Legislative Education Series
- Real Choices Systems Change Educational Series for Legislators - Evaluation Report (pdf)
- Transportation Powerpoint Presentation by Pat Crocker, VPTA (ppt)
In June of 2001, President Bush launched the New Freedom Initiative outlining his clear intent 'to help ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to live close to their families and friends, to live more independently, to engage in productive employment, and to participate in community life.' As part of this initiative, President Bush signed Executive Order No. 13217, 'Community-Based Alternatives for Individuals with Disabilities', calling upon the federal government to assist states and localities to implement swiftly the Supreme Court's Olmstead v. L.C. decision. The order states, 'The United States is committed to community-based alternatives for individuals with disabilities and recognizes that such services advance the best interests of the United States.'
As part of the New Freedom Initiative, the president authorized funds for Real Choice System Change Grants to help design and implement improved ways of providing community supports and services to enable children and adults of any age who have a disability or long term illness to live and participate in their communities. NH received three Real Choice grants totaling $3,970,000. These grants provide important seed money to support NH's work to enhance home and community based services and supports for all its citizens. Home and community based services and supports are clearly preferred by most individuals and have been proven to be more cost effective than institutional services. Much has been accomplished but there is much work to be done in order to deliver on the promise of full community participation for all NH citizens.
The Real Choice System Change Advisory Council is a broad, cross-disability coalition of people with disabilities, older adults, families, professionals and others in need of long term services and supports. They developed a series of presentations for legislators on topics related to community based, long term care services. The series, entitled, 'Supporting Older Adults and Individuals with Disabilities in Your Community: An Educational Series for Legislators,' took place over two years.
Topics included:
Year one topics
| Description |
|---|
| The Emerging Disability Policy Framework Presented by: Bobby Silverstein, Director of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy and Former Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy. |
| Financing Community Based Long Term Care Presented by: David Braddock, Ph.D. Associate Vice President for Research, University of Colorado System and Executive Director of the Coleman Institute |
| Workforce Issues in a Changing Society Presented by: Robyn I. Stone, Dr. P.H., Executive Director of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA). |
Year two topics
| Description |
|---|
| Home Based Care: Does Increased Access Equal Increased Costs? Panelists include: Stephen Bartels, M.D., M.S., NH Division of Behavioral Health and Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center; Wendy Fox-Grage, National Council of State Legislators; Julie Fralich, University of Southern Maine; Michelle Winchester, Franklin Pierce Law Center. Moderator: Representative Peter Batula |
| Coordinated Transportation: Creating Efficiencies Using Existing Resources Pat Crocker, Executive Director of the Vermont Public Transportation Association. VPTA is the trade association for the operators of Vermont’s municipal and private not-for-profit public transportation systems. VPTA provides medical transportation, facilitates commuter carpooling, and also offers training, technical assistance and advocacy for the membership. Pat served two terms in the Vermont House where she served on the Transportation and Commerce Committees. |
| Mental Health Reform: Implementing the Recommendations of President Bush’s New Freedom Commission Daniel Fisher, M.D., Ph.D, Executive Director, National Empowerment Center. Member of the White House Commission on Mental Health and a practicing psychiatrist at Riverside Outpatient Clinic in Wakefield, MA. Dr. Fisher, along with Laurie Ahern, developed the Empowerment Model of Recovery and the PACE/Recovery program to shift the system to a recovery orientation. |
| New Hampshire Solutions for the Affordable, Accessible Housing Shortage Claira Monier, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority. Prior to joining the Authority, Ms. Monier served as director, Region I of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. In addition to her federal experience Ms. Monier has an extensive background in state government and higher education. This training initiative is in collaboration with the Developmental Disabilities Council, State Dept. of Health and Human Services, Franklin Pierce Law Center, Granite State Independent Living and the UNH/Institute on Disability |
Year three topics
| Description |
|---|
| Community Based Long Term Care A series of three legislative educational sessions sponsored by The University of New Hampshire, Franklin Pierce Law Center, and the Dartmouth Medical School. The series included information on:
|
