New General Assembly
On Tuesday, January 4, members of the 2005-06 General Assembly were sworn in. Once again, Republicans hold the majority in the House and Senate. The Senate has 29 Republicans, 18 Democrats and three vacancies. [The vacancies were created by the elections of Allyson Schwartz (D-Philadelphia) and Charles Dent (R-Lehigh) to Congress and Jack Wagner (D-Allegheny) as Auditor General.] The House has 109 Republicans and 93 Democrats, with one vacancy. [The House Seat of Representative Kelly Lewis (R-Monroe), who resigned in December, will be filled by a special election scheduled for February 8.] Lists are available on line. The House list is at: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/representatives_alpha.cfm . The Senate list is at: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/senators_alpha.cfm .

Stakeholder Planning Team
The Department of Public Welfare’s Stakeholder Planning Team (SPT) has been reconfigured with newly appointed members. Linda Anthony and Terry Rothremain co-chairs of the group. The new group met in December and discussed how to change the focus from planning to implementation, and to ensure local input. Workgroups to include non-SPT members will be set up around the topics set forth in the strategic plan document adopted in July. A list of the new members, future meeting dates, and the plan document are available from the PIE office. For more information, contact Ginny Rogers at 717.346.4481 or virrogers@state.pa.us.

Planning Advisory Committee
The Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) of the Office of Mental Retardation has a new Co-Chair, Maureen Devaney. Carolyn Morgan continues in her role as Co-Chair. The next meeting is March 24 at the Harrisburg Hilton and Towers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information contact Emily Frola at 717.783.5761 or efrola@state.pa.us.

Community Living Advisory Committee
The Community Living Advisory Committee (CLAC), which advises DPW’s Office of Social Programs on disability programs, elected a new Executive Committee that began its two-year term in December. The committee is: Mike Auer, Chair; Michael Adamus, Co-Chair; Dotty Sims and Ralph Trainer, at-large. The next meeting of the CLAC is April 12 at the Whitaker Center- Stage Two from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information, contact Amy Townson at 717.346.9782 or c-atownson@state.pa.us.

MAWD
The Advisory Committee on Employment (ACE) for the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant has completed an evaluation of the Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD) program. MAWD allows people with disabilities to work and to have medical insurance. Conducted by Morrison Informatics, Inc., the evaluation used surveys and focus groups to determine consumer satisfaction with MAWD and identify how much Social Security Administration (SSA) beneficiaries, community organizations, and Pennsylvania businesses knew about MAWD. Among the conclusions: MAWD consumers think highly of MAWD, there is an opportunity to find more SSA beneficiaries who want to work, and there is an opportunity to increase MAWD awareness by businesses. For a copy of the report or for current MAWD statistics, contact Carol Baker at 717.763.0968, Extension 114, or carol.baker@ahedd.org.

Nursing Home Transition
In coordination with the Office of Health Care Reform, the Department of Public Welfare and the Department of Aging are beginning a new initiative to identify and transition individuals from nursing homes into the community. A stakeholders’ meeting was held on October 27. Using regional groupings of counties, six lead liaison agencies have convened interested organizations to develop a local plan for review and approval for funding. For information or a copy of the meeting notes, contact Amy Townson at 717.346.9782 or c-atownson@state.pa.us. ^source

Training Partnership
The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University has announced the establishment of the Pennsylvania Statewide Consumer and Family Training Partnership (the Partnership). The Office of Mental Retardation (OMR) awarded a grant for the Partnership to provide training and technical assistance to families and people with disabilities served by OMR. In addition to the Institute on Disabilities, the Partnership includes Achieva, Speaking for Ourselves, and Vision for Equality. For more information, contact Diane Nelson Bryen, Executive Director, Institute on Disabilities, at 800.204.7428.^source

MR Bulletin
The Office of Mental Retardation (OMR) has issued a draft bulletin entitled Positive Practices – Elimination of Restraints. The OMR supports the national trend toward the elimination of restraints and restrictive procedures. For information, contact Mel Knowlton at mknowlton@state.pa.us, or 717.783.5764. For a copy of the Bulletin, contact Emily Frola at efrola@state.pa.us or 717.783.5761. ^source

ICF/MR Assessment
The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) has published a Bulletin describing the proposed assessment on Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR) in Pennsylvania based on a new law, Act 69 of 2004. The Bulletin contains information about the size of the assessment, how it will be collected, and how much is expected to be collected for fiscal years 2003-04 and 2004-05. Advocates for persons on the Office of Mental Retardation’s waiting list have pressed the Department to use the funds for new services. To read the Bulletin, go to: http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol34/34-52/2286.html. ^source

Autism Task Force Report
The Department of Public Welfare has posted the Final Report of its Autism Task Force to its website, including 12 subcommittee reports. The Task Force makes five recommendations:

1. Create an Office of Disability within the Department of Public Welfare that has a Bureau or Division of Autism Spectrum and Related Disorders.
2. Create a consumer-led organization that provides information about autism services in multiple systems and that advocates for the needs of individuals living with autism.
3. Develop an autism-specific Medicaid Waiver to allow for greater flexibility and creativity in providing services for this population.
4. Situate Regional Autism Centers across the state that provide high quality services to individuals with autism, train professionals in the area to assess and evaluate the needs of people living with autism, provide education and supports to families, and create opportunities for research to continually improve treatment and supports.
5. Develop creative mechanisms for blending and braiding funding between education and Medicaid to ensure coordinated, collaborative care across systems.

To view the report, go to: http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/General/AboutDPW/ SecretaryPublicWelfare/AutismTaskForce. ^source

Behavioral Health
The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) has begun an expedited enrollment process for the HealthChoices Behavioral Health program effective on January 1, 2005. Behavioral Health Expedited Enrollment is an initiative that will automatically enroll an individual into the HealthChoices Behavioral Health program when the County Assistance Office (CAO) determines an individual is eligible for Medical Assistance (MA) instead of waiting until the Physical Health Managed Care Organization is chosen. ^source

ADA Case
In November, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of a housing authority police officer's lawsuit that claimed his discharge violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and Pennsylvania state law. The officer, who was diagnosed with depression, was terminated after his doctor recommended an alternate assignment that did not require him to carry a weapon. ^source

Drug and Alcohol Plan
The Pennsylvania Department Of Health (DOH) published a notice in the January 1, 2005 Pennsylvania Bulletin that its plan for spending federal funds for drug and alcohol services is available for public review and comment. The grant amount is approximately $58 million for the period of October 1, 2004, to September 30, 2005. For more information, go to http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol35/35-1/21.html or for copies of the Plan, contact Terry Matulevich, Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Department of Health, P. O. Box 90, Harrisburg, PA 17108-0090, 717.783.8200. ^source

CONFERENCES

Collective Advocacy Workshops – Spring, 2005
All new or updated workshops are being offered for people with disabilities, their family members, and members of disability organizations to help advocates improve their skills.

Learn how you can apply for up to $10,000 in Collective Advocacy Grants and how to get Collective Advocacy consulting assistance at no charge. There is no charge for the workshops or materials, only a $6.00 fee to defray luncheon costs.  Assistance, such as interpreters and attendants, is available upon request.  Workshops are funded by the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council. Topics include: Putting a Plan Together; Deciding Which Advocacy Actions to Take; Networking; andOrganizing for Success. To enroll or to get more information, including dates and locations, contact George Taylor at 800.684.3695 or email him at taylor.taylor@verizon.net.  Copies of the flyer are also available at the PIE office.

Mini Series
Temple University ’s Institute on Disabilities, the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, and Pennsylvania Protection and Advocacy are offering a Mini Course Series on Disabilities. The first session, Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, will be held March 22 in Monroeville, March 23 in Philadelphia and March 24 in Lancaster. The second session, Positive Exposure: The Spirit of Difference, will be held May 4 in Philadelphia. For more information, contact Stephanie Marcello at 215.204.2933 or stephmar@temple.edu. Copies of the brochure are available from the PIE Office.

Summit Scheduled
The Alliance for Full Participation is a group of eleven organizations working together to get integration, productivity, independence, and quality of life choices for people with developmental disabilities. A Summit entitled Many Voices, One Vision will be held on September 22-23, 2005 in Washington, D.C. The topics will be Leadership, Community Membership, Self Determination, and Enhancing the Quality of Supports and Services. For more information, contact Carol Walsh at walshworks@mindspring.com or go to www.AllianceForFullParticipation.org. Early Bird registration closes March 1, 2005.

Training in Government
The theme for the 2005 National Training Conference for Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Government (DHHIG) conference is Think, Act, Lead. This year’s event will be held at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. on May 9-11, 2005. The website address is www.dhhig.org/ntc.

Aging Conference
The American Society on Aging and The National Council on Aging Joint Conference takes place March 10-13, 2005 in Philadelphia. With more than 1,000 sessions in 50 subject areas, it is the most comprehensive conference in the field of aging. For registration and program information, got to www.agingconference.org.