October 28, 2005
NYSRA ReSource
For Perspective and
Analysis
The Source of
information for providers of community-based services for people of differing
abilities.
The Voter Power
January
may seem a way off yet, but the reality is that it will be here soon. And, in some sense, when it comes to
statewide advocacy here at NYSRA, it’s practically here now.
State
agencies have been compiling their budget requests for the Governor since late
September, when the director of the Division of the Budget sent out a “budget
call letter” telling agencies to hold the line on spending to year-ago levels.
While
that call may seem ominous, it is an improvement over years when the DOB
director tells agencies to cut 10 to 15 percent from their requests. Still, there is every reason to think that
the 2006 session will be one in which advocacy is as important as ever. Some forecasts from the Governor’s Office
indicate that a structural deficit of $2 billion looms. While some legislative sources privately
disagree and point to large revenue increases being seen from mortgage
recording tax and gasoline tax receipts, the reality is that the budget season
is almost never easy. It may be, in
fact, that the first dispute of the new year in Albany will be that projected
deficit and whether or not it truly exists.
NYSRA
has taken every opportunity to advocate for adequate funding for programs at
all agencies to ensure that our members and they people you serve are not
shortchanged. Discussions have been
held with staff at OMRDD, OMH, NYSED and other agencies. It is fair to say that these efforts are
ongoing and will remain so. We also
have had discussions – more are planned – with the Division of the Budget.
In
the midst of all this the NYSRA Legislative Committee, chaired by Jim Bellanca
of the Rehabilitation Center, Olean, has drafted a NYSRA Legislative and Policy
Agenda for 2006. Holding fast to the
notion of a member-driven association, this document is the product of much work
by our NYSRA Divisions and their co-chairs.
Through their efforts, and those members who participate in their
Division meetings, we have identified areas of concern that must be addressed
in the upcoming legislative session, as well as by Congress as it wrestles with
budget issues in Washington. Within
days of this writing the NYSRA document should be finalized by the Executive
Committee and our Board of Directors, then sent on to all our members for any
further comments they may have.
The
existence of this document makes our upcoming Division meetings even more
important. Those meetings will be a
perfect opportunity to react to the document before it goes into final
form. Those members who can attend
those meetings will know they have been actively involved in the crafting of
our most important advocacy work-product of the year; I urge any and all to
take advantage of the opportunity. And
all the NYSRA staff, our Legislative chair Jim Bellanca, and I thank you all
for your ongoing efforts.
The Veto Power
As
most of you likely know, NYSRA can take some pride in playing an active role in
policy decisions here in Albany earlier this month. After extensive correspondence and contact with the Governor’s
Office regarding the passage last session of legislation that would help pave
the way for union “card-check legislation” the Governor vetoed the measure, as
we requested, on October 4.
This
testifies to the impact that we can have when we focus efforts on issues of
concern. There is no question that, in
addition NYSRA staff efforts on this issue, letters from our members to the
Governor’s Counsel were effective in helping the Governor make an informed
decision. Concerted efforts among
members and NYSRA staff do make a difference, and we will continue to
coordinate these efforts on matters of concern in the future, as well.
The Voter Power
The
2000 federal election problems in Florida and elsewhere led to the passage of
the Help America Vote Act. Among the
issues addressed in the Act are matters of voting access for people with
disabilities.
As
the result of a grant from the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for
Persons with Disabilities, the Catskill Center for Independence in Oneonta is
working to advance the causes of accessible polling places, accessible
balloting procedures, and other matters of interest to voters. We were pleased to attend an Albany
conference sponsored by the Center and urge all NYSRA members to learn more
about voting access issues by visiting www.ccfi.us
and clicking on the voting project links hosted by the Center.
New
York still has not adopted all the legislation it must in order to quality for
maximum federal funding for expenses such as purchasing new voting
machines. NYSRA will continue to work
with other organizations to ensure New York doesn’t lose this opportunity and
to see that no disability leads to the disenfranchisement of any qualified
voter.
Voting,
after all, is the most basic and fundamental form of advocacy.
News from State Agencies/NYSRA Advocacy
Home Depot Pays Disabled Ex-Worker
By Paul Vitello, NY Times - In a settlement that could have
wide implications within a small but growing community of severely disabled
workers, Home Depot Inc. has agreed to pay $75,000 to a mentally disabled
former employee whose supervisor fired her without first consulting the
employee’s job coach. Home Depot also
agreed to maintain closer contact in the future with disabled workers’ job
coaches, in a consent decree signed earlier this month with the Equal Opportunity
Employment Commission.
The commission had accused the retail giant in a federal lawsuit of violating
the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 by failing to notify the woman’s
coach of disciplinary problems. It said that measure should have been taken
under the “reasonable accommodations” provision of the law.
”This decree is significant because it sends a message to those who employ the
disabled that mental disabilities have to be accommodated just as well as
physical disabilities,” said Sunu Chandy, the commission lawyer who handled the
case for the New York district office.
She said the decree was among the first in the nation to address the
rights of workers with job coaches. “If a disabled person has trouble
understanding something, the job schedule, for instance, that difficulty is
part of their disability and must be accommodated,” she said.
Job coaches are not a new phenomenon, but they are increasingly employed by
nonprofit agencies seeking to help disabled people, especially those with mental
retardation or severe physical disability, find jobs outside the cloistered
world of sheltered workshops. The
coach’s services as a trainer and monitor of the disabled employee are paid for
by the agency, usually with public dollars, and not by the worker’s employer.
Carolyn Pisani, who graduated from high school despite an
I.Q. said in court records to be 60, was fired after being accused of missing
two scheduled days of work. Though she
did not deny missing the two days, both Ms. Pisani and her father, Joseph
Pisani, said in depositions that a person claiming to be a Home Depot
supervisor called the evenings before both days, saying she would not be needed
the next day. Home Depot said no
authorized person made those calls, and people familiar with the case say they
may have been pranks.
When Ms. Pisani arrived for her next scheduled workday, she was met by a
supervisor, who demanded that she sign a number of bad-performance reports for
unexcused absences and then fired her. She had worked at Home Depot for four
months. Ms. Pisani’s job coach, who was
employed through a State Education Department program known as Vocational and
Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, was only informed after
the fact, even though the coach had helped train Ms. Pisani and was making
weekly visits to see that she was meeting all her supervisors’ expectations.
NYSRA and RRTI Calendar
October 2005
October 28
Service Coordination Meeting, Albany
November 2005
November 1
DD Division Meeting, Albany
November 10
MH Division Meeting, Albany
November 14
Partnership for Youth in Transition Committee Meeting,
Albany
November 17
Workcenter Services Committee Meeting, Albany (AM)
Community Employment Committee
Meeting, Albany (PM)
December 2005
December 1
VOC Division Meeting, Manhattan VESID, NYC
December 7
RRTI Board Meeting
December 8
NYSRA Board Meeting
Federal Update
Workforce
Investment Act/Rehabilitation Act
While the Senate HELP Committee has passed its version of
WIA/Rehabilitation Act reauthorization, it is looking less likely the full
Senate will consider it before they recess for the year. There have been
indications that some Senators are looking at introducing an amendment to
consolidate some Department of Labor funds (although, unlike the WIA Plus
proposal, this would not include vocational rehabilitation funds). Democrats
are opposed to this, so this issue is being worked out. However, since this
bill is not a high priority of Senate leadership, the resolution of this
dispute is unlikely to be a high priority. This means Senate passage of the
bill will likely take place during the second session of the 109th
Congress, which begins in January.
-Courtesy of ACCSES
Department
of Education
President Bush signed into law on Sept. 30 the Assistance
for Individuals with Disabilities Affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Act
of 2005, granting the U.S. Education Department authority to permit
hurricane-affected Gulf Coast states access to $25.9 million in federal funds for
vocational rehabilitation (VR) services without the states having to provide
matching funds.
These VR services may include education, training, assistive
technology or various supports necessary for employment of individuals with
disabilities affected by Hurricanes Katrina or Rita that contribute to the
economic growth and development of communities.
“Children and adults with disabilities face challenges with
the loss of their homes and supports for daily living,” Secretary of Education
Margaret Spellings said. “Through the department’s Office of Special Education
and Rehabilitative Services, this funding will provide additional assistance to
those with disabilities affected by the hurricanes.”
Federal funds for VR services will be made available to
affected states in the following amounts:
• Louisiana, $16.4 million;
• Mississippi, $6.1 million;
• Alabama, $1.7 million; and
• Texas, $1.7 million.
Department of Education Press Release
-Courtesy of ACCSES
Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
In response to public inquiry about
the recently reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement
Act of 2004 (IDEA), and prior to issuing final regulations, OSERS is taking
steps to assist in the explanation of the statutory language. To be as
responsive as possible to families, educators and administrators, OSERS has
developed and posted to its Web site a series of topic briefs regarding several
high-interest areas of IDEA 2004. These topic briefs include a summary of all
relevant statutory language for 19 topics ranging from Highly Qualified
Teachers to Discipline, with citations from the law and cross-references, when
applicable, to related briefs.
www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004.html
-Courtesy of ACCSES
Katrina Update: Lexington Center
In response to the call for hurricane relief, the Lexington
Center organized a fundraiser for Hurrican Katrina that was a huge
success! With the help of generous
support and contributions, Lexington was able to raise $4950.00 for the
Hurricane Relief effort and an additional $250.00 for the North Shore Animal
League’s Rescue fund. Lexington would
like to thank everyone for their support, especially their wonderful staff!
Announcements/Opportunities
2006 Summer Information Technology
Internship For College Students With
Disabilities
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD),
through partnerships with Microsoft Corporation and the Mitsubishi Electric
America Foundation, is pleased to announce two internship opportunities for
college students with disabilities for summer 2006.
2006 SUMMER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
INTERNSHIP FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
Administered by AAPD and sponsored by Microsoft Corporation,
undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in information technology
are encouraged to apply. Accepted candidates will work in various agencies in
the executive branch of the federal government. Roundtrip air travel and
housing will be provided to interns, and each student will receive a stipend.
Applications now available from www.AAPD.com.
Apply by: DECEMBER 12, 2005 (5:00pm, eastern).
Questions and submissions for I.T. program: aapdmsintern@aol.com.
2006 SUMMER CONGRESSIONAL INTERNSHIP
PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
Administered by AAPD and sponsored by the Mitsubishi
Electric America Foundation, second-semester sophomores through first-semester
seniors interested in working on Capitol Hill are encouraged to apply. Accepted candidates will work in
congressional offices in Washington, DC.
Roundtrip air travel and housing will be provided to interns, and each
student will receive a stipend. Applications
now available from www.AAPD.com.
Apply by: DECEMBER 12, 2005 (5:00pm, eastern).
Questions and submissions for Congressional program: aapdcongintern@aol.com.
ABOUT AAPD: The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is the
largest cross-disability national membership organization in the country with
more than 100,000 members. Its mission is the political and economic
empowerment of all children and adults with disabili- ties.
New Resource on Transportation and Youth/Adults
with Disabilities
Ask people with developmental and other disabilities to name
the barriers they experience to community inclusion and participation, and near
the top of that list will be problems accessing transportation. Impact: Feature issue on “Meeting
Transportation Needs of Youth and Adults with Developmental Disabilities” is a
new publication from the Institute on Community Integration (UCEDD), University
of Minnesota, that offers individual and system-wide strategies for meeting
transportation needs of youth and adults with developmental disabilities. The summer issue of the quarterly Impact
newsletter is designed for use by disability service providers and other human
service agencies, advocacy organizations, schools, individuals with
disabilities and their families. The
issue is available online at http://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/183/default.html. It’s also available in print by contacting
the Institute’s Publications Office at 612/624-4512 or publications@icimail.umn.edu;
the first print copy is free and each addition is $4.
Job Opportunities
Clinical Psychologist and Applied
Behavioral Specialists - Full
and Part time positions available in a busy Article 16 Clinic providing
services to individuals age four and above with Developmental
Disabilities. Must possess a Master’s
degree from an accredited program in a clinical and or treatment field of
Psychology, as well as training in assessment techniques and behavioral program
development. Experience with Developmental Disabilities preferred. PhD Licensed
Psychologists encouraged to apply. Send
resume to Arc of Onondaga, Human Resources Coordinator, 600 S. Wilbur Ave,
Syracuse, NY 13204, fax (315) 472-0873, email: hrcoordinator@arcon.org EOE
Registered Nurse – PT for IRA. Must have a nursing license. Responsible for training staff; medical
advocate for DD population; liaison to physicians & other medical
services. EOE. Resume to: Phoenix
Frontier – SH, 100 Leroy Ave, Buffalo, NY 14214
Quality Assurance Assistant – FT position. BA w/ 1 year exp. Working in the DD field; 6
mo. Exp. In QA preferred. EOE. Resume
to: Phoenix Frontier – SH, 100 Leroy Ave., Buffalo, NY 14214
Behavior Specialist – PT – Observe individuals w/ disabilities; write
behavior plans. BA w/ 1yr. exp. w/
behavioral responsibilities. EOE.
Resume to: Phoenix Frontier – SH, 100 Leroy Ave, Buffalo, NY 14214
Director of Fiscal Services - To plan, develop, implement and
manage sound fiscal systems. Oversee
A/R, A/P, payroll, general ledger and budget functions. Position reports directly to the CFO. Masters or Bachelors degree in accounting,
plus a minimum of 5 years of directly related administrative experience
required. CPA preferred. Finance Manager - Plans,
forecasts, and analyzes annual and long-term financial outcomes. Assists managers in the development and
analysis of program-specific business plans.
Reports to the Director of Fiscal Services. Bachelors degree in Business Administration or Accounting and 4
years related experience including one year managerial experience.
Submit resumes and
salary requirements for both positions to: The Resource Center, Attn: Mary Johnson, Recruitment Coordinator, 880
East Second Street, Jamestown, NY 14701
Or
e-mail: trcmjohnson@alltel.net
EOE M/F/V/H
Supervisor of Supported Employment - Contemporary Guidance Services, Inc.
seeks a Supervisor of Supported Employment.
Job responsibilities include daily program operations, supervises job
coaches/ job developers, coordinates all phases of case management for
consumers, develops links with community- based resources and ensure prompt and
appropriate referrals, and ensures compliance with funding agencies. A MA is
psychology, vocational rehabilitation or a related field highly preferred. Must be computer literate and have excellent
verbal and written skills. Professional
presentation is crucial. Must be an
energetic self-starter. Please fax
resume at 212-577-5517.
Visit the New NYSRA and RRTI Websites
Now,
visiting NYSRA and RRTI on the web is better than ever.
Both
the NYSRA and RRTI web sites have been newly redesigned!
The
new format has many new features:
Ease
of navigation
More
information available (and more coming)
Updated
and contemporary design
See
them for yourself!
www.nyrehab.org and www.rrti.org
Let
us know what you think.
And
remember that additional features will be added continually.
We want
your NYSRA and RRTI presence on the Web to be a significant resource for our
members and a “window” for the public to see who we are, the people we serve,
and the work we do.
Would you
like to include something in the ReSource? Contact Becky at becky@nyrehab.org
NYSRA/RRTI
155 Washington Avenue
Suite 410
Albany, NY 12210
Phone: (518) 449.2976
Fax: (518) 426.4329