DD Task Force Updates

7 views
Skip to first unread message

Developmental Disabilities Advocates

unread,
Oct 16, 2012, 9:43:07 PM10/16/12
to DD Coalition
Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Our state has taken away a life-saving choice for our children which
some of you may need in the future. Regardless of what is happening
now with your child, there may come a time in your child’s life in
which you may need to consider out of home placement for his/her
safety and health. This is not an easy choice to make at any time but
sometimes it’s the best choice.

Right now there are several children 21 and under who have stabilized
in the Residential Habiltation Center (RHC)because they now have the
support they require to stay safe. These families have requested
admission but our state is denying them admission to this life
sustaining support system only for the fact that they are under 21.
There are no alternatives for these families and they now have to
fight and hire lawyers so that their children may remain safe. DSHS
continues to deny admission.

Please, for the sake of all, write to your legislator, the DD Service
System Task Force (address below) and ask them to repeal SSB 5459
which prohibited those under 21 from accessing these services. Also,
write to tell them that you support a continuum of care which includes
the RHC – regardless if you ever think that you will need it – because
it is the safety net for all of us.

As a parent, being told that there is no place in our community which
can care for your child and for you to call the police if there is a
crisis is not something that any parent, particularly a parent of a
young teen with a developmental disability, wants to hear – yet this
is happening and has been happening because our state has taken away
the freedom of choice as guaranteed in the US DD Act and the US
Supreme Court Decision of Olmstead.

We need to preserve these choices so that all people can have a safe
environment in which to live. Even if this is not the choice that you
would make, it is a choice that many families do make because they
know it is the least restrictive environment for their child and a
community in which their child can be safe, supported and participate
in life to their fullest.

You can write to the DD Service System Task Force via Brittany Yunker
– her email is Brittan...@leg.wa.gov

Or visit the Website for the Task Force at:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/JointCommittees/DDSSTF/Pages/default.aspx

visit www.becausewecare1.com for a more in-depth explanation of the
issues – from the perspective of reality and of a family.
Thank you,

Cheryl Felak, RN, BSN
Seattle, WA

CMarshall

unread,
Oct 16, 2012, 9:48:58 PM10/16/12
to dd-coa...@googlegroups.com
Thanks Cheryl!

Cheryl Marshall
mobile

>--
>You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "DD Coalition" group.
>To post to this group, send email to dd-coa...@googlegroups.com.
>To unsubscribe from this group, send email to dd-coalition...@googlegroups.com.
>For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/dd-coalition?hl=en.
>

Matt Zuvich

unread,
Oct 17, 2012, 2:51:17 PM10/17/12
to DD Coalition
Cheryl, Great letter here. Is there any way you can begin to be a keeper of testimonials for this kind of problem? If these stories could be collected about families being denied appropriate levels of service, we could really start making a case for the need to open up beds in RHC's.
Just a thought. Thank you for your service.

>>> Developmental Disabilities Advocates <ddadv...@gmail.com> 10/16/2012 6:43 PM >>>

Developmental Disabilities Advocates

unread,
Oct 17, 2012, 4:34:05 PM10/17/12
to dd-coa...@googlegroups.com
Yes, Matt, I'm trying to reach as many people as possible.  As you may well know, all my postings to list serves which are moderated by The Arc ( most that I know of) do not allow many of my posts to be go through just because my name is attached to it.  This is very frustrating to me since they are censoring critical information from those who they say they are advocating for.  I have had discussions with many of the executive directors and moderators of these groups (Autism King Parent Support, and others) and they still will not post.  Some of these groups I am not even allowed to join or post at all (Parent to Parent and others on Facebook)  

Without being allowed to reach people who may not know that there are options available other then what they hear through the "mainstream", many will continue to revolve in and out of crisis without having the benefit of making a choice which they are legally allowed to make.  

Cheryl

Developmental Disabilities Advocates

unread,
Oct 17, 2012, 4:35:25 PM10/17/12
to dd-coa...@googlegroups.com
By the way,  here are the email address for DD Task Force members and the legislative staff working with this task force:

CMarshall

unread,
Oct 17, 2012, 4:50:18 PM10/17/12
to dd-coa...@googlegroups.com
Very helpful information!

Cheryl Marshall
mobile

>> Developmental Disabilities Advocates <ddadv...@gmail.com <javascript:>>

>> >– her email is Brittan...@leg.wa.gov <javascript:>


>> >
>> >Or visit the Website for the Task Force at:
>> >http://www.leg.wa.gov/JointCommittees/DDSSTF/Pages/default.aspx
>> >
>> >visit www.becausewecare1.com for a more in-depth explanation of the
>> >issues – from the perspective of reality and of a family.
>> >Thank you,
>> >
>> >Cheryl Felak, RN, BSN
>> >Seattle, WA
>> >
>> >--
>> >You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
>> "DD Coalition" group.

>> >To post to this group, send email to dd-coa...@googlegroups.com<javascript:>


>> .
>> >To unsubscribe from this group, send email to

>> dd-coalition...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>.


>> >For more options, visit this group at
>> http://groups.google.com/group/dd-coalition?hl=en.
>> >
>>
>>
>

>--
>
>

Saskia Davis

unread,
Oct 17, 2012, 8:39:54 PM10/17/12
to dd-coa...@googlegroups.com, Saskia Davis
Cheryl, thank you.
Saskia
--
 
 

Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages