Steps to Support for All
An association for the
support of
Steps to Support for All is a group of individuals working to move the State of
Steps to Support for All is an association with an educational mission.
Its members include leaders in our communities, former legislators,
professionals who serve Texans who are aging or disabled, family members of,
and individuals with, disabilities.
Strategy for Success - Education
·
Provide accurate information about the needs of
those having disabilities or who are aging to the citizens of
·
Stress
the importance of working together in the distribution and delivery of
service. All services are necessary! We do not place higher value on the needs of
one segment over those of another segment.
· Develop and promote partnerships between organizations that will improve current programs and encourage new programs which will better serve individuals receiving support from DADS.
Through a spirit of good will and education, Steps
to Support for All formed to promote close and effective cooperation
between groups advocating for certain populations of Texans with disabilities
and those advocating for senior citizens. By doing so, the association will provide a climate of fairness and
compassion for all who need services and foster an effective working
relationship with legislators and the administrative organization of the
Department of Aging and Disability Services.
These efforts are extended to end the confusion created by factions and redirect the focus onto the
Learn about the association Steps to Support for All.
http://www.mkdowney.com/ef.html.
We are working together to improve services for those who are aging or have disabilities.
Please join us!
Contact: Martha Kate Downey mk@mkdowney.com (817) 283-4114 or cell (817) 946-1332
Steps
to Support for All strives to assist the Department of Aging and
Disabilities in their vision and mission statements outlined in the DADS 2005 Reference Guide as follows:
Vision
Older Texans and persons with disabilities and mental
retardation will be supported by a comprehensive and cost-effective service
delivery system that promotes and enhances individual well-being, dignity, and
choice.
To provide a comprehensive array of aging, disability,
and mental retardation services, supports, and opportunities that is easily
accessed in local communities.
Our key responsibilities include:
·
Working in partnership with consumers, caregivers, service providers, and
other stakeholders;
·
Developing and improving service options that are responsive to
individual needs and preferences; and
·
Ensuring and protecting self-determination, consumer rights, and safety.
http://www.bms.dhs.state.tx.us/glance/Reference%20Guide%202005/2005RGCom.pdf
Representatives from these
agencies or groups work with members of
Steps to Support for All to provide documentation about services or the
needs of those served by D.A.D.S. They pre-check
information for accuracy prior to its publication on the Steps website, or
being posted to the members of Steps to Support for All. Information provided by Steps does not serve
as a platform for any of the entities.
·
State schools
- Adult Protective Services
- MHMR
- Private service providers
- Families who have family members in state schools
- Families who have family members with disabilities living in the
community
- Families who have family members with disabilities living in the
family's home
Where are we now and where are we going?
June 2006 Update
Through the sharing of accurate information, Steps to
Support for All has earned the respect of many around our state. It has
become a unifying association. Steps began as a means of providing
factual, unbiased information. New members joined the mission so that
they might help pull resources and programs together for the common good rather
than striving to "win" money for one program at the expense of
another (i.e. state schools programs over community-based services). Through
Steps to Support for All, members with children in state schools work alongside
members with children in community living arrangements. The strength of our
association lies in the experience and honesty of its members. Each
member's sincere desire to best serve ALL those in need is our unifying factor.
Our association is still relatively new. It began in the fall of 2004 and the
scope of its mission and its membership has blossomed. It is difficult to gage
the actual membership of the association since our primary method of joining
together is via Internet exchanges. Each post sent to 100 members is
generally sent on to many, many others. In the spring of 2005 we were asked to
become stakeholders for HHSC, so I gather our voices were definitely heard and
respected during the general legislative session of 2005.
Due to the extensive Steps network, valuable links are forming and new projects
begun. Through Step contacts, the Come Read with Me project for life-long
learning has joined forces with Texas Women's University,
Steps to Support for All does not always call members to action, but often uses
the individuals as a source of information and support. Steps members
came together following hurricane Katrina to alert one another of possible
resources and specialized help around our state. Because of the expertise of
various Step members and the organizations to which they belong, crises
information was developed, posted on the Steps website, and sent to hospitals
and crisis centers. (Crisis referral page, Strategies for helping children with
autism cope with upheaval) In addition
to Steps successful efforts to facilitate better crises care for individuals
with disabilities in medical facilities, the location of special housing for
the special needs families was made available. Cook Children's Hospital
in
Update July 2006
Current Steps to Support for All:
- Gather and share accurate information about services and funding available in our state and others.
- Establish and maintain
positive working relationships with organization leaders and families
within the state of
- Establish
and maintain positive working relationships with legislators and their
staffs.
- Dream.
This fall, Steps to Support for All will have a mini-conference to do some
creative brainstorming. We will share ideas for possible new models
of service that would provide more effective care for DADS
consumers. We will also use the valuable time to share successes and
needs of our local non-profit initiatives. These collective thoughts
will be sent on to the larger membership where they will, no doubt, gather
more innovative and effective ideas for improved services. The
historic legislative approach of simply moving funds from one pocket to
another will not cease until we present a united message with a specific
vision. Because of the knowledge and experience of Step members, we
hope to help develop that vision, one that is more complete and
comprehensive than current models.
- Impress upon service providers, organizations and our legislators the vital need for further research of cognitive function of aging persons with disabilities. How can we plan for their care without some general knowledge of their expected needs? We're entering uncharted grounds. In past generations, those with significant disabilities did not often live to be aging adults. We need to be gathering information now to provide guidelines for the planning of services for future generations.
- Encourage life-long learning efforts for adults with disabilities. We are, after all, a mission of education. The incidence of early Alzheimer Disorder is proven to be seen more in the population of those with Down Syndrome than in the general population. There is speculation that perhaps other disorders may also exhibit this increased risk. If proven to be true, through the collection of cognitive data on adults with disability, it will demonstrate the overwhelming need to provide educational programs which promote cognitive function for adults throughout their life-time.
- Work together in times of need.
- Develop and promote partnerships
between organizations (such as those of the Come Read with Me project and
universities) which encourage new programs to better serve individuals
receiving support from DADS.
Services supported during the 2005 Texas Legislative Session by individuals in Steps to Support for All
1. Adequate housing and services for those having
exceptional needs who choose to stay in home-community settings.
2. Adequate housing and services for the elderly citizens of
3. Community programs with a positive history. Maintain the local control that
has produced these successful programs - do not allow restructuring (DADS) to
sacrifice successful programs.
4. Continuity of effective community services. Allow counties to do individual
planning in the restructuring so to continue to use effective community
services and funding i.e. food banks, local Area Agencies on Aging, etc., plus
the extensive contribution by volunteers.
5. Adequate housing and programs for those living in state schools.
6. Pay scale raises to equitable levels for those providing medical and direct
care to persons with disabilities to ensure qualified and sufficient personnel.
7. Elimination of the waiting list for all Medicaid Waiver Programs through
proper funding of needed services.
8. Redefining the customer as the person in need of services and therefore
eliminate compartmentalizing and restrictions that hamper delivery of services.
9. Consistent services for the future of all with disabilities.
10. Letting the market place determine what support is required for each
individual, i.e. state school, community placement, in home and family support.
The market place should determine what people need in order to minimize waste
and provide appropriate service to the individual.
11. Support programs to extend guardianship for 18-year-old foster children
with mental retardation or developmental disabilities to age 22 to enable the
young adults to receive support as they develop life skills training, establish
work situations, or complete their educations. Upon reaching the age of 22, if
the guardian is not a family member, then it would become necessary for the
guardian to reapply to continue the guardianship if such care and protection
are needed.
12. Support voluntary emergency placements in state schools for families in
crises.
13. Support those items listed in the resolution passed by the Texas Guardianship
Association 5-2-2005.