[nfbmi-talk] mrc posts its draft minutes

joe harcz Comcast joeharcz at comcast.net
Tue Apr 3 19:59:58 UTC 2012


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



MICHIGAN REHABILITATION COUNCIL

3490 Belle Chase Way, Suite 110

Lansing, MI  48911

517.887.9370 or 877.335.9370

                                                                               

                                                                               

Business Meeting Minutes

Lexington Hotel

Lansing, MI

Wednesday February 8, 2012

 

 

Members Present:  Carol Bergquist, Cecily Cagle, Eleanor Chang, Beth Childress,  Adolph Cwik, Sheryl Diamond, Susan Fitzmaurice, Joanne Lamar, James Lewis, Tracie Lewis-Jennings (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs – Michigan Rehabilitation Services LARA-MRS), Deanna Middlebrooks, Ruth O’Connor (LARA-MRS), Caryn Pack Ivey, Jaye Porter (LARA-MRS), Lisa Rutledge, Felix Sirls, Dennis Stanford, Jackie Thomas.

 

Members Excused:  Anthony Carmichael, Shon Halacka, Luke Zelley.

 

Guests Present:  Valarie Barnum-Yarger (Michigan Statewide Independent Living Council MiSILC), Diane Dugan (Brain Injury Association of Michigan), Teddy Fitzmaurice, Sara Grivetti (Disability Network/Michigan DN/M), Garrett Pazur (LARA-MRS), Brian Sabourin (Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services MPAS), Paula Sirls.

 

Staff Present:  Rachelle Bangela, Marlene Malloy, Shori Teeple.

 

 

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by Chairperson C. Bergquist.  Roll call determined that a quorum was present.

 

Welcome & Introductions

C. Bergquist welcomed Council members and guests.  Introductions were made. C. Pack Ivy read opening remarks from the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Rehabilitation Act Preamble. 

 

Agenda

The draft agenda for February 8, 2012 was reviewed by the membership.  

 

A motion was passed to approve the agenda as presented

 

Minutes

Members reviewed the draft November 10, 2011 business meeting minutes.   

 

A motion was passed to approve the minutes as presented.

 

Old Business

Partnering with Tribal Workforce Programs Task Force

C. Bergquist is working with Bill Colombo (LARA-MRS) on the possible development of additional agreements between tribes and MRS in the state. They hope to be on the agenda when the United Tribes of Michigan meets in February.  If this does not take place, they will reach out and meet with individual tribes.  It was noted during discussion that 80% of the casino employees are not tribal members, although tribal members are preferred when vacancies become available.  

 

Vocational Rehabilitation Process Poster

All Council members have received laminated desktop versions of the poster.  Desktop versions have also gone out to all MRS staff, with 1-2 posters made available to all district offices and central office.  Credit goes to the Wisconsin Client Assistance Program (CAP) for the initial idea, and to the MRC Committee and MRS Customer Input Team from last year for putting the Michigan poster together.  It has been very well received.

 

New Business

Partnering with MRS to Increase Education to Elected Officials

Discussion has taken place at recent Partners and Policy Makers (PPT) Work Team meetings regarding development of ongoing communications between Council members and their legislators/staff.  Members of different legislative committees will be prioritized.  Along with distribution of Council member business cards and accessing social websites, PPT members will develop a consistent message for members to use, including talking points and deliverables that will address key facts such as return on investment.  Plans also include obtaining new regional success stories and developing more of a presence with employers.   

 

Two items (folders and desk buddies) were recently developed for MRS staff to use for connecting with employers using Medicaid Infrastructure Grant funds, which passed through the MRC.  

 

Michigan Career and Technical Institute (MCTI) Focus Group Report

Members reviewed the five issues and corresponding rationales and recommendations that were outlined in the report.  Issues ranged from inconsistent communication between students and their home counselors, inconsistent knowledge about MCTI programs and services, limited number of diverse trade programs, lack of free and reliable high speed internet on campus, and need for more leisure opportunities. 

 

Discussion took place about two other issues related to discrimination and washing machines.  In response to the washing machine issue, it was stated that the Council could only make recommendations on programming issues.  It was decided that a cover letter to accompany the report would more specifically address both of these issues.

  

A motion was passed to approve the MCTI Focus Group Report as presented.

Report of the Executive Team (ET):  Carol Bergquist, Council Chairperson

Members reviewed the final ET minutes (October, November, and December 2011).

 

A motion was passed to accept and place on file the ET Minutes (October, November and December 2011) as presented.

 

Members reviewed the financial statements (October, November and December 2011).  

 

A motion was passed to accept and place on file the Financial Statements (October, November, and December 2011) as presented.

 

Members reviewed the FY 2011 Financial Review.

 

A motion was passed to accept and place on file the FY 2011 Financial Review as presented.

 

Report of the Executive Director (ED):  Marlene Malloy

MRS Budget

A written report is provided in the meeting packet.  Recently, the MRS Executive Team meeting was attended, which involved 1½ days working on the FY 2013 MRS budget.  The most impressive aspect about the meetings included a list of values they wanted to uphold including maintaining the integrity of the program, making sure customers are getting good services, and making sure staff has the resources they need to do their jobs.

 

Appointments

A Technical Assistance Circular (TAC) was recently forwarded to the membership from Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), which outlined the requirements for SRC appointments.  The TAC stated that if a Council member appointment’s term ends and he/she has not been immediately reappointed by the Governor, then the individual may not continue to serve as a voting member of the SRC.  Currently, the MRC is out of compliance in the following four areas:  1 – appointment for Client Assistance Program (CAP) Director (B. Sabourin), 2 - appointments for three members (C. Bergquist, C. Cagle and L. Zelley), 3 - the State Director and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (state employees) must be named and appointed as ex-officio members, and 4 – appointment for Council for Labor & Economic Growth (CLEG) representative, since L. Rutledge is no longer a CLEG member.  

 

Following discussion by the MRC’s Executive Team, a short-term plan is being proposed to the membership to designate C. Bergquist, C. Cagle, L. Zelley, and B. Sabourin to be interim community resource members pending appointment by the Governor.  Members had discussion about this proposal and asked questions about ideas for other solutions.  In response, it has been reported that this issue will likely be resolved by the Governor’s Appointments Office within the next few weeks.  Also, by considering other options with longer timeframes, the MRC presence at MRS work groups would be significantly diminished and MRS would face increased out-of-compliance penalties during the next RSA Monitoring visit.  With a short-term plan in place, the work of the Council can continue and compliance issues with RSA will be minimized.  Once appointments have taken place, the community resource member statuses will be eliminated and the voting member roles will be resumed.

 

A motion was passed to designate C. Bergquist, C. Cagle, L. Zelley and B. Sabourin as interim community resource members pending appointment by the Governor.

 

FY 2012 – Work Teams  

Program Evaluation/Data (PED) - B. Childress

A new goal (originally from the ET work plan) was added to the work plan that addresses partnering with MRS to review new and existing grants, agreements, arrangements and contributions.  After viewing the new ‘Program Evaluation’ SRC online training module, members agreed that the entire membership would benefit from viewing it as well.  A suggestion was made for staff to inquire with SRCs in Wisconsin, South Carolina, Oregon, and Oklahoma as to data their Councils receive on a regular basis from VR.   

 

Customer Satisfaction/Input (CSI) - E. Chang

Discussion has taken place about possible focus group locations for the remainder of FY 2012, as well as suggestions for incentives for customers to attend.  Additionally, members researched, compared, and contrasted customer satisfaction survey (CSS) tools used by other state VR agencies.  Ideas were generated to identify potential recommendations for updates to the MRS CSS tool in FY 2013.

 

Partners and Policy Makers (PPT) - D. Stanford

With MRS to conducts public hearings/meetings, the team plans to have a Council member present at each event with a prepared statement to read on behalf of the MRC.  Members will evaluate a partners list in March and would like to invite Rodney Craig (SILC staff) to speak to the whole membership about the SILC.  As mentioned earlier, the work team plans to partner with MRS to increase education to elected officials.  The Promoting Abilities event will take place at the Capitol this spring.  They have also talked about connecting with J. Piatt (MRS Business Network Unit District Manager) and other district managers with best practices about reaching out to employers.  

 

Report of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs - Michigan Rehabilitation Services (LARA-MRS) State Director:  Jaye N. Porter

J. Porter thanked the Council for speaking about MRS and the support in front of legislators at the recent Appropriations meeting.

 

MRC Recommendations in Attachment 4.2

MRS is progressing well with the recommendations, with the exception of #2 - engaging with the MRC in development of a plan to reduce the state units’ reliance on cash match agreements that do not support MRS’ statewide vision and goals and replace those funds with General Fund General Purpose (GFGP) funding.  

 

Budget and Grants

Staff has been working on scenarios for budget and staffing reductions.  They have also received a grant to focus on quality assurance and hope to have an expert come in and set up a framework.    

 

Order of Selection for Services (OSS)

They have been preparing for OSS and stand by their position statement.  

 

Vendor Management

They are focused on vendor management including vendor selection, review of services,   choice of vendors for customers, and evaluation of services.    

 

Customer Complaints

There are increased complaints going to the Department and the Governor’s Office.  Communication with customers about resolving issues at the lowest level possible needs to happen; customers need to know there are more efficient ways for complaints to be addressed.  

 

Lawsuits

Two lawsuits may have an impact on the budget.  One involves the accidental drowning at MCTI.  They are also involved in an investigation that has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office.  

 

Compliance Issues

Compliance issues have put MRS in danger of reduced funding.  These issues are confidential:  no representation on the workforce board, MRC appointment issues, and whose authority is it to make decisions regarding the program.  

 

Transfer to Another Department

There are rumors about MRS being transferred to another department.  They have not been confirmed, nor have they been able to provide any input.   

 

Interactive Exercise

J. Porter facilitated an interactive exercise with the council members.  Everyone needs to advocate for MRS.  Council members learned a number of facts when everyone reported back.   A prize was awarded to the team with the most correct answers.

 

M. Malloy acknowledged J. Porter and C. Bergquist for their comments before the Appropriations Subcommittee Meeting on LARA.

 

FY 2013 MRS State Plan

SRC Online Training Modules – The State Plan Process

Several sections of the training modules were reviewed.

 

Review of the MRC State Plan Process and Responsibilities

Members discussed the State Plan purpose and process.  Questions were asked and answered to clarify the Council’s role in authoring Attachment 4.2 and working with MRS to review updates to their sections.

 

FY 2013 Work Team Role and Responsibilities

The work team will be chaired by C. Cagle with members S. Halacka, D. Stanford and L. Zelley.  The Team will update Attachment 4.2 for presentation to the Council for approval.

 

Partner Reports 

Client Assistance Program (CAP) – B. Sabourin  

The employment team closed 70 cases, 69 of which were related to MRS. 

 

Council for Labor & Economic Growth (CLEG) - Vacant

L. Rutledge is no longer a member of CLEG.

 

Hannahville Indian Community - C. Bergquist  

Project Visions at Hannahville is in the second year of a five year grant.  One issue they have is that several tribal members are interested in small businesses.  They have no requirements for loans other than a business plan.  As a result, many of the small businesses fail.  A partnership effort with MRS is currently in progress.   

 

Michigan Alliance for Families – C. Pack Ivey 

A lunch time learning series webinar is now available on one Thursday each month.    Additionally, transition continues to remain an issue.  Their phone number is 800-552-4821 and the website is www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org.

 

MI Department of Education/Special Education (MDOE/SPED) - S. Diamond 

‘Early Intervention Services’ at the end of the department’s name has been removed. They had a federal monitoring visit in November that went well.  At the federal level, there are always things that need to be improved with Intermediate School Districts, so surprise monitoring visits sometimes take place.  Special Education funding in Michigan will be reduced by $600,000.  However, this will be absorbed at the state level; special education flow money will not be reduced.  The Office of Civil Rights updated what a disability is in relation to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.  Additionally, draft legislation is pending to eliminate or apply strict criteria for students ages 22 – 26; this is getting a lot of movement.  The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) aren’t getting the attention they are supposed to.  Every state is applying for a waiver to get out from under the ESEA law.  They apply for federal funding and have a state performance plan that lasts six years with set performance targets.  The data indicates transition is going well, but they know it’s not, even though they have made improvements with transition.  As part of the federal visit, they voiced a great concern to focus on the disproportionate removal of African American students from the education system due to discipline, with the goal being to eliminate this problem. 

 

LARA-MRS Customer Rights Representative and Hearings Manager - R. O’Connor

A written report is available in the meeting packet.  While they had 10 appeals at the time of submission of the report, they have since received nine more appeals within the last two weeks. 

 

Michigan Statewide Independent Living Council (MiSILC) – J. Thomas

A report will be emailed to members. 

 

Other Business

A brief discussion was held about a MRC position statement related to MRS counselors/staff told they will need to provide services to customers in cubicles.  J. Porter indicated it would be a tough fight to win.  The MRC Executive Team will formulate a position statement from the MRC.

 

G. Pazur announced that the referral module is ready to be implemented.

 

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 3:41 P.M.

 

NEXT BUSINESS MEETING: 

May 10, 2012 Kellogg Center, East Lansing MI  



MICHIGAN REHABILITATION COUNCIL

3490 Belle Chase Way, Suite 110

Lansing, MI  48911

517.887.9370 or 877.335.9370

                                                                               

                                                                               

Business Meeting Minutes

Lexington Hotel

Lansing, MI

Wednesday February 8, 2012

 

 

Members Present:  Carol Bergquist, Cecily Cagle, Eleanor Chang, Beth Childress,  Adolph Cwik, Sheryl Diamond, Susan Fitzmaurice, Joanne Lamar, James Lewis, Tracie Lewis-Jennings (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs – Michigan Rehabilitation Services LARA-MRS), Deanna Middlebrooks, Ruth O’Connor (LARA-MRS), Caryn Pack Ivey, Jaye Porter (LARA-MRS), Lisa Rutledge, Felix Sirls, Dennis Stanford, Jackie Thomas.

 

Members Excused:  Anthony Carmichael, Shon Halacka, Luke Zelley.

 

Guests Present:  Valarie Barnum-Yarger (Michigan Statewide Independent Living Council MiSILC), Diane Dugan (Brain Injury Association of Michigan), Teddy Fitzmaurice, Sara Grivetti (Disability Network/Michigan DN/M), Garrett Pazur (LARA-MRS), Brian Sabourin (Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services MPAS), Paula Sirls.

 

Staff Present:  Rachelle Bangela, Marlene Malloy, Shori Teeple.

 

 

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by Chairperson C. Bergquist.  Roll call determined that a quorum was present.

 

Welcome & Introductions

C. Bergquist welcomed Council members and guests.  Introductions were made. C. Pack Ivy read opening remarks from the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Rehabilitation Act Preamble. 

 

Agenda

The draft agenda for February 8, 2012 was reviewed by the membership.  

 

A motion was passed to approve the agenda as presented

 

Minutes

Members reviewed the draft November 10, 2011 business meeting minutes.   

 

A motion was passed to approve the minutes as presented.

 

Old Business

Partnering with Tribal Workforce Programs Task Force

C. Bergquist is working with Bill Colombo (LARA-MRS) on the possible development of additional agreements between tribes and MRS in the state. They hope to be on the agenda when the United Tribes of Michigan meets in February.  If this does not take place, they will reach out and meet with individual tribes.  It was noted during discussion that 80% of the casino employees are not tribal members, although tribal members are preferred when vacancies become available.  

 

Vocational Rehabilitation Process Poster

All Council members have received laminated desktop versions of the poster.  Desktop versions have also gone out to all MRS staff, with 1-2 posters made available to all district offices and central office.  Credit goes to the Wisconsin Client Assistance Program (CAP) for the initial idea, and to the MRC Committee and MRS Customer Input Team from last year for putting the Michigan poster together.  It has been very well received.

 

New Business

Partnering with MRS to Increase Education to Elected Officials

Discussion has taken place at recent Partners and Policy Makers (PPT) Work Team meetings regarding development of ongoing communications between Council members and their legislators/staff.  Members of different legislative committees will be prioritized.  Along with distribution of Council member business cards and accessing social websites, PPT members will develop a consistent message for members to use, including talking points and deliverables that will address key facts such as return on investment.  Plans also include obtaining new regional success stories and developing more of a presence with employers.   

 

Two items (folders and desk buddies) were recently developed for MRS staff to use for connecting with employers using Medicaid Infrastructure Grant funds, which passed through the MRC.  

 

Michigan Career and Technical Institute (MCTI) Focus Group Report

Members reviewed the five issues and corresponding rationales and recommendations that were outlined in the report.  Issues ranged from inconsistent communication between students and their home counselors, inconsistent knowledge about MCTI programs and services, limited number of diverse trade programs, lack of free and reliable high speed internet on campus, and need for more leisure opportunities. 

 

Discussion took place about two other issues related to discrimination and washing machines.  In response to the washing machine issue, it was stated that the Council could only make recommendations on programming issues.  It was decided that a cover letter to accompany the report would more specifically address both of these issues.

  

A motion was passed to approve the MCTI Focus Group Report as presented.

Report of the Executive Team (ET):  Carol Bergquist, Council Chairperson

Members reviewed the final ET minutes (October, November, and December 2011).

 

A motion was passed to accept and place on file the ET Minutes (October, November and December 2011) as presented.

 

Members reviewed the financial statements (October, November and December 2011).  

 

A motion was passed to accept and place on file the Financial Statements (October, November, and December 2011) as presented.

 

Members reviewed the FY 2011 Financial Review.

 

A motion was passed to accept and place on file the FY 2011 Financial Review as presented.

 

Report of the Executive Director (ED):  Marlene Malloy

MRS Budget

A written report is provided in the meeting packet.  Recently, the MRS Executive Team meeting was attended, which involved 1½ days working on the FY 2013 MRS budget.  The most impressive aspect about the meetings included a list of values they wanted to uphold including maintaining the integrity of the program, making sure customers are getting good services, and making sure staff has the resources they need to do their jobs.

 

Appointments

A Technical Assistance Circular (TAC) was recently forwarded to the membership from Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), which outlined the requirements for SRC appointments.  The TAC stated that if a Council member appointment’s term ends and he/she has not been immediately reappointed by the Governor, then the individual may not continue to serve as a voting member of the SRC.  Currently, the MRC is out of compliance in the following four areas:  1 – appointment for Client Assistance Program (CAP) Director (B. Sabourin), 2 - appointments for three members (C. Bergquist, C. Cagle and L. Zelley), 3 - the State Director and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (state employees) must be named and appointed as ex-officio members, and 4 – appointment for Council for Labor & Economic Growth (CLEG) representative, since L. Rutledge is no longer a CLEG member.  

 

Following discussion by the MRC’s Executive Team, a short-term plan is being proposed to the membership to designate C. Bergquist, C. Cagle, L. Zelley, and B. Sabourin to be interim community resource members pending appointment by the Governor.  Members had discussion about this proposal and asked questions about ideas for other solutions.  In response, it has been reported that this issue will likely be resolved by the Governor’s Appointments Office within the next few weeks.  Also, by considering other options with longer timeframes, the MRC presence at MRS work groups would be significantly diminished and MRS would face increased out-of-compliance penalties during the next RSA Monitoring visit.  With a short-term plan in place, the work of the Council can continue and compliance issues with RSA will be minimized.  Once appointments have taken place, the community resource member statuses will be eliminated and the voting member roles will be resumed.

 

A motion was passed to designate C. Bergquist, C. Cagle, L. Zelley and B. Sabourin as interim community resource members pending appointment by the Governor.

 

FY 2012 – Work Teams  

Program Evaluation/Data (PED) - B. Childress

A new goal (originally from the ET work plan) was added to the work plan that addresses partnering with MRS to review new and existing grants, agreements, arrangements and contributions.  After viewing the new ‘Program Evaluation’ SRC online training module, members agreed that the entire membership would benefit from viewing it as well.  A suggestion was made for staff to inquire with SRCs in Wisconsin, South Carolina, Oregon, and Oklahoma as to data their Councils receive on a regular basis from VR.   

 

Customer Satisfaction/Input (CSI) - E. Chang

Discussion has taken place about possible focus group locations for the remainder of FY 2012, as well as suggestions for incentives for customers to attend.  Additionally, members researched, compared, and contrasted customer satisfaction survey (CSS) tools used by other state VR agencies.  Ideas were generated to identify potential recommendations for updates to the MRS CSS tool in FY 2013.

 

Partners and Policy Makers (PPT) - D. Stanford

With MRS to conducts public hearings/meetings, the team plans to have a Council member present at each event with a prepared statement to read on behalf of the MRC.  Members will evaluate a partners list in March and would like to invite Rodney Craig (SILC staff) to speak to the whole membership about the SILC.  As mentioned earlier, the work team plans to partner with MRS to increase education to elected officials.  The Promoting Abilities event will take place at the Capitol this spring.  They have also talked about connecting with J. Piatt (MRS Business Network Unit District Manager) and other district managers with best practices about reaching out to employers.  

 

Report of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs - Michigan Rehabilitation Services (LARA-MRS) State Director:  Jaye N. Porter

J. Porter thanked the Council for speaking about MRS and the support in front of legislators at the recent Appropriations meeting.

 

MRC Recommendations in Attachment 4.2

MRS is progressing well with the recommendations, with the exception of #2 - engaging with the MRC in development of a plan to reduce the state units’ reliance on cash match agreements that do not support MRS’ statewide vision and goals and replace those funds with General Fund General Purpose (GFGP) funding.  

 

Budget and Grants

Staff has been working on scenarios for budget and staffing reductions.  They have also received a grant to focus on quality assurance and hope to have an expert come in and set up a framework.    

 

Order of Selection for Services (OSS)

They have been preparing for OSS and stand by their position statement.  

 

Vendor Management

They are focused on vendor management including vendor selection, review of services,   choice of vendors for customers, and evaluation of services.    

 

Customer Complaints

There are increased complaints going to the Department and the Governor’s Office.  Communication with customers about resolving issues at the lowest level possible needs to happen; customers need to know there are more efficient ways for complaints to be addressed.  

 

Lawsuits

Two lawsuits may have an impact on the budget.  One involves the accidental drowning at MCTI.  They are also involved in an investigation that has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office.  

 

Compliance Issues

Compliance issues have put MRS in danger of reduced funding.  These issues are confidential:  no representation on the workforce board, MRC appointment issues, and whose authority is it to make decisions regarding the program.  

 

Transfer to Another Department

There are rumors about MRS being transferred to another department.  They have not been confirmed, nor have they been able to provide any input.   

 

Interactive Exercise

J. Porter facilitated an interactive exercise with the council members.  Everyone needs to advocate for MRS.  Council members learned a number of facts when everyone reported back.   A prize was awarded to the team with the most correct answers.

 

M. Malloy acknowledged J. Porter and C. Bergquist for their comments before the Appropriations Subcommittee Meeting on LARA.

 

FY 2013 MRS State Plan

SRC Online Training Modules – The State Plan Process

Several sections of the training modules were reviewed.

 

Review of the MRC State Plan Process and Responsibilities

Members discussed the State Plan purpose and process.  Questions were asked and answered to clarify the Council’s role in authoring Attachment 4.2 and working with MRS to review updates to their sections.

 

FY 2013 Work Team Role and Responsibilities

The work team will be chaired by C. Cagle with members S. Halacka, D. Stanford and L. Zelley.  The Team will update Attachment 4.2 for presentation to the Council for approval.

 

Partner Reports 

Client Assistance Program (CAP) – B. Sabourin  

The employment team closed 70 cases, 69 of which were related to MRS. 

 

Council for Labor & Economic Growth (CLEG) - Vacant

L. Rutledge is no longer a member of CLEG.

 

Hannahville Indian Community - C. Bergquist  

Project Visions at Hannahville is in the second year of a five year grant.  One issue they have is that several tribal members are interested in small businesses.  They have no requirements for loans other than a business plan.  As a result, many of the small businesses fail.  A partnership effort with MRS is currently in progress.   

 

Michigan Alliance for Families – C. Pack Ivey 

A lunch time learning series webinar is now available on one Thursday each month.    Additionally, transition continues to remain an issue.  Their phone number is 800-552-4821 and the website is www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org.

 

MI Department of Education/Special Education (MDOE/SPED) - S. Diamond 

‘Early Intervention Services’ at the end of the department’s name has been removed. They had a federal monitoring visit in November that went well.  At the federal level, there are always things that need to be improved with Intermediate School Districts, so surprise monitoring visits sometimes take place.  Special Education funding in Michigan will be reduced by $600,000.  However, this will be absorbed at the state level; special education flow money will not be reduced.  The Office of Civil Rights updated what a disability is in relation to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.  Additionally, draft legislation is pending to eliminate or apply strict criteria for students ages 22 – 26; this is getting a lot of movement.  The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) aren’t getting the attention they are supposed to.  Every state is applying for a waiver to get out from under the ESEA law.  They apply for federal funding and have a state performance plan that lasts six years with set performance targets.  The data indicates transition is going well, but they know it’s not, even though they have made improvements with transition.  As part of the federal visit, they voiced a great concern to focus on the disproportionate removal of African American students from the education system due to discipline, with the goal being to eliminate this problem. 

 

LARA-MRS Customer Rights Representative and Hearings Manager - R. O’Connor

A written report is available in the meeting packet.  While they had 10 appeals at the time of submission of the report, they have since received nine more appeals within the last two weeks. 

 

Michigan Statewide Independent Living Council (MiSILC) – J. Thomas

A report will be emailed to members. 

 

Other Business

A brief discussion was held about a MRC position statement related to MRS counselors/staff told they will need to provide services to customers in cubicles.  J. Porter indicated it would be a tough fight to win.  The MRC Executive Team will formulate a position statement from the MRC.

 

G. Pazur announced that the referral module is ready to be implemented.

 

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 3:41 P.M.

 

NEXT BUSINESS MEETING: 

May 10, 2012 Kellogg Center, East Lansing MI  
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