Commonwealth Conversations: Health and Human Services

Department of Transitional Assistance receives special recognition from the Obama Administration for its tornado response

By Assistant Secretary for Children, Youth and Families Marilyn Chase

Following the unusual tornadoes that touched down last June in Central and Western Massachusetts, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) quickly responded to ensure assistance for affected residents. The DTA team exhibited tremendous fortitude, putting in long hours and collaborating with employees of multiple state agencies to deliver support to residents in need. For DTA’s hard work and efficiency, this week the Obama Administration recognized the Department for its achievement delivering disaster SNAP benefits (DSNAP).to residents of the Central and Western regions.

Acknowledging the national recognition of DTA, Governor Patrick said: "I'm proud of the Department of Transitional Assistance for its dedication to helping the residents of the Commonwealth who were devastated by last summer’s tornadoes. Massachusetts leads the nation in ensuring that vulnerable families and individuals have access to the services they need, and this recognition is a testament to the Department’s effectiveness.

DTA’s special recognition came from a recent review by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which looked at swift responses to disaster across the country. USDA noted DTA’s outstanding administration of DSNAP, noting that it was "impressed by the level of coordination and sophisticated systems that were developed in a matter of days to prepare for this operation, as well as the degree of customer service given to disaster victims seeking food assistance.”

DTA’s mission is to assist low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, increase their incomes and improve their quality of life. I’m very proud of the agency for staying committed to this mission, even during an emergency situation, and alleviated some of the strain on displaced families in the Central and Western parts of the state. This is a well-deserved honor.

Read the full press release here.

 

Increasing the dialogue on sexual assault awareness and prevention

By DPH’s Director of Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services Unit
Marci Diamond

Sexual violence is everyone’s issue: in fact, a new national study found that one in three women and one in five men in Massachusetts have experienced sexual violence, typically starting at a young age.

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and as the DPH Director of Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services Unit, I am honored to serve this year as Advisory Council Chair for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). NSVRC serves as a coordinating and resource organization for SAAM, and has designated this year’s SAAM theme as "Healthy Sexuality".

This theme connects with conversations we’ve long had at DPH about healthy sexuality, and its connection to preventing sexual violence and other health concerns. Several years ago, staff from DPH programs such as violence prevention, teen pregnancy prevention, and HIV prevention came together with the understanding that that our work would be more effective in all of these areas if we could find common ground and coordinate efforts in what we were all trying to promote as a vision of wellness. DPH now has a cross-Department Healthy Sexuality/Healthy Relationships workgroup to coordinate the promotion of positive sexual development across the lifespan, in order to improve the health, safety, and well-being of MA residents. The MA Sexual Violence Prevention Plan further reinforces these connections, and supports our community partners who work across MA to prevent and respond to sexual violence.

Gov. Patrick said: "Massachusetts has a plan…to keep children from developing problem sexual behaviors, help parents and educators teach children that sexual respect is expected, and assist adults in changing the climates in our diverse communities and institutions so that healthy relationships between all people can be the state norm…not only to improve our response to incidents…but also toward shaping a safer, healthier future".

We invite you to join the dialogue not just this April, but throughout the year. You can find lots of resources at NSVRC  and at your local DPH-supported Rape Crisis Center  or Child Advocacy Center. It may be challenging to start, but we CAN talk about --and practice -- appropriate boundaries, sexual respect, and healthy, nurturing, equitable relationships.  By starting the conversation early and often, we can all help to build safe, healthy relationships and communities.

 

 

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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Hire a Veteran ‘On Demand’

By Department of Veterans’ Services Secretary Coleman F. Nee

Despite recent positive news on declining unemployment, veterans as a whole remain unemployed at a much higher rate than national and state averages. Unemployment rates are even higher among young veterans and women veterans. (For the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics visit: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t05.htm )

As part of the state’s many initiatives to help our returning veterans become employed, Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray and the Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) reached out to major trade associations to encourage them to hire veterans and circulate information about veterans’ benefits.  Among the growing list of major trade associations committed to working with the Administration and the Massachusetts veteran community are: The Massachusetts Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (MACCE), the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, the Mass High Tech Council, the Defense Technology Initiative, and the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.

DVS has also partnered with Comcast Corporation to launch “Hire A Veteran On Demand,” which aims to connect returning soldiers to jobs to help ease their transition back into civilian life. The pilot program, which posts video profiles of returning soldiers who are looking for work, started in late January and will be available for the next 90 days for prospective hiring managers and recruiters to review for their employment needs. Check out one Veteran profile here:  http://tinyb.it/2E4C614C578 .The veterans featured were chosen by DVS and the profiles were produced by Comcast’s Video Production and Services team. Interested hiring managers or recruiters can contact individual candidates by getting in touch with the Department via the email address included at the end of each video profile.

Initiatives like these are a testament to Massachusetts’ leadership in providing services and supports to the Commonwealth’s Veterans and their families.

If you are a veteran or know of a veteran seeking employment or wish to hire a veteran, please email veteransvoice@massmail.state.ma.us or call 617-210-5970

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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Commonwealth’s Safe and Successful Youth Initiative advances with powerful public service message

By Assistant Secretary for Children, Youth and Families Marilyn Anderson Chase

The Patrick-Murray Administration’s $10 million Safe and Successful Youth Initiative is designed to end youth violence in communities throughout the Commonwealth. As part of this initiative, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) today unveiled an online public service announcement entitled: “Stop. Think. Let it Go.” The public awareness campaign is designed to encourage youth to think and reconsider the consequences of their actions before engaging in violent activity. The PSA follows a related radio campaign which began last summer to promote the state’s Safe and Successful Youth Initiative.

“We are working alongside municipal leaders, local law enforcement and community groups to focus on those young people most likely to be affected by violence,” said Governor Patrick. “I hope the stories in this video will help our young residents realize that peace is possible in our communities.”   

At the core of this initiative are partnerships between state and local government and the communities in which we are targeting youth violence. The testimonies in this video illustrate the devastating impact of youth violence; we’re confident that its message will reach our target youth audience and beyond.

The Initiative specifically targets young men between the ages of 14 and 24, identified as potentially high risk for becoming either perpetrators, or victims, of violence. The “Stop. Think. Let it go.” viral video includes authentic testimonies from family members of youth who have been victims of violence and from youth who had previously engaged in violent acts. 

“She didn’t have to die. She was stolen. Not from me, from her mom or her dad, but from everyone who loved her," said Bayholla Jacobs, one of the subjects of the video who lost her niece to gun violence. "Don’t take your pain out on other people. Don’t lose yourself to violence.” 

This video reflects the dedicated efforts of EOHHS, the Executive Office of Public Safety, municipal leadership and community partners who are all working together to end youth violence in the Commonwealth. It also sends the message in an incredibly powerful way that violence is preventable and reinforces our commitment to the youth of Massachusetts, all of whom are invaluable assets to our communities.

View the “Stop. Think.” video:

State plan for managing Alzheimer’s advances

By Elder Affairs’ Secretary Ann Hartstein

Last week the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders State Plan was released by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) and the Alzheimer’s Association Massachusetts /New Hampshire chapter. The plan provides recommendations, resources, goals and strategies to improve the lives of individuals affected by Alzheimer’s. The report was developed over the past two years by a statewide Advisory Committee that convened advocates, caregivers, participants with early stage Alzheimer's, stage agency representatives, and institutional and community agencies working with men and women with this difficult disease.  The recommendations reflect enduring concerns as well as priorities that were developed out of four listening sessions and seven focus groups convened throughout the state, collectively involving more than 400 participants.  “Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia-causing illness and the sixth leading cause of death in the United States,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. JudyAnn Bigby. “Massachusetts alone has 120,000 seniors who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease which doesn’t include the many thousands with younger-onset Alzheimer’s or other related dementias.” 

The Advisory Committee identified five major areas of concern and ways that Elder Affairs and the Alzheimer’s Association will work with state wide and local agencies,  medical groups and advocacy groups  as well as and interested citizens to implement recommendations in those areas. The Advisory Committee recommendations are designed to address these concerns and include strategies to accomplish these goals. The key recommendations from the State Plan are:

• Improve access to services and information for people with Alzheimer’s;
• Improve and expand support and education for family caregivers;
• Develop an infrastructure for enhanced quality of services within the medical community;
• Improve public awareness surrounding risk factors and risk reduction for Alzheimer’s disease;
• Create a set of statewide recommendations, guidelines and minimum standards surrounding quality of care in all care settings.

I very am pleased about this report and invite you to read it in its entirety. The recommendations provide a framework for the entire Massachusetts plan around Alzheimer’s and the future for all of us as we work together to meet the needs of  the increasing number of people affected by this disease.

 

To read the full report visit: http://www.mass.gov/elders/

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Providing enrichment and support to 40,000 children every day: DCF Kids Fund

By DCF Commissioner Angelo McClain

For many children in the care of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), there is a need for additional support and services in order to meet their basic and life-enriching needs. Fortunately, these children have the support of the DCF Kids Fund to help provide the activities that many children take for granted. The DCF Kids Fund serves as a support system, with the goal of providing not only basic necessities but opportunities for development as well to the more than 40,000 children served by DCF. There are approximately 7,500 children in foster care, 2,000 children in residential care, and more than 30,000 children living with their families who receive DCF services. The DCF Kids Fund helps to provide and care for all of these children.

When the DCF Kids Fund was established in 1998, it supplied emergency items such as diapers, hot meals, warm clothes, and toothbrushes to children entering DCF care. They were able to provide gifts to children during the holidays and even send some children to camp during the summer. Today, the DCF Kids Fund still supplies critical and emergency items needed by children entering DCF care, but the program has grown exponentially. As efforts and contributions to the Fund have grown, more and more foster children are able to attend summer camp and participate in a variety of life-enriching activities such as music, dance, and sports.

Here are several examples of DCF Kids Fund support and services:

• Emergency Placement Project – Many of the 8,000 children who enter foster care each year often come to the Department hungry, without adequate clothing, and in need of a bath. The Kids Fund provides every child entering care with necessary items such as infant formula, clothing, toiletries, diapers, toys, duffel bags, backpacks and meals to make the transition to foster care as comfortable as possible.

 

• Enrichment and Education Initiative – The Kids Fund helps to give children the opportunity to participate in sports, music, dance, art, SAT college preparatory programs, and other after school programs – vital activities that help build a child’s confidence and broaden his or her horizons.

 

• Holiday Gift Drive – Every child in DCF care receives a gift, making sure they have a special and memorable holiday season.

 

• Summer Camp – Every summer, the Kids Fund sends hundreds of children to camp. The formative experience of attending camp aids in a child’s development and provides memories that last a lifetime.

 

For more information on how the DCF Kids Fund helps children in DCF care, please visit: http://www.dcfkidsfund.org/

The DCF Kids Fund is a 501c3 entity; 98 percent of donations go to helping the children. Larry Begley serves as Board Chairman and Saf Caruso serves as the Executive Director, for more information please contact Saf Caruso at 617-748-2368 or Saf.Lerman-Caruso@state.ma.us  

 

An introduction from new DTA Commissioner Dan Curley

I am honored and excited to join the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) team.   

Like many of our staff members, I have a long history in the health and human services fields.  Prior to joining DTA, I was the Executive Director for JRI Health, a division of Justice Resource Institute (JRI) Health, an organization that pursues social justice through providing underserved youth, adults and families with opportunities to develop critical skills for living independently.  

Before joining JRI in 2005, I was the Executive Director of Cambridge Cares about AIDS.  During my tenure there, I instituted model programs for homeless youth and adults that provided case management, behavioral health and health services working consistently with DTA staff to stabilize income, provide food and nutrition services, and to help them build skills for their future. During this time I also served as chair of the Cambridge City Public Health Board, a body that helped shape the priorities of the public health services in the city.  By serving in these multiple roles to define helping systems that were fragmented and difficult to navigate, the need to centralize community resources was clear.  In association with other leaders in these fields, HousingWorks, Inc. was established to meet that need and I joined this team as President.  Throughout my career I have worked in collaboration with others. No one, no agency does this work alone.  I have found in DTA and in the Secretariat like-minded spirits, and I am so pleased to be here.

In my role as Commissioner, I hope to bring a unique perspective from both collaborative, client-centered work within the United States and in developing countries.  I’ve had the gift of working in and traveling through different parts of the world, seeing how communities with few financial resources come together to address individual and community needs.  Women collaboratives, with support, have created powerful and sustainable income-generating and service models that build from cultural strengths emanating from a sense of belonging, mutual responsibility and sharing.  Throughout DTA we will be using these lessons to address the “transitional” and sustainable building from the strengths of the individuals, families and communities we serve.

I also hope to build capacity at DTA that will update the agency’s technology, continue to streamline our work and allow DTA case managers greater ability to work directly with individuals, families, and communities. Organizations that provide benefits should not become banks for low-income residents, but instead should focus on serving people in the community, at home, as strategic partners, linking to services, providing resources and helping to move forward toward more self-sufficiency. 

Over the past few weeks, I’ve witnessed firsthand that the Department is comprised of smart, caring, and dependable staff members who listen, provide options, and gather resources to provide meaningful interventions for people in need.  I am so impressed by the way DTA staff rushed to the aid of residents in Central and Western Massachusetts impacted by the June tornadoes, Hurricane Irene, and the October snowstorm.  In offices and tents, staff provided access to critical resources for thousands of individuals and families.  These heroic efforts – in the wake of rising caseloads and limited resources – are the essence of DTA.      

In the coming weeks and months, I will travel around the Commonwealth to meet with staff, Advisory Boards, legislative and municipal leaders, and community partners to begin the conversation of how we can all work together to build capacity and to respond to urgent needs with optimism and hope.  I look forward to meeting you.  Please feel free to contact my office at any time by calling 617-348-8400. 

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