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Ask Congress to Address Need for Stable Disability Supports During COVID-19 Outbreak

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Two minutes of your day is all we need to ensure the well-being of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and that the supports they rely on aren’t overlooked during the COVID-19 outbreak.   

What to do: Use this email tool to remind Congress that I/DD supports and services are essential lifelines to people with I/DD and their families. 

The Details: Congress is working at breakneck speed to address the unique needs of various populations in our country through three different funding packages, one of which is expected to be focused on health care.We need your voice right now to ask Congress to include I/DD supports, including Home and Community Based Services, in that package.   

The I/DD workforce is already in crisis. These staffing shortages will be significantly exacerbated as Direct Service Providers (DSPs) fall sick or have to tend to loved ones. This is the time for Congress to work on strengthening disability supports through funding for key provisions such as overtime and hazard pay to incentivize DSPs to stay and other workers to join the field.

Most importantly, we need Congress to include I/DD services in any stimulus package to ensure there are supports to return to once the current pandemic subsides. With 700,000 people on states’ waiting lists for services, now is not the time to lose critical capacity.   

Please speak up TODAY for the inclusion of disability supports in any package Congress prepares to address COVID-19 today, to help ensure people with disabilities have the support they need, when they need it the most. 

Thank you for your support and advocacy,

Joseph Cooper, 
Chief Executive Officer 

COVID-19 Update

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To our supporters:

Vita Living is committed to protecting the health and well being of our clients and staff. We are closely monitoring COVID-19 through the City of Houston, Harris County officials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Amid the ongoing spread of COVID-19, Vita Living is following the recommendations set forth by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and have implemented the following protocols:

  • Vita Living’s qualified nursing team is actively monitoring our residents and day center participants for symptoms of COVID-19. As of now, no clients have experienced any related symptoms.
  • For the time being, we are closing our day center and canceling all outings beyond our residential homes.
  • Our day center staff will operate from our residential homes to provide our clients with fun, interactive activities they would typically participate in while at our day center.
  • Routine and follow-up medical appointments have been rescheduled. All Vita Living residential homes have access to staff nurses who treat minor medical issues, administer medications, and communicate with doctors. 
  • All individual, group, and corporate volunteer activities have been cancelled.
  • Vita Living’s staff has been trained to utilize proper hand washing techniques and to identify COVID-19 symptoms.

We are fortunate our residential homes are equipped with the necessary supplies to support our clients during this time. Those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are at greater risk of being impacted by COVID-19.

We will continue to follow these protocols in an effort to protect those we serve and those who care for them. We will also notify you of any further changes regarding Vita Living, its clients, and events.

Thank you for your continued support of Vita Living.

Joe Cooper

How You Can Make a Difference

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How You Can Make a Difference
The 86th Legislative Session is in full swing and now is the time for all families and others who care about individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to have their voices heard. As you have probably heard on the news, a large amount of attention during the session will focus on funding for public education and property tax reform. While these issues are certainly important, it will be critical for our voices to be heard to get fair attention to funding and services related to IDD services. Decisions during this session will cover the 2020-2021 biennium.

 

The House and Senate Committees that will address Health and Human Services Article II (which includes the IDD population) have been named and are outlined below:

House Appropriations Committee

Chair: Rep. Sarah Davis, Houston (served as Article II Chair last session)

Vice-Chair: Rep. J.D. Sheffield, Gatesville (served on Article II last session)

Rep. Phillip Cortez, San Antonio (new to Appropriations Committee)

Rep. John Turner, North Central Dallas (new to the Texas Legislature; elected 2018)

Rep. Cole Hefner, Mt. Pleasant (new to Appropriations Committee)

 

Link below giving specific information on each committee member

Appropriations Committee Member Information

 

Address for all House Members:

The Honorable Full Name

Texas House of Representatives

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768-2910

Dear Representative Last Name

 

Senate Committee on Health and Human Services

Chair: Lois Kolkhorst, Senate District 18 (Brenham, Fort Bend, Victoria)

Vice-Chair: Charles Perry, Senate District 28 (Lubbock, San Angelo, Childress)

Dawn Buckingham, Senate District 24 (Abilene, Kerrville, Belton)

Donna Campbell, Senate District 25 (Austin, New Braunfels)

Pete Flores, Senate District 19 (Del Rio, Uvalde, Pecos)

Nathan Johnson, Senate District 16 (Dallas, Irving, Garland)

Borris L. Miles, Senate District 13 (Houston)

Beverly Powell, Senate District 10 (Fort Worth, Bedord, Mansfield)

Kel Seliger, Senate District 31 (Amarillo, Odessa)

 

Link below giving specific information on each committee member

Health & Human Services Committee Member Information

 

Address for all Senate Members:

The Honorable Full Name

Texas Senate

P.O. Box 12068

Austin, TX 78711

Dear Senator Last Name

 

How can you make a difference?

Write a letter to the committee members as well as your representatives

1.       Tell your story (about your loved one with IDD).

·     No longer than 2 type written pages.

·     Address no more than three items of concern (summary list of issues below).

·     Describe how the issue would impact your loved one.

2.      Include digital photo of your loved one on letter (personalizes issue).

3.      Include your name and contact information at the end of the letter to provide committee member/Senator/Representative opportunity to contact you to get more information.

Significant Issues of Concern to IDD service providers

(choose no more than 3 to address)

1.    Recruiting and retaining a Capable and Competent Workforce (staff)

·     Current funding limits ability for providers to offer living wage/benefits to workforce

·     Impact of constantly changing direct support professionals on your loved one including Impact inconsistency plays on their welfare/progress. Emphasize the critical role of direct support staff in the day-to-day lives of the persons they support (group homes, day habilitation, supported employment, etc.). Focus on the role the Direct Support staff play in teaching and helping support individuals to achieve their highest level of independence. Turnover rate industry wide is between 35-53 %. Without sufficient staff, capacity is reduced and providers accrue costly overtime.

·     Refrain from using word “attendant” to avoid confusion. Please refer to staff as “Direct Support Staff”.

2.  Compliance with Federal HCBS Settings Rule (slatted to be required for providers March 2022)

·     Proposed state plan for approval by Center for Medicaid Services would require a minimum of 51% of the service of Day Habilitation to occur in community settings that are not designed for individuals with disabilities. Costs will increase significantly for providers in community to add transportation (vehicles, drivers, and fuel) into day habilitation programming throughout the week.

·      Health and Safety of individuals receiving services- additional staff will be required to maintain health and safety of individuals receiving services in community settings.

·     Accommodations for individuals with physical challenges- community settings do not have adult size changing tables, transport lifts, etc. needed to maintain health and safety of the individuals while in community settings for extended periods of time.

3.      Promoting Independence Slots and Reduction of Interest Lists

·     Request to increase number of slots for HCS, TX Home Living, CLASS to serve more individuals (current recommendation is for 7,115 slots over the biennium)

·     According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2016, the “interest list” of individuals with IDD waiting for HCBS services was 196,248 (https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/data-note-data-do-not-support-relationship-medicaid-expansion-hcbs-waiver-waiting-lists/).  That is the number of individuals needing services but waiting for funding to get the services.  While some slots have been awarded since 2016, with the growth of the state it is reasonable to believe that the number of people currently waiting for services has increased over the past two years. While awarding 7,115 slots would help, it most certainly is not having the impact to reduce the overall numbers of Texans in need of assistance.

4.      Texas ranks 49th among all states in efforts to serve individuals with IDD. This ranking is unchanged from the 2016 report and Texas has ranked 49th or 50th (out of 51) in every edition of the Case for Inclusion since the report was initially published in 2007. The biggest factors affecting Texas’ continued poor showing were lower than average marks in several key measures, including:

·     Percentage of people with IDD served through Medicaid-funded waivers (82% compared to national average of 92%)

·     Percentage of IDD expenditures allocated for supporting individuals in home-and community-based settings (68% compared to national average of 85%)

·     Texas has the largest waiting list for Home and Community-Based Services in the country (196,248). Texas would have to expand its existing service offerings by 535% to match current levels of demand.

 

How can I find out who represents me?

1.  Click the link below

2.  https://fyi.capitol.texas.gov/Home.aspx

3.  Enter your address

4.  The site will tell you the Representative and Senator who represents you.

 

Resources

·     Case for Inclusion 2019 Report with scorecards for each state (pg. 5 for findings related to Texas)

www.caseforinclusion.org

·     The Community Attendant Recruitment and Retention Strategies Report

https://hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/laws-regulations/reports- presentations/2018/rider-207-community-recruitment-retention-strategies-aug-2018.pdf

 

Information Courtesy of Reach Unlimited

Musical savant Rex Lewis-Clack gave a brilliant performance

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Rex Lewis-Clack and Cathleen Lewis Musical savant Rex Lewis-Clack gave a brilliant performance at the Pearls of Wisdom event on Thursday May 3, 2018 at the River Oaks Country Club supporting Vita Living.  One of less than 50 people throughout history to combine blindness, intellectual disability, and prodigious musical ability, Rex shared favorite pieces from his vast repertoire:  Chopin, jazz improvisation, Broadway tunes and more.  Rex and his mother Cathleen wowed an audience of over 220 – the largest yet for Vita Living’s hallmark annual event – and drove home the important message that every individual with disabilities has a unique contribution to make to the world we share.

The dazzling result of all the hard work by event co-chairs Molly & Dane Johnson and Tany & Chaz Klaes shone through.  The evening event featured Katherine Whaley, ABC 13, as Master of Ceremonies.  The Reverend Martin J. Bastian of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church offered a moving invocation, and the guests enjoyed a delicious sampling of Mexican food after placing their bids at the silent auction.

Founded in 1982, Vita Living provides services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Its 19 Houston-based group residences provide a lifelong home for 78 adults who also attend the agency’s day program.  Vita Living also provides case management services for children and adults across a seven-county region.

Photography by Jerren Willis 

Vita-Living and Hurricane Harvey

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On behalf of our clients and the dedicated staff who care for them, we would like to thank our friends and donors for your outpouring of support and concern in the wake of Harvey’s destruction. Our resident clients and host families benefit greatly from the support of their local communities, and we all felt the immense impact of this storm on our own lives and on those of our neighbors.  We do estimate a total of $15-$20,000 in repair costs for minor damages sustained by several of our 19 group homes.  We also continue to learn of the losses suffered by so many of our 350 case management families, across seven area counties.

Hurricane Harvey Vita LivingMost fortunately, our resident homes were not flooded, and thanks to the precautionary measures taken by our staff and their tireless commitment during the event, our residents remained safe and sound throughout the storm.  Several of these same employees, however, clocked overtime hours at our group homes as their families faced life-or-death situations.  Certain staff members and their families suffered major losses:  homes and cars were flooded, and some families were obliged to evacuate to area shelters.  While these staff members take needed time to repair damages and recover alongside their loved ones, the temporary reduction in staff is resulting in additional overtime costs that are not covered by fees for service.  Vita-Living needs the support of our generous donors more than ever, in order to continue providing the highest standard of care in the wake of this citywide disaster.

Other extra-budgetary expenses include the cost of additional food for our 72 residents and direct care staff who remained in the homes throughout.  Since our usual catering service was waylaid by the storm, we have been obliged to buy meals at retail costs.  Meanwhile, we continue to experience delays in cash flow due to the interruption of activity at Houston-area banks and most other businesses.

We at Vita-Living recognize the immediate need for charitable funds across our city, in support of lifesaving and restorative services and support.  Philanthropic focus on the most urgent needs is key, as our communities struggle to heal and rebuild.  Against this backdrop, we are more grateful than ever for the support of our longtime donors, volunteers, and community partners.  You are the pillars of our agency and a major factor in our sustainability over the long term.  As our communities work together for the sake of Houston’s future, Vita-Living remains committed to doing its part for the sake of those most vulnerable.