs, MassHealth

This webinar will focus on recent changes to MassHealth. Updates will be provided on the March 1 launch of MassHealth ACO and MCO plans, as well as the July 1 launch of the Community Partner Program. This webinar is for MassHealth members, providers, and agencies who work with MassHealth clients.

For the first time, the Federation for Children with Special Needs offers  Programa de Liderazgo Para Familias Latinas (PLPL), a series of intensive trainings in Spanish about the Special Education System for Latinos Families of Children with Special Needs and professionals. All presenters will be recognized native Spanish speakers.

 

For more information:  English. | Spanish.

The Arc of Massachusetts  | (781) 891-6270 |  thearcofmass.org