Commonwealth Conversations: Health and Human Services

HHS Secretary Polanowicz and DTA Commissioner Monahan Kick-Off the SNAP Challenge

Secretary Polanowicz with wife Kathleen, shopping for groceries at the Springfield Save-A-Lot

Secretary John Polanowicz kicked off the SNAP Challenge this week with a shopping trip at Save-A-Lot in Sprinfield to highlight the importance of this benefit as a front line defense against hunger. The Secretary is joining his family, Congressman James McGovern, Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner Stacey Monahan, Senator Jamie Eldridge and participants across the country in taking the challenge from June 13-19. Participants must live on a total food budget of $31.50 for the week, or the average, per-person federal SNAP benefit.

“While living on a food stamp budget for just a week cannot come close to the struggles encountered by low income families week after week, and month after month, it does provide those who take the challenge with a new perspective and greater understanding,” said Secretary Polanowicz.

 The challenge is designed to highlight the importance of the federal SNAP program as a front line defense against food insecurity. It culminates with a screening of the documentary, “A Place at the Table,” on June 19 at the State House. The screening is co-hosted by the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. 

In the Commonwealth, one in seven people are served through the Department of Transitional Assistance’s programs that provide access to critical food and cash assistance to help  families meet their basic needs. Of the nearly 900,000 residents throughout the Commonwealth receiving DTA services, the majority of clients are SNAP clients.

DTA Commissioner Monahan shopping for groceries at the Chelsea Market Basket

 “The average benefit for a client, at just $31.50 a week, $4.50 a day, or $1.50 a meal, is a modest benefit that helps to provide a bridge to stability during difficult times,” said DTA Commissioner Monahan, who shopped at the Market Basket in Chelsea. “We need to protect those benefits for those who truly need them.”

"I am proud to join the SNAP Challenge with Secretary Polanowicz, Congressman McGovern and DTA Commissioner Monahan as part of a national effort to highlight the importance of nutritional assistance programs and hunger prevention," said Senator Eldridge. "Living on $31.50 for a week pales in comparison to the barriers families across Massachusetts face every day and I am hopeful that participating in the SNAP Challenge will raise awareness of the long-term challenges of living on a food stamp budget."

2013 Massachusetts Commission for the Blind Internship Opening Ceremony: “Celebrating Ten Years”

 

The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB) recently held a celebration to kick off its tenth year of successfully placing interns across the Commonwealth. MCB hosted its annual Internship Opening Ceremony at One Ashburton Place in Boston on Wednesday, May 22, 2013. The ceremony was full of enthusiasm, excitement, and high expectations for this year’s group of 88 interns and their respective partnership sites.

This summer, interns will spend eight weeks gaining valuable experiences working for organizations in the public and private sectors, higher education, government, and the healthcare industry. The impressive list of internship sites includes the Governor’s Office, the Secretary of State, UMASS Boston, State Street Corporation, Verizon, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

More than the value to participants, the MCB Internship program educates employers throughout the Commonwealth about people with disabilities, illustrating how they demonstrate exactly the same skills as their other employees. Commissioner LaBreck created this program ten years ago to break down employment barriers for individuals who are blind.

The audience heard from Executive Office of Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz and MCB Commissioner Janet LaBreck. 

This year’s closing ceremony is scheduled to take place on August 13, 2013.                         

What Memorial Day Means to Me

 By Vanessa Desiato

When I was in sixth grade, I won a hometown contest where I gave a speech at our town’s Memorial Day services. I wrote that Memorial Day was when Americans remembered those who gave their lives for our country.

My brother told me that if he didn't come home from Iraq, that we should tell people that he did his job. He didn't come home. Those words have echoed through the past nine years of my life as my family tries to move forward. 

So what does Memorial Day mean to me, now that I'm older, more experienced, and a little bit
taller? It means we should stop and think about the sacrifices men and women have given to make this world a safer place for someone else, not just on Memorial Day, but every day.  As an intern at the Department of Veterans’ Services, serving Massachusetts' veterans, every day is a Memorial Day/Veteran’s Day hybrid. These soldiers are stronger and braver than I could ever imagine myself being. They are heroes. They are people like my brother, who heard the call to serve, and couldn’t be persuaded to do anything else. Someone I grew up with making snowballs, blowing up hotdogs, and climbing on, was a hero-in-the-making, and I had no idea.

Prior to my brother entering the military, Memorial Day was a morning service my parents got dressed up for while I watched them move around the house. I was unaware of the importance of these ceremonies, as well as the man Travis was going to become. I saw him as a typical teenage brother: the grumpy, football playing, camp counselor who let me follow him around. After he joined the military, he became the far away soldier who we sent care packages to every other week. Post boot camp, he was the brother who lived with his fiancée, came over multiple times a week, and was a far cry from the boy who wore ripped baggy jeans in high school.

I remember the days before he shipped out as snapshots: his foot powder getting all over our trampoline as we jumped in circles, dancing in front of him at his wedding so his fiancée could get upstairs in her wedding dress before it started, and accidentally “pantsing” him on the last dinner we had together, as I was refusing to let go of his waist.            

The military made my brother become the man he was meant to be. He wanted to help people and did that by joining the Marines, the only thing he felt he needed to do. My brother has shown me what dedication, honor, and respect are. He has shown me what it means to be a hero.

To me, Memorial Day is the day we remember what it means to be a hero. Heroism is deeply rooted in the soldiers we say goodbye to with our tear-stained faces, and those we welcome home with those happier tears. Memorial Day is the day we thank those who did not get the joyous homecoming, or have since been laid to rest. It is the day we remember the heroes who gave everything for the soldiers serving next to them and the people they left at home.

Memorial Day is a day we are reminded of what combat veterans have given to this country, whether it's years of service, the first year of their marriage, or their lives. Every combat veteran has given something to this country, without asking for anything in return. Memorial Day is a day to remember these men and women for who they are: heroes, who did their job.

Vanessa is a Gold Star sister, her brother Travis Desiato was killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004. She works for the Department of Veterans’ Services as an Intern, and just completed her first year at Emerson College as a Writing, Literature, and Publishing Major. She is from Bedford, Massachusetts.

 

May is Older Americans Month: Unleashing the Power of Age

A message from the Office of Elder Affairs Secretary Ann Hartstein

Fifty years ago, the youngest United States president designated May Senior Citizens Month.  At the time President Kennedy issued his proclamation, 17 million Americans had reached their 65^th birthday.  Medicare wouldn’t be enacted until 1965 and there were few federal and state benefits in place. Life expectancy was 66 years.

Today, there are more than 41 million Americans who have celebrated their 65^th birthday and their ranks are increasing at the rate of 10,000 per day.  Life expectancy is 78 years across the nation, and nearly 81 years in Massachusetts.  Seniors currently represent nearly 20 percent of the population, but by 2030, more than 26 percent of the country will be 65 or older.

This year, the theme of Older American’s Month – President Carter changed the name in 1980 – is Unleashing the Power of Age, which seems eminently appropriate given the numbers and longevity of today’s senior population.  More seniors are still working or looking for jobs, engaged in athletic activities, volunteering in their communities, retooling skills, following artistic pursuits, aging in place, and caring for family members.  With the advent of antibiotics, healthy lifestyles, greater access to health care and community supports, seniors remain in their homes, a visible part of the social spectrum.

Yet, one barrier remains inhibiting seniors from fully experiencing their power.  That barrier is ageism – the ingrained belief that seniors are less capable, less “with it,” less resilient than their younger peers.  Regrettably, many seniors believe that about themselves.  Ageism undermines the reality of senior accomplishments and abilities.  We fail to acknowledge that if someone has lived a long productive life, he or she probably has been doing something right and experience worth sharing.

Ageism fails to acknowledge that seniors are quite adaptable, having lived through multiple technological and social changes in their lifetimes. Many feel perfectly at home with computers, iPads, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and whatever other new media you can think of.  They were born into a century of unleashed technological power and they adapted to it.  Our misplaced assumptions about older people prevents us and them from realizing their full potential.  

Consider this: aging begins the day we are born. At every age, we unleash the power of age.

PSA From Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray: Marathon Recovery Resources

  

 Learn More: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/feature-story/marathon-recovery-resources.html

May is Mental Health Month: Take the Hero of Hope Pledge!

Since 1949, May has been officially recognized as Mental Health Month.  The first Thursday in May is celebrated as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, to raise awareness about the importance of children's mental health and that positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development from birth.

Over the next week, the Partnership for Early Childhood Mental Health, (which includes the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission) invites all state employees to take a pledge to nurture a child’s social and emotional development. Enter your pledge and state email address at www.ecmhmatters.org, in the “for families and friends” section, and you will be included in a raffle to win an Early Childhood Mental Health Matters t-shirt. 

 Why take the Hero of Hope Pledge?

 Early childhood mental health means that young children are growing in their ability to understand and share feelings, have close and positive relationships, and explore and learn. Studies show that good social and behavioral skills in young children lead to good academic performance in the 1st grade and beyond.

Like adults, all children experience stressful events which can affect them emotionally and physically. Parents and other caregivers can help children cope with stress in healthy ways. Even the youngest child will benefit from simple, every day activities that will provide her with security, safety, and a loving environment, be this at home, at childcare or at school. 

 

Help the child or children in your life develop their ability to cope with stress. Nurture healthy social and emotional development in babies and young children. Here are some things you can do:

	For Babies and Toddlers Rock, stroke, soothe and cuddle often. Use words of comfort to calm. Allow babies freedom to explore in safety. Encourage toddlers to calm themselves. Help your child to recognize feelings and develop language to express emotions. Help your child stick to a daily routine.		For Preschoolers and Older Children Spend time every day talking, discussing and sharing what's happening in your child's life. Discuss what it means to be a friend and help your child to make friends Practice effective ways to resolve conflict at school or on the playground. Praise completed tasks, perseverance, desired behavior. Build on developing an emotional vocabulary and how to label feelings. Model and teach attitudes of empathy and ways of caring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Moment of Silence - A message from Secretary Polanowicz

 

This past week has been traumatic and emotional for the city of Boston and its residents, but it has also brought out the best in people who have come together with hope and compassion to heal the city.

As President Obama said during his visit Thursday, as we begin “this long journey of recovery, your city is with you. Your Commonwealth is with you. Your country is with you.”

I want to thank everyone at HHS for joining together and contributing to these efforts. Several of our agencies assisted with crisis response and contributed to public health needs. Employees have staffed Family Access Centers and assisted hospitals with their efforts to coordinate care for the injured.

I also want to thank our employees from the greater Boston area for staying in their homes on Friday, which helped law enforcement do their jobs and bring resolution to this tragedy.

Today, Governor Patrick, Mayor Menino and One Fund Boston are leading a moment of silence, exactly one week following the Boston Marathon bombings. The minute of silence will take place at 2:50 p.m. to honor the victims of the attacks and their families. It will be followed by the ringing of bells throughout Boston and the Commonwealth. I hope all HHS offices and employees can participate. If you would like to make a donation to help the victims and their families, you can visit onefundboston.org.

Thank you,

John Polanowicz

Secretary

The Transformative Power of Performing Arts: Using Creative Arts to Strengthen DYS Youth Success

By Daisy Gomez-Hugenberger, Communications Coordinator, Department of Youth Services

Studies show that integrating the creative arts into a young person’s life enhances their academic, social, and personal developmental outcomes. The Department of Youth Services (DYS) uses creative arts programming to provide supportive relationships and to build skills that encourages their strengths while fostering their future potential as adults.

Kerrin is living proof that the arts can have a positive impact on a youth’s self-image and self-
esteem. She is doing just that through a collaborative program between the Department of Youth Services and the Actors’ Shakespeare Project, which provides innovative, statewide arts programing supported by DYS and educational partner the Commonwealth Corporation (Comm. Corp.).

As Kerrin was preparing to reenter the community, DYS staff created a plan that kept her connected to resources through Bridging the Opportunity Gap (BOG), an initiative that provides employment-related services for youth returning to their communities following residential treatment. Once home, Kerrin continued learning from the Actors’ Shakespeare Project and began a three month theatre intensive, attending rehearsals at The Charlestown Working Theater two to three times each week and working alongside teens from local high schools and the professional actors.

The moment arrived when her doubts and fears would dissolve on the stage and Kerrin played several characters during the three night production of Shakespeare’s Henry V, keeping her on stage throughout the entire two-hour performance.

Kerrin credits her DYS caseworker, Jayson Griffin and Actors’ Shakespeare Project instructor, Lori Taylor, with supporting her throughout this entire process: “They never lost faith in me and that made me want to work harder to memorize all my lines and have a good performance. There were times when I was nervous but this experience taught me that you have keep going and push through.”

Demonstrating the value of this important creative arts partnership, last month Commissioner Ed Dolan joined Mayor Thomas M. Menino to announce that the City of Boston will support the Actors’ Shakespeare Project by hosting a production of Romeo and Juliet Boston’s Strand Theatre in Dorchester.

With support from DYS staff and education providers, Kerrin currently is working with the Actors’ Shakespeare Project as a theatre intern and is excited to continue her involvement in the performing arts.

SECRETARY POLANOWICZ COMMENDS WORK OF AUTISM COMMISSION

Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz commended the members of the Governor’s Special Commission Relative to Autism for their important work in developing and releasing their report.

Secretary Polanowicz was joined by Representative Danielle Gregoire, Autism Commission Chair and former Representative Barbara L’Italien, Assistant Secretary for The Office of Disability Policy and Programs Rosalie Edes and Department of Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Elin Howe.

“The Patrick-Murray Administration has deep appreciation for the dedicated and comprehensive work that went into the Autism Commission,” said Secretary Polanowicz. “At the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, we share in a commitment to children and families living with autism and we look forward to continuing our work together.”

HHS has a number of programs that have a proven track record of helping children and adults with autism. In particular, at the Department of Public Health early intervention program has been a national leader in providing specialized services for toddlers with a diagnosis of autism so that they can have the appropriate treatments as early as possible, and at the Department of Developmental Services, the work of the Division of Autism and the Children's Autism Medicaid Waiver Program, has established a foundation upon which we can build additional services for children and adults on the spectrum.

As next steps, Secretary Polanowicz will direct HHS agencies to continue to engage in meaningful dialogue with the members of the Commission so as to develop strategies to meet the goals articulated in the Commission’s Report.  These include:

• Assessing the feasibility of expanding the eligibility criteria for the Department of Developmental Services to ensure that we comprehensively serve all individuals with developmental disabilities, including those with autism
• Examining what information and referral resources are currently available, what data systems are currently in use, and what can be better coordinated in this area
• Developing a task group to facilitate improved coordination of care management within HHS
• Strategizing to develop employment supports that are tailored to the unique needs of individuals with autism
• Determining what supports should be put into place to meet the needs of individuals with autism who need mental health and behavioral health services.

“Autism incidence is growing at an alarming rate, as evidenced by last week's CDC report which concluded  as many as 1 in 50 school-age children are on the Autism Spectrum,” said Commission Chair L’Italien. “As a parent, former State Representative and Chair of the Autism Commission, I have first-hand experience and knowledge of the critical, often  unmet needs of this growing population and its impact on individuals and their families. The Autism Commission report  is a collaborative effort of bipartisan members of the legislature, state agencies, leading medical practitioners, educators, advocates and parents which  details the current state of services and supports and recommends a ten-year blueprint to better manage the many challenges faced by children and adults with Autism. It is critical that Massachusetts take a comprehensive state-wide approach to the needs of this burgeoning population to allow them to live life to their fullest potential.”

The Autism Commission was created by Legislative Resolve in April 2010 and was given the broad charge of investigating individuals with autistic spectrum disorders and the range of services and supports necessary for those individuals to achieve their full potential across their lifespan, ranging from education, employment, housing, and health care.  

 

Happy Birthday, Affordable Care Act!

By Ann Hwang, Director of Health Care Policy and Strategy

Happy Third Birthday, ACA!

 

Three years ago, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

In its first three years, the ACA has already improved the lives of many. 

• About 71 million Americans in private insurance plans received expanded coverage of preventive services, such as mammograms and other cancer screenings, flu shots, and cholesterol checks, at no additional charge in 2011 and 2012. 
• Nearly 3.5 million people with Medicare saved an average of more than $706 each on their prescriptions in 2012. 
• There are 3.1 million young adults newly covered under their parents’ health plans. 
• Health Centers in Massachusetts have received $133 million in grants under the Affordable Care Act so that they can better serve their communities.

The most significant changes will come in January of 2014. This is when there will be expanded coverage through subsidies for low and middle income families, as well as even stronger consumer protections in the insurance market.

Here in Massachusetts, we are working hard to implement the law and to ensure that Massachusetts’ residents will have the full benefits of the ACA. These benefits include federal funding that will allow us to streamline and improve coverage for low income populations, even as we save state dollars. Our health insurance exchange, the Health Connector, is also taking on new responsibilities and enhancing its services. There is much to be done to get ready for January 2014.

But today we’ll take a minute to say “Happy Birthday” to a health care law that is already improving the health of Americans and that will bring many more benefits to come.