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Deadline Extended: Nominate Your Colleague for an NCE Award!

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Great news: If you are still working on submitting a nomination to recognize your colleague doing amazing work advancing The Arc’s mission (or you haven’t started yet), there’s still time.

Don’t miss your chance to shine a spotlight on a colleague who is excelling in their work!

The NCE Distinguished Professional Achievement Awards celebrate those who strive for excellence, put our clients first, and deliver great results. Since 1980, the awards have honored the professional excellence and achievement of NCE members as well as those persons outside the membership who make significant contributions on behalf of our constituency daily. Awards will be presented at The Arc’s NCE Awards Luncheon during The Arc’s 2018 Convention in Nashville, TN in November. Nominate someone you want to honor! Extended deadline: June 15.

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#HandsOffSNAP Video & Advocacy

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This was part of a series called #HandsOff, where we featured calls to action and stories from families across The Arc’s network about how key policy issues impact their day-to-day lives.

The U.S. House of Representatives could vote as early as this week on a bill to cut off or reduce basic food assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for roughly 2 million people across the nation. This includes many people with disabilities and their families. 

SNAP is vitally important for people with disabilities and their families. We know that all too often food insecurity and disability go together. Families that include people with disabilities are two to three times more likely to experience food insecurity than families that have no members with disabilities. 

Take action: Watch The Arc’s new video about SNAP and call Congress now to say #HandsOffSNAP. 

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Chapter Benefit Spotlight

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Does your chapter have a comprehensive Conflict of Interest policy? Are you interested in refreshing your policy, staff/volunteer compliance and disclosure statement and disclosure on family and business relationships? The Arc has a Standards for Excellence Institute educational resource packet with best practice models for your review and use. Make your funders, auditors, and the IRS satisfied when they review your conflict of interest program. Contact Karen Wolf-Branigin for a copy of The Arc’s Conflict of Interest resources today.

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Fostering Community Connection Through Comcast Cares Day: The Arc of Macomb County

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 Executive Spotlight

Lisa Lepine

The Arc of Macomb County

Clinton Township, MI

For over 15 years, Comcast Cares Day has provided an opportunity for Comcast NBCUniversal staff to volunteer their time with non-profits, schools, parks and other organizations to a positive impact within their local communities. Once again this year, chapters of The Arc across the country partnered with ComcastUniversal – and The Arc of Macomb County was one such chapter. Lisa Lepine, the chapter’s executive director, chatted with us about her chapter’s work and the value of inclusive volunteering.

Tell us about your project for Comcast Cares Day! What type of project did you do? Are there any other community entities or groups that you partnered with? How many people did you impact in your community?

Approximately 50 Comcast volunteers, from ages 6 to 60, spent Comcast Cares Day with more than a dozen employees, board members, and clients of The Arc of Macomb. The Arc of Macomb serves several hundreds of people per year, including operating a day program, organizing community outings, and providing employment services for people with developmental disabilities. Comcast volunteers organized the project of removing landscape rocks and weeds, installing barriers, and replacing the rocks; cleaning other landscaping and hardscaping; and repairing and painting walls inside the building. Some of Comcast’s employees drove almost two hours to attend the event! Several of the younger volunteers painted rocks to distribute throughout the grounds, beautifying the appearance for The Arc’s employees and clients. Both frequent and new visitors have appreciated and commented on the improvements from Comcast’s volunteers.

How did you get connected with Comcast?

The Arc of Macomb has used Comcast Business for its internet and phone systems for approximately four years. The Arc chose Comcast for its reputation for reliability and service. Although occasional outages are unavoidable, Comcast has consistently provided accurate estimates of expected downtime and repairs, enabling The Arc to effectively allocate its resources during interruptions in service. Comcast’s on-site technicians have been helpful, timely, and worked well with The Arc’s IT company to keep things running smoothly.

Why do you think it is important to engage in inclusive volunteering in your community?

The Arc of Macomb’s mission is to help people with disabilities and their families engage meaningfully in their communities. Volunteerism – from everybody! – is an important and inclusive way for people to interact with people in their communities, particularly with people whom they might not otherwise meet. Volunteer events like Comcast Cares Day fosters connectedness among people in a community and thereby strengthens the community in immeasurable ways.

What advice do you have for other chapters and organizations looking to get involved in inclusive volunteer opportunities?

Many people want to volunteer in their community, but they don’t always know exactly how. Conversely, organizations always want volunteer help, but the volunteer opportunities they have don’t always line up with the volunteers’ availability. Comcast’s organizers scheduled a clearly defined date and time a few months in advance, held a pre-event planning meeting a few weeks before the event, clearly communicated the details of our organization and of the event, and obtained the necessarily materials in advance. The planning of the event, combined with the communication of the details of the organization and of the event, were critical to the success of the event. Going forward, most volunteerism will be centered on a clearly defined event, with clear and concise descriptions of the organization and the event.

See more photos from The Arc of Macomb’s volunteer day.

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Rates are Rising in Two Weeks!

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Have you registered for this year’s Summer Leadership Institute et? Don’t miss out on the lower registration rate! The event has tons of sessions on hot topics facing your organization.

Guardianship practices are evolving. Where do you stand on the latest trends?

The criminal justice system is not prepared to meet the needs of people with I/DD as victims, suspects, or defendants. What more can we be doing to create positive change?

Weigh in on these topics and more at the 2018 Summer Leadership Institute. Hear best practices, dig into the issues most important to your organization’s efficiency and efficacy, and leave with ideas, solutions, and a network of personal and professional support.

How to Have Good Guardians: The National Guardianship Association Standards of Practice
This session will share information on the NGA standards of practice and how they support good guardians for inpiduals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Standards include information for decision making practices, least restrictive alternatives, self-determination, as well as responsibilities of the guardian and conflicts of interest.

Criminal Justice Reform on a Budget: Empowering Chapters to Advocate in Their Communities
Experts from The Arc’s federal policy team and the National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability® (NCCJD®) will train chapters/organizations on how to start criminal justice advocacy in their communities. Topics include: handling criminal justice intakes, approaching law enforcement and legal professionals about disability.

Are You Effectively Serving Clients with Criminal Justice Involvement?
As one of a handful of programs around the country and the only statewide program, The Arc of New Jersey’s program provides case management and education for self-advocates, law enforcement, courts and providers. This workshop is an overview of the Program, Personalized Justice Plans; effective communication and training for law enforcement

Check out our incredible program and join us from July 23-25 in the city of Brotherly Love!

See the full schedule here.

Revolution, Innovation and Leadership:
Practical Tips For Guiding Your Agency

Mingle and engage with staff from across The Arc’s national network of chapters, as well as other disability organizations across the country. United by a shared mission, you will explore the latest trends together and build support systems that will help you tackle the tough issues throughout the year.

WHEN:
July 23-25, 2018

WHERE:
HILTON PHILADELPHIA AT PENN’S LANDING
201 S Christopher Columbus Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19106

We hope to see you there! Register today!

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The 2018 Coleman Conference on Cognitive Disability and Technology is on October 3, 2018 in Broomfield, CO

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The theme of this year’s conference is One4One. Engineers and technology developers’ use personalization and customization to design technology solutions for a single unique user resulting in Technology4One. The Call for Proposals is open and will close on May 24, 2018. Submit a proposal! For more information about the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities and its annual conference, visit www.colemaninstitute.org.

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Request for Proposals: The Arc@Work Innovative Approaches to Community-Based Employment Initiative

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The Arc of the United States is pleased to announce additional funding for The Arc@Work Innovative Approaches to Community-Based Employment Initiative, which will continue to provide people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) entry into meaningful, long-term employment.

Eligibility: Funding will be available to support Chapters of The Arc who are currently implementing innovative, community-based employment programs.

Due date: May 9th, 2018 COB.

Funding Available: The Arc of the United States will make available $210,000 to support up to 21 chapters in this initiative for one year. The award ceiling is $12,000 per grant. Due date is: May 9th, 2018 COB.

Format: The proposal should be no more than 5 pages in length and will provide a detailed description of your program, its impact on job placement for individuals with I/DD, goals and objectives, and how this grant will help support your goals and objectives. The proposal should also include a complete budget and budget justification for funds requested, including in-kind and matching contributions.

The funding is open to all Chapters of The Arc that meet the applicant qualifications list in this request for proposals.

All applications, inquiries and questions should be directed to Stephane Leblois at leblois@thearc.org or 202.600.3483.

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Positive Ruling in Ohio Community Integration Case

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Good news! The Southern District of Ohio federal court recently granted class certification in the case Ball v. Kasich. At issue is whether Ohioans with I/DD receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate in the community as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. For those who apply for state-funded care, the State of Ohio offers immediate placement into institutions, but those seeking community-based services typically endure waits of over 13 years. With this ruling, the five named plaintiffs in the case now represent the interests of thousands of similarly-situated people with I/DD throughout Ohio who want community-based services. The court cited the amicus brief filed by The Arc, The Arc Ohio, and The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law in its opinion. The class is represented by Disability Rights Ohio, Center for Public Representation, Sam Bagenstos, and Sidley Austin LLP. Read the full opinion here.

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The Arc Reacts to Newest Autism Prevalence Data Showing 15% Increase in Two Years

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Washington, DC – Yesterday, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data showing the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to rise. The new rate of 1 in 59 children with autism reflects nearly a 16% increase from two years ago when the CDC released data stating that the prevalence hadn’t risen since 2014, when the rate of 1 in 68 children with autism was announced.

“A decade ago the CDC reported 1 in 125 children had autism and related disorders. Today’s data shows more than double the prevalence of autism in our nation since 2008 and emphasizes the need for better services and supports for people with autism and their families. People with autism live in all our communities – they are members of our families, they are our friends, they are active in our places of worship, they work with us, they teach us, and they are valuable members of society.

“We’ve made progress to raise awareness and improve services, but today’s report reminds us we need to be doing more. We need to be working to ensure that people with autism can receive the individualized supports they need in school, at work, and as they pursue lives in the community of their choosing. We’ve faced many threats recently that could be extremely detrimental to individuals with autism. From an Administration budget request that would have been devastating to people with disabilities; to a state by state effort to cut people off Medicaid, the single largest funding source of services and support for people with autism and their families; to a tax law that jeopardizes critical programswe are still in the fight of our lives and remain ready to advocate for the civil rights of people with autism and other disabilities.

“The new prevalence rates underscore the need to reauthorize the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act which expires next year. This law is the primary vehicle for federal funding for surveillance, autism research, screening and diagnostic services, and professional training. The significant variation in prevalence rates between different states points to the need to better understand the contributing factors and to plan for the service needs across the country.

“An important take away from this report is the need for early diagnosis and intervention. The Arc is a resource to young families across the country when it comes to early intervention. With nearly 650 chapters across the country we are the largest service provider to people with autism and other forms of intellectual and developmental disability in the nation. The Arc will continue to lead the way and work with people with autism to support their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes,” said Peter V. Berns, CEO of The Arc.

ASDs are a group of developmental disabilities that are often diagnosed in early childhood and can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges over a lifetime. The Arc is the largest provider organization for people with autism in the United States. Chapters of The Arc provide services and supports for people with autism, their families, and service providers.

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The Arc Opposes Administration Proposal to Raise Rents in HUD Housing

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Washington, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson released proposed legislation that would raise rents and allow new work requirements for millions of low-income people who receive basic housing assistance from HUD. Combined, the bill’s proposals would make it harder for millions of renters – including people with disabilities – to access affordable housing in their community. The HUD bill includes a number of proposals put forward by Representative Dennis Ross (R-FL) in draft legislation and discussed yesterday by the House Committee on Financial Services.

“We’re witnessing an alarming pattern of proposals that will only make it harder for everyday Americans – including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families – to pay for the basics and survive. This new bill, proposed by Housing Secretary Ben Carson, would raise rents on families and individuals who are already struggling to pay for their housing and daily expenses. For many people with disabilities surviving on extremely low incomes, higher rents could be the difference between a life in the community, and life in an institution or on the streets. Congress should reject Secretary Carson’s proposed legislation and instead continue the recent, bipartisan Congressional support that led to new investments in 2018 in affordable housing programs, including for people with disabilities,” said Peter V. Berns, CEO, The Arc.

HUD’s proposed bill would increase rents for nearly all families across many HUD affordable housing programs, including Section 8, public housing, and the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program:

  • As highlighted by the National Low Income Housing Coalition: “Currently, most families receiving federal housing assistance pay 30% of their adjusted income as rent. Under the proposal, families, with some exceptions, would instead have to pay 35% of their gross income or 35% of the amount earned by working at least 15 hours a week for four weeks at federal minimum wage, whichever is higher. With this provision, HUD would essentially set a new mandatory minimum rent of $150—three times higher than the current minimum rent that housing providers may apply to families.”
  • Households identified as a “disabled family” or “elderly family” would also be subject to new, higher minimum rents. Their rents would be calculated as 30 percent of gross income or a minimum rent of $50 per month, whichever is higher. New “disabled family” tenants would be impacted immediately; existing “disabled family” tenants would see these higher rents phase in over 6 years. To qualify as a “disabled family” or “elderly family” for the purpose of setting the family rent, all adults in the family would have to be a person who meets the HUD definition of disability or be at least 65 years of age. Families that include non-elderly adults with and without disabilities would have to pay 35 percent of gross income or $150 per month.
  • Key income deductions currently used to calculate “adjusted income” in order to set rents would be eliminated—including deductions for medical expenses, disability-related expenses, and child care.
  • HUD would have the authority to create or authorize alternative rent policies that could lead to even higher rents for some or many tenants.

The proposed bill also would give Public Housing Authorities and project-based Section 8 housing owners the option to impose new work requirements. The details of how this would operate would be left up to HUD regulation. The bill fails to offer any new investments to ensure that people can access the supports and services they might need to find and keep a job. By reducing or cutting off basic housing assistance and making it harder for people to remain housed, work requirements will only make it harder for people to get and keep a job – including many people with disabilities and their families.