Christopher wants more than to work part time – he wants a career
“I am so grateful for everything that Kathy and CAP-DRM has done for me. I am on my way to being a welder now.”
– Christopher
Disability Rights Montana (DRM) receives the Client Assistance Program (CAP) grant that allows staff to assist Montanans with disabilities navigate and advocate for their employment goals through the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). Obtaining vocational rehabilitation services to regain or obtain employment is a critical support. In Christopher’s case, he wanted to be a full-time veterinarian, not have a part-time job.
Doctors detected a tumor in Christopher’s brain when he was merely 8 months old. Surgery resulted in compromised use of his foot and arm, learning disabilities, and cognitive issues – what can generally be called a traumatic brain injury (TBI). By the time he reached high school, Christopher had dreams and goals just like any other young person.
Christopher started with the State’s VR program when he was 16 years old in the Pre-Employment Transition Services program. When he first applied, his goal was to become a veterinarian, or a veterinarian technician. He wanted a career. VR instead helped Christopher obtain a part-time job working 5 hours a day.
Christopher, with college dreams still intact, also attended adult education classes to prepare for college entrance. However, the Adult Education instructor reported to VR that Christopher was not “college material” and they should just prepare him for a job. Christopher was devastated as he still wanted to experience college and be a veterinarian. VR did not offer tutoring or mentoring for him while he attended classes, even though they were fully aware of his learning and cognitive disabilities. Adult Education and VR directed Christopher away from college and instead of finding other means of helping him, they closed his case. The VR counselor told Christopher if he needed anything else from VR, he would need to re-apply and get on the waiting list. He reapplied three weeks later, because he wanted so much more out of life.
At the same time, this undaunted young man took it upon himself to work hard and pass the college entrance exams for the fall of 2020. He was admitted to college and began studying welding. Christopher loves welding, and he is good at it.
Christopher reached out to Tiffany Costa, a benefits counselor and told her about his experience with VR. Tiffany referred him to CAP at DRM. He contacted the CAP Advocate and asserted that VR had closed his case without reaching his goal of secondary education. The CAP Advocate investigated his claim and met with the Counselor Supervisor and VR Counselor. The CAP Advocate argued that the client had numerous disabilities and did not understand why his case was closed without meeting his work goal. She pointed out that no tutoring, mentoring, planning, or counseling had taken place on his behalf. She explained that Christopher’s goal was never to permanently work a part-time job, but to go to college and that his case was closed in error.
The CAP Advocate prevailed. VR reopened Christopher’s case and his case priority was upgraded from category 2 to 1. Christopher is receiving counseling services and full VR services including a tutor and mentoring. When next semester starts, Christopher will also receive college tuition to finish his welding program. He has the assistance of the Disability Services Office on campus and the CAP Advocate is monitoring his VR services.
People with disabilities, like Christopher, want meaningful work that allows them to take care of their family and themselves. They do not want to rely on limited government funding.
Each year hundreds of people apply for VR services to enable and support them to obtain meaningful employment. Everyone who applies for VR services is entitled to have an Advocate through DRM’s CAP program.
We invite you to support DRM with a tax-deductible donation, so we can continue to assist many more people like Christopher. To make a donation with a credit or debit card, please click the “Donate” link below to submit your gift electronically. If you would prefer to make a gift using a check, please mail it to our office at:
Disability Rights Montana
1022 Chestnut Street
Helena, MT 59601-0820
Opportunity for Youth with Disabilities
Alexis Reed, a Developmental Disabilities Behavior Consultant in Oregon, is currently collaborating with the University of Oregon’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities to share a research opportunity for young people (ages 14-24) with intellectual disabilities. They’ve just expanded their outreach to Montana.
The study is a great way for a young person and their parent or provider to make some money, make an important contribution, and break up the monotony of life during the pandemic!
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Dr. James Sinclair: (949) 275-6729, jamesin@uoregon.edu. See the flyer below for additional information.
Disability Rights Montana’s 2020 Virtual Conference
Shifting the Narrative: An Intersectional Approach to Mental Health
Montana, are you ready to Shift the Narrative? We are thrilled to announce our virtual conference on September 14-18, 2020. You will have the opportunity to engage with nationally recognized disability and mental health activists, attorneys, and mental health providers for what will be an impactful experience! The conference will include powerful visions and tools for creating culturally competent, non-discriminatory, and inclusive mental health care systems. Register today!
For more information visit https://tinyurl.com/y2x73dnx
DRM Statement on the Death of George Floyd
Once again, we have witnessed vast disparities in our criminal justice system. The death of George Floyd and many others before him have highlighted the racial injustices that has long plagued our nation.
This needs to end.
You may be asking how this is a disability issue.
The answer is simple.
People with disabilities are black, people of color, indigenous people, immigrants, detainees, refugees, members of the LGBT community and every religious group. We are interconnected.
Disability Rights Montana stands with those demanding justice. We believe that ALL people, including those who face oppression by systemic racism, are entitled to equal access to the opportunities and safety afforded to ALL members of our society.
We reject hate. We demand change.
As Desmond Tutu wisely said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
DRM is willing to be part of a broader conversation with all stakeholders to find solutions.
DRM is committed to continue our work to reform the criminal justice system through advocacy and legislation to the benefit of ALL.
State’s Appendix K Waiver Request Approved
In response to the Covid-19 emergency, MT DPHHS has submitted a series of amendments to Montana’s Medicaid waivers to help lessen the impact of the situation upon providers and those who receive their services. The most recent of these was an Appendix K request which included various requests for alterations to the way that Medicaid waiver services are provided. This included all three disability waivers in our system: the Big Sky Home and Community Based Waiver (“Big Sky”), the Montana Behavioral Health Severe Disabling Mental Illness Home and Community Based Waiver (“SDMI”) and the Montana Home and Community Based Waiver for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (“0208″). We were given the opportunity to comment on the wavier application prior to submittal, and many of our recommendations were adopted.
The federal government approved the request on April 30, 2020. Significant changes are as follows:
- Waives prior authorization limits on the following services:
- 0208 waiver – respite;
- Big Sky waiver – companion, respite, personal assistance services and non-medical transportation;
- SDMI waiver – homemaker chore services
- Permits the following services to be delivered in a participant’s home environment or alternative provider or community setting:
- 0208 waiver – day supports and activities, retirement services, supported employment-follow along support and individual employment support, personal care, companion, personal supports, homemaker, residential habilitation;
- Big Sky waiver – adult day health, day habilitation, supported living; and
- SDMI waiver – adult day health services.
It also allows services to be provided in these additional settings: the private home of the participant or a family member of the participant; a provider owned or controlled or extended family home; the private home of a direct care provider; community center or designated community gathering center; hotel/paid lodging; newly rented room; other residential setting; or telework settings.
- Approves reimbursing “legally responsible persons” as caregivers for services that already allow a relative or legal guardian to provide. These are:
- 0208 – day supports and activities, homemaker, residential habilitation, respite, companion services, personal care, personal supports, retirement services, specialized child care for medically fragile children, supported employment-follow along support, supported employment- co-worker support, supported employment- individual employment support, supported employment- small group employment;
- Big Sky – day habilitation;
- SDMI – personal assistant attendant, specially trained attendant.
- Expands provider pool by allowing any enrolled waiver provider to work in all three waivers.
- Temporarily extends deadlines for all training requirements for 60 days from the original due date. However, all direct care staff should continue to receive training on the participant’s plan of care for whom they are providing support. Training on the plan of care must consist of basic health and safety support needs for that individual. Providers must continue to ensure that direct care staff are able to demonstrate competency in the skills and techniques necessary to perform their assigned tasks under the participant’s plan of care.
- Expands provider types for specialized equipment and supplies to purchase items from nontraditional vendors who have necessary items in stock when supply or cost impacts occur due to COVID 19 on a case by case basis.
- Suspends periodic licensing and quality reviews of provider agencies throughout the duration of the pandemic. Allow provider flexibility in daytime staffing levels as long as care quality is retained.
- Temporarily modifies processes for initial level of care for waiver eligibility to allow evaluations to be conducted via telephone or other interactive electronic communication.
- Allows for payment of services to support a participant when temporarily institutionalized in a nursing facility, swing bed, critical access hospital or acute care hospital for a COVID 19-related illness. This is for providing additional supports for communication, behavior and/or extensive personal supports and such services that are not covered in such settings:
- 0208 – residential habilitation, day supports and activities, retirement services, personal supports, companion, adult foster;
- SDMI – specially trained attendant, life coach.
- Adds or increases retainer payments for providers of services identified as habilitation services that include a component of personal care and/or personal care. Retainer payments shall be available when the participant is hospitalized or otherwise unavailable to participate in habilitative services for the duration of COVID 19 related absences. The retainer time limit will not exceed the lesser of 30 consecutive days or the number of days for which the state authorizes a payment for “bed hold” in nursing facilities. The services included are:
- 0208 waiver – assisted living, companion services, day supports and activities, personal care services, residential habilitation, retirement services, supported employment follow along support, supported employment individual employment support, supported employment-small group employment;
- Big Sky waiver – residential habilitation, post-acute rehabilitation services, supported living, adult day health, day habilitation, personal care services, private duty nursing;
- SDMI waiver – residential habilitation, personal care services, specially trained attendant, private duty nursing.
COVID-19: A Letter From DRM’s Executive Director
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