Real Support

Over the past seven years, the Unlock the Waiting Lists! Campaign has resulted in thousands of individuals receiving supports that would have not otherwise been available.  However, there remain over 5,000 people with developmental disabilities on the waiting list for home and community-based services.  This number is expected to grow.  A multi-year funding plan was developed and is being used as the benchmark for future requests.  In addition, a question remains about the capacity of providers to meet the growing need based on the number of providers, the reimbursement rates provided and the quality of the workforce available to work with individuals and families.

GCDD Vision

The GCDD’s priority is to continue its efforts to increase funding for home and community based services as well as the quality of those supports.

During the past year, the GCDD in collaboration with the Georgia Advocacy Office, Institute on Human Development and Disability, Statewide Independent Living Council and People First supported efforts to move the remaining 40 children from state hospitals into the community. There still remain approximately 100 children in nursing homes or private ICF/MRs. Children should not grow up in institutions but instead need to be in loving, stable homes. The reason many children ended up in facilities is because families did not have the supports they needed to care for children with developmental disabilities or chronic medical conditions. The only option given to many families was placement in a state or private institution. The priority for the GCDD is a Georgia where children are prevented from going into institutions/facilities or are brought home safely from institutions/facilities into homes and families.

The Developmental Disabilities Bill of Rights and Assistance Act defines formal and informal community services as: Individuals have access to other services available or offered in a community, including formal and informal community supports that affect their quality of life.

GCDD Supported Efforts

Navigator Teams – Navigator Teams are county-based teams of experienced parents who can provide information and help guide families to supports and services in their local area.  They are based out of Parent to Parent of Georgia and are a method of providing family support.  These teams work on resource development and are building the capacity to help families through person centered planning.  Their goal is that no family will feel that they are out there all alone. (p2pga.org/roadmap/navigating/plc.htm)

Direct Support Professional Certificate Program – This training program is designed to help direct support professionals gain the skills they need to effectively support individuals with disabilities in the community. It is now a one semester program with both classroom and practicum components.  It is a total of 250 hours of training for which the students receives 12 credit hours.  Over 500 students have completed the program.  It has been nationally accredited by the National Association of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP).  The course is now a pre-requisite for becoming a new provider through the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.  The unique feature of the program is that each student is paired with a learning partner who is a person with a disability.  The students take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it in their learning partner’s life.  It is a very hands-on curriculum that is offered through the technical colleges.  Over 300 direct support professionals have completed the certificate program. (directsupportnetwork.com)

GA Alliance of Direct Support Professionals – The Georgia Alliance of Direct Support Professionals is a way for direct support workers to network with each other and to gain leadership skills.  They are given learning opportunities. They form chapters in their local areas where they can meet and share information and problem solve solutions.  There are currently chapters in Macon, Athens, NW Georgia, NE Georgia, Fitzgerald, Jackson/Griffin, Atlanta, and Thomaston. (www.gadsp.com)

Children’s Freedom Initiative – The Children’s Freedom Initiative was directed by a legislative resolution that urged state departments to work together to get children out of state institutions and nursing homes.  It has been a joint collaboration between the DD Network in Georgia and it has been featured on National Public Radio through a series by reporter Joe Shapiro.  He received the GCDD Media Award in July 2011 for this outstanding coverage.  (www.georgiacfi.org)

Unlock the Waiting Lists! Campaign – Unlock the Waiting Lists! is an on-going campaign to obtain more funding for home and community-based waivers.  It has strong name recognition for legislators.  It has pushed for NOW/COMP waivers, ICWP waivers, and for more waivers under Money Follows the Person.  It has pushed for a rate study to ensure adequate reimbursement for services and has asked for additional family support funds to keep families together. (www.unlockthewaitinglists.com)

Georgia Micro-boards Association – The Georgia Micro-boards Association is a non-profit organization that provides technical assistance to people with disabilities and their families who want to organize a micro-board.  They have developed a notebook that has templates as well as information that will simplify the process for someone just starting out.  They help complete a person-centered plan for the person so everyone is clear what is important to that individual.  They are developing information on how to find natural supports in the community.   They are developing natural support materials and information on Self-Directing Services.  (www.gamicroboards.org)

Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Referendum Information:

Below is a PowerPoint presentation from GCDD’s January 2012 Council Meeting, which gives a brief update on transportation issues.

Transportation Issues Facing Our Community

Here’s a follow up to our recent posting about the Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Referendum (http://www.gcdd.org/2011/06/transportation-investment-act-tia-sales-tax-information/)

The PDF attachment below shows which projects are going on in your communities around transportation. Please make sure you scroll through the pages to find the appropriate Unconstrained list for your region.

TIA 2010 Unconstrained Project Listing

TIA 2010 Unconstrained Project Listing Text Accessible

Remember – and this is important – we’re under a critical timeline, as projects will be refined over the next several months into a final “Constrained Project List” – the list containing the projects which will be voted upon in each of the 12 Regional Commission areas in summer 2012.You still have time to act and get involved in the conversation.  Tell your elected officials we expect them to get these projects included in the Constrained list.

1. Find where your county is located in the system of 12 Regional Commissions throughout Georgia. These are mapped with contact info by going to: http://garc.ga.gov/main.php?Regional-Commissions-2
2. Review the “Unconstrained Projects” list for your region, which were sent by the DOT Planning Director to the 12 Regional Commissions following that office’s review and approval. The lists are found at the weblink below, and then look under “Unstrained Projects” for your region. [Review each county’s project listing, since compiling this list was a massive undertaking and some projects might be listed under a different county name.] http://www.it3.ga.gov/Pages/Roundtable.aspx
3. Contact the Executive Committee and Regional Roundtable members – and make it SOON – regarding specific projects on the just-released Unconstrained Project list for your region. These elected officials are under each region on the link in #2 above, under “Membership and Executive Committee List.” Talk to them.
4. The Executive Committees are meeting NOW to refine the Unconstrained lists into a recommended Constrained list for each region – with the Executive Committees to be sending their project recommendations on to their Regional Roundtable by August 15!!  Talk to them.
5. The Regional Roundtable goes through the project list for final review, public hearings, etc. for final adoption of a Constrained Project (Transportation Investment) List by this Fall (October timeframe) 2011. Talk to them.
6. The meeting schedules for RCs Executive Committee and Regional Roundtable are posted on the weblink shown in #2 above, at the bottom of the page, and should be consulted regularly for updating – or, better yet, make direct contact with the RC for your area. You’ll get to know the folks at your regional level who are closer to developments!

12^th anniversary of the Olmstead Decision: Please read the blog posting linked below written by Sue Jamieson in honor of the 12th anniversary of the Olmstead Decision.  “On June 20, 2011, 12 years after her visit to the Supreme Court, Lois has not only seen the President but presented him with a gift of one of her original paintings in the Oval Office, in the style of a visiting dignitary. The ‘Girl in Orange Dress’ is one in a series of three pastel self portraits Lois created since she has no photographs to mark her childhood.” http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/06/22/olmstead-champion-meets-president

Other Partners and Resources

Collective Alternatives (www.collectivealternatives.net)
Georgia Advocacy Office (www.thegao.org)
Parent to Parent of Georgia (www.p2pga.org)
Technical College System of Georgia (www.tcsg.edu)
All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD) (www.aadd.org)
National Association of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) (www.nadsp.org)
Tennessee Microboard Association – Dr. Ruthie Beckwith (www.tnmicroboards.org)

View Our Real Support Resources