Massachusetts Plan Olmstead Act

SILC
Quarterly Meeting Minutes
December 3, 2002


Present: See Attendance Sheet

Olmstead Act Discussion: Prior to today's meeting, Bill Henning, Charlie
Carr and Chris Griffin, presented the progress of the Massachusetts' plan
for implementation of the Olmstead Act. Over many months and much debate,
leaders within the disability community participated in the development of
the four subcommittee section reports of Housing, Community Services &
Supports, People at Risk of Institutionalization, and People Who are
Institutionalized which would become the foundation of the Massachusetts'
Olmstead plan. These four reports included 100 strong recommendations,
work plans and time lines required to accomplish this implementation in a
timely fashion. However, when the final version entitled Enhanced
Community Based Services (ECBS) was released, it had been edited or
sanitized and virtually became a plan to develop a plan. It had been so
watered down that only 15 recommendations were left, time lines were
removed and plans to investigate or research were listed.

Many members of the disability community were and are outraged by this
edited version.
Lots of time and energy was spent on the format and content of the four
reports submitted by each subcommittee of which leadership consisted of
co-chairs, one having to be a leader within the disability community. This
was done to ensure that the voice of persons with disabilities was heard
and documented. Unfortunately, much of the input presented by persons with
disabilities was provided, documented and then removed on final editing.
Since persons within the disability community are dissatisfied with the
final released product, a People's Olmstead Plan will be developed. This
will be presented in the Advocacy report.

Bill Henning, Charlie Carr and Chris Griffin made it clear that persons
with disabilities must hound, hound, and hound their legislators in order
to make them aware that the disability community is not satisfied with the
ECBS and wishes their legislators to promote and embrace the People's
Olmstead Plan in its stead. When speaking with legislators on the People's
Olmstead Plan, Henning, Carr and Griffin also proposed discussing
prevention of further Mass Health cuts and prevention of the endorsement
of the Lady of Peace Bill. This bill would mandate the compilation of a
list of persons with psychiatric disabilities which would then be
referenced as individuals not be eligible for purchase of guns.


Previous Meeting Minutes: Minutes were unanimously accepted following
motion made by Mary Margaret Moore and seconded by Dwight Woodworth.

Chair's Report: Statewide legislative trainings will be done through the
DPC and the RAC to teach consumers how to educate their legislators on why
they need to promote Olmstead Plan implementation and to motivate persons
with disabilities on becoming more advocacy oriented. The other advocacy
efforts that will be focused on are maintaining or improving the MRC and
IL line items in the budget. There will be a total of three trainings for
the SILC and two for MRC where all advocacy issues mentioned above will be
prioritized.

Presently there is some restructuring of SILC committees but most are
productively fulfilling their tasks. Title VII Part B Task Force is being
regrouped. Individual reports will be presented below.

The SILC website is being improved. There will be an exchange of
information provided as well as updates on Olmstead.

Mary Margaret Moore made motion to accept this report which was seconded
by Dwight Woodworth. The report was accepted unanimously.

Treasurer's Report: There have two or three meetings for this committee
since last SILC meeting. A need for more members to serve on this
committee exists. If any SILC members are interested, please contact Joe
Bellil or Mary Margaret Moore.

SILC is stable financially with a very workable budget. Thanks to the
advocacy efforts of Karen Langley, the SILC was able to roll over fiscal
year 2002 monies into the 2003 fiscal budget which includes $35,000 for
the IL conference. SILC plans on purchasing an LCD projector for use by
the SILC and any ILC that wishes to use it. Funds were also placed in
budget to maintain the web page.

DPC contract has been signed to provide the legislative trainings for the
SILC. MetroWest will maintain the web page.

There was discussion about possibly changing the format of Treasurer's
report from the present spreadsheet style. Another recommendation was to
put present spreadsheet or cut and paste version of it on the web page.
Final decision was to maintain spreadsheet format and cut and paste
version on web page.

Sonya Perduta made motion to accept Treasurer's report which was seconded
by Dwight Woodworth and then unanimously accepted.

SILC Consultant Report: See attached written report. Dwight Woodworth
made the motion to accept this report. This was unanimously accepted
following a second to motion by Sonya Perduta.

Council Development/Nominations Report: The committee is still working on
moving the list of nominees forward through the governor's office.
Background searches are being done and nominees have received their
paperwork. Hopefully, SILC will make their goal to have 4-5 people
through the process before this administration ends. But, with the
transition of administrations, the committee will stay in touch on a
weekly to keep things moving. This committee is still recruiting new
members. If interested, contact Joe Bellil or Steve Higgins.

There was brief discussion of membership and representation criteria for
the SILC. Mary Margaret Moore added that she would like to see SILC
trainings done to educate the new members once the majority are on board.
Perhaps this might be done in conjunction with the IL conference this
spring or summer or independently of each other.

Mary Margaret Moore made the motion to accept this report which was
seconded by Sonya Perduta. It was unanimously passed.

Evaluation Committee Report: No actual report.

Jack Siciliano from CLW will be chairing this committee. This group is
presently restructuring itself and needs members. For those interested,
call Joe Bellil or Jack Siciliano. Consumer surveys will be sent out soon.
Evaluation of State Plan is pending.

Title VII Part B Task Force Report: No actual report. Pat Royea from CLW
will be chairing this committee. More information to be provided at later
date.

Advocacy Committee Report: The state Olmstead Plan, named the ECBS, did
not meet the disability community's satisfaction or needs. It is
unacceptable.

The disability community members involved have decided that persons with
disabilities need to take charge and set our own direction regarding the
Olmstead Plan. Therefore, a People's Olmstead Plan will be written by
Charlie Carr, Chris Griffin, Paul Spooner and Bill Henning. The People's
Olmstead Plan will be an integration of a preamble, 8-10 clear and
concise objectives, and the 4-subcommittee reports. This document will be
mailed to SILC members & associates, governor Romney & his staff, all
legislators, appropriate state agencies and others to be determined.

The hope is that this document will solidify persons with disabilities to
implement Olmstead as an umbrella for all disability related issues, such
as housing, medicaid cuts, budget issues, transportation, etc.

The advocacy committee wants the SILC to adopt this above strategy of the
People's Olmstead Plan, carry it forward and distribute it according to
the above list. The committee would like all members to monitor the SILC
web page for updates and act appropriately. There was a recommendation to
include the media in all of the above endeavors.

Mary Margaret Moore made the motion that the SILC sponsor the development
of the People's Olmstead Plan as stated above. Dwight Woodworth seconded
it.
Discussion ensued with recommendations that it be formatted as a business
plan and that it clearly states that the service delivery monies must
follow the person into the community. Housing was also discussed as an
issue with recommendations of supporting the housing bond bill and
querying DMR for potential housing funds. This motion was unanimously
accepted.

Mary Margaret Moore made another motion that the SILC endorse the rally
tomorrow to prevent any further Mass Health cuts and to restore the Mass
Health cuts already done. Dwight Woodworth seconded it. A friendly
amendment was added that people attend the rally. Dwight Woodworth
accepted the friendly amendment and the motion carried unanimously.

Mary Margaret made the motion to accept the advocacy report. Dwight
Woodworth seconded it and it was unanimously accepted.

Karen Langley discussed the Facilities Consolidation Bond which includes
sections on Integrated Housing, Home Loan Program and the Community Based
Housing bond. She asks that all ILCs call their legislators to support
this by tomorrow.

501(c)3 Report: Not too much to report. The PROs and the CONs of going to
non-profit status were reviewed. Pat Royea of CLW will be the new
chairperson. Mary Margaret Moore has offered her support to Pat, if she
wishes it, during her transition as chair.

Announcements:

1. Lisa Maisels from the Office on Health & Disability states that women
with disabilities are needed as models for a DPH Mammography education
program. Anyone interested in being a model or assisting with other
aspects of this program, please call her at 617.624.5960 or Joe Bellil at
the SILC office.

2. SILC has received $35,000 for the IL Conference. The planning
committee needs to be appointed to start planning the conference with the
hopes of it being scheduled at an earlier date than last year. SILC
members who volunteered for this committee are: Sonya Perduta, Paul
Spooner, Mary Margaret Moore, Joe Bellil and Pat Royea.

3. Discussion of other SILCs and their organization ensued especially in
regards to whether the governor or the SILC body should appoint the SILC
chairperson. Our SILC has decided to let our new governor know that we
believe that the SILC membership appoint the SILC chair and not an
external agent, such as the governor.

4. A reminder was made by Karen Langley that the 704 reports are due on
January 31st .
Some discussion occurred regarding the consumer satisfaction surveys.

This SILC Meeting was adjourned with a reminder that the next meeting
would
be in March 2003 at a date to be determined.


Respectfully submitted,


Sonya Perduta-Fulginiti
Secretary of the SILC