<div dir="ltr"><div>Good Afternoon,</div><div><br></div><div>I hope this stormy afternoon finds you well. Attached and pasted below please find the minutes from our most recent Parent's Division meeting which was held on Thursday, July 13th.</div><div><br></div><div>Sincerely,</div><div>Liz</div><div><br></div><div>**********</div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The MAPBC met on Thursday, July 13th, at 6:00PM via zoom.
Those in attendance included:<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Hai Nguyen Ly<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Jennifer Bose<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Justin Salisbury<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Kate Nemens<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Katie Lane-Karnas<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Liz Lesperance<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Stephanie Valdes<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">We all briefly introduced ourselves and afterwards Kate
commenced her presentation. Kate is a Supervising Attorney at the Mental Health
Legal Advisors Committee's Family Law Project. Kate runs this project and her
work entails working with parents with mental health issues who often have
other disabilities. <span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">She has been working on a disabled parents' rights bill for
many congressional sessions. She was involved in the bill's first filing. The
language was modeled closely based on verbiage<span>
</span>from the National Council on Disability's 2012 report "Rocking the
Cradle". This report reviewed both family cases (also referred to as
private cases) as well as cases involving state intervention. The consensus was
that parents with disabilities frequently loose custody to non-disabled spouses
or to the state. Court systems and state agencies are subject to the ADA. The
ADA is vital legislation which also applies to the rights of parents with
disabilities. Since its inception approximately a decade ago, only a couple of minor
tweaks have been made to the original legislation.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Jenn asked how this bill has been received by the general
public.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Kate explained that the general public is not widely aware
of the risks faced by disabled parents in the child welfare system. There needs
to be more support and interest around this legislation. The process is
particularly challenging in Massachusetts.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The bill is targeted towards judicial written decisions.
These decisions happen in two different departments - private custody or state
intervention cases. This bill would require a judge to explain in writing how
the parent's disability causes harm to the child and what the connection is.
The disability can't be used as the basis of the decision in and of itself.
Furthermore, the judge must also consider whether there are any other resources
or supports that can be put in place to alleviate the potential harm.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The most recent change was to add a provision protecting
parent's against child welfare agencies who do not comply with the ADA. During
the time period leading up to the point of parental rights termination, if the
agency has failed to comply with the ADA (that is, failed to provide
accommodations and has discriminated on the basis of disability) the court can
prevent the agency's petition to terminate parental rights. Historically the
court has been lenient with child welfare agencies. The ADA application means
that child welfare agencies are required to work with families to review
reasonable accommodations. Accommodations are important because parents with
disabilities are suppose to be treated like all other parents interacting with
the state agency. This legislation focuses on accommodations because there
isn't another provision for that in our existing statutes. Case law has supported
this. This bill is to ensure that parents with disabilities who require an
accommodation are analyzed at the same place after the accommodation has been
provided. It is worth noting that, in Massachusetts, once appeals have been
exhausted the court's decision to terminate parental rights cannot be reversed.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Justin brought up the issue of the evidentiary standard and
that the prospect of using a parent's disability would require clear and
convincing evidence and not a preponderance of evidence.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Kate advised regardless of disability, race, gender, the
parent is afforded the higher standard when the state is involved as opposed to
another private party. The state has a higher burden before termination than in
private custody cases. <span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Justin clarified the NFB perspective - In order to use any
parents disability status would require clear and convincing evidence to admit
it. This bill intersects both civil rights and family law.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Jen wanted to highlight the importance of the benefits of
children remaining with their parent(s). While this is commonly championed, the
benefits of being with a parent with a disability are often challenged.
Separation from the parent would have adverse effects to the child whether the
parent was disabled or not.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Hai thanked Kate for her time and shared that Shara has
agreed to having the NFB of MA support this legislation. We would like to be
added to the publicly available list of supporting organizations along with a
notation that we are requesting a clear and convincing standard. We would like
to keep the conversation going about a possible amendment to address this.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Stephanie asked Kate how we can help in the effort at this
time.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Kate said the bill is presently in the judiciary committee
which, in the past, has been supportive and has reported favorably on this
legislation.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From there, the bill will go to the House Ways and Means
Committee. This is where the bill got stuck last time. Many legislators in that
committee are not in tune with this bill. Thus, writing to and having
conversations with these legislators is worthwhile.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Eventually there will be a public hearing where everyone
gets to comment and the NFB's written testimony (ideally in great volume) would
be helpful.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Kate asked us to send her any model language that we have.
She thanked us for allowing her to reconsider the bill and how to make it
stronger.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Hai asked that we be kept in the loop about any changes to
the bill<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Kate advised that if this current legislation doesn't pass,
she is happy to work with the NFB as well as the bill's other supporters on the
ground level to strengthen the bill.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Other Business:<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Stephanie shared there was no presidential release this
month due to the convention.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The next convention will be in Orlando<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Hai put forth a motion to approve the June minutes which Liz
seconded. The June minutes were approved.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Stephanie will get back to us regarding the totals for the
recent fundraiser.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Stephanie encouraged all to bring forward fundraising ideas
to help members in getting to convention. We considered relaunching the coffee
fundraiser later this year.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The meeting adjourned at 7:05PM<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The next meeting will be held on Thursday, August 10th at
6:00PM.<span></span></p>
</div></div>