News to Use

[Cheryl Felak]

Dear Friends and Advocates,

Several critical issues to learn about, actions to take and
opportunities for participation!

1. We are forming a Fircrest PTA and are seeking steering committee
members and charter members. One does not need to be a
parent/guardian or teacher of students at Fircrest to participate. We
are recruiting interested and committed community and local healthcare
and business professionals to join our forming PTA group. Remember -
our students are life long learners - they do not leave at age 21. We
are looking at providing more learning opportunities and meaningful
programs for our students and residents.

Our steering committee will be meeting for a mid-day retreat in June
at my friend's Bed and Breakfast (Greenlake Guesthouse) - that in and
of itself is a reason to join. Greenlake Guesthouse is THE best Bed
and Breakfast around (okay, that's my personal bias - but do check
them out at www.greenlakeguesthouse.com)

Please contact me for more information regarding this extremely
important and beneficial organization!

2. There was a critical decision made recently in McCleary v State.
This lawsuit looked at Article 13 of our State's Constitution. The
same article which states we need to "foster and support" the care of
our most vulnerable citizens.

The good thing is that the lawsuit upholds the constitution but the
bad part is where is the revenue to carry out the law? I'm very
concerned that our legislators will once again be looking at cutting
more off the skeletons that remain of the funding for those with
developmental and intellectual disabilities. They have already taken
all the meat off the bones so all they can do now is start taking the
bones.

We cannot let this happen - we must find a different revenue source
which is not going to cause death and destruction to many of our most
vulnerable.

You can help by signing this petition. We want to show unification
and collaboration. We need this in order for our loved ones to
survive.

Please click this link, sign and pass on to others:

www.thepetitionsite.com/853/982/813/i-support-a-continuum-of-care-service-model/

I am well aware that there are many on this list who do not support a
continuum of care. I believe that many would support this if they had
the correct information and understanding of the US DD Act and the
1999 US Supreme Court Decision Olmstead. Even if your organization
does not support a continuum of care model, you can sign the document
as your own personal opinion.

If you have questions or concerns about the content of the petition or
questions about the US DD Act or 1999 US Supreme Court Decision of
Olmstead and what they actually say, either contact me or look at this
link:

http://becausewecare1.com/2012/04/21/advocates-united/

It is critical that we, as advocates for those with intellectual
disabilities, unite and become informed. This is one reason that I am
sending this out to many - it is my experience that much of the
information which more accurately shows issues regarding adequate care
for our most vulnerable has not been disseminated and for this reason,
many of you may not have the full picture even though you may think
that you have been informed. If you have questions about this, please
let me know or go to my website at www.becausewecare1.com where you
will find quite a bit of information researched from original
documents.

3. People with developmental and intellectual disabilities are being
segregated a by a local school district. Not only is this happening
now but the superintendent of the district is equating our Fircrest
residents to juvenile inmates and criminals.

Sue Walker, the Shoreline School District Superintendent, is not a
psychiatrist, psychologist or medical doctor, yet she has gone on
record as saying that many of these children do not need to be at
Fircrest or are not "Fircrest appropriate" - whatever she means by
that, I'm not sure. I have no idea from what information or resources
she is gathering her assessments but it's not from the families and
healthcare professionals which have assessed the needs of these
children and have determined after years of crisis and other horrific
conditions that yes, Fircrest is the least restrictive environments,
safest community for these children.

This issue is mostly driven by the financial problems of the Shoreline
School District and our school age children at Fircrest are being
targeted as the cause. This is a far cry from the truth of the
financial issues and if you have questions or concerns about this, let
me know. I will share the documents and data which I have gathered
regarding this financial mess.

What I would like to point out though is that I do believe it is our
state's responsibility to fully reimburse local school districts for
the extra expenses of having the benefit of educating our extremely
wonderful children. And yes, it is a benefit, not a "burden" as Sue
Walker refers to it. Therefor, I FULLY support any legislation that
funds these school districts adequately for this valuable benefit.

For more information on the Shoreline School District and Fircrest see
this link:

http://shoreline.patch.com/articles/letter-to-the-editor-quit-making-fircrest-children-scapegoats

Please, contact me if you have any questions or concerns and please
consider joining our forming Fircrest PTA.

This email is going to a wide variety of people - be aware of that
before replying. If you want to participate in a discussion you may
write to the DD Coalition at dd-coa...@googlegroups.com.

Thank you,

Cheryl Felak, RN, BSN
Because We Care - Beyond Inclusion
Seattle, WA

www.becausewecare1.com

Please let me know if you would like your name removed from this list.
Thank you.