Colorado SILC Meeting
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Old Supreme Court Chamber, Capitol, Denver
7:00 a.m. – 2:43 p.m.
(approved 3-20-13)
SILC members present: Julia Beems, Anna French, Buna Dahal, Sue Fager, Martha Mason, Larry Williams
SILC staff: Judy Neal
CIL Directors: Beth Danielson, Nancy Jackson, Dixie Herring, Ian Engle, Linda Taylor, Adrian Villasanor
Panel members: Jane Schiele, Keith Percy, Ed Milewski
Other guests: Romaine Paccecho, Governor’s Boards and Commissions; Deborah Hill, Executive Assistant to Gov. Hickenlooper; Nancy Smith, DVR; Tim Wheat, Julie Aird, and Elaine Senko, CPWD staff
Legislative Breakfast Reception
Prior to the regular meeting, the SILC, partnering with the ACCIL and DVR, hosted a breakfast for legislators and their staff. The event was attended by:
- Sen. Irene Aguilar, Dist.32
- Sen. David Balmer, Dist. 27
- Sen. Randy Baumgardner, Dist. 8
- Sen. Larry Crowder, Dist. 35
- Rep. Cheri Gerou, Dist. 25
- Rep. Joann Ginal, Dist. 52
- Rep. Stephen Humphrey, Dist. 48
- Rep. Janak Joshi, Dist. 13
- Sen. John Kefalas, Dist. 14
- Rep. Tracy kraft Tharp, Dist. 29
- Rep. Dianne Primavera, Dist. 33
- Rep. Libby Szabo, Dist. 27
Staff from the offices of:
- Sen. Irene Aguilar, Dist.32
- Rep. Brian Del Grosso, Dist. 51
- Sen. Evie Hudak, Dist. 19
- Rep. Janak Joshi, Dist. 13
- Rep. Joseph Salazar, Dist. 31
CIL directors, SILC members, IL staff, and other guests. Folders containing information about the SILC, IL partners, and current needs of people with disabilities were distributed during the event.
Call to Order and Introductions
Julia Beems called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. SILC members introduced themselves to guests at the meeting. Julia then recognized Romaine Paccecho from the Governor’s Office of Boards and Commissions, who thanked SILC members for their service and urged those in attendance to consider serving on other boards and councils. She reminded the group that, although other boards may not specifically represent people with disabilities, they provided an opportunity for people with disabilities to express their points of view.
Julia reminded the SILC of some of the rules enforced at the Capitol and advised of changes to the agenda, moving the ACCIL Report and the Deaf Ambassador Update to early in the day.
Minutes
The minutes from the November meeting in Pueblo were unanimously approved.
ACCIL Report
Larry Williams reported that the ACCIL had been working on input for the IL contracts for SFY14.Martha Mason added that she appreciated the peer mentoring she received from fellow directors.
Deaf Ambassador Program
Billy Allen was unable to attend the meeting, so the report was given by Dixie Herring of The Independence Center. After a number of stakeholder meetings and conversations with IL staff, the program is recognizing that its structure has been only moderately successful. Most centers are using technology to serve their deaf and hard of hearing consumers. The Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) is commonly used for those in need of ASL. The Deaf Commission’s grant for this year was awarded to Center for Independence in Grand Junction. Linda Taylor told the SILC that the funds are being used to hire and train an AmeriCorps volunteer to provide deaf services and buy equipment.
SILC Congress Report
Buna Dahal and Joe Anzures returned from the SILC Congress in San Diego the night before the SILC meeting. They said that 39 states were represented. Joe said that there was heavy emphasis on SPIL development. Buna reported that she was pleased that our SILC had already been trained on the areas discussed in SILC 101. She also said that, after hearing conversations about other SILC’s issues, Colorado SILC may want to reconsider becoming a 501c3. Buna and Joe both felt that attending the Congress was beneficial and has given them a good foundation in understanding the role of the SILC. Stephanie Jensen, who has been serving as the interim Region 8 representative, was elected to that position for the next two year cycle. SILC Congress will be in San Diego again next year.
Community Transition Panel
Panel members introduced themselves and talked about their role in community transition. Jane Schiele, who works with transitioning consumers at Atlantis in Denver, was the state coordinator for the Nursing Facilities Transition Project. That pilot program lead to the establishment of the current Community Transition Services (CTS) program funded by HCPF. Keith Percy is the Transition Coordinator at the Center for People with Disabilities in Boulder. He is a graduate of Naropa and originally from Michigan. Ed Milewski moved from a nursing home into the community a little over two years ago with help from CPWD. He is a member of the Long Term Care Advisory Council.
The panel was asked about barriers, rewards, and changes they would make in the program. Jane and Keith agreed that there is less consumer control than what is typical in independent living. Jane spoke of the intimidation a consumer may feel when confronted with comments made by assessment onhealthy.net panels. Keith talked about his technique of interviewing consumers so that he can deal with the paperwork and not overwhelm the consumer with it. Ed has made steady progress since his transition, but feels that he could have used more information about the continuing availability of physical therapy services.
All agreed that the bureaucracy involved is necessary to access funds desperately needed by the transitioning consumer for housing deposits and other essentials. Ed reminded us that, while in the nursing home, residents receive only $50 each month to meet their personal needs. Nothing is left over to save for a future in the community. Although no one could recommend changes that would be acceptable to HCPF, issues were raised that can be discussed among stakeholders.
Center Spotlight
The executive director of Atlantis, Patricia Zieglar, was unable to attend due to illness. Jane Schiele read a letter that Patricia had composed for the SILC. Patricia spoke about the history of Atlantis and its role in the early days of the disability movement. She referred to Atlantis’s reputation for serving consumers who have been refused services by other agencies. She said that Atlantis is undergoing a number of changes that she believes will benefit the disability community.
DVR Report
Sue Fager is happy to have completed her first round of 704 and 7OB federal reports. She will compile a statewide report that includes all 10 centers when she has received the reports from the Part C centers. She also announced that she recently discovered that RSA requires that all centers that receive Part B funds must submit a document similar to the Part C centers’ Cost Allocation Form or Indirect Cost Rate. RSA confirms that few centers know about this requirement and few have submitted the report over the years. RSA will provide technical assistance for completing the form. Sue also reported that Mile High Independent Living Center, formerly DCIL, is no longer in good standing with the state and will not receive a contract for IL services during this fiscal year.
SRC Report
Buna said that the SRC is involved in policy changes for the DVR program. These changes are posted on the state website for comment. The SRC is also working on their State Plan. Buna told us that mentors have been assigned to help new members understand more about the role of the SRC.
Financial Report
Joe Anzures reviewed the current SILC budget and suggested that, after the expenses from the current meeting are added, we should analyze the budget and consider if there will be funds remaining at the end of the year. Some suggestions were made about spending funds for advertising, website development, and a statewide conference. People were asked to put their suggestions in writing. At the March meeting, we will know more about how much money is left and we can prioritize suggestions.
Old Business
Julia is still working on the purchase of a new SILC banner. She is considering a table top model that will cost $65 plus layout fee. The SILC suggested purchasing two. Other ideas included a flat screen TV that could run a video loop about independent living and the SILC.
New Business
There was no new business.
Committee Reports
SPIL: Anna French said that the committee recently discussed the recurring topics and issues that will be used for SPIL goals. Instead of meeting in January, committee members have been asked to propose several goals using the type of language they think most appropriate for the SPIL. Anna said that the data collection phase is over and it is time to do the writing.
Public Policy: Buna reported that the committee has been involved in the planning of today’s meeting. The next step is to build on relationships and contacts made at the Capitol today.
Membership: The executive committee will meet in person in February and hopes to interview potential new members.
IL Staff : Judy told the SILC that this committee is slowly growing. Attendance seems to be based on interest in the meeting topic. Housing, Transportation, and Peer Support have been meeting topics. At the next meeting, Consumer Motivation will be discussed.
Coordinator Report
Judy said that most of the month was taken up with meeting plans. Coming up, the SPIL writing committee will meet and begin work on the boilerplate sections of the plan.
SILC Basics
Noting that it had been a long day, Judy provided a brief training on the difference between advocacy and lobbying. Definitions and examples were given and members discussed how fine the line is between the two.
Adjourn
A motion to adjourn was made by Larry Williams with a second by Martha Mason. The meeting was adjourned at 2:43