Want Advocacy?
For those of you who read this newsletter - I mean really read it, not flip through to monitor the headlines - you know that we touch upon advocacy in every issue.
This newsletter will be somewhat different, because we are touching upon advocacy on every page.
There are only a couple of non-advocacy articles this time, so if you are expecting some light reading, this is probably not going to be your cup of tea.
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| In Memory of Glen Adair Beacon Credit Union Walton's Little Mountain Golf Course In Memory of Jeryl Hamilton USW Local #4863 In Memory of Tom Price Joanne Timmons In Memory of Gretchen RiversUSW Local #4863 In Memory of Mary Russo Edith Myers Louise Peterson |
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Jeff Braun - Jeff's Tire & Alignment |
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Anonymous Jan Moyer Jennifer Zahrt DREAM HIGH SOCIETY Click Here |
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| Corinth Brethren Church Neil Hiatt Eva Howard Larry Isaacs Jacob's Closet Victoria Kirk Logansport Shrine Club Judy Luckey Pastor Kevin & Susan Marsh Pastor Glen Meyers Scarborough Fare (Lisa Day) Heather Swartzell Thrivent Financial for Lutherans |
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Anonymous (4) Kirby Risk of Lafayette Subaru of Indiana Automotive |
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Jeff Baker |
When looking into an uncertain future, my mother used to say, “Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.” Changes in the methods of distributing State funding for those with developmental disabilities will go into effect on July 1, 2008. These proposed changes cause us to feel uncertain about the future at Peak Community Services. We are, however, doing more than hoping for the best; we are proactively working to assure that the worst won’t happen. Yes, there is a plan in place for the worst, but we consider it to be Plan B.
Our concern is with a change in how Medicaid waiver services will be funded and offered to consumers. The change is called “OASIS,” which stands for Objective Assessment System for Individual Supports, and it applies to developmental disabilities, autism, and support services waivers, but does not apply to aged and disabled or traumatic brain injury waivers.
As those of you who have attended one of our monthly tours know, I have been working with people with intellectual disabilities since 1972. One of the things I have learned is that change is a constant. We are entering a time of significant change in how services are funded and the types of services for which the State of Indiana will pay. As an organization, we are committed to creating the most positive outcome possible within this changing environment.
Recently, we sent out an Open Letter summarizing the information we had as of that date on two projects the State of Indiana initiated in 2007. We also scheduled informational meetings for staff, parents, consumers, and advocates. I will not reiterate all of that information, but I will summarize a few of the main points.
In the early 1950s, some remarkable parents and advocates got together in communities all over the country. They shared their visions and together envisioned a world in which children with developmental disabilities would no longer be shunned by society. They would not be pushed to the background or treated as invisible. They would not be denied an education, be denied their hopes and dreams.
Together, they created new visions. In communities around the country, including right here in Cass and Pulaski Counties, those visions blossomed into educational programs, vocational support programs and supported living programs.
In each and every community, depending on the needs of the community, programs were established to sustain and support persons with developmental disabilities.
The transition from school to the workforce - or from the family home to a home of your own - is difficult for any young adult. For a young adult with a developmental disability, it is even more problematic.
Limited knowledge of funding options can lead to limited options and opportunity for your son or daughter upon graduation.
Get the facts. Start early. Don’t wait until your child is in or just leaving high school.
The Waiting List Grows
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Itty Bitty Comes to Visit
Read
Thrivent Financial Donation
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Your Membership Dollars Matter
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Our New & Renewed Members
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Logansport, IN 46947
574-753-4104
Winamac, IN 46996
574-946-6188
peak@peakcommunity.com
