TO THE SANDUSKY COUNTY COMMUNITY:

Transcription

1 Volume 2, Issue 4 June, 2004 TO THE SANDUSKY COUNTY COMMUNITY: The following letter was submitted to the State concerning changes to the county boards that would put current programs in jeopardy. As superintendent, I will continue to keep Sandusky County updated on changes at the State level. Dear Member of JCARR (Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review): Sandusky County Board The Sandusky County Commissioners and the Sandusky County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities are opposed to the recent Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) rules that have been filed with JCARR for the following reasons: Reimbursement Rule The required fee schedule is fatally flawed and requires outrageous payments that are far beyond cost, based on faulty assumptions. For example: the new rate for child psychology is $29.45 per 15 minutes. Our current rate is $28.11 for 15 minutes. New rate for targeted case management is $55.15 for 15 minutes, current rate is $30.00 per 15 minutes. Public providers such as MRDD boards and public schools will be cost reconciled and will have to pay back the difference between the fee and actual cost Private providers payments will not be reconciled; they are not required to pay back the difference The higher fees will break the county s bank forcing cuts in necessary services to local residents who do not qualify for Medicaid It will become nearly impossible to pass a levy locally to support outrageous payments for less service Contract Rule ODJFS is ignoring state law which requires the county MRDD board to assess the needs of MRDD clients, develop a comprehensive plan, contract for services, monitor services, and terminate contracts for nonperformance The state law provides arbitration, a hearing with ODMRDD and ODJFS for any provider with which the MRDD board refuses to contract or whose contract is proposed for termination, and judicial remedies. County prosecutors will not allow county boards to sign a contract which cannot be terminated or the terms of which can be unilaterally modified by a third party (ODJFS) County commissioners will not allow MRDD boards to become an open checkbook for Medicaid. This would make Commissioners poor stewards of the funds entrusted to them by county voters and put them in violation of the purposes of MRDD property tax levies We, in good faith, brought to the table levy dollars as Federal match for Medicaid. However, we expected to have the authority to oversee the spending of these dollars. Our Sandusky County tax payers expect us to control cost and provide the best services to families in need in our county. More lawsuits are not the answer to these problems. Working toward a solution that would provide better services and supports while maximizing the use of our county funds would help our families, not hurt them. So please table the present ODJFS rules that are in front of you. Thank you. If you have questions, please feel free to call me at Ext Thank you, Deb Yenrick, Superintendent

2 RELAY FOR LIFE UPDATE....Helen Tonkin Fifteen employees of the Sandusky County Board of MRDD will take their turn walking at Connor Park as part of Relay for Life June 11-12, The event begins at 5:00pm with a cookout for cancer survivors. Beginning at 6:00 Friday evening through 10:00am Saturday morning, each participant will walk for an hour at the park. We have reserved our own site for the MRDD team. There are plenty of activities going on throughout the event so even if you aren t walking feel free to stop out and encourage the walkers. I want to thank the employees of the Sandusky Co. Bd. of MRDD for the terrific support of the various fundraisers. We have gone over our goal of $1000 but we will continue to fundraise in order to allow all team members to receive a Relay for Life T-Shirt. Upcoming fundraisers include: two more dessert raffles, Independence Day fence raffle, dress down day June 3rd (wear pink) and MRDD mugs with jewelry. Thank you Dawn and volleyball participants for a fun afternoon. CLYDE LIFE ENRICHMENT CENTER OPENS..Don Nalley We are very pleased to announce that the Sandusky County Bd. of MR/DD has reached an agreement to begin using Heritage Hall at 131 South Main Street in Clyde for Senior Activities. Clyde Senior Center, Inc. is a small non-profit organization established to operate this facility and other related areas to preserve a piece of the City of Clyde s past. Plans are to begin using this facility on Monday, June 7, During the past many years this building has been used by the WSOS Senior Programs. They recently moved to a new location in the Senior Housing Complex on North Woodland. This created an opportunity for our Life Enrichment Program. This opportunity creates a location, in Sandusky County, where the members of the Life Enrichment Program can go for the day, separate from the work setting provided at Sandco Industries, to participate in Senior Activities. Individuals in this group will still be involved in production work at Sandco Industries if they desire. Not all members of this group will be going to this location at the same time. By being located in the downtown area of Clyde, these individuals will have walking access to parks, coffee shops, downtown stores, and the library, to name a few locations. This will be a facility that is dedicated to activities for them as Senior Citizens in our community. During the day they will also be involved in other senior activities such as socialization, crafts, and community outings. The group will also continue to visit and participate with other Seniors in Sandusky County by going to other Senior Centers and various Care Facilities. This very active group will initially continue to come into, and leave, Sandco Industries on a daily basis. They will then take vans to this site in Clyde. In the near future the desire would be to coordinate transportation, for at least some of the participants, to go directly to this Clyde location. An Open House for the Clyde Life Enrichment Center is being planned for Friday, June 25, 2004 from Noon- 2:00 p.m. at this new location.

3 MORE PLAYGROUND NEWS.Frank Tolman Since the last newsletter we have continued to remove and/or protect the remaining equipment in preparation for phase one of our project. We have obtained an architect and a general contractor with experience in designing and building a playground/park. We are excited about the response and donations that we have received thus far and we are looking forward to more support in funding this very worthy cause. Our committee has started the process of picking out equipment that will enhance the recreational activity of all age groups while ensuring their safety along with longevity of the equipment and playground/park. We have also started planning for phase one of the project, which includes a walking path and sitting areas for our students and consumers to use while the other phases of the project are completed. We will have a composite drawing and plans sometime in late May and work should begin on phase one as early as the first week in June. If you have any questions regarding the playground/park or you would like to donate to this worthy cause, please contact Frank Tolman at ext. 190 or Jayne Repp at ext STAFF WELCOME / GOODBYE..Sue Timmons We are happy to introduce 4 new ladies who come to us from Bowling Green State University. They are students studying to be psychology professionals under the supervision of Dr. O Brien who is contracted with our County Board to perform psychology services to our children and adults. We are very happy to have these ladies, who will be spending the next weeks/months, with us. They are: Kelly McConnell Kavita Desai Sofia Rydin and Krista Konrad We are also pleased to announce that Elaine Timmons, faithful employee for the past 20 years, will be leaving us. Elaine was hired by the County Board in She was our first bus monitor. She worked in the cafeteria as well, at that time. The experience she acquired from these 2 positions made her realize how much she enjoyed working in this program and she decided to apply for the full time position that had opened in the Sandco Workshop, where she continues to serve. Elaine has been dedicated, not only to her job, but to the adults she works with. She has been a gentle, caring friend to each of the individuals she has been assigned to throughout the years. Not only will the county board feel her absence, but so will each of the more than 150 individuals that attend daily programming. Elaine certainly will be missed. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR YEARS IN SERVICE TO THOSE INDI- VIDUALS WITH DISABILI- TIES. We wish you well.

4 FREMONT ROTARY CLUB LUNCHEON ACCREDITATION (Melynda Otte) On Monday, April 19, our County Board opened it's doors to the Fremont Rotary Club. They held their monthly meeting and were served an Italian lunch, served by our very own superintendent and her staff. They enjoyed entertainment from the School of Hope preschoolers, which was followed by a tour of the facility. We enjoyed hosting the Rotary Club and look forward to them coming back again partment of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (ODMRDD) for the purposes of ensuring county boards of mental retardation are in compliance with federal and state statutes and rules. The ODMRDD Advanced Accreditation team is scheduled to visit Sandusky County July 14, 2004 to conduct a physical walk through of our county board to familiarize themselves with the school and workshop and ensure that the physical structures are adhering to state expectations. On July 26-29, 2004 the entire Accreditation team will be here to review county board program components such as health and safety, service and supports, administration, and rights. County board staff have been working diligently to prepare for this review and are confident that all requirements have been successfully met and on our way to recertification. CRISIS ASSISTANCE HOTLINE Accreditation is a system of review from the Ohio De- As of June 1, 2004, the Service and Support Administration staff at the Sandusky Co. Board of MR/DD will be providing crisis assistance when the office is closed. This will replace the Major Unusual Incident (MUI) pager used to report incidents. The new number is: SUMMER GAMES....Deb Sidell Eighteen athletes and six coaches/chaperones will be departing on Friday June 25 for Columbus to participate in the Special Olympics State Summer Games. All had to qualify at the Area level in order to be eligible for the weekend competition held at Ohio State University. Good Luck to the following: Power lifting-larry D. and Rick C.; Bocce ball-carole A., Norman B., Lalo G., and Ralph S.; Volleyball-Jim B., Shawn B., Brian D., Adam M., Heather M., Sarah L., Brendan W., and Matt H.; Track- Jay C., Justin R., Keith M., and Jordan L. They will be joining over 3,000 athletes from across the state. GO REBELS!

5 TRUST ACCOUNTS CAN PROTECT YOUR CHILD S QUALITY OF LIFE Providing for the future needs of a loved one with MR/DD is a challenging task. In Ohio, it can be difficult to set aside money for the special needs of an individual with MR/DD and not jeopardize government benefits. Certain types of trust accounts can help. A trust account allows an individual with MR/DD to use money for certain services that improve his or her quality of life in a way that does not jeopardize current or future government benefits. The Community Fund Management Foundation (CFMF) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that offers trust accounts for the benefit of Ohio residents with MR/DD. How can a trust account help? Individuals with MR/DD often receive government benefits that have income and/or resource eligibility limits. These include such benefits a Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid and subsidized housing. If these individuals receive money from an inheritance, gift or personal injury settlement, for example, they risk losing their government benefits. A trust account can help by setting aside this money in a way that protects their eligibility for government benefits and allows them to use the money for supplemental services that improve their quality of life. How does a trust account work? When a trust account is established for the benefit of an individual with MR/DD (the beneficiary), the trustee invests the money. The beneficiary s designated advocate, named when the trust account is created, can request money from the trust account for certain needs of the beneficiary called supplemental services. The trust advisor reviews the re- quests to en- s u r e that the dis- tribution does not risk the loss of government benefits. For approved request, the trust advisor then sends a check to the service provider indicated by the designated advocate. What are supplemental services? According to Ohio law, supplemental services are items or services not paid for by a government entity that improve the quality of life of an individual with MR/DD. Examples include cable TV, a computer, internet service, magazine subscriptions, vacations, including the cost incurred by a companion, experimental or elective surgery, advocacy, including attorney fees, and items such as therapies or adaptive equipment denied by Medicaid or other government program. How much does it cost to have a trust? A fee is charged at the creation of a trust account and funded trusts are charged a minimal annual fee. There are no trustee fees. Who can establish a trust account? A Master Trust can be established by a parent, family member or a friend. A Pooled Medicaid Payback Trust can be established by a parent, grandparent, guardian, court or individual with MR/DD. A Rolled-In Polled Medicaid Payback Trust can be established by a parent, grandparent, guardian, court or individual with MR/DD. These accounts can be set up with as little as $750 for the Rolled-In Pooled Medicaid Payback Trust to $5,000 for the Pooled Medicaid Payback Trust and $15,000 for the Master Trust. How could I get information about setting up a trust account? Contact the Community Fund Management Foundation at 1275 Lakeside Ave. East, Cleveland, OH ; Phone (216) ; Fax (216) or visit their web site at:

6 GRADUATION Jayne Repp June 2, 2004 marked the formal graduation of six students who had been a part of the School of Hope family for almost two decades. One young lady and five gentlemen were honored at an assembly that began at 9:30 a.m. in the school gymnasium, followed by a luncheon for the graduates. Families and classmates, the school staff and students celebrated with them on Thursday with a dance in the school gym from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Graduation is bitter sweet to many of us as we recognize that our students are no longer children and are ready to take the giant step into adulthood. Many of the school staff feel as if they have grown up with these students. This is the largest class we ve had in many years and their departure from the school will leave a huge void the laughing and joking, the hands always ready to help, the caring and concern they have for each other will be greatly missed. Our graduating class consists of Sarah Storey, from the Margaretta District, Jon Dinan from Bellevue, Scott Michaels and ScotT Hatlay from Clyde-Greensprings, and Chris Waleryszak and Michael Garcia from Fremont. Some will be joining the work force at Sandco, others the adult services activity group. Sandco and the Adult Services Department will most certainly enjoy the unique personalities of each and everyone of these young adults. We wish them and their families a wonderful graduation celebration to be enjoyed and remembered for years. Congratulations and best wishes for all that may come in the future. COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT SPOTLIGHT..Sue Timmons Jessica Ash has been hired as our Community Site Driver. Jessica s transportation assistance is a new position and is lending itself to be a tremendous asset for the Community Employment Department. This position is actually Taxi for our folks. Many of our consumers work unusual hours and of course many of our consumers are in need of transportation to and from their work sites. Jessica has quite a schedule and is doing a great job freeing up the job trainers from the transportation end of their jobs. This has allowed them to provide more supports to more people. Jessica transports consumers to work at the West State Street McDonald s and Taco Bell, First Choice Packaging, the WSOS Senior Center, the Fremont Municipal Building, the United Way Office, the Kelly Services Office and the American Red Cross. We feel fortunate to now have our own transportation service for this very important need.

7 MUI YEARLY UPDATE....Melynda Otte The Ohio Department of MR/DD has analyzed Major Unusual Incidents as submitted and investigated by county boards. As patterns and trends are identified, county boards across the state are accountable for plans of correction involving those patterns occurring in their county. As a result of the state review, the following has been identified for the state of Ohio for 2003: Conformance rating: 96% of cases were reported timely 87% of cases completed and closed timely MUI by Category: Physical Abuse 9% Sexual Abuse 4% Verbal Abuse 4% Neglect 7% Misappropriation 6% Injury 11% Law Enforcement 4% Medical Emergency 4% Missing Person 3% Relocation 1% Rights Violation 1% Unapproved Behavior Support 9% Areas in need of improvement: Ensure reports are thorough by following protocol Ensure summary reports provided Inform providers when cases are closed Conduct quarterly Unusual Incident log reviews Conduct an annual assessment regarding provider s system. FUNDS SUPPORT PRESCHOOL PROGRESS INDICATORS The Sandusky County Board of MR/DD preschool program has received notice of a grant award of $3600 for the Child Progress Indicator Project. House Bill 95 requires that all preschool special education programs document child progress. This one time award will assist us with the purchase of new computers for our preschool staff as they implement the requirements of this bill. ANNUAL PLANNING FOR SANDUSKY COUNTY BOARD OF MRDD...Sue Timmons It is that time again. We have begun with our annual planning process already. Surveys have been sent out and the results of those have been recorded and will be shared at the annual planning session to be held on June 3 with all county board supervisors. The surveys glean ideas from staff, parents/caregivers, guardians, and community others who have concerns and comments to help us improve our services and supports throughout every department in the county board. There will be a Public Meeting held on June 16, 2004 at 6:00 p.m. at this facility to seek additional comments and information from interested parties that will help us to complete this year s Annual Plan. Everyone is welcome to attend, but if you are unable to attend and would like to send in written comments, please direct your letters to the Sandusky County Board of MR/DD, 1001 Castalia Road, Fremont, Ohio Thank you.

8 Sandusky County Board of MR/DD 1001 Castalia Road Fremont, Ohio Phone: Fax: We re on the Web: Summer Recreation Options Through the generosity of the Sandusky County Board of MR/DD and the Sandusky County Council for Persons with Mental Retardation, along with funds allocated by the Sandusky County United way, we are able to offer a program of summer recreation options for children ages 6 through 21 years of age who have been determined eligible for County Board Services. Staff from the School of Hope will be planning and operating the program this year with the support and assistance of individual residential staff and volunteers. We will be providing activities 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) for 8 weeks beginning the week of June 15th. We have planned all day trips as well as shorter community trips and activity days held here at the School of Hope. We will have nursing services available every Wednesday for those children with medical needs (medication, tube feedings, breathing treatments, etc.). Our goal is to provide a variety of activities and experiences so that there is something for everyone. Children and parents are making choices regarding which activities that may prefer or can tolerate and days of attendance. We hope to enrich the summer break of our children with special needs by providing opportunities to socialize with friends and experience the same recreational opportunities all children enjoy in a safe and supportive environment. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Jayne Repp at ext. 115.