[nfbmi-talk] for those who cannot access the web or attachments

joe harcz Comcast joeharcz at comcast.net
Fri Feb 7 12:33:07 UTC 2014


Here are the draft MCRS minutes from prior meeting. Note BSBP doesn't do this and is a gross violation of several laws.

Joe

            DRAFT
           
        
 

 

 

 

MICHIGAN COUNCIL FOR REHABILITATION SERVICES

3490 Belle Chase Way, Suite 110

Lansing, MI  48911

517.887.9370 or 877.335.9370

                                                                               

                                                                               

Business Meeting Minutes

MCRS Office

Lansing, MI

Friday December 6, 2013

 

 

Members Present In-person:  Lou Adams (Department of Human Services – Michigan Rehabilitation Services DHS-MRS), Carol Bergquist, Mark Eastburg, Trina Edmondson, Sara Grivetti, Rodney Jones, William Jones, Deanna Middlebrooks, Caryn Pack Ivey, Michael Poyma, Aimee Sterk.

 

Members Present by Phone:  Adam Kaplan, Anne Riddering.

 

Members Excused:  Sheryl Diamond, Mary Ann Greenawalt, Ed Rodgers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs – Bureau of Services for Blind Persons LARA-BSBP), Brian Sabourin, Mitch Tomlinson, Matthew Weaver.  

 

Guests Present:  Valarie Barnum-Yarger (Statewide Independent Living Council, SILC), Terry Eagle, Joe Harcz, Lisa Kisiel (LARA-BSBP Training Center Director), Lylas Mogk (BSBP Commission Member), Garrett Pazur (DHS-MRS), Mike Pemble (LARA-BSBP), David Robinson, Scott Wagner (Governor’s Appointments Office).

 

Staff Present:  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.

 

Agenda

The draft agenda (December 6, 2013) was reviewed by the membership. 

 

A motion, made by C. Pack Ivey and seconded by D. Middlebrooks, was passed to approve the agenda as presented.

Minutes

The draft minutes (August 9, 2013) were reviewed by the membership. 

 

A motion, made by M. Poyma and seconded by D. Middlebrooks, was passed to approve the minutes as presented.

 

Public Comment

Joe Harcz

Today we mourn the passing of a known civil rights leader, Mr. Mandela, whose given name I cannot pronounce.  The Swahili name equates to ‘shaking the tree’ or ‘troublemaker’ and he fought against apartheid and I fight against apartheid, apartheid for people with disabilities, even within the disability rehabilitation system.  Ladies and gentlemen, we’re required to be fully accessible to people with physical and sensory disabilities, under a forty year old Civil Rights Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  And yet yours truly has documented major access issues, both programmatic access issues and effective communications access issues, within MRS facilities, within one-stop facilities, and within the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons.  I make, I have to fight for battle every time I turn around to get scraps of paper about the delivery system in this state.  I even have to fight, and so do others, for an accessible application for services.  These things are documented in the public record.  We have computer systems that are not accessible.  We have documents that are not accessible, and yet every year, every year we put a rubber stamp in a State Plan that everything is hunky dory and that we meet program access requirements.  We do not.  We even say that we do that with the one-stops, and I’ll tell you my one-stop up here is nothing but a scandal, you know, with three people, just, you know convicted, again, for embezzlement and fraud.  Let alone, the fact that they are not fully accessible to people with physical and sensory disabilities.  I will persist in ensuring accountability and basic access of the delivery system, and I think one of the things that this Council can do and should do is make sure that it puts out the surveys that they put together and makes sure that whenever we put in the State Plan supplement that we don’t rubber stamp it, when the access is documented not to be there.  Thank you.

 

Executive Team (ET) Report

Members reviewed the proposed Final ET Minutes for July 23 and August 13, 2013.  

 

A motion, made by M. Poyma and seconded by D. Middlebrooks, was passed to accept and place on file the ET Minutes as presented.

 

Discussion took place about a memo that was recently sent to DHS from L. Adams with regard to counselor vacancies.  MRS is continuing to work with DHS to secure approval to hire more staff, predominantly counselors, due to the large number of vacancies and impacts on services to and programming for customers.  MRS is at a 15-year low for counselors, including being 26 counselors short of what was reported in the FY 2014 State Plan for Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).  When DHS has had front-line worker vacancies, they have been given immediate approval to fill those positions; MRS is asking for the same for its counselor vacancies.  While MRS has been appropriated by the legislature to have 550 full-time employees (FTEs), it is presently able to afford to have 505 FTEs.  At last count, MRS has 458 FTEs.  Counselor vacancies are posing challenges to staff for delivery of services.  The impact is not only seen with customers being served, but it is also affecting funding issues and the ability for MRS to get local match funds, resulting in challenges for partners to assist with match funds to serve shared customers.  L. Adams will be meeting with DHS executives in the near future to discuss the memo and MRS’ current situation.  MRS has the Council’s full support in their efforts.

 

Financial Operations

Members reviewed the Financial Statements for July, August, and September 2013.

 

A motion, made by T. Edmondson and seconded by S. Grivetti, was passed to accept and place on file the Financial Statements for July, August, and September 2013 as presented.

 

A motion was made by D. Middlebrooks and seconded by T. Edmondson to approve the FY 2014 budget.

 

The Council is presently in a transition period with the FY 2014 budget.  An overview of the Council’s transition to DHS was provided, along with a budget build and negotiation process for securing funding from BSBP and MRS for both FY 2013 and 2014.  A 15% BSBP and 85% MRS split has been determined for how total Title I funds will be dispersed to the Council from both Designated State Units for FY 2014.

 

The Executive Team met yesterday and then this morning with L. Adams to discuss and negotiate adjusted budget amounts ($273,000 from MRS and remainder from BSBP).    The initial total budget request from last year ($387,000) has been readjusted to $327,000 via modification of the budget request, partly due to an Executive Assistant staff position being removed and the Council will now function with two full-time staff, even though the workload has increased by 50%.  L. Adams has accepted the readjusted $273,000 MRS budget proposal.

 

It was recommended that the budget approval be tabled, since a new request has been made.  The newly negotiated budget will be forwarded to the membership for review and e-vote.

 

D. Middlebrooks removed the motion for budget approval.

 

ET Election

Members eligible for election to the vacant ET Member-at-Large position were reviewed and discussed.

 

A nomination was made by D. Middlebrooks for C. Pack-Ivey.  The nomination was respectfully declined.  S. Grivetti nominated T. Edmondson.  The nomination was accepted.

 

A motion, made S. Grivetti and seconded by C. Pack Ivey, was passed to elect T. Edmondson to the position of Executive Team Member-at-Large.

 

Update - Department of Human Services – Michigan Rehabilitation Services (DHS-MRS) State Director:  Lou Adams, Acting State Director

FY 2013 Overview

An overview was provided for rehabilitation goals that were achieved in FY 2013, which were lower than projected due to counselor vacancies.  Other statistics and comparisons were outlined, with data to still be reported following the end of the fiscal year.  MRS continues to be one of the most cost effective VR programs in the country, in terms of cost per employment closure, average hourly wage, and number of rehabilitation closures per rehabilitation counselor.  In previous years, it has been reported that MRS customers are the third highest paid of all general VR programs in states/territories in the nation.  MRS has also been number one in terms of successful employment outcomes per counselor.  The customer satisfaction rate was reported (85.4%).  For FY 2012, for every one dollar spent by MRS for services to customers, $9.26 is returned to Michigan’s economy (increased earnings, increased taxes, and decreased public benefits expended) within three years.  Disability percentages were also shared.

 

FY 2014 Overview

MRS is in the 2nd year of the Michigan Transition Services Administration partnership with school districts.  Another project is in process with DHS Director Corrigan to partner with businesses to employ people with disabilities.  A workgroup is also meeting to assist youth in moving from Social Security to employment.  MRS has been approached by the Institute of Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts to be part of a demonstration project for assisting adults receiving Social Security to reach substantial gainful activity.  Under this project, MRS would receive $600,000 a year for 3 years to work on this goal.  It would be a win-win opportunity.  MRS continues to partner with DHS in serving youth, foster care youth, and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) recipients.  

 

MRS’ Michigan Career and Technical Institute (MCTI) is working on a new strategic plan with plans to do more short-term training and provide more community based services.  Their initial plan will be shared with DHS leadership next month.

 

The Executive Director vacancy for MRS continues to remain open; the position has been posted and the application process has been completed.  DHS will be interviewing and taking action from there.

 

New initiatives for purchases of hearing aids for customers will likely save MRS close to one million dollars, if not more.  MRS is looking at ways to become more paperless, as well as using texting capabilities for staff who work with customers that are deaf and hard of hearing, with workgroups being convened for both initiatives.

 

MRS received a one-time increased funding amount for FY 2013 from DHS, with expectations for efficiencies to be implemented.  Ultimately, MRS saved 14 million dollars last year as a result of increased efficiencies.  The additional funds from DHS will not be available for FY 2014.

 

An overview was provided of the recent Governor’s Summit event, along with the anticipated Spring 2014 RSA monitoring review.  Monitoring will focus on Transition, Financial Accountability, and Placement/Organizational Structure in DHS.  All corrective actions have been accomplished following the last RSA review in 2009, and MRS is prepared to discuss those as well.

 

Question:  How does MRS partner with local Community Mental Health (CMH) agencies?  Also, what is the MRS response to public comment made earlier?

 

Response:  MRS works closely with CMH boards and service providers.  MRS also has many (85+) formal agreements with CMHs to provide services to mutual customers.  Regarding accessibility concerns from Public Comment, MRS has work groups to assure they are in full compliance via DTMB (Department of Technology, Management, and Budget) and MRS works with them to correct any needs for accessibility.

 

Question:  With efficiencies, is MRS in danger of losing funding as appropriated from the legislature and is there advocacy that this group can do to assist?

 

Response:  Part of counselors’ jobs are to do outreach in communities and establish/maintain an MRS presence.  With shortages and lower numbers of counselors, there are fewer opportunities for outreach in local communities.  MRS is saving/spending less money and serving fewer customers, but with fewer staff.

 

Question:  Can you determine the number of successful closures by disability type?

 

Response:  Yes, including demographics.  MRS continues to be challenged with providing services to youth, African American males, and it varies in terms of individuals with mental illness.  Reports can be generated, down to the counselor level, to outline this information.

 

Presently, MCTI is desperately understaffed to assure 24/7 student safety and deliver services to staff. 

 

Question:  Are individuals with disabilities represented on the Program Evaluation Committee?

 

Response:  In addition to partnering with Project Excellence (PE) through Michigan State University, yes, there are MRS staff members with disabilities on the committee, but not customers of the agency as far as representation.  

 

Question:  Is there a Marketing Committee to help spread the word about MRS and its services?

 

Response:  Yes, there is a MRS Marketing Committee which Council staff serves on to represent the Council, but there is not a marketing campaign in place for MRS.

 

Question:  At some point, it would be good to see metrics and comparisons with other states.  With the new function of the Business Disability Navigator, it would be good to see a job description of that and learn more about the initiative outside of this meeting.

 

Response:  The MRS Business Network Unit was referenced as well as outcomes from the Governor’s Summit.  RSA provides data from other states for each fiscal year.

 

Question:  Regarding substance abuse (SA) as a disability, is this only when SA overlaps with other disabilities?

 

Response:  SA is a category of its own.

 

Update-Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs – Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (LARA-BSBP):  Mike Pemble, Deputy Director

An overview was provided of the three councils that BSBP works with:  the MCRS, the Statewide Independent Living Council, and the BSBP Advisory Commission.  The funding for the MCRS has been finalized for this year, with input received from RSA regarding funding levels.  It was determined that the division of costs for Council support based on how the money is distributed seemed like a fair way to resource the Council.  With the process greatly improved from last year’s process, the grant has been approved and signed by both LARA and David Price of MARO.  BSBP was pleased to have C. Bergquist in attendance at yesterday’s Commission Meeting.  The Commission does not have additional FTE staff support; those duties are divided among current FTEs within BSBP.  Sue Luzenski has been named the secretary for the Advisory Commission.

 

BSBP recently had a meeting with the State ADA Coordinator, Sharon Ellis, and other members of DTMB to discuss accessibility issues (state websites, etc.).  While it was determined that state websites are now 100% accessible, BSBP believes that there are still issues with accessibility that need to be resolved (i.e. PDF forms need to be posted as Word documents).  Other computer systems within BSBP also need to be reviewed for accessibility and access.  

 

BSBP is engaging in a CSS process of its own at this time.  500 letters have already been sent out this week.  

 

A grant from the Kalamazoo Foundation will enable updates to take place at BSBP’s Training Center in Kalamazoo.  A match effort with the federal government for an additional funding grant with Title I funds will help maximize the Foundation grant; BSBP will supply 20% through private or state funds, and then Title I will match the remaining 80%.

 

BSBP has added a new Business Assistance and Development Program.  The director of this program, Rob Essenburg, has been hired and brings 30 years of experience to the job to assist private business persons to retain their businesses or moving into independent business of their own, outside of BSBP’s Business Enterprise Program (BEP).

 

BSBP Training Center Overview – L. Kisiel

An overview was provided of the number of individuals that BSBP has assisted into successful employment, the total numbers of customers served, and projected placements.  All forms and documents within their case management system are accessible (braille, large print, read aloud, etc.).

 

Everyone is invited to an Open House at the BSBP Training Center in Kalamazoo on Wednesday December 11th from 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.

 

Additional services and training opportunities offered by BSBP were shared and discussed.

 

Questions/Responses

Question:  Are there ways for staff to express concerns and speak freely about what’s working/not working, where improvements can be made?

 

Response:  BSBP includes anywhere from 107-113 total staff, so it is smaller than MRS and generally easier for staff to come together for meetings and communication.  It would be idea for BSBP to someday have a program evaluation person on staff.

 

Response from BSBP:  Yes, there are opportunities in place.  Recently, the Governor authorized a state employee survey for anonymous responses from an independent firm and sent to all Michigan departments to get input from state employees.  BSBP will be able to look at those results that relate to BSBP inquiries.

 

Response from MRS:  An overview was provided of the MRS Idea Stream Work Team as an employee engagement tool to gain ideas and input from staff.  The process includes getting new ideas from staff, and then opportunities for staff to vote on their top ideas for potential implementation and/or work teams to be convened for implementation processes to begin.  The Team makes presentations to the Executive Team for consideration and approval.  The Team manages ideas, voting processes, and transparency back to staff for updates about ideas submitted/implemented.

 

Report of the Executive Director (ED):  M. Malloy

A written staff report and accompanying documents about the National Coalition of State Rehabilitation Councils (NCSRC) were referenced.  An overview was provided of the history of and current events for the NCSRC, as well as the recent NCSRC leadership and SRC training sessions that were held last month in Denver.  Details of the recently MCRS-hosted MRS Champion Awards event were shared.  The FY 2013 MCRS Annual Report is in progress, and for the first time this year, the report will include information about BSBP.  The FY 2013 Financial Review has been completed resulting in the 9th consecutive year of a clean review.  

 

BSBP Advisory Commission:  Lylas Mogk, Chair

The Commission’s roles and responsibilities were outlined, its current seven members were described, and questions from RSA that have been asked for how the Commission will avoid overlap with the MCRS.  An overview was shared of their six Commission meetings, as well as the structures and outcomes of their committees and sub-committees.  A finance meeting with M. Pemble is being planned for January 2014 to learn more about BSBP’s funding.  It was discussed that it would be beneficial for both the Commission and MCRS to have representatives attend each other’s public meetings to stay informed.

 

Re:con Reports:  T. Edmondson, D. Middlebrooks, M. Poyma

Following a brief overview and history of the re:con conference (formerly the Michigan Rehabilitation Conference), M. Poyma shared some of his observations from his attendance at the re:con The Convention of New Beginnings in Traverse City last month.  In addition to attending, presenting and assisting with facilitation of some sessions at the conference, the event was well attended (almost 400), with excellent sessions offered, opportunities for networking, and a MCRS-hosted exhibit that offered information about the Council to attendees.

 

Public Comment

Joe Harcz

I need to respond to what was said this morning about access.  Now I have requested information from the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons over and over and over again about how they spend public funds.  This is documented, documented ma’am.  I get untold, I get every one of those requests turned into a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request and untold amounts of money, you know, charged to me for doing that.  Not only do I get that, but other blind people get that, in every area of where we’re involved.  We don’t get the information.  My lord, we don’t get it from the very agency that’s supposed to serve the blind.  This is documented fastidiously over and over again.  Within the Michigan Administrative Hearing System (MAHS), where we go to get our due process supposedly, nobody gets any information in accessible format.  Not one wit.  Therefore, we are denied due process in those administrative hearings.  When I heard today, oh, ‘Miss Ellis’, you know, who is, you know, I had to inform her that she is the state ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Coordinator and I’ve made complaints to her about access issues.  She says everything is hunky dory, that everything is compliant before the media, when I have documented ma’am, in copious fashion, that it is not, including, and we’ll just go to the websites, today, you know of various state agencies, including DHS which I have a complaint against on their application process, or including, you know, the image-based file documents put out by Mr. Arwood in response to BEP’s (Business Enterprise Program’s) single audit, or including just going today to the Michigan Civil Rights Commission where we’re supposed to get our appeals and our hearings heard and being riddled with inaccessible documents, including ma’am, going in documented fashion, you know, DOJ (Department of Justice) and other surveys, you know, conducted on this state that’s out of compliance in every step of the process.  And then I hear Mr. Pemble, who’s been said, who is CC’d on all of these ludicrous FOIA requests, which they just use to bust my chops and to deny me basic information from meeting minutes to directories to financial information about how this agency spends its federal VR money.  And then I hear ‘oh, we’re doing a consumer satisfaction survey but we’re sending out letters.’  Huh.  What format were those in, Mr. Pemble?  You’re dealing with blind people here.  Blind people cannot read print.  When I hear over and over again, both as a consumer and another person ‘oh, we’re working on this,’ or where ‘we don’t have to do this,’ etc. etc. it drives me crazy.  People are denied civil rights and by the way, it comes to the (?) of this organization too.  If you look at your minutes, I requested everything in the meeting minute package, and that includes in this meeting of this SRC (state rehabilitation council), just a simple email.  You people are dealing with information.  This is information that’s relevant and germaine to how this federally funded VR agency actually does its job, all of these VR agencies.

 

David Robinson

As a blind person, I’d like to reiterate what Joe just stated because I think that the problem that comes in is that many of the agency officials talk a good talk, but when they have to walk the walk, they can’t do it.  The reports that Mr. Pemble gave relevant to accessibility are totally untrue.  As a blind person who has represented other blind people for hearings at the MAHS system, it’s not accessible to me.  It gives me, it gives a whole lot of problems when dealing with the whole issue of the right to grieve and the right to have a fair hearing.  So, blind people just don’t use it anymore because they know that it’s not going to be fair for them.  So, all the nice little stories that Mr. Pemble and Ms. Kisiel tell us about how wonderful the agency is, is just not true.  And there’s many types of services that are being denied to people, a lot of services that aren’t accessible to blind people, and the information, and you may think that Joe’s just, Joe just says these things because he wants to say these things and complain, but they’re absolutely true, and if you, as people that sit on this board want to really know what the story is, you will go talk to blind people and other people with disabilities and really find out what the accessibility to services are.  Don’t pretend that everything that is said to you is true, because it’s not.  I would encourage all of you to do that very thing, go out and talk to the consumers and see what really is happening.  Blind services in this state are terribly lacking and blind people are being totally controlled and given the crumbs, while the agency officials are raking up all the big money to have all their little projects.  I’d like to have someone address the issue relevant to this new division.  They hired a new division director at a division level salary at about $104,000 a year.  I’d like to know how many people work under Mr. Essenberg.  I’d like to know exactly what he’s been doing since the whole issue relevant to the franchise fell apart, because it was an illegal activity.  I’d like to know how they’re spending their money, because it’s not being spent on blind people, and I think that the people that oversee those issues, ultimately, are responsible for making sure that the money is spent well, because if it’s not, you will be held responsible by the blind people in this state.  Thank you.

 

(Please note:  portions of the following public comment included poor audio playback, so some words/phrases were unclear for transcription.)

Terry Eagle

I am also an advocate for blind persons, especially those in the Business Enterprise Program and sadly I have to reiterate and reinforce what both Mr. Harcz and Mr. Robinson have said, mainly about accessibility.  Our fundamental rights to justice and due process have been violated and I’ve been working on this since 2007, and when Ed Rodgers, who is now the director of BSBP, was chief judge at the (?) and now MAHS, and we absolutely cannot get materials in a format that we can use either as clients or as advocates or as representatives for our clients.  We are told that they can’t change their process of, for example, sending us emails with accessible hearing notices.  That’s garbage, that’s garbage in this day and time of technology.  They talk about it, “well, we can’t do that because we can’t do it for everybody.”  Well, does everybody else get the shaft when it comes to due process and denial of fundamental rights?  So, I’d have you people actively get involved (?), otherwise you’re going to find that you’re on the other side of the law in a court of law because we’ve had it with BSBP and MAHS over a phone call.  We called MPAS (Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services) to ask for their help and they said, “(?) stop communication with specific cases.”  Well they can’t do that because they can’t get it, they can’t get through the steps because (?) transcripts from a hearing, but when we ask for them, they want us to pay for them as if they were (?) created by the court reporter, instead of making accessible copy for it.  I have actually a payout so that I can take a case to arbitration.  I personally have paid four hundred dollars out of my pocket to get a transcript so we can send an appeal to a federal arbitration case.  This is ridiculous.  The state steps up and files the ADA and Section 504 or it’s going to find itself in a class action suit.  There’s one other thing I want to real briefly mention and that’s the (?) appropriation and misuse of federal money in the BSBP.  I was told, and this is on a federal court record, that Michael King told the court that it was too bad that a blind person on SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) did not have the money to pay for the training at the BSBP Center, at that time the Commission said, that I had to take to get the employment outcome that I desired, and money is being spent right now that is not accounted for and it’s breaking the law when people like I, who am on SSDI, and told I have to pay for the training when none of the dollars are being carried forward from year to year in this agency.  This agency is totally corrupt and either you people as state officials step up and help us clear it up or you’re going to find yourselves in a court of law.  Thank you.

 

Re:con Reports:  (continued)

D. Middlebrooks shared that while she had experienced the conference a few years ago as a client of MRS, she felt she enjoyed the conference this year even more.  They had more vendors and information for and about people with disabilities.  There were great opportunities for networking and to share information with others about the Council.

 

T. Edmondson shared that this had been her first experience attending the conference.  It was very enjoyable, all of the workshops attended were excellent, and it was very inspiring.  She especially enjoyed listening to presentations from employers and their work with people with disabilities.  

 

A brief history and overview of the Council’s involvement and attendance at the conference was shared, including sponsorships, Council member attendance and exhibit budgeted for each fiscal year, including registration fees, lodging, reimbursements, and when possible, the Customers of MRS Leadership Program.  The Leadership Program has also resulted in participants becoming appointed council members.

 

Partner Reports 

Client Assistance Program (CAP) – B. Sabourin (excused)

Written report included in meeting packet.

 

Governor’s Talent Investment Board – W. Jones

A report will be provided at the next business meeting.

 

Hannahville Indian Community - C. Bergquist  

An overview was provided of VR services that are provided to tribal members and others living on or near the reservation at the Hannahville Indian Community in the Upper Peninsula.  This is the only federal 121 VR program in Michigan; it serves about 100 tribal members of the Hannahville Community or those from other federally recognized tribes that live on or near their reservation each year.  They will be starting a new ‘Supportive Housing’ project in June 2014 with 13 one-bedroom apartments, which will be for the homeless, individuals coming out of substance abuse treatment or prison, and those who are targeted to apply for services.

 

Michigan Alliance for Families – C. Pack Ivey 

An overview was shared about the Michigan Alliance for Families and the services they provide statewide as a parent and training information center.  They provide statewide information and referral, parent mentors that work with families & small/large groups.  The Michigan Department of Education has increased their funding, with four new mentors hired as of October 1st.  New maps are available on the website (www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org) that show how areas of the state are covered via georouting tools.  It was also shared that the MPAS website recently added, in its entirety, the Special Education Manual as a resource for families.

                                

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

Report not available.

 

DHS-MRS Administrative Hearings Manager – R. O’Connor (excused)

A written report was provided in the meeting packet.  MRS continues to see an increase in requests for hearings from customers.  The MRS Marketing Team received input from staff that it would be beneficial for each office location to have a poster designed to gather input from customers.  A year ago, the posters were designed to provide customers with the opportunity to offer suggestions to the office manager for service system improvements. It is believed that these posters, along with other factors, have helped to empower customers to know who they can contact locally to offer input, whether through positive feedback and/or to get local assistance to try to resolve their issues with MRS.  G. Pazur added information about a new addition to the MRS Appeals/Hearings process a few years ago where MRS staff (counselor, manager, Policy staff, hearings manager, and anyone else who can add insights to cases) meet to convene pre-hearing meetings to review all information about each case and discuss possible ideas for solutions to resolve disputes and avoid the need for mediations and/or hearings.

 

Michigan Statewide Independent Living Council (MiSILC) – S. Grivetti

(A written report (in accessible format) was distributed at the beginning of the meeting.)  

Following the lead of the MCRS, SILC has recently formed three work groups to look at the full array of independent living services statewide:  Service Delivery/Evaluation; Transportation; and Youth, Children, and Family Services.  SILC just finished the FY 2011-2013 State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL), which is a mandated requirement for a 3-year plan with 18 performance targets.  They partially or completely met 12 of those goals; five goals were not met and one was dropped.  The FY 2014 SPIL was approved by the membership in late September.  Customer satisfaction data has been included in the written SILC Report.  An overview of the SILC membership was provided, as well as the relationship between the Centers for Independent Living and BSBP.  An update was provided for the Independent Living/VR Strategic Alliance meetings, including progress made on a Frequently Asked Questions resource.

 

Strategic Plan Work Team Updates and Next Steps

An overview was provided of the Strategic Planning process since the MCRS was established in October 2012.  An environmental scanning process was initiated through the following three work groups:  Customers (B. Sabourin, Chair), Agency Staff (M. Poyma, Chair), and Partners and Legislature (C. Bergquist, Chair).  While teleconference meetings have taken place for work teams, it is hoped that a full-day Strategic Planning session will be conducted in late January 2014, so that work can be accomplished enabling chairs to report work team progress and recommendations to the membership at the February 7th business meeting.  New Council Members will be contacted to determine their preferences and interests in joining one of the work teams.

 

M. Poyma provided an update of work accomplished to date by the Agency Staff Work Team.  Discussion has focused on creating a staff survey tool for both BSBP and MRS Staff, so that input can be gathered anonymously with regard to questions designed to obtain data and feedback about the service systems, services to customers, etc.  Communication is presently taking place with the BSBP and MRS Directors to determine next steps.

 

An overview was provided of progress made by the Customers Work Team.  The Team has reviewed and analyzed MRS customer data and awaits data from BSBP about its services to customers.  Once received, the work team will reconvene for further discussion and review.

 

C. Bergquist provided a brief overview of the Partners and Legislature Work Team, which has only had one meeting.  

 

Other Business

Appointments

New Members were informed that since their appointments will expire on December 31, 2013, they should expect to be contacted by the Appointments Office regarding interest in reappointments for a 3-year term.  New member information packets will be distributed to the four new members today.  Additionally, all new members (and anyone else interested) were encouraged to go the SRC online training modules website (www.erehab.org) and complete the series of audio/video trainings to learn more about SRC responsibilities.  Following new appointments/reappointments, a New Member Orientation will be planned for and conducted for new Members and others interested just prior to the February business meeting.

 

Order of Selection for Services (OSS)

An overview of OSS was provided for the current situation that MRS is faced with.  MRS is presently in OSS, since it does not have enough resources (staff/money) necessary to provide services to all customers who apply for services.  However, MRS has not yet started closing categories (based on significance of disability) and/or initiated a waiting list for customers statewide.  Given present circumstances without the approval to hire more staff (albeit with adequate funds and allocations for more full-time hires), MRS is seriously close to being in a position to begin closing categories and starting a waiting list.  Additional challenges will present themselves if approval is granted for hiring more staff, since it will take 1 ½ -2 years for new counselors to become acclimated to their new positions.  MRS will be convening an OSS Workgroup, which will include MCRS representation.  It was clarified that OSS does not apply to BSBP.

 

Questions (Q) and Responses (R)

Q:  What is the Council’s policy in response to Public Comment?

 

R:  Once minutes are transcribed, the Executive Team will review the Public Comment and direct staff as to how to respond.  Responses from the Council will be posted on the MCRS website for public access.

 

Q:  Is it our responsibility to make sure that there is a ‘closing of the loop’ in response to following up to comments made during Public Comment?

 

R:  Yes, Members may inquire with the Executive Committee or with the Chairperson directly as to the responses that will be made available.  It will be added to the Public Comment portion of agenda that individuals may request a response to their Public Comment during business meetings.

 

Adjournment

There was no further business for discussion.

 

A motion, made by S. Grivetti and seconded by A. Sterk, was passed to adjourn the meeting.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:10 p.m.

 

NEXT BUSINESS MEETING: 

Friday February 7, 2014

MCRS Meeting Room, Lansing
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