Tag Archives: action alert

NYC FAIR 911 RESPONSE: S.4736-A/ A.6830

BILL SUMMARY – S.4736-A/ A.6830 would: 1) require that any actual or alleged incident of abuse or neglect of a person with a disability or special needs in the care of a facility or service provider, must be reported by employees and volunteers of such facility or provider to not only the Justice Center’s Vulnerable Persons Central Register, but to a 911 operator and the county district attorney’s office; 2) raise the penalty for the failure of any employee to make such reports from a misdemeanor to a Class E Felony, and would also subject both employees and volunteers to civil action; and 3) expands the current exceptions to the confidentiality protections for the private records of disabled persons in such cases to include mandatory access by local police and the District Attorney.

WE OPPOSE THE BILL AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS: – As parents and families we are deeply and directly worried about the safety and well-being of our disabled children and loved ones. We understand the motivation behind this legislation and support its objectives. However. we oppose this legislation in its current form, as it is likely to create more harm than it will prevent.

1) The bill is overbroad by requiring all reportable incidents, as defined in law, to be reported to 911 and law enforcement officials. As parents we know, as few do, that the care of the disabled involves managing, day after day, people who have all kinds of physical, emotional, and/or behavioral issues. Accidents and incidents can occur in the normal course of a day, but only some will rise to the level of seriousness necessitating a call to 911. The law currently requires that incidents that occur in the care of defined facility or service provider be investigated by the provider, reported to the Justice Center for investigation, and forwarded to law enforcement where appropriate. We know, statistically and from personal experience that the vast majority of these incidents turn out to be relatively minor, routine, accidental or simply false. To make each of them the subject of an emergency response call and a criminal investigation is an overreaction. It will result in a dangerous waste of critical emergency and law enforcement resources (who are often not trained to deal with the developmentally disabled), the time and energy of vital caregiver staff, and needlessly disturb, upset and inconvenience the disabled individuals themselves. Over time, it may lead to a sense of equivalency or apathy if something really terrible does happen,

2) Caring, capable, compassionate and desperately needed workers are already leaving the profession, and many others are choosing not to enter it. Even the current requirements make it difficult to attract and retain workers, and often result in an over-cautious approach by those now working in the field to the point that it is negatively impacting the care of our children. The threat of brining in law enforcement on low level incidents adds another disincentive.

3) The broad additional exception to privacy protections afforded to the disabled on a wide range of medical, psychological, therapeutic and other personal information will be an unnecessary, invasive, and discriminatory violation of their privacy. These are some of the reasons why NYC FAIR opposes this legislation in its current form. We respectfully request that you vote no on this bill.

Respectfully,

NYC FAIR

NYC FAIR 911 response (1)

 

 

Jason Helgerson, NYS Medicaid Director Meets NYC Families on 6/12

MEDICAID CHANGES IN STORE: WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

How Will the Dollars Be Allocated?

HEAR FROM THE PERSON WHO WILL DECIDE


JASON HELGERSON
New York State Medicaid Director 

MONDAY, JUNE 12th
6 – 8pm
IAC
150 West 30th Street, 15th Floor

Here are some of our questions:

How will changes to the Medicaid dollars affect our families?
What are the plans for Managed Care for people with ID/DD?

 

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS HERE: Questions@nycfair.org

 

These two articles lay out the situation

How Will Trump’s New Plan to Replace Obamacare Affect You? U.S Economics

Trump Budget Guts Medicaid, Disability Programs Disability Scoop

REGISTER WITH NYC FAIR:

http://bit.ly/2qwUSoC

Be patient with the link

INDICATE YOUR LOCATION PREFERENCE
ON THE REGISTRATION FORM

  • VIDEO CONFERENCING WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THESE OTHER LOCATIONS FOR THE MEETING WITH JASON HELGERSON
    Staten Island: PCCS, 150 Granite Ave, SI, NY
  • Nassau County: FREE, 191Bethpage – Sweethollow Road, Old Bethpage, NY
  • Rockland County: The ARC of Rockland, 25 Hemlock Drive, Congers, NY
  • Ulster / Greene Counties: 471 Albany Ave., Kingston, NY
  • Suffolk: DDI, 99 Hollywood Drive, Smithtown NY.Call- In #: 646-780-0451, PIN: 314-512-500 #  

Translation Available if Requested Before June 1st

Light Supper

For Policy Wonks: Also on June 12th, from 10:30 – Noon:
Mr Helgerson will attend the Medicaid Advocates Meeting. It deals with more technical and large-scale policy issues. Agenda items include DSRIP and Self-Direction.
Here are detailed instructions to attend this meeting and the proposed agenda.

A MORE GENERAL DISCUSSION OF HOW MEDICAID MAY IMPACT PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE EVENING

Coming Next Week:

Information about pending legislation concerning: Changes in Justice Center Reporting, Changes in 17A Guardianship Rules, the FAIR ACT, AND the implications of the proposed federal budget to programs for IDD.

Heastie: All sides agree on more money for direct care workers: Politico – 3/15/17

FROM: Politico, March 15, 2017

Heastie: All sides agree on more money for direct care workers

By Josefa Velasquez

03/15/2017 02:10 PM EDT

ALBANY — The Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo appear to have reached an agreement to fund wage increase for direct care workers, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Wednesday, but details are still elusive.

“Money for direct care workers, I think that’s something we all agree … that’s a perfect example where I think all sides agree on more money,” Heastie told reporters.

Direct care employers, those who work with the elderly and disabled, have been complaining that the increase in the minimum wage, while a positive for the state overall, means it will be harder to recruit and retain employees if they can earn as much working at a fast food restaurant.

The Assembly’s one-house budget proposal includes $45 million for direct care workers beginning in April, the start of the fiscal year.

While the Senate also supports $45 million for direct care workers, its one-house budget resolution calls for $11.25 million for the implementation of direct care workers’ salary increase beginning Jan. 1, 2018, the final quarter of the fiscal year.

A spokesman for the state’s budget division remained non-committal, despite Heastie’s remarks.

“Budget negotiations on this and hundreds of other issues continue,” said budget spokesman Morris Peters.

A spokesman for bFair2DirectCare — a coalition that includes nonprofits that serve the developmentally disabled — lauded the Legislature for committing to wage increases for direct care workers.

“We are hopeful that the final budget will include this funding to start providing direct care workers with a living wage,” said spokesman Steve Greenberg. “We hope it will start as soon as possible because the crisis is real and it’s upon us today and clearly lawmakers, Democrats and Republican, Senate and Assembly recognize this crisis that direct care agencies are facing and it requires immediate attention.”

To view online:
http://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2017/03/heastie-all-sides-agree-on-more-money-for-direct-care-workers-110395

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Here’s What YOU Can Do NOW!

BE HEARD NOW:

OUR WORKFORCE MUST HAVE OUR SUPPORT

DOWNLOAD, CUSTOMIZE, MAIL, EMAIL THE 4 LETTERS BELOW TO GOVERNOR CUOMO AND YOUR NYS ASSEMBLYMEMBER AND NYS SENATOR
Letters can be edited 

Letters in Support of Direct Support Professional:

To Governor Coumo:
To NYS Assemblymembers and NYS Senate:

Letters in Support of 4410 and 853 Schools

To Governor Coumo
To NYS Legislators

Link to find your legislators:
NYS SENATE
NYS ASSEMBLYMEMBER


FORWARD THE LETTERS TO ALL YOUR RELATIVES, FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS

This is the information about the “Workforce Crisis” that was distributed at the Nov. 2nd Meeting

Data Sheet from #bFair2DirectCare
Statics about 4410 & 853 Schools supplied by IAC
Spending Patterns OPWDD supplied by DDWANY
Residential Survey by New York Lawyers for Public Interest (NYLPI)

 

ACT NOW

GET READY FOR ACTION

We have until April 1 to make a difference

We have until April 1 to make a difference

SAVE-THE DATE:

Michael Seereiter, Pres. & CEO of NYSRA and
Peter Pierri, Exec. Director of IAC

will meet with NYC FAIR on

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016,
6 to 8pm, @ IAC, 

150 West 30th Street, 15th Floor

What the landscape is now and going forward
Actions we can take, things we can do 

Translation Available

Light Refreshments

Call-in

Register Here: