Legislative News
News about Family Care expansion in Wisconsin
- Job opportunities for people with disabilities restricted by DHS
- Budget Cuts and Broken Promises - Save the date Wed., Aug. 25, Town Hall Meeting
- Aging and Disability / Long Term Care candidate forum on WisconsinEye
- RFW requests legislative assistance to clarify prevocational services guidance
- Long term care leaders applaud legislative audit of Family Care Program.
- Disability Rights Wisconsin Asks DHS to Cease and Desist
- Residential rate setting recommendations to DHS
- Video Coverage of the 2010 Aging and Disability Policy Forum
- Legislative Requests to Audit Family Care Program
Job opportunities for people with disabilities restricted by DHS
Local work centers extremely concerned that new rules will hurt people they serve
For more information read the Aug. 18, 2010 press release and background information about the struggle to maintain prevocational services for people with disabilities! Read more.
Madison, Wis., Alliant Energy Center, Mendota Room
Save the Date: Wed., Aug 25, Town Hall Meeting
Budget cuts and broken promises
Find out what you must do to protect services for our most vulnerable citizens and the direct care workers and providers who support them! JOIN US for this important town hall meeting! Read more.
Aging and Disability / Long Term Care candidate forum on WisconsinEye
Senator Feingold, Dave Westlake, Ron Johnson, Mayor Barrett and Mark Neumann participated in the forum co-sponsored by RFW, which was held at the Coalition for Wisconsin Aging Groups convention on July 30. The day ended with a roundtable discussion featuring some of the State’s aging, disability and human services leaders. WisconsinEye covered the event (see 07.30.10 | 33rd Annual Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups Convention, Part 3 - 6).
RFW requests legislative assistance to clarify prevocational services guidance
RFW members are deeply concerned about the continued lack of clarity in the Wisconsin Department of Health Services prevocational services guidance. Most recently, community rehabilitation providers have been excluded by DHS from the prevocational services training sessions scheduled in July 2010 for MCO employment specialists and care managers. Further, the DHS guidance document appears to be inconsistent with federal regulations. Read the letter requesting assistance (PDF) from Senators Erpenbach and Hansen to resolve this ongoing issue.
Audit of Family Care Program approved July 14
Long term care leaders applaud legislative audit of Family Care Program.
Watch the hearing recorded on Wisconsin Eye Wed., July 14, 2010. Proposed scope of legislative audit to Family Care Program (PDF)
Statement from RFW Executive Director Thomas Cook: "RFW and it's member organizations salute the Joint Legislative Audit Committee for taking action to initiate an audit of the Family Care program. I urge everyone who cares about services for people with disabilities to take time to view the testimony that was given at the Committee hearing on Wisconsin Eye, because it clearly lays out the problem that the legislature needs to address in the audit."
.
Disability Rights Wisconsin Asks DHS to Cease and Desist Residential Changes in Family Care Program
"DHS should also notify MCOs that it is engaging in a systematic effort to determine a statewide methodology for residential rate-setting in which they will be included." Read more.
Residential rate setting recommendations to DHS
"During the Residential Rate Setting “listening sessions” on April 16 and 23, 2010, members of our respective organizations advanced numerous recommendations deemed essential for the development and implementation of a uniform Family Care rate setting methodology for community-based residential programs." Read more.
Successful rate-setting methodology has been implemented in several other states in response to crises over different rates for the same services. Wisconsin's Family Care Program is currently in this same situation - yet another strong reason to audit the Program.
Video coverage of the 2010 Aging and Disability Policy Forum
(May 13, 2010) The Aging and Disability Policy Forum took place in Kohler, Wis., March 24 at the 2010 Rehabilitation and Transition Conference. Speakers were invited to discuss how to begin working towards a solution-based approach to long-term care reform. Watch videos featuring gubernatorial candidates Tom Barrett and Scott Walker; Rep. Kitty Rhoades; Lynn Breedlove, executive director, Disability Rights Wisconsin; and others, including keynote speaker Dennis Harkins, self-directed supports consultant and former DHFS Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Director.
Legislative Requests to Audit Family Care Program
On behalf of our 54 member organizations, RFW supports the proposal pending in the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to review the Wisconsin Family Care Program. RFW and its members support the goals of the program. However, we believe that greater legislative oversight is needed to ensure the program is fulfilling its promise. At the Aging and Disability Policy Forum, March 24, 2010, legislators and disability advocates identified serious issues with the program that need to be addressed, including forced relocations of people receiving residential services.
- Wisconsin Long Term Care Workforce Alliance questions the financial health of the Family Care Program and how fiscal challenges are impacting quality of services for the frail elderly and people with disabilities.
- Riverfront's letter to Senator Vinehout in support of auditing the Family Care Program. The letter explains issues and recommendations for improvement in the areas of the program's design and viability, rate setting and quality.
- Diversified Services letter to legislators: "Now is the time to evaluate what IS working in the family care system and what IS NOT working." Read more.
- Curative Care Network letter to Joint Legislative Audit Committee "We do not believe that Family Care is sustainable as it is presently designed."
Information about Disability Rights Wisconsin Family Care and IRIS Ombudsman Program.
Technical Guidelines for Prevocational Services in Family Care
(June 3, 2010) DHS has issued the attached Technical Guidelines for Prevocational Services in Family Care and Family Care Partnership. These guidelines are the culmination of a seven-month process of collaboration among the Department, Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), and external stakeholders.
- Susan Crowley's statement about the guidelines
- Prevocational Services Technical Guidelines
- Read more about the prevocational services issue
The Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Aging and Long Term Care
Informational hearing on Family Care at the State Capitol Thurs., Nov. 12, 2009.
Update on Prevocational Services – Concerns Still Exist
RFW and its member organizations completed a review of the draft of the technical guidance document on prevocational services that we received from the Department of Health Services (DHS) Feb. 19, 2010. As we stressed during the extensive discussions about the definition that we had with DHS and others in 2009, RFW and its members want to provide every opportunity for individuals with disabilities who can obtain integrated employment to do so, with the time and proper employment supports that this entails. However, we cannot accept any proposal that denies employment opportunities to people with very significant disabilities. These individuals must continue to have every opportunity to maximize their potential.
RFW submitted its comments on the technical guidance on March 5, 2010, with a strong statement. If DHS does not respond to our specific concerns, it will become necessary to consider what additional steps need to be taken to address the consequences that we know will follow from adopting procedures that have the effect of denying employment opportunities to people with very significant disabilities. We strongly believe that shifting people from prevocational to day habilitation / day service programs is not only more costly in the short term, it also represents a serious violation of their civil rights, according to conversations and correspondence with attorneys and disability policy experts.
In recent weeks, RFW has received a number of reports from member organizations about issues with prevocational services being purchased under contracts with Managed Care Organization (MCO). These issues include the imposition of burdensome reporting requirements and the reassignment of people from prevocational services into day activity programming, as well as strained relations between Community Rehabilitation Program staff and MCO employment specialists.
History of DHS' Proposed Definition of Prevocational Services
In 2009, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) submitted a redefinition of prevocational services for people with disabilities to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In the original prevocational services definition that DHS proposed, people with disabilities would have been denied the choice of working at a community rehabilitation center and services would have been time-limited.
RFW letter to members of the Wisconsin legislature on behalf of its members.
As a result of extensive grass roots advocacy from consumers and their families, businesses that contract with Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs), DHS agreed to change the proposed definition to recognize informed choice-making and to remove the references to time limits. A consensus on the definition was reached in a meeting between DHS, legislators, RFW members, Disability Rights Wisconsin and the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities Nov. 20, 2009
Media coverage
A small sampling of selected stories about prevocational services. Visit RFW's YouTube channel for video coverage.
Riponites helped preserve choice for Diverse Options clients (Ripon Commonwealth Press Dec. 9, 2009)
State changes stance on disability work center limits (LaCrosse Tribune Nov. 24, 2009)
Hundreds of Jobs In Central Wisconsin In Danger If A New Policy Takes Affect (WSAW Nov. 13, 2009)
Senator: Challenge Center will stay open in Superior (BusinessNorth and KUWS Nov. 9, 2009)
State officials and disability advocates disagree over new policy (LaCrosse Tribune Nov. 4, 2009)
Radio interview with Pam Ritchie, Executive Director of the Opportunity Center, and Senator Dan Kapanke
Wisconsin Policy for Disabled Workers Could Change (WKBT Nov. 3, 2009)
CRP Tax Credit Delayed - Again
Business tax credits for Community Rehabilitation Programs, scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2009 were delayed for implementation until 2011. For details, read pg. 28, #6 in the Joint Committee Finance Committee's Motion 700, which modified Assembly Bill 75.
A Long-term Solution to Save the RAM Program
In order to strengthen the RAM Program and job opportunities for people with disabilities, Rehabilitation For Wisconsin proposes the passage of legislation to authorize a pilot program for joint economic development of rest areas along Interstate Highway System rights-of-way. Read more.
Facts About Independent Living Center Budget Cuts
Fact: The Governor's Budget has proposes a 56% cut in Independent Living Centers' (ILCs) GPR. This presents a fundamental threat to our base funding. The reduction significantly jeopardizes our ability to comply with State Statute 1195 Wisconsin Act 398, Section 46.96, which requires that all agencies (ILCs) receiving funding to be in compliance with the standards and assurances as defined in Title VII of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Those standards and assurances include the provision of the four core services, plus a minimum of 2 additional services. Read more facts about ILCs and the 2009-2011 budget.
LifeRESERV Initiative
LifeRESERV is an innovative qualified long term care supplement that helps families touched by disability with one of their most important financial goals, the long term care of children with severe disabilities. The intent is to provide families with an additional option to make tax free investments to ensure their loved one's long term care is appropriately funded. The long term hope is to have the Federal and State government match the family contributions based on a family income scale. The LifeRESERV plan would be administered by the Wisconsin Office of the State Treasurer and managed by a national insurance company (TBD). Any funds unused by the individual would rollover to a LifeRESERV Foundation for redistribution.
To learn more about RFW's current LifeRESERV initiatives review the discussion paper.
Legislative Resources:
- Who Are My Legislators
- Using an address, map or municipality, find your legislators.
- www.wisconsin.gov
- This site will link you to state government agencies, phone numbers and email addresses of state employees plus contacts for local governments.
- www.legis.state.wi.us
- Links to video/audio of legislative floor action, information on bills and floor session plus public hearings and can link to lawmakers' home pages.
- www.whitehouse.gov
- This site allows you to send correspondence to the President and Vice-President and access the different federal agencies under the Executive Branch.
- www.senate.gov
- This site will give you information about the U.S. Senate and its committees. It will also link you to both Sen. Herb Kohl's office and Sen. Russ Feingold's office.
- www.house.gov
- Links to your Congressman/woman can be found at this site as well as information about the House of Representatives and its committees.
| Back to Top |
