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NYC FAIR Executive Committee Comments on “Parents’ lawsuit blames state for shortage of group homes”

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IMPORTANT, EXCITING STATE-WIDE NEWS:
NYC FAIR Executive Committee Comments on the Buffalo Lawsuit

We have become aware of the recent filing of a lawsuit in Federal court in Buffalo to address the lack of residential options for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. As advocates, we support the people who have taken this action, and know that they have done so to ensure that their loved one’s health, safety, and quality of life is protected.

In February the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities reported that there are more than more than 11,000 people statewide who need long term housing and will not be able to live independently due to their Developmental Disability. New York State reported that 46% of these people live with a family caregiver who is 60 years old or over; 61% of caregivers are experiencing health issues themselves; and 48% of those at home need assistance with almost all basic activities.

It appears that New York State’s housing strategy for people with Developmental
Disabilities is crisis management; the state responds when the caregiver dies, is unable to, or refuses to care for their loved one. As advocates, we recognize that moving their loved one is one of the most difficult decisions that a family can make, but one that all caregivers will face one day. The best outcomes for our loved ones occur when caregivers are healthy and able to plan for this this move, with the state providing adequate supports and services to meet their needs.

We recognize the substantial need that exists to identify long term housing options for a continuum of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. It is for that reason there must be a variety of options including intensive support for those with the most complex needs.

It is unfortunate that families are faced with such uncertainty, and we applaud this group of families and their courage in taking this action.

Read the story as reported by the Buffalo News on September 13, 2016:
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/federal-court/parents-lawsuit-blames-state-for-shortage-of-group-homes-20160913

More Information : Read the complaint-class-action and memo-of-law-in-support-of-class-certa class action if you want to see all the details.

We have until April 1 to make a difference

Action Alerts, Advocacy, Bronx, Brooklyn, Events, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, , , , ,

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:

ALERT: MORE CALLS NEEDED!

Action Alerts, Advocacy, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, , , , , ,

COALITION OF FAMILIES FOR DIRECT SUPPORT STAFF

IN SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
c/o Margaret Puddington, 562 West End Avenue, 2A, New York, N.Y. 10024,  (212) 799-2042

FAMILIES, DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS, EDUCATION STAFF

CALL THE GOVERNOR

AND YOUR LEGISLATORS  

RIGHT AWAY!!!!!

 

Governor Cuomo did not include funding to implement a minimum wage increase for low wage workers in programs for people with developmental disabilities or in school programs in his 30 day amendments.

Therefore, we are launching a second round of calls and letters to legislators and the Governor imploring them to include such funding in the final budget agreement.  

 

Governor Cuomo MUST add funding for his proposed minimum wage increase in his budget amendments.

  • Governor Cuomo has proposed a $15 minimum wage for all. But he failed to include funding to raise the salaries for Direct Support Professionals, Special Education staff, and other low-wage workers in non-profit agencies.  
  • Non-profit providers cannot raise wages without additional funding from the state.  These providers rely exclusively on the state for funding; they have no other sources of revenue (unlike McDonald’s, which can raise its prices or cut profits).   

CALL the Governor, Your Senator and Assemblymember, and SAY:

Governor Cuomo and our legislators MUST PROVIDE FUNDING in the budget for the $15 minimum wage proposal!

 

Non-profit organizations funded by the state provide services to people with developmental disabilities.  But non-profit providers cannot raise wages for their staff without additional state funding. 

Direct support and special education staff are highly trained and bear tremendous responsibility.  They deserve more than the minimum wage.   The state must provide funding for appropriate increases for the staff who work tirelessly caring for people with developmental disabilities.

CONTACT Information: 

  1. Governor (518) 474 -1041 and press 3 to speak to an assistant
  2. Senate switchboard  (518) 455–2800 – and ask for your Senator.  You can find your Senator at http://www.nysenate.gov/   Urge your Senator to call the Governor and tell him to fund his $15 minimum wage.
  3. Assembly switchboard (518) 455-4100 – and ask for your Assemblymember.  You can find your Assemblymember athttp://assembly.state.ny.us/ Urge your Assemblymember to call the Governor and tell him to fund his $15 minimum wage.

 OR

  1. Go to IACNY.org to automatically send emails andfind your local legislators to tell the Governor to fund his minimum wage proposal.  Click Legislative Action, then click Get Involved.
  2. Or send your own letter to:

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224

 THANK YOU!

 

ALERT: MORE CALLS NEEDED!

GET READY TO RAAALLLYYY!!!

Action Alerts, Advocacy, Bronx, Brooklyn, Events, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, , , ,

GET READY TO RAAALLLYYY!!!

We support the Governors proposal to raise minimum wage to $15 an hour in NYS –

But there is NO MONEY IN HIS PROPOSED BUDGET to pay for it!

We need additional funding to pay workers the increased wages and to raise lower paid staff salaries so they don’t lose ground when the minimum is raised.

Where: Gov. Cuomo’s NYC Office

633 3rd Ave, Manhattan, 40th-41st St.

When: Friday 3/11/16, 11am till 1pm

More details soon. Rallies are being planned all over New York State, this is the one in NYC – more details to come on other regions..

Wini

  • Winifred Schiff
  • Associate Executive Director for Legislative Affairs
  • InterAgency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc.
  • 150 West 30th Street 15th floor New York, NY 10001
o­ 212­645­6360
c­ 917­750­1497

 

GOVERNOR CUOMO – LETS HAVE REAL ECONOMIC JUSTICE

Action Alerts, Advocacy, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, nyc fair, Queens, Staten Island, , , ,

SWAN of NYS  Statewide Advocacy Network– NY

Governor Cuomo Let’s Have Real Economic Justice

We are members of the Statewide Advocacy Network of New York SWAN-NY; family members and guardians of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. We would like to add our support to the many voices calling for funding the proposed minimum wage increases in the 2016-2017 NYS Budget for the dedicated Direct Support Professionals who work with people with IDD.

As family members we know first hand what Direct Support Professionals are required to do and how important their role is. We also know what happens when they are not there. We are seeing gaps in support now, and we worry for the future. As the movement toward having people with IDD ‘out in the community’ there is a need for more staff, with better training especially for those with more intensive needs. All these factors have led to vacancies with more and more people with no services at all.

We ask an enormous amount from DSPs ranging from accompanying individuals in the community, administering medication at the right times and in the right doses, following eating protocols, assisting in activities of daily living for many different people day after day after day. We also ask that they understand and are responsive to their emotional needs. Direct Support Professionals are trained to deal with challenging behaviors and non-verbal people. Everything they do must be recorded and checked. DSPs are there when we can’t be and they are family when family members are not around. This is not a job for just anyone, it takes dedication and caring.

OPWDD has an understanding that the voluntary agencies will be responsible to hire, train and supervise the support staff. Being a DSP is a job with enormous responsibility and pitiful compensation. We endorse raising the minimum wage but without funding from the state not-for-profit agencies cannot afford this raise. Agencies have few options to meet this requirement, some may have to close certain programs and some may have to go out of business, leaving our family members stranded.

Agencies are already having a problem filling vacancies when other jobs that are so much easier and less stressful pay the same.  The vacancy rate is high and program staffing reflects this. There is a danger that safety will become a serious issue especially for those with more complex needs or challenging behaviors. Constant turnover is unsettling and threatens our family members sense of stability.

Direct Support Professionals deserve much more than they are paid now, and raising the minimum wage is the first step to equitable compensation for the important work they do. We wholeheartedly support this BUT without funding this raise there is a real possibility that both the agencies who employ DSPs and families who use Self Direction will find themselves unable to function at all and our loved ones will be deprived of needed services.

 

SWAN NY

Western New York: DDAWNY Family Committee, Barb Delong
www.ddawnyfamilycommittee.org ddawnyfamilycommittee@gmail.com

Capital Region: ENYDDA, Patrick Curran,
ENYDDA@gmail.com

Hudson Valley Region: GROW, Will Mayerik
www.grow-ny.org,  info@grow-ny.org

New York City: NYC FAIR, Elly Rufer
www.nycfair.org, nycfair@gmail.com