[nfbmi-talk] Fw: cap report to mcrs

[joe harcz Comcast]

January 31, 2014

All,

Whatever happened to dozens of complaints made by me in the public domain 
and in writing relative to basic ADA/504 compliance in providing information 
to me and other blind persons in accessible formats and a timely manner made 
against both BSBP and The Disability Network? Note the acts of 
discrimination were and are highly documented. Note, both also include other 
direct violations of the ADA/504 in that there is documented retaliation 
involved and direct denials of access to meetings (TDN) and to meeting 
information of both agencies.

In addition I and other blind persons have documented abuse and civil rights 
violations in the Administrative Hearing process that goes on to this very 
day. There is no due process for persons who are blind in Michigan. And note 
even in the state plan which is ignored the DSA has final agency 
determination over cases! That is outrageously   violative of the Rehab Act 
and any notion of due process and equal protection under law. But blind 
people don't even get notices of anything related to administrative hearings 
in their alternate format even upon request. So we are denied from the get 
go.



Moreover, going back to access MAHS is a quasi-judicial entity and it is 
obligated to be fully accessable to all PWD which it is not under Tennnesee 
v. Lane.

But the fact remains that Brian doesn't even denote my numerous complaints 
here let alone others who are blind whom I know of. And that goes to a very 
core problem with CAP itself!


For CAP and its personnell don't return calls in a timely manner, and nor do 
they understand the core issues of effective communications for persons who 
are blind.


I do expect a written response to this and want to know what the MCRS, CAP, 
and MPAS are going to do about protecting the rights of the blind in the VR 
and IL process.


Sincerely,

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
To: <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2013 9:58 AM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] cap report to mcrs


Michigan Protection &Advocacy Service, Inc.

Employment Team Report



Fourth Quarter

(July 1, 2013 – September 30, 2013)





The Employment Team at Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc. (MPAS) 
provides information, referral and advocacy services to applicants, clients 
and others eligible for vocational rehabilitation programs funded under the 
Rehabilitation Act.  We also provide training on our services and 
information to clients on their rights under the Rehabilitation Act and 
Title I of the ADA.  Our funding streams to provide these services include 
the following grants:  Client Assistance Program (CAP), Protection & 
Advocacy for Assistive Technology (PAAT), and Protection & Advocacy for 
Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI).



Employment Team Staff:  Brian Sabourin, Director of Employment Services, 
Elham Jahshan, Advocate; Lisa Knapp, and Leslie Mundt, Program Assistant.



Case Statistics:



      Information & Referral Only




      Closed Service Requests = 39








      Case Level Services




      Closed Service Requests = 31

      Related to Michigan Rehabilitation Service (MRS)                   28



      Related to Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP)            3



      Related to Centers for Independent Living (CIL) 
0






Problems Identified (MRS/BSBP/CIL):

      Communication problems between counselor and individual
     7

      Related to IPE development and/or implementation.
     3

      Conflicts about services to be provided. (20-MRS & (3-BSBP)
     15

      Related to application and/or eligibility process
     5

      Other issues related to Rehab. Act
     1
















Michigan Protection &Advocacy Service, Inc.

Employment Team Report

Fourth Quarter

Page 2





Primary Disability Reported by Individual (MRS/BSBP/CIL):

      Hard of Hearing
     2
     Neurological Disorders/Impairments
     2

      Deafness
     0
     Ortho/Physical Impairments
     3

      Heart/Circulatory
     2
     Specific Learning Disabilities
     4

      Mental Illness
     5
     Substance Abuse
     2

      Mental Retardation
     0
     Brain Injury
     2

      Blindness
     2
     Auto Immune/HIV
     1

      Visual Impairment
     2
     Emotional Impairments
     2

      Autism
     1








Below is a breakdown, by office, of the case level calls we received during 
this quarter.  Case level services would mean that someone from the 
Employment Team called MRS/BSBP/CIL to try to resolve a complaint.  The 
numbers reported are only those that were closed during the first quarter.





Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS)

      Adrian

     Detroit Porter
     2
     Mt. Pleasant


      Alpena

     Flint
     1
     Muskegon
     1

      Ann Arbor
     2
     Gaylord

     Oak Park
     2

      Battle Creek
     1
     Grand Rapids

     Port Huron


      Bay City
     1
     Hamtramck
     2
     Roseville


      Benton Harbor
     1
     Holland

     Saginaw


      Big Rapids
     2
     Jackson

     Taylor
     2

      Caro

     Kalamazoo

     Traverse City


      Clinton Township
     1
     Lansing

     Waterford
     2

      Detroit Fort
     2
     Livonia
     1
     Wayne


      Detroit Grand River
     3
     Marquette

     MCTI


      Detroit Mack
     2
     Midland




      Detroit Milwaukee
     0
     Monroe







Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP):  2-Detroit , 1-Flint



Centers for Independent Living (CILs):    0















Michigan Protection &Advocacy Service, Inc.

Employment Team Report

Fourth Quarter

Page 3



System Concerns:



Michigan Rehabilitation Service



Along with individual Client issues, over the past two fiscal years, CAP has 
been working on several areas of systemic advocacy including tracking delays 
concerning application & eligibility for services; identifying, tracking and 
analyzing problem offices and trends; tracking cases regarding individuals 
denied by MRS due to “budgetary issues”;  tracking cases where MRS 
counselors are not meeting required timelines; tracking cases involving MRS 
counselors not returning calls or being available to clients; and reviewing 
and monitoring MRS cases that are closed rather than transferred.  Although 
there are other areas of concerns that come from clients, these four 
categories represent 67 percent of our client calls.



Bureau of Services for Blind Persons



Elham Jahshan, CAP advocate, who is proficient in English, Arabic, and 
Hebrew, continues to attend the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons 
Diversity Committee.  Ms. Jahshan joined the committee to consult with 
Bureau staff members on how to better engage their Arab American customers. 
MPAS will host the next quarterly meeting of the Committee and the 
Employment Team will be giving a presentation on MPAS with an emphasis on 
the Client Assistance Program.



Centers for Independent Living



The Employment Team Director attended the SILC Quarterly Business Meeting. 
Director reported on activities of the agency including projects related to 
CAP and IL activities.  Although there was no outreach presentations 
completed this past quarter, the Employment Team is currently making plans 
to give a presentation at the Disability Network – Northern Michigan in 
Traverse City in December.
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