Commonwealth Conversations: Health and Human Services

The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission partners with companies in Massachusetts to place people with disabilities in the workforce

By MRC Director of Statewide Job Placement Services William Allen

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) recently announced that the overall unemployment rate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is 6.9%. According to the U.S. Department of Labor,  however, the unemployment rate for a person with a disability jumps to 14.6 %. 

A person with a disability has to work even harder to compete in a very tight job market. In order to counteract this disparity, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) has forged partnerships with the business community to promote the employment of people with disabilities.  Economists at the University of California and Berkeley indicate that structural unemployment reflects deeper problems such as a mismatch between the skills workers have, and the ones employers need. Structural unemployment, unlike cyclical unemployment, doesn’t disappear when the economy improves. Cyclical refers in this situation to seasonally adjusted unemployment rates.  During certain times of the year people are laid off or hired to increase in productions needs of the business or organization.  Structural unemployment refers to skills that are not sufficient to meet the needs of the company

Over the last several years, the MRC has developed both Employer Boards, such as the Boston Employer Advisory Board, Springfield Business Advisory Board; and local collaboratives -- including the Greater Worcester Employment Resource Collaborative – to identify greater employment opportunities for job seekers with disabilities. These groups help job seekers with disabilities by providing them the opportunity to network directly with local Human Resource personnel, in order to get feedback directly from some of the largest employers in the state;  thus, the MRC gains first-hand knowledge of employers’ needs and requirements, and job candidates gain self-confidence and insight to the HR perspective. Companies choose whether or not they want to participate, recognizing that doing so will help bolster their company’s diversity initiatives, and give them direct access to an untapped pool of qualified candidates. This connection also provides employers with a network of resources available within the disability community.  

One of the innovative tools that MRC offers is the On-The-Job (OTJ) evaluation, which offers an employee exposure to a job prior to a permanent hire, giving both the company and the prospective employee with a disability a chance to evaluate whether it is the right fit.   During the past year, 3,061 persons with disabilities have gone to work as a result of vocational rehabilitation services offered by MRC. The OTJ evaluation is extremely valuable; offering a person with a disability that initial ‘foot in the door’ that might otherwise be closed.  The ordinary application process may screen out an individual with a disability, for reasons that include gaps in work history; due to being a brand new graduate with little work experience; and/or a late onset disability -- which caused a major mid-career interruption.  There are many Massachusetts employers, however, who see beyond the disability and hire an individual for the unique set of experiences and talent that he or she brings to the table. 

During the first week of May, MRC will host events geared toward promoting the employment of individuals with disabilities. The events’ keynote speakers will hopefully inspire other employers who may be on the fence about employing individuals with disabilities, and at the same time, recognize the companies in the Commonwealth that have successfully hired individuals with disabilities.

Following are upcoming MRC events:

May 1 – Greater Worcester Employment Resource Collaborative The Greater Worcester Employment Resources Collaborative (GWERC) is hosting an employer recognition breakfast at the Skyline Bistro Conference Center, at the Worcester Vocational High School on May 1. Three Worcester area employers will be recognized for their exemplary leadership in hiring individuals with disabilities.  Harr Dodge, Wegman’s Food Markets, Akuity Technologies, Inc. will all be receiving awards. Keynote speakers are Nancy Jodoin, RN and Susan Dally RN Manager, Long Term Care Solutions, both of whom will share their stories as registered nurses returning to work after significant visual impairments.  A buffet breakfast will be prepared by the culinary students of Worcester Technical High School.   

May 4 – Greater Boston Employment Breakfast - May 4^th marks the 15^th Annual Greater Boston Employer Award Breakfast (GBEAB), at the Boston Marriott Copley. This year the GBEAB is recognizing Suffolk University, Spaulding Rehabilitation, TJ Maxx, and the Museum of Fine Arts as Distinguished Employers; it will also honor state Fish and Wild Life Services and the Psychological Center with Certificates of Appreciation. The keynote speakers are Oswald “Oz” Mondejar, Vice President for Human Resources, Community Relations and Communications at Partners Continuing Care, Inc and Colleen Moran, Project Manager for Human Resources and Community Relations for Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. 

May 7 – MetroWest Work Opportunities Coalition Annual Employer Awards Luncheon The MetroWest Work Opportunities Coalition consists of representatives from several human service agencies, including MRC, that promote the hiring of individuals with disabilities. The ‘Accommodation Award’ recognizes MetroWest employers’ efforts and commitment to employing and retaining people with disabilities. This ceremony is sponsored by the Framingham Rotary and will be held at Ken’s Steak House in Framingham.  The event starts at noon on May 7.

For more information about these events or how your company can work with the MRC in employing people with disabilities, please contact me at William.Allen@state.ma.us.

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DTA assists low-income households affected by the Back Bay blackout: Replacement SNAP benefits can be requested until close of business April 5

By DTA Commissioner Dan Curley

Few of us will forget the sight of the darkened Prudential Tower and surrounding buildings on the evening of March 13, especially those who live in the immediate area and were forced to evacuate their homes. A fire at an NSTAR substation in Boston’s Copley Square resulted in widespread power outages that affected more than 20,000 people – some for as long as six days. 

Many of the residents cast into the dark that night are elderly and disabled individuals who live in senior, public, and privately-managed low-income housing. The City of Boston and the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) acted quickly on behalf of these individuals to ensure they would not go hungry. Households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can request replacement benefits if food is lost due to a disaster or household misfortune such as fire, flood, loss of electricity, equipment (refrigerator/freezer) failure or other disaster.

Additionally, DTA asked for, and recently received, a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to give residents an additional ten days to request replacement SNAP benefits. Requests can be made until close of business on Thursday, April 5. Getting this extension is especially critical because many evacuated residents were unable to contact a DTA office until recently, and others were unaware they could request additional help.

Since the blackout, the Department has received and processed hundreds of requests for replacement SNAP benefits, primarily through the DTA office on Massachusetts Avenue in Newmarket Square.   

As always, I am proud of my team for their work assisting people during challenging times. I am also very pleased with our collaboration with the City of Boston, and I appreciate the Mayor’s concern for affected Boston residents and willingness to partner with the Department to administer replacement SNAP benefits. Working together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of people in need. If you know someone who receives SNAP benefits and lost food during the power outage, please encourage him or her to call us at 1-800-445-6604 by close of business on April 5.        

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National Brain Injury Awareness Month: Reaching Out to Veterans

By Nicky Osborne, Director of Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) - Brain Injury & Statewide Specialized Community Services (BI&SSCS)

March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month, when the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) redoubles its efforts to promote awareness that a brain injury can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone – a brain injury does not discriminate. In fact, every year 1.7 million Americans sustain a brain injury. The estimated cost of traumatic brain injury (TBI) nationally, including treatment and lost productivity, is $76.3 billion per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Massachusetts alone, 51,000 residents —indeed our loved ones, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and coworkers -- sustain a TBI every year. 

Lately, TBI has been in the news as the public is riveted by the remarkable story of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her recovery, as well as by recent research on the effects of repeated concussion among both high school football players and professional athletes such as Marc Savard of the Bruins hockey team. There is another group of Americans for whom TBI has become a distinguishing and invisible wound: returning veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In general, TBI is a disruption of brain function typically due to a blow or jolt to the head, from incidents such as car crashes, falls, physical assaults and gunshots. No two brain injuries are alike: lasting effects can include a combination of memory problems; issues concerning judgment and socially acceptable behavior; high levels of frustration; fatigue; barriers to physical ability (including speech, vision, hearing, sensation) and chronic pain. Soldiers serving in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) are particularly vulnerable to TBI from warfare and the impact of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). 

MRC’s Brain Injury & Statewide Specialized Community Services (BI&SSCS) department is proud to have been awarded a federal grant for $530,000 that focuses on identifying women and minority OEF/OIF veterans in the state who may have sustained TBI and are traditionally underserved.  Perceptions about the military culture may make soldiers feel they have to “tough it out” if they are experiencing any problems after an injury.  Women and minority service members especially seem reluctant to self-identify and seek help.  BI&SSCS is working on reaching out to these service members and to better understand their unique needs as well as the cultural and other barriers that may delay serving them.

Three upcoming MRC events are geared toward promoting brain injury awareness:

• Weekend Retreat for Veterans with TBI in Groton (March 16-18) – this 3-day event offers education about brain injury, workshops, resources, holistic methods for stress management, accommodations and meals for returning veterans with TBI, including but not limited to women and service members from culturally diverse groups, and their families.  Small group sessions will be facilitated by clinicians in a safe, supportive environment.  This event is offered in collaboration with Project New Hope, an organization offering retreats as a way to improve quality of life for combat veterans by helping them heal, cope, reintegrate and reconnect with their families.  More information is available at their website (www.projectnewhopema.org).
   
• Screening Clinics will be held throughout the month of March at the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, the Soldiers' Home in Chelsea, the Veterans Center in Hyannis, the Worcester Veterans Center, and the Springfield Veterans Clinic. Confidential diagnostic interviews and screening by neuropsychologists will be offered to OIF/OEF veterans who may have sustained a brain injury in combat or from other causes during military service.  In addition, staff from the BI&SSCS-Statewide Head Injury program (SHIP) will be onsite to assist with filling out applications for services from SHIP.  SHIP coordinators will also provide information and resources at these regional screening clinics.  For exact dates of these clinics, please contact Felisha Bennett at 617-204-3852 or Felisha.Bennett@ state.ma.us.

• Symposium for Women and Minority Veterans – recognizing that the military experience of women veterans and service members of diverse cultures often differs from that of the mainstream armed forces, this conference will explore the unique needs and challenges related to gender and cultural roles, particularly within the family structure.  Participants will have the opportunity to share experiences and receive support from their peers, as well as learn more about TBI and available services and supports.  This symposium will be held on June 16 at UMass-Boston and on June 23 at Springfield College.  Secretary of Veterans’ Services Coleman Nee, is expected to deliver the opening remarks at both events.   

Promoting awareness of brain injury as what is sometimes a lifelong condition is the first step toward MRC’s goal of early and equal access to services, supports and compassion. BI&SSCS hopes that grant opportunities such as this one will help Veterans with TBI overcome stigma and find the strength and courage to seek help and choose healing.                    

For more information about any MRC BI&SSCS or SHIP activities for Veterans, please contact Felisha Bennett at 617-204-3852.

 

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The role of the Office for Human Rights (OHR) at the Department of Developmental Services

By DDS Commissioner Elin Howe

Many of you may be familiar with the mission and work of the Department of Developmental Services but may be less familiar with the Department’s Office for Human Rights (OHR). This important office oversees a system of safeguards to affirm, promote and protect the human and civil rights of the people that the Department supports. OHR ensures that DDS clients are engaged to the greatest extent possible in directing their own lives and is dedicated to helping individuals overcome obstacles so they may lead vibrant, satisfying lives. OHR provides support and oversight to the Department's human rights agenda, and works with other offices and divisions across state government to identify and clarify rules and regulations that affect individual human rights.

The core values of our Human Rights agenda include rights of:

• Dignity
  
• Self-determination
  
• Habilitative Care and Competent Treatment
  
• Communication
  
• Relationships
  
• Privacy
  
• Personal Safety
  
• Personal Property
• Education
  
• Employment
• Compensation
  
• Community Membership

OHR stands firmly on the principle that individuals have the right to be treated with respect and must have the opportunity to make meaningful choices and informed decisions about their lives. Individuals have the right to privacy in numerous areas including: during care of their personal needs; in all forms of communication; during personal visits within one’s home and personal space, and confidentiality with the exchange of their individual information. All DDS clients have the right to equal access to opportunities for education and employment; and all individuals who are employed have the right to be fairly compensated for the work that they do.

Each DDS client is appointed a Human Rights Officer who is responsible for managing trainings and support for the client and his or her family on issues related to community living and issues at home. These officers also offer advice, information, and guidance to direct DDS staff on human rights issues. The Department also works within Human Rights Committees to help service providers determine how they will affirm, promote, and protect the human and civil rights of DDS clients. These committees also monitor and review the activities of providers to ensure that these rights are preserved. Human Rights Committees are fully empowered under Department regulations to take action as needed to uphold these rights, particularly as they relate to any limitation of an individual’s movement, or other restrictions being placed on an individual. There is also a statewide Human Rights Advisory Committee (HRAC) that advises me, as well as the OHR Director on efforts to fulfill the obligations of the office to protect human rights.

If you would like more information about OHR, please email the Director for Human Rights at DDS, Tom Anzer: Tom.C.Anzer@state.ma.us

 

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Six years of creating opportunities to purchase assistive technology

By MRC Commissioner Charles Carr

 

In December the Massachusetts Assistive Technology Loan Program commemorated six years of successfully securing more than $8.6 million in low-interest loans to state residents with disabilities and their families so they can buy equipment and services that help them live, learn, work and play more independently. 

 

The program has made a vast difference in the lives of people like Roger.^* Roger was born into adversity. His mother had advanced ovarian cancer while she was pregnant, a condition neither were expected to survive. Roger was born two months premature in 1951, a time when ‘preemies’ were promptly incubated with high concentrations of oxygen. Today, it is well known that this treatment causes permanent blindness in newborns.

 

Growing up blind in the 50s and 60s, Roger defied the era's expectations, earning a master’s degree in human services and nurturing an abiding passion for audio editing. (His parents owned a movie theater while he was growing up, which Roger says sparked this interest). Roger’s work history is long and varied, from his early work in the movie house, to positions in the social services arena, to owning and operating his own sound studio. It's a history with numerous ups and downs, from taking highly-paid positions in high-tech to experiencing hard times that included losing his business, overcoming an aggressive cancer, and more recently, experiencing sudden and permanent hearing loss.

 

It was this last challenge that brought Roger to the Massachusetts Assistive Technology Loan Program. Initially, Roger says, he didn’t want to deal with the hearing impairment, but feelings of profound isolation lead him to an audiologist, who helped him get hearing aids covered by MassHealth. These helped him get around, and the cheaper hearing aids meant he could listen to the radio, but his passion for sound engineering remained out of reach.

 

Roger’s colleague – and a flyer that advertised free high-tech hearing screenings – transformed his outlook. Roger’s colleague was interested in setting up a sound studio, and in employing Roger full-time at the studio. He urged Roger to go to a screening.

 

It was at the hearing screening that Roger learned about digital hearing aids, which use an advanced technology to enable users to hear frequencies, some which Roger hadn't heard in years.   

 

The problem was affording it.

 

Roger’s requests for funding were denied by many agencies and the private charities he approached required matching funds. Roger finally found his way to the AT Loan Program, which is operated through the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC), Easter Seals and Sovereign Bank. Although he was turned down initially for the loan, as Roger recalls, "Easter Seals didn't give up on me. Leo (program coordinator at Easter Seals) encouraged me to appeal and he even had ideas about the kind of additional information I should gather that would help." 

 

Today, Roger and his colleague run a fully operational sound studio. They've produced their first album and are beginning to generate revenue. Roger makes regular loan payments for his high-tech hearing aids. The payments, he admits, are tight, as he relies on Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), but for now, Roger stresses, "Winners never quit and quitters never win. The people at Easter Seals really treated me like a human being and I'm not going to let them down, not after the way they went to bat for me.”

 

MRC’s Assistive Technology Loan Program has proven to be another effective tool for people with disabilities and their families to purchase life-changing assistive technology that is often prohibitively expensive. This technology often makes a critical difference fostering independence, productivity, and a higher quality of life for individuals with disabilities. To learn more about the program I urge you to visit www.massatloan.org.

 

*Client name changed for this post.

 

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Fostering ‘epic’ experiences and building a stronger workforce

By Massachusetts Commissioner for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Heidi L. Reed

 The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH) is committed to supporting deaf and hard of hearing residents look for, and transition to, gainful employment so that they may live and work independently. Last summer alone, more the agency place more than 70 deaf and hard of hearing students in internships through the Transition to Work Program, which is administered by MCDHH in close collaboration with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC). The program has created opportunities for young people with hearing impairments to take pivotal steps towards self-sufficiency and independence through employment.  One of the fundamental goals of this program is to prepare students for their next year of school, help them identify their career goals and provide  the work experience necessary for competitively entering  the labor force  once they have graduated from high school or college. 

As one student reflected, “Working at the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for six weeks was much appreciated. I enjoyed working with the staff in the Referral Department. They were great and communicated well. I realized my role of being a good worker as they asked me to work with them again next year. This job was a good match.”

Student interns within the MCDHH internship program came from across the state; their backgrounds varied in many ways and their ages ranged from freshmen in high school to seniors in college.  Similarly, their internships varied;  some worked in state agencies, others in non-profit organizations and private companies. The internship responsibilities varied from accounting to early child development.  They participated in an orientation session, learning lunch, and workshops on professionalism, resume writing, searching for jobs, and presentations from Deaf professionals.  The interns who were placed in summer positions at MCDHH ‘s Boston headquarters assisted with projects in our Business Office and Referral Department.

“Without this opportunity, I may not have had any knowledge or skills outside the world [of school]. I may consider beginning my career in the MBTA after my graduation from Gallaudet University. Thank you, MCDHH for giving me an opportunity to grab this wonderful epic experience through the summer time,” – said one summer intern for the MBTA.

The success of the Transition to Work program relies on committed employers participating as partners to provide challenging and demanding work experiences for the interns.  State agencies, private sector companies, schools, colleges and universities were among the employers who partnered with MCDHH last summer.  And, at the end of the summer, employers that participated reported an extremely high level of satisfaction and appreciation for the interns’ skills and hard work. One supervisor, Mike Festa,  a senior technical project manager in the Department of System-Wide Accessibility at the MBTA, nominated the program for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) Community Recognition Award based on his experience as a supervisor.   Because of Mike’s efforts, on Monday, October 17, MCDHH Deputy Commissioner Patricia Ford accepted a Community Recognition Award on behalf of the agency’s Transition to Work Program. In addition to Deputy Commissioner Ford, Omar Olazabal, one of the program coordinators who helped make the program a success last summer, attended. The award was presented by MassDOTas part of a state-sponsored Disability Awareness Month event designed to educate and inform the general public, as well as recognize the public’s role in supporting individuals who are living with disabilities and are part of the Commonwealth’s diverse workforce. MCDHH’s collaboration with MRC, MassDOT, and multiple other key players moves our ability to builda stronger workforce for Massachusetts, which benefits all of us.

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Another step forward to integrate care for MassHealth and Medicare members

By Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby

I am delighted to update you on a very important MassHealth initiative. Readers of “Commonwealth Conversations: Health and Human Services” may have read about this initiative in June. MassHealth and the federal government are working together to design and implement a new care model for individuals ages 21-64 who are eligible for both MassHealth and Medicare, so that they receive all of their benefits in a seamless, integrated way. 

Last week, MassHealth published a draft Demonstration Proposal that outlines our approach to this demonstration. For more information, read our proposal online (click on “Related Information” to find it). 

Fundamentally, we want this proposal to assist dual eligible individuals, ages 21-64, who choose this new option to experience improved quality of care and greater access to long-term community support services and behavioral health care. The new care model will:

• Ensure that eligible individuals receive all of their MassHealth and Medicare benefits through a single program;

 

• Enable dual eligible individuals to use new services that MassHealth and Medicare do not currently cover, including home modifications, peer supports, and expanded behavioral health services;

 

• Provide each dual eligible individual with a care team that is responsible for helping the member access and manage acute medical, primary care and behavioral health services, and provides access to a coordinator of long-term supports and services;

 

• Assign a team member to track and coordinate all of the providers involved in providing services and keeps the primary care team informed.

Behind the scenes, the new integrated care organizations (ICOs) that will be delivering this option will focus on ensuring that each member gets the right care at the right time and place. This means the ICOs will help people manage chronic illnesses, disabling conditions, and other health and wellness challenges from day to day, so they can avoid emergencies and hospitalizations and maintain functional status. The ICOs will be held accountable by MassHealth and Medicare for helping members stay as healthy as possible. The ICOs will also need to partner with others to ensure members receive the full spectrum of services, including Independent Living Centers (ILCs), Aging Service Access Points (ASAPs) home health agencies and behavioral health providers. In addition, primary care teams may include community health workers, peer specialists, and others who have expertise in helping individuals with disabilities.  

Numerous people and many organizations are involved in ensuring the success of this initiative. Input from members, advocates, community-based organizations, medical providers, health plans, and others has shaped MassHealth’s draft Demonstration Proposal. MassHealth has convened public meetings, sought feedback from members, received written comments, and has had countless conversations to inform this dialogue. Each stakeholder has a viewpoint worthy of consideration, and can play a role in making this program optimally beneficial to dual eligible individuals. We look forward to engaging in ongoing public dialogue, as we continue designing and proposing an implementation strategy.

After we receive public comment about our draft Demonstration Proposal, we will revise it before submitting it to CMS for ongoing negotiations about the details. There are upcoming public hearings on the proposal. Following are the details:

 –               December 16, 2011, 1 pm to 4 pm
                   Worcester Public Library
                   Saxe Room
                   3 Salem Square
                   Worcester

–                January 4, 2012, 10 AM to 1 PM*
                   State Transportation Building, Conference Rooms 2 & 3
                   10 Park Place
                   Boston 

*Please note:  change from the previously announced time 

Stay up to date with this project by visiting www.mass.gov/masshealth/duals and look for further updates in this blog space. We also welcome feedback from you!  Email your comments to: duals@state.ma.us.  I look forward to providing you more updates in the future.

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“It Takes a Village…”

By Director of Assistive Technology for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Karen Langley

There is an old African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.”  When the child has a disability, it can take the involvement of many state agencies to make a real difference in that child’s life.

When Mary Doherty, a social worker at the Department of Children and Families (DCF), first learned of Joe* it was in her capacity assessing the health and safety of homeless children. Joe and his mother had recently moved to Massachusetts (where Joe’s mother has family ties) from Georgia and were homeless. What makes Joe different from most other homeless children is that he has cerebral palsy and he cannot walk. At age 5, Joe had outgrown his wheelchair, and his family’s application in Georgia for a new one had been delayed.  Joe’s mother moved north without the wheelchair, forcing her to carry Joe everywhere.

Mary’s first inclination was to call me. I am the Director of Assistive Technology and Community Support programs within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Mary called to seek help getting Joe’s Medicaid benefits transferred from Georgia, find him a donated wheelchair and locate accessible housing for Joe and his family.  My experience with assistive technology and housing in Massachusetts has afforded me with directly applicable knowledge of what programs and staff were available to first tackle the task of finding Joe a wheelchair.  I immediately contacted programs that I knew supported wheelchair recycling programs at two independent living centers.  Tom Filiault, from the Stavros Center for Independent Living in Western Massachusetts, responded right away that he had two pediatric wheelchairs.  Pictures of the wheelchairs were forwarded to Joe’s mother, and she selected one.  The next question was: How to transfer the wheelchair from Amherst to Lynn where Joe was living with his mother in a second floor, inaccessible apartment?  It took a few days to coordinate, but Tom drove to Worcester and delivered the chair to me; I drove it to Boston and delivered it Mary at DCF. Mary brought it to Joe. 

Mary said both Joe and his mother were thrilled with the wheelchair; Joe got in it right away and began pushing himself around. “It was wonderful to see the smile on his face and now he can go to school,” said Joe’s mom. The only problem was that the leg rests were not adjusted to his height and Joe’s mother couldn’t figure out how to change them.  Mary again called me for help.  I reached out to Tom Mercier, director of the Department of Developmental Services’ Kelley Assistive Technology Center in Danvers, to ask for his help.  Tom arranged to stop by Joe’s apartment on his way home from work.  He was able to quickly adjust the leg rests and show Joe’s mom how she could do it on her own and as her son grows. He also informed her how to go about getting a new wheelchair when Joe needs it.

With the first task done, the next challenge was to find accessible housing for Joe and his mom.  Mary indicated that the family was eligible for a voucher under the Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) new Home Base Program.  What was needed was to find a wheelchair-accessible, two-bedroom unit in Lynn where Joe and his mom have a support network. 

Using the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission-funded, online Mass Access Housing Registry, operated by Citizen’s Housing and Planning Associates, I found a two-bedroom, wheelchair accessible unit in Ipswich; I passed the information on to Mary. At the same time, Mary and I had each contacted staff at the Lynn Housing and Neighborhood Development (LHAND) to let them know about the need for an accessible unit for this family. LHAND was able to find an accessible unit that Joe’s mom chose;  Joe and his family are due to move in any day!

Throughout the process, MassHealth resolved the issue of Joe’s eligibility for a new wheelchair, thanks to the collective efforts of DCF and MassHealth staff.

It took a “village” of state agency staff – from the Department of Housing and Community Development, to the Department of Children and Families, to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, to the Department of Developmental Services and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to help Joe get his wheelchair, find his family accessible housing and obtain Joe’s MassHealth benefits, which enable him to attend school and begin a better life in Massachusetts.

Joe’s story is a wonderful example of cross-agency collaboration to help meet the needs of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable residents.  I am very proud of the team effort and of the dedicated staff who came together to create a village, prioritize Joe’s needs, deliver solutions and give Joe and his family tremendous support. My kudos and thanks to everyone who made this collaboration possible.

*Consumer name has been changed

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Giving Thanks by Giving Back

By DMH General Counsel Lester Blumberg

 

Each year the Wednesday before Thanksgiving I find myself walking into Florian Hall in Dorchester along with dozens of volunteers from the Department Mental Health, kids from local schools, members of the Boston Fire Department Local 718, Friends of Metro Boston, State Senator Jack Hart, and other friends of the mental health community. We proudly welcome and serve a Thanksgiving meal to more than 500 DMH consumers from all over the Metro Boston area.  It’s become a much-anticipated and fun DMH holiday tradition.

With Friends of Metro Boston as co-host of this large-scale annual feast, I’ve had the honor as a DMH staff member to be one of the event volunteers.  Every year we put on our chef’s hats (although we leave the cooking to the pros) and happily join the assembly line piling plates high with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the fixings, to deliver them to each of the guests at their seats as the sounds of live Irish and American folk music, laughter and conversation fill the room. It’s one big giant Thanksgiving table where everyone congregates and gets to enjoy themselves!

It always amazes and humbles me how we all come together. We are a community, honoring our fellow community members who every day live with mental illness and work very hard toward a successful recovery.  Individuals in DMH services often have a challenging road ahead as they surmount their illness and the stigma of mental illness that is unfortunately still prevalent in our society. Many are living in poverty, and working and dreaming of the kinds of things we so often take for granted including: a meaningful job, a sense of community, family and friendship.  As I thought about my own family’s Thanksgiving feast that Wednesday morning, I realized how privileged I am to spend a few hours helping to build, and more importantly, sustain that community.

This year’s DMH Thanksgiving Dinner was personally special for many reasons; here are just a few memories that stand out in my mind, the client who recognized me from last year and thanked me for coming again, the Boston firefighters who I have come to know from year to year who bring their own children -- each having grown taller and more mature-- and the glee of a 5^th grader who got to eagerly devour her own piece of pie after serving dozens of guests.  It seemed this year there were more school kids helping to serve dinner – even a group from Medfield High School  that joined us and provided smiles and hard work.  And of course, the satisfaction of having made a difference, even for one day, stays with me throughout the year.

It doesn’t take much effort to give a little of ourselves – but it is that effort, especially at this time of year, that reminds us how important our work is to the lives of the people we serve, and the honor it is to serve them.  I want to thank everyone who was able to attend the event this year and helped make it an event to remember!

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Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission goes global

By MRC Commissioner Charles Carr

Last week, I had the opportunity to meet with a dozen advocates and people with disabilities from Iraq, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait and Jordan. The delegation – sponsored by the U.S. State Department and hosted by WorldBoston, a non- profit agency dedicated to increasing public awareness about issues of global concern – convened to find out more about a variety of disability policy-related issues, including the formation of the Disability Rights and Independent Living movements, assistive technology, community organizing, sports and recreation for individuals with disabilities and many other issues.

I wove the fabric of my own story of growing up with a disability into a discussion of how I and others in Massachusetts changed our lives as well as the lives of others, sometimes by resorting to civil disobedience to get the job done.  I talked about living in an institution throughout my adolescence and early 20s and the struggle to fight for funding for the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) and community-based services, such as personal care assistance and opportunities to live in affordable, accessible housing.  Detailing how we organized people with disabilities in the state, and eventually nationally, to advance the cause of the independent living movement helped illustrate how even small groups with a common cause and passion can make a difference.  Changes in federal and state laws are the result of great sacrifice and struggle over 30 years to accomplish great strides for individuals with disabilities and arrive where we are today as a nation.

Despite a whirlwind two weeks in the U.S. and a packed agenda that started in Washington, DC, and brought the group from St. Louis to Boston, the group was remarkably attentive and engaged as they listened through their Arabic translator.  Questions came readily, such as “tell me more about the ADA” and “how did assistive technology change your life” and “what organized sports do Americans have access to?” The questions were as varied as the people and countries represented in the room. They understood the logical progression of assisting individuals with disabilities transition into community living, with the next step of entering the workforce independently.  MRC’s mission to assist people with disabilities so that they may live in the community and become employed was a natural fit with the group’s interests. We ended the forum with the realization that all of our countries, including the United States, have a lot of work to do before we ever see full community integration and acceptance. This small event was truly a global effort to develop an agenda for monumental change.

As part of the day’s agenda, the group visited the MRC-funded Assistive Technology Regional Center at Easter Seals in Boston.  Karen Langley, director of Assistive Technology and Community Support Programs within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and technology center staff gave the group a tour of the Center and demonstrated some of the many innovations that assist people with disabilities and elders so that they may function more independently.  Karen noted that the group was really taken by the Dragon Dictate software that enables speech recognition.  They wanted to know how much it cost and where they could buy it before they left. Although originally designed for people with limitations in their hands to use a computer, they immediately saw the value to the general public and the universal design principle of “design for all.” They were also interested in books and videos written by people with disabilities telling their own stories. Peer support and peer role modeling clearly in evidence and something the group fully understood and appreciated.

Access to the internet will allow for this robust exchange to continue well beyond the few hours we spent together.  An exchange of email addresses, helpful websites and YouTube videos of people with disabilities engaged the group and wrapped up the afternoon. The group was confident that by sharing these resources and bringing back their experiences in the U.S., they will change the beliefs and attitudes of many people in their own countries to open the doors for their independence as people with disabilities.

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