Minutes for November 10, 2005

Meeting Location: Four Points Sheraton, Minneapolis

Present:  Barbara Chromy, Roberta Cich, Judy Sanders, David Hancox, Bryan Jensen, Lois Johnson, Sharon Johnson, Connie Le Berg, Karen Larson, Mary Pennington, Ann Zick, Larry Lura, Adrienne Haugen, David Schwartzkopf (Ex-Officio), Linda Lingen (Ex-Officio) David Sherwood-Gabrielson (Ex-Officio)

RS Staff: Brad Westerlund, Gail Lundeen

Absent: Phyllis Coppess (excused), Mark Eggen

Guest: Cara Ruff

Call to Order, Introductions

The November 10, 2005 meeting of the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) was called to order at 9:03 a.m. by Lois Johnson, chairperson. Introductions followed.

Approval of October Minutes and November Agenda

There were no requests for additions or revisions to the October, 2005 minutes. David Hancox moved and Larry Lura seconded that the September minutes be approved as submitted. The motion passed unanimously.

The following revisions to the agenda were agreed upon:

  1. In order to show the Disability Rap Culture video, council updates, with the exception of the Centers for Independent Living's update, were cancelled. If desired, updates can be provided to Brad Westerlund for distribution with the December mailing.
  2. Bryan Jenson requested a discussion of the DEED reorganization be added to the agenda.

Centers for Independent Living Report - David Hancox

Last year, the legislature directed the Department of Human Services (DHS) to address perceived fraud by personal care (PCA) agencies. In the past, bills were batched under a single provider number. In the future, each personal care attendant must be registered and bill under their individual number. This has huge implications for each provider. The agency now must track each unit submitted and bill by individual. There is no additional payment for a task that adds a huge burden to the agency. PCA agency representatives are meeting with DHS to appeal this new procedure.

Additionally, a year ago DHS ceased paying for PCA applicant background checks. Even though the cost of background checks has increased, PCA agencies are expected to cover this cost.

At the end of each year, the federal government distributes unused federal VR dollars to states providing the required state match. A MOU has been written authorizing RS to use IL state dollars to provide match to enable RS to draw down additional federal dollars. IL then receives a percentage of the new federal dollars. (David's comments regarding the amended MOU are deleted at his request because they are no longer relevant)

The Independent Living Centers are negotiating with local VR regional area managers how the ILCs will serve people with disabilities at the Workforce Centers. The Centers can provide necessary services that parallel, but do not duplicate, the services offered by the Workforce Centers. The ILC will be reaching new clients, benefiting the Workforce Centers and decreasing the VR waitlist.

SILC Orientation

For purposes of SILC orientation, the Disability Culture Rap video was shown. This video is produced by Advocating Change Together. The SILC has purchased this video for all of the Independent Living Centers.

Education and Advocacy Committee Planning

The education and advocacy committee requested that the full committee form two workgroups to assist with Goal II of the 2005-2007 State Plan. The Diversity/Outreach Sub-committee will address objectives B, C, G, and J. Connie Lee Berg will be secretary and reporter. The Website Information Subcommittee will address objectives A, D, E, and F. Ann Zick will serve as secretary and reporter. Subcommittee reports are as follows:

Website Information Subcommittee

Ann Zick-Chair, Barbara Chromy, Roberta Cich-Secretary, David Hancox, Bryan Jensen, Gail Lundeen, Lois Johnson.

Objective A: Develop a mechanism to provide training throughout Minnesota in areas IL philosophy, choice and self-determination.

  1. Review the IL and DEED websites. Report on what is available and what is missing. Fact sheets should include, but not be limited to independent living philosophy, self determination, choice, how to work with elected officials, ADA, and civil rights law.
  2. Survey what the centers are already using.

Objective D: Develop fact sheets for statewide distribution to CILs, Workforce Centers, et alia for the provision of information concerning the ADA and other civil rights laws for people with disabilities.

  1. Survey what is available from the IL and DEED websites. Provide links to appropriate websites. Assure that the reader and easily return to the main web page.

Objective E: Develop fact sheets for statewide distribution to provide information on how to work effectively with elected officials.

  1. The subcommittee shall survey what is available on the internet and provide appropriate links. The committee will then assess what other fact sheets need to be developed.

Objective F: Create a monograph of fact sheets and other pertinent educational materials for national distribution.

  1. The monograph should include the following:
    1. How IL has evolved
    2. What are the current issues
    3. Future IL services
  2. The subcommittee should continue to discuss what type of a product is desired. The MN Council on Developmental Disabilities publication A New Way of Thinking (www.mnddc.org/extra/publications.htm) was suggested as a model. Copies of this should be obtained and shared with the subcommittee.

Diversity/Outreach Subcommittee

Judy Sanders, Connie Lee Berg, Mary Pennington, David Schwartzkopf, David Sherwood-Gabrielson, Larry Lura, Adrienne Haugen.

Objective B: Inform diverse populations statewide of, and ensure access to, independent living concepts and philosophies through targeted outreach.

The workgroup will define 'diverse population' as the state demographer's top five minority populations in Minnesota : American Indian (Indigenous), Hmong, Somalian, Russian and Latino. The Goal II workgroup stressed the importance that information is provided statewide to assure that all Minnesota have access to support and available resources. Listed below are the steps the group proposed to achieve this goal.

  1. Develop a poster with the site of and contact information for each Independent Living Center in Minnesota.
  2. Develop a brochure about Independent Living and the Independent Living Centers. Consistent with the SPIL outreach activities described in the State Plan (page 40), the brochure will be translated into various languages. All translations will be 'proofed' to assure that translations are culturally acceptable.
  3. To better understand Minnesota's diverse populations, education on cultural appropriateness will be offered to the sub-committee and full SILC.
  4. Any materials developed by the sub-committee can be distributed by other community resources such as a Center for Independent Living's quarterly newsletter.

Objective C: Continue to evaluate and monitor unserved and underserved disability groups within differing ethnic and racial populations statewide.

  1. Review Rehabilitation Services survey of unserved and underserved groups. (Brad Westerlund will provide the SILC with RS survey information.) Based on this review, the workgroup will determine which groups to prioritize for evaluation and monitoring.
    1. Evaluation will include best practice models of outreach.
    2. Monitoring will measurements to determine outreach effectiveness.
  2. The workgroup's goal is to reduce the number of groups identified as unserved and underserved.

Objective G: Seek increased collaboration with other disability organizations such as the Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities, the ARC, Consumer Survivor Network, et alia.

  1. In order to increase collaboration with other disability groups, the SILC will develop a list of all members and their connections to other disability organizations.
  2. The SILC will need to add an update of the Olmstead project in Minnesota to the agenda

Objective J: Plan, develop and implement targeted outreach activities for minority and youth audiences to encourage a more diverse SILC membership.

Members agreed that the subcommittees will meet at the next SILC meeting.

Visitor Comments

There were no visitor comments.

Issues, Announcement, Correspondence

  1. Lois Johnson attended an MS convention. Johnson received an award for being a MS facilitator.
  2. Connie Berg discussed Red Lake's increased involvement with the student population. Red Lake also has been working with Pacer, State Services for the Blind, and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
  3. David Schwartzkopf reported that MSCOD recently had their annual awards luncheon. Thirteen awards were handed out, and Steve Thovson received the "Chairs" award.

Rehabilitation Services Reorganization

David Sherwood-Gabrielson reviewed the staff changes and reassignments within Rehabilitation Services. In order to redirect more resources to the field, roughly 20% of the central administration staff was laid off. David Sherwood-Gabrielson will be the contact for IL statewide policy questions. Staff is still in the process of sorting out roles and responsibilities. Members requested a new organization chart. (see attached)

Next Meeting, Adjournment

The next SILC meeting will be held on December 8th, 2005 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Four Points Sheraton Minneapolis, 1330 Industrial Boulevard. The November 10, 2005 meeting adjourned at 2:30p.m.