Developmental Disabilities Newsletter

August/September 2004 Volume 7; Issue 4

HHS APPROVES TEXAS PLAN TO HELP MORE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AT HOME

HHS Secretary approved an expansion of a Texas program to help individuals with disabilities remain in their homes and out of institutions.

The program adds 500 individuals to one of the state's Medicaid home and community-based services waivers that provides services to persons who are developmentally disabled or mentally retarded who otherwise would require care in a specialized care facility. Individuals served under the waiver will receive respite care, minor home modifications to improve accessibility, skilled nursing, adaptive aids, specialized therapies, dental treatment and other services. The waiver program currently serves 8,000 individuals.

The plan furthers goals of helping people live independently in their homes and communities, rather than entering institutions. The waiver renewal will give more individuals the kind of benefits needed to stay out of institutions and remain a part of their communities.

Through the home and community-based waiver program, more people with disabilities can live full, productive lives in their communities.

Medicaid is a state/federal matching program to provide health care services to certain low-income populations, primarily children, adults with disabilities and the elderly. States and the federal government share the cost of the Medicaid program.

Taken from: HHS Press
7/09/2004

THE CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY TO STUDY CHILDHOOD VIOLENCE RELATED TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Through a grant from the National Institutes of Health, Creighton University will begin a study that looks at the consequences of childhood exposure to violence among people with disabilities.

The five-year, $2.5 million grant will pay for a study involving 4,000 participants over the age of 18 from Nebraska and Iowa.

The study, being led by Dr. Patricia Sullivan, will examine how childhood exposure to violence within the family or in the community affects people and how that impact might differ in people with disabilities. There search will focus on individuals with speech and language disorders, learning and developmental disabilities, physical disorders, and hearing and visual impairment.

Studies which have been done since 1990, have shown that children with disabilities were 3.5 times more likely to be victims of child abuse and neglect. For additional information go to www.jointogether.org

Taken from: Join Together Online
6/16/2004

GoGirlsGo! Grants Target At-Risk Girls

The Women's Sports Foundation is accepting applications for its GoGirlsGo! Grant and Education Program, which supports sports and physical-activity programs for girls. The GoGirlsGo! program focuses on funding initiatives for girls that combine athletic instruction and programming with the delivery of educational information designed to reduce risk behaviors.

The Women's Sports Foundation directs its funding to economically disadvantaged girls and/or girls from populations with high incidences of health-risk behaviors. Organizations, agencies and schools are eligible to apply for the grant. Up to $200,000 in grants will be awarded. Funds can be used for athletic equipment, supplies, facility rental, league/tournament fees, travel, coaching, scholarships, and/or program administration expenses associated with girls' sports and physical-activity programs. The application deadline is Nov. 30. Complete program guidelines, application instructions, and an FAQ are available at the Women's Sports Foundation website.

Taken from: Join Together Online-7/09/2004

LARGE PERCENT OF YOUTH NOT WORKING AND NOT ATTENDING SCHOOL

Despite the marked improvement in the lives of American children, a new study finds rising numbers of "disconnected" young adults those who have no job, are not in school and have not progressed beyond a high school diploma. The Annie E. Casey Foundation study, offering an annual measure of how children are faring, showed that nearly one in six young adults - 3.8 million Americans from 18 to 24 - was not in school or the workplace in 2002. Although, American children were much better off early this decade than in the mid-1990s, according to a host of indicators: fewer babies died in infancy; kids were less likely to live in poverty; and, fewer were dropping out of school. Between 1996 and 2001, improvements were reported in eight of the 10 indicators that the report uses to measure success. Among those measures: children in poverty; children living with a parent who lacks a secure year-round job; and, children dropping out of high school.

Child advocates identified a disturbing trend - 15 percent of 18- to 24year olds are "disconnected," meaning not in school or the workplace. The number of those young adults grew by 700,000, a 19 percent increase over three years. Over 3.8 million disconnected youth face a greater likelihood of bad outcomes, now and in the future, which hold severe implications for society. On the upside, 21 states and Washington, D.C., improved on at least 7 out of 10 indicators of child well-being. Thirtyfive states and Washington improved on at least 6 out of 10 indicators.

The report, based on government data, found that between 1996 and 2001:

The report found conditions for children the best in Minnesota, followed by New Hampshire, New Jersey, Iowa, Utah, Vermont, Connecticut, North Dakota, Massachusetts and Nebraska.

Conditions were the worst in Mississippi, then Louisiana, New Mexico, Alabama, South Carolina, Arizona, Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia and North Carolina.

To obtain the full report you may go to: www.kidscount.org

Taken from: ACF DHHS gov/news/facts
06/03/2004

First On-Line Professional Training Conference On The Abuse of Children and Adults with Disabilities

The online training conference is funded through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, part of the Office of Justice Programs in the U.S. Department of Justice; and is presented by ARC Riverside California, a private, non-profit corporation devoted to improving the welfare of individuals with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities and their families.

WHERE: http://disability-abuse.com

WHEN: Thursday, September 9 through Wednesday, September 29, 2004

WHAT: An online conference consisting of 22 ONE-HOUR Webinars (online seminars) that you can conveniently attend from any computer connected to the Internet!

Extensive access to 22 top experts -- each of our training faculty will provide you and your classmates with 10 hours of contact between September 9, 2004 and January 31, 2005.

One-year membership in our disabilities and abuse network, including: Continuous access to online training materials until August 2005.

WHO: All professionals and all workers in the fields of abuse victimization and/or disabilities. Topics include: prevention, identification, investigation, prosecution and treatment. Seminars will concern casework and care-giving where people with disabilities are victims of child abuse, domestic violence, dependent adult abuse, and elder abuse.

HOW: Visit http://disability-abuse.com to register by September 1, 2004 to be eligible to receive full continuing education credits.

FREE CD-ROM

An educational Spanish CD-ROM set, Mama Sana, Bebe Sano, about preconception, pregnancy and newborn care is available. The set includes one CD-ROM which is designed for personal use in homes, in clinics, libraries, etc. The other CD-ROM is designed for health educators, nurses, medical doctors, or healthcare professional to use in prenatal education classes and other educational settings.
If interested, e-mail sneed@marchofdimes.com with your mailing address and phone number to receive your free copy of the CD-ROM (while supplies last).

CONFERENCE: 2ND ANNUAL SERIOUS PHYSICAL

The conference is sponsored by the Shaken Baby Alliance. This is a nationally & internationally significant conference, with last year's conference bringing together East Coast, West Coast and Scotland Yard.

The conference cuts across the full continuum of stakeholders: including child protective services, law enforcement, judicial, prosecutorial, and medical/forensics.

For more information visit the website for updates at: www.shakenbaby.com The Shaken Baby Alliance. Should you have any questions, you may ca11817-721-3738.

WHERE IS IT FOUND IN THE DD ACT?

...(15) there needs to be greater effort to recruit Individuals from minority backgrounds into professions serving individuals with developmental disabilities and their families;

REVISED MEDICARE OBESITY COVERAGE POLICY

HHS announced a new Medicare coverage policy that would remove barriers to covering anti-obesity interventions if scientific and medical evidence demonstrate their effectiveness in improving Medicare beneficiaries' health outcomes.

By law, Medicare covers specified medically necessary services for illness and injury. This new policy from HHS' Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) removes language in the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual stating that obesity is not an illness. This step allows members of the public to request that Medicare review medical evidence to determine whether specific obesity-related treatments would be covered by Medicare.

Medical science will now determine whether we provide coverage for the treatments that reduce complications and improve quality of life for the millions of Medicare beneficiaries who are obese. For more information you may go to: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ncdr/searchdisplay.asp?id=57.

Taken from: HHS Weekly Report
07/18-24/2004

HIGHEST RATE OF CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY

The annual Kids Count report, released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, found New Mexico had the highest rate of children living in poverty in 2001 and did better than Louisiana and Mississippi in its overall ranking of the well-being of its children. That overall ranking fell from a 46th place finish in last year's report. Nationally, between 1996 and 2001, improvements were reported in eight of the 10 indicators that the report uses to measure success. Among those measures: children in poverty, children living with a parent who lacks a secure year-round job and children dropping out of high school.

New Mexico improved its child poverty rate over the same period, going from 32 percent to 26 percent. The state also improved in six other areas, including the child death rate, high school dropout rate and teen death rate by accident, homicide or suicide. However, the highest ranking New Mexico attained in any of the improved areas in the latest report was 35th, registering a 59 percent rate for teen deaths by accident, homicide or suicide. That compared with a 50 percent national average, based on 2001 figures.

The report also ranked New Mexico, at 34 percent, worst for children living with a parent who lacks a secure year-round job and second to last, at 36 percent, for percent of families with children headed by a single parent. The numbers also show 16 percent of New Mexico children without insurance in 2001 compared with a national average of 12 percent.

Overall, the report found conditions worst for the well-being of children in Mississippi, then Louisiana, New Mexico, Alabama, South Carolina, Arizona, Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia and North Carolina. Conditions were best in Minnesota, followed by New Hampshire, New Jersey, Iowa, Utah, Vermont, Connecticut, North Dakota, Massachusetts and Nebraska. For additional information you may go to - Kids Count: http://www.kidscount.org OR New Mexico Voices for Children: http://www.nmadvocates.org

Taken from: The Associated Press State & Local Wire
6/2/2004

FINANCE CORNER

Employee Morale, Health, and Welfare Costs
OMB Circular A-87 (Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments)

The costs of employee information publications, health or first-aid clinics and/or infirmaries, recreational activities, employee counseling services, and any other expenses incurred in accordance with the governmental unit's established practice or custom for the improvement of working conditions, employer-employee relations, employee morale, and employee performance are allowable.

Such costs will be equitably apportioned to all activities of the governmental unit. Income generated from any of these activities will be offset against expenses.

TAKE A LOVED ONE TO THE DOCTOR DAY

HHS Secretary launched the Third Annual "Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day" HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced on Monday, July 12 the kick off of this year's HHS-ABC Radio Networks campaign, "Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day." The campaign is designed to reduce health disparities affecting racial and ethnic minorities by encouraging individuals to go to a doctor or health professional for a health screening.

For the third year, Secretary Thompson designated as Sept. 21, 2004, "Take a Loved One To The Doctor Day" will rally minority consumers to visit a doctor, nurse or other health professional or make an appointment to see a health professional. Doctor Day is about bringing people to health care early, when diseases can be prevented or treated successfully. For campaign information and materials on "Closing the Health Gap" or "Take a Loved One To The Doctor Day" including a tool kit to help communities organize local health events please call 1-800-444-6472 or log onto www.healthgap.omhrc.gov.

Taken from: HHS Weekly
7/18-24/2004

DISABILITY MENTORING DAY
October 20, 2004

Disability Mentoring Day began in 1999 as part of a White House effort to increase the profile of National Disability Awareness Month, celebrated every October. Patterned after other mentoring activities such as the national Ground Hog Job Shadow Day in February, it is designed to give students with disabilities experience in the local business community that will assist them with career exploration and skill development.

Disability Mentoring Day provides private and public employers with an opportunity to tap a pool of potential future employees, help promote the employment of people with disabilities, demonstrate positive leadership in their community, and attract positive media attention. Participating students
Learn about business, possible careers and skills.

The DD Team Thanks the State Councils for the timely submittal of their State Plan Amendments.

WHERE'S IT FOUND IN THE DD ACT
ANSWER

Sec.l0l. Findings, Purposes, and Policy (a) Findings. (15)

The Region VI Developmental Disabilities Newsletter is issued 6 times a year by the Region VI Administration for Children & Families.

Look for the next Newsletter in November 2004

I have learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances. - Martha Washington

U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services
Administration for Children & Families
1301 Young Street,
Room 945 / ACF-3
Dallas, Texas 75202-5433

Administration for Children & Families - Region VI

Leon R. McCowan
Regional Administrator

Developmental Disabilities Team
Fax: 214-767-8124

Janice Davis, Team Leader
(214) 767-8075
jdavis@act.hhs.gov

Sharon Butler, Program Specialist
(214) 767-8093
sbutler@acf.hhs.gov