[nfbwatlk] Impressions of SRC Meeting

Sun Mar 8 23:05:19 UTC 2009

Hi, Everyone,

I want to commend K B, Jedi, Kris, and Dan Frye for their articulate
testimony opposing the closure of the OTC apartments.  Reading over my notes
last night, it occurred to me from the stats that 126 people were served by
the residential program in the past six years and ninety-one were
nonresidential.  This calculation came from Louoma['s number of 217 persons
served in the past six years, with 21 a year being residential.  Obviously,
the figures cited above should show that 126 people in the residential
program more than justifies its continuance.  If you didn't do the math, you
might conclude that 21 people a year isn't very much.  

I wonder if Louoma submitted her strategic plan to OFM before yesterday's
meeting.

I am going to hope for the best.  Evidently the next several SRC meetings
are going to be in the Seattle area.  I hope the community will be a regular
presence.  Michael (last name do not know) suggested that the SRC have
another informal gathering with the community to continue to discuss things.
He is on the SRC.  

Yesterday felt like "Power to the People" all over again.  I am glad I had a
chance to give testimony supporting the residential program in solidarity
with everyone else there.

Alco    

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jedi
Sent: Sunday, March 08, 2009 1:59 PM
To: nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Impressions of SRC Meeting

Listers,

Wow. That's intense. Thanks for posting this.

I was there for public comment and for some of the discussion afterward. I
know that Kay B was also there for a while, but I don't know if anyone from
the Federation arrived after we left, or if Alco stayed past noon. In any
case, There was indeed an ton of positive support for the agency and the
residential component of the OTC from community members of all types ranging
from consumer group participants, past and present OTC students, and those
blind people who are simply concerned for the wellfare of the blind
community. Those representing consumer groups and current/past participants
on the council were also in heavy support of the residential component.

During the short time I was present at the meeting, I got many of the same
impressions that Marlaina got. There was heavy emphasis on the part of DSB
staff regarding how many lives Direct service Delivery staff touch (the
number I heard was 100), and we heard a ton about avoiding order of
selection. On one hand, the DSB staff who spoke yesterday morning also spoke
highly of their desire to keep OTC residences open. On the other hand, they
seemed to have more defined answers about how the OTC's residential
component affects their budget and the affects of residential closing than
on any other suggestion that was thrown out there. As a result, I got the
impression that OTC residential closure was very close to, if not entirely,
a done deal.

>From my perspective, it seems a fantastic idea to integrate DSB
programs more with child and family. I can't figure out though, just how
effective moving residential OTC programs to WSSB for a few weeks would be.
The whole program would have to migrate to WSSB for that time period in
order for such a thing to work out. I'm guessing that's what they had in
mind?

Just as marlaina said, I don't intend to put words in anyone's mouth at all.
These are, however, the impressions I got. Thanks Mike for posting
Marlaina's comments, and thanks to Marlaina for being an excellent advocate.

Also, I want to send a shout out to those on list who attended the meeting
during public comment. Kay B, Alco, Kris, and Dan Frye all did an excellent
job of sharing their perspectives and experiences with the group.
Original message:
> Fellow listers:

> Technically, Marlaina Lieberg of WCB is the designated "consumer 
> representative" on DSB's State Rehabilitation Council. Below are her 
> impressions of yesterday's meeting.

> Mike Freeman

> ----- Forwarded Message -----
> From: "Marlaina Lieberg" <1guidedog at gmail.com>
> To: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
> Date: Sunday, Mar 8, 2009 12:14:57
> Subject: please forward to nfbw

>> Hello all.
>> I decided to wait a few hours before posting or even much discussing 
>> my impressions of the SRC meeting yesterday.  So, here they are.
>> during her report, Lou Oma Durand stressed repeatedly that she valued 
>> the residential aspect of the OTC.  She said that she has been 
>> running in the baseball field at midnight with students in the past, 
>> and she sees the change the residential program can make in lives it 
>> touches.  She indicated that she has had discussions with Dean 
>> Stenehjem at the School for the blind, and he has offered the 
>> possibility of using the school's cottages for
>> 3 weeks or so in the summer as a residential training facility.  DSB 
>> is considering that.  Parenthetically, Cindy and I asked her during 
>> the days prior to the SRC meeting yesterday about partnering with the 
>> school to do child and family services work.  I never thought we got 
>> a clear response to that suggestion, just as many other suggestions 
>> we raised seemed not to have a clear response for me.
>> It was wonderful to see so many people present in the room for 
>> testimony or simply to be a presence.  Many people, including OTC 
>> current students, gave great testimony regarding how impactful the 
>> OTC has been or is currently in their lives.  We had a number of 
>> people calling in, and the Council felt that while we had an issue 
>> with one person having an inordinate amount of background noise, the 
>> system worked perfectly and we will look into expanding its use for
future meetings.
>> The stories we heard were from blind people who had either worked 
>> with other blind people in the OTC, or who themselves were changed 
>> because of the impact of the residential portion of the OTC.  We 
>> heard from people who said they never would have made it with 
>> training in their home, or a 3-week training experience elsewhere.
>> Throughout the day, we were reminded by DSB staff that if they could 
>> not find money to cut, DSB would go into order of selection to serve 
>> its customers.  Order of selection means that decisions regarding the 
>> importance of one customer's need versus another will have to be 
>> made, thereby creating waiting lists.
>> Since most of you are most concerned about the OTC, let me stay 
>> focused on that issue.  Keiko Namekata, OTC Director, reported on 
>> average numbers of students the OTC has served for 4 years prior to 
>> apartment living, and the first 4 years after the apartments became a 
>> part of the residential experience.  Cindy asked Keiko for some 
>> annual statistics, a thing I might add we've been trying to get from 
>> other DSB staff all week, and Keiko said she'd be glad to provide 
>> them.  She shared that the OTC is open from 8 to 5, and students 
>> migrate in and out as they go for the various classes they need.  She 
>> mentioned keyboarding and computer skills as two separate classes.  I 
>> asked her why those were separated, and she said that in order for 
>> some students to really grasp the keyboard shortcuts necessary to be 
>> a successful computer user, plus the fact that it is not uncommon for 
>> students to have reach range issues, keyboarding really must be separate
from computer skills training.
>> We had a fair amount of discussion about the budget, and Jim Lochner, 
>> DSB's budget analyst, along with others in management positions, 
>> indicated that the senate budget could require even more cuts.  Nobody
knows.
>> Toward the end of the day, I initially attempted a motion requesting 
>> DSB to share with the Council the justification they use for 
>> retaining state-funded, non direct service delivery positions.  
>> Throughout the day we heard that each staff person doing direct 
>> service touches the lives of an average of 100 persons.  It was a 
>> hard motion to make, but I did so to get discussion back to the issue 
>> about which the blind community is most concerned, preserving the 
>> residential portion of the OTC.  After the motion was seconded, Don 
>> Alveshere spoke up and said when the positions are transferred in 
>> July, there would be no state funded direct service positions.  At 
>> that point, I'm afraid I was tired and my head spinning, so I said, 
>> "Don, I've been trying to behave and be respectful all day.  Now I 
>> have to say this.  What you are essentially saying is that this is a 
>> done deal.  Let's just get it out on the table."  Debbie Cook then 
>> explained that the issue isn't about jobs, and she reiterated again 
>> that if something isn't done, DSB will go to order of selection, and 
>> as other DSB personnel said throughout the day, order of selection is 
>> the first step toward melding DSB into general VR.  Cindy responded 
>> that my motion, she believed, stemmed from frustration that the 
>> Council has no information, or very little information, yet DSB 
>> continues to say they are listening to our ideas.  I withdrew my motion
after discussion, and simply requested information (again) to help the
Council understand how DSB arrived at its current decision.
>> So, my impression is that we might get to keep 2 apartments, since 
>> Lou Oma mentioned that as something they are considering.  However, I 
>> wouldn't take it to the bank.  As the consumer representative on the 
>> Council, I will share what I know as I learn it, and I know Cindy 
>> will do the same.  Frankly, I came away feeling that if we get 2 
>> apartments, we'll be lucky.  The SRC members did agree that we needed 
>> conference calls between face-to-face meetings so that we can remain 
>> informed and in communication with the Agency.
>> I think people can and should feel some comfort in the fact that 
>> without exception, each member of the SRC felt concerned that the 
>> Council was not involved in any way shape or form until after a 
>> decision had been made.  One member even came straight out and said 
>> that when it comes to an agency job or serving blind people in the 
>> most appropriate manner, he didn't care who had to go.
>> Another thing we discussed is the possibility of streaming council 
>> meetings live on ACB Radio.  Stay tuned, we'll see what happens.
>> Thank you for reading this; these are my personal observations, and 
>> should no way be misconstrued to be representative of actual approved 
>> minutes from yesterday's meeting.  This is simply how Marlaina 
>> Lieberg saw things, and how she reacted in the best way she knew how.
>> Warmly,
>> Marlaina
>> I use to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure!

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--
REspectfully,
Jedi

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