December 2018 Edition - Access Press

Many are honored Page 7

Volume 29, Number 12

‘Tis the season to make lists and head to the state capitol

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

TWIN CITIES, MN PERMIT NO. 4766

by Jane McClure

"Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down."

President George H. W. Bush

NEWS DIGEST

FILE PHOTO

Key recommendations from a report on Minnesota’s direct care worker crisis are moving ahead, with support from the Minnesota Olmstead Subcabinet. While much work remains to make the recommendations become reality, advocates are pleased to see progress.

The subcabinet, which oversees work to make Minnesota and its government agencies more inclusive to people with disabilities, approved a vital work plan November 26.

The plan is tied to the report, Recommendations to Expand, Diversify, and Improve Minnesota’s Direct Care and Support Workforce Workplan. The report, which has been under subcabinet consideration for months, was tabled in October so that the Minnesota Department of Human Service (DHS) could review the plan recommendations further and the implication of some action items.

Longtime disability community advocate Jeff Bangsberg, who served on the advisory committee that researched and drafted the report, thanked the subcabinet for moving recommendations ahead and expressed gratitude for the work state agencies put in during November to move the report along.

He spoke to the worker shortage and how it is affecting many people.

“We need direct care staff to get us out of bed in the morning, and to help us with our activities and our daily lives,” he said. Bangsberg also agreed with state agency representatives’ call for more data on the workforce issues.

“We really need the data to enable us to go to the legislature, and put our best foot forward in explain what the problems are.”

The recommendations were reviewed and amended before the November 26 vote. Staff from the Department of Human services (DHS) and Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) reviewed the work group’s proposals, with the state agencies delineating what each is responsible for.

The plan stated, “This workplan is designed to improve access to needed services and increase quality of life for people with disabilities by increasing the number of qualified direct care workers and retention of experienced workers who are needed to support people to live, work and engage in their communities. Having well-trained direct care professionals in place, leads to better health outcomes, more consistent care as turnover rates drop, and supports people to be fully participating and contributing members of society. The stakeholder working group which brought forth recommendations drew on research and expertise within Minnesota and nationally to understand the issues, and prioritize strategies to meet the challenges Minnesota faces with demographic changes that are contributing to the current workforce shortage.”

The plan goes on to state that there RECOMMENDATIONS To page 13

The Minnesota Legislature starts the 2019 session next month, and disability advocates will be ready. This picture is from a past Tuesdays at the Capitol event.

by Access Press staff With the 2019 Minnesota Legislature starting its session January 8, Minnesotans with disabilities and their advocacy groups are getting ready. It’ll be a new ball game, with incoming Gov. Tim Walz. a DFL majority in the House taking their seats and new commissioners leading state departments.

Very little got done at the capitol in 2018, with much legislation being wrapped into two omnibus bills. Outgoing Gov. Mark

Dayton, who had urged state lawmakers to not pass such large and encompassing measures, vetoed both. That not only stalled a number of programs and initiatives, it also led to months of complications ranging from a seven percent cut to waiver services to an ongoing legal battle over state program to supply incontinence products.

Waiver services, the direct care crisis and worker compensation, special education, state parks access and a wide range of mental health issues are among the concerns that SEASON To page 13

An open letter to the governor Page 4 Remember Access Press with year-end donations Page 3 Bethel University sued over program Page 6 Enjoy a show this month Page 11

VSA Minnesota closing a loss to arts community

by Jane McClure VSA Minnesota, which has served Minnesota artists and audience with disabilities for more than three decades, is shutting down at the end of September 2019. The closing was announced in early December.

Over the next several months, the nonprofit will be handing off its programs to other arts agencies. Executive Director Craig Dunn and Accessibility and Grants Coordinator Jon Skaalen will retire. They are VSA Minnesota’s only two full-time employees.

The decision to shut down was made

by VSA Minnesota’s Board of Directors in October following nearly a year of community inquiry, financial analysis and organization examination. Decreasing financial resources to support its work and the pending retirements of Dunn and Skaalen are two primary factors.

But a third is the January 1, 2020, loss of rights to the name, VSA Minnesota. That is due to trademark issues with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which manages the international VSA affiliate network.

“None of us are happy that the organization that began as Very Special Arts Minnesota and grew to the entity now known as VSA Minnesota is to be no more,” said Board Chair Maggie Karli.

“However, we are proud to have been part of its many triumphs over the years and we each look forward to the many ways new individuals and organizations will step forward to enliven the mission that has served Minnesota so well.”

It welcomes communications from constituents at 612-332-3888 or info@ vsamn.org. Board and staff are listed at

through, participate in and access the arts.’ And more Minnesotans have access to arts programming and arts education than before our founding in 1986,” said Dunn.

“In fact, it would not be wrong to say that Minnesotans with disabilities have greater access to the arts than do individuals with disabilities in the 49 other states. However, we cannot say that every person with a disability in this state has full and equitable access to the arts in all its forms.”

As of December 3, VSA Minnesota’s website has a recorded statement by Dunn (direct YouTube link is https:// youtu.be/QxR_P6TmbyQ), a FAQ document with more information about its closing process and a listing of some of the organization’s highlights over 33 years at http://vsamn. org/about/vsa-minnesota-events.

VSA Minnesota staff and board members want arts VSA Minnesota has provided arts opportunities for more access and education for people than three decades. with disabilities to move forward, and continue to seek sponsors for http://vsamn.org, along with upcoming existing programs and services. As of Access events.

Press deadline, Springboard for the Arts has Dunn said that “mission accomplished” agreed to incorporate the services to artists was not one of the factors leading to with disabilities program into its program closing. That is why there is a push to find offerings. COMPAS will be absorbing new homes for existing VSA Minnesota school arts programming for students with programs. Some programs are in the disabilities and special education needs. process of being handed off. Others face an The Metro Regional Arts Council, uncertain future. which has funded VSA’s Americans with “We have indeed created strong inroads Disabilities Act (ADA) Improvement to our mission ‘to create a community where people with disabilities learn CLOSING To page 13 VSA MINNESOTA

Workforce recommendations moving ahead

December 10, 2018

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Pg 2 December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12

EDITOR’S DESK

Tim Benjamin Winter has arrived, snow is on the ground, and the holidays are just around the corner with lots of celebrating after the anxiety-filled shopping. If you're an online shopper and shop on Amazon, make sure you use Amazon Smile. You can easily get Amazon to donate to Access Press by shopping at Smile.Amazon.com. Just register Access Press as your preferred charity, and then buy! No extra cost or effort for you, and you get full access to Amazon!

Lots going on with the home care shortage, and from different angles.

It would be good for all if more of the support organizations for seniors would work with the disability community on this workforce shortage. It seems that many of our legislators understand the employment crisis but don't know where to get the funding. Just like the legislators, I don't want to think about raising taxes or cutting programs but what other options are there? Are there some designated funds that could tap into? Are there funds that could be dedicated for supporting home care, like the extra tax money earned from Sunday liquor sales or, if they legalize recreational marijuana, a portion of that

"...it's time to be equitable and fulfill basic human needs and dignity to allow people to live independently wherever they want. It was a modern Republican president (George Herbert Walker Bush) who took the most meaningful action in advancing this goal."

tax money? I think this is what we vote for our legislators to do: find the money that's needed to support community services. It’s their job, and it is the moral and ethical thing to do.

There is a structural problem in the current way that funds are provided. The Disability Waiver Rate System, which sets the reimbursement rate that the day-training and habilitation providers receive, is out of balance. It provides disincentives for provider businesses.

For example, as DHS seeks to increase the number of training services available to fulfill Olmstead Act requirements, they are having a difficult time because of the Legislature’s 7% cut to provider compensation. Over the next couple of years the state is planning more changes, but if PCAs—the essence of many of the disability employment services—aren’t sufficiently available, advancements will get stalled.

There are many tough decisions to be made, and they may push against the conventional operating procedures of bureaucracies, but it's time to be equitable and fulfill these basic human needs and dignity to allow people to

live independently wherever they want.

I hope legislators from both parties remember that this isn’t some kind of radical socialist ideal. It was a modern Republican president who took the most meaningful action in advancing this goal.

George Herbert Walker Bush, who died on November 30 at the age of 94 years, held the distinction of being the longest-lived president in American history. But for our communities of disabled and aged people, he held a much greater distinction. As the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993, George H.W. Bush made an immense contribution to people with disabilities and to the country as a whole by supporting and signing the Americans with Disabilities Act. I’d recommend that both legislators and activists reread the text of the speech he gave right before signing the ADA on July 26, 1990.

Here’s an excerpt:

“This act is powerful in its simplicity.

It will ensure that people with disabilities are given the basic guarantees for which they have worked so long and so hard: independence, freedom of choice, control of their lives, the opportunity to

blend fully and equally into the rich mosaic of the American mainstream.

Legally, it will provide our disabled community with a powerful expansion of protections and then basic civil rights.

It will guarantee fair and just access to the fruits of American life which we all must be able to enjoy. Together, we must remove the physical barriers we have created and the social barriers that we have accepted. For ours will never be a truly prosperous nation until all within it prosper.”

Fair and just access to the fruits of American life which we all must be able to enjoy….Ours will never be a truly prosperous nation until all within it prosper. We’re still working on fulfilling the vision he laid out in those words.

Let’s not give up on them.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with plenty of family and friends.

I will be heading down to my family in Arizona for the holidays so I probably won’t have a white Christmas. But something tells me I’ll still get to see my share of white stuff in the new year. Best holiday greetings to all! ■

HISTORY NOTE

Universal Declaration of Human Rights anniversary is celebrated December 10 marked an important day around the world, as the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was celebrated. The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities (MNCDD) joined the international celebration with a series of website features released on a monthly basis beginning in September as a countdown to the December 2018 anniversary.

This important declaration and its 30 articles remain aspirational to all too many Minnesotans with disabilities, and their counterparts from around the world. It is important to look back at the declaration and see the promises and the challenges still ahead.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly

in Paris on December 20, 1948 as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It set out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected. It has been translated into more than 500 languages and is believed to be one of the most translated documents in the world.

Much history on the declaration can be found at www.un.org The MNCDD website also has a treasure trove of information about this important milestone. Click on one link and hear former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reading from the declaration, in an appearance before the United Nations.

MNCDD has highlighted some of the declaration’s 30 articles, to celebrate its history. Article 1 states that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

Another highlight is Article 6, which

Volume 29, Number 12 Periodicals Imprint: Pending ISSN

Co-Founder/Publisher............................................................................................................Wm. A. Smith, Jr. (1990-96) Co-Founder/Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief.............................................................................. Charles F. Smith (1990-2001) Board of Directors...............................Mohamed Alfash, Stephen Anderson, John Clark, Jane Larson, Julius Williams, .....................................................................................................................................................................Kay Willshire, Mark Zangara Advertising Sales......... Michelle Hegarty, 612-807-1078 Cartoonist......................................................Scott Adams Executive Director.....................................Tim Benjamin Production........................................................ In-Fin Tuan Managing Editor........................................ Jane McClure Distribution............................................ S. C. Distribution Business Manager/Webmaster......... Dawn Frederick EDITORIAL: Editorial submissions and news releases on topics of interest to persons with disabilities, or persons serving those with disabilities, are welcomed. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Editorial material and advertising do not necessarily reflect the view of the editor/publisher of Access Press.

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states that “Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.”

Article Seven states that “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.”

Another focus is on Article 19, which states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. “ As the legislative session moves toward a January 2019 start, it’s worth remembering two more of the articles.

Article 20 states that "Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. No one may be compelled to belong to an association. Article 21 states

that “Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.”

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains as relevant today as it was on the day in 1948 that it was proclaimed and adopted. It’s worth looking back at what is still an extraordinary vision for human rights. ■ The History Note is a monthly column sponsored by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, www. mnddc.org or www.mncdd.org and www. partnersinpolicymaking.com.

December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 3

Grinch-like holiday lights, cords and more can be recycled

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Have the holiday lights Wing, Shakopee, lost their twinkle? Is there Zumbrota and in a drawer full of stray cords Hudson, WI. gathering dust? Don’t put Some items them in the trash. ProAct, cannot be recycled a nonprofit that serves through the people with disabilities, ProAct program, offers 32 seasonal drop-off said Cavalier. spots for those unwanted Don’t leave cord light strings, electrical, adapters, battery appliance and phone cords. packs, plastic rope Help the environment while lights, CFL lights, providing work for people light fixtures, with disabilities. trees and garland This year the program in the recycling has expanded beyond the containers. County Dakota County and Red solid waste Wing areas to serve the departments can Shakopee and Hudson, WI Items for recycling are taken until Jan. 31 provide information areas. The items collected as to how to recycle will be disassembled and sorted by people those items. with disabilities.

Anything that is pre-lit needs the light Now in its fifth season, the holiday lights strands removed from the item and the item recycling effort is held in conjunction with disposed of separately by the consumer several cities in a wide metro area. “Keep before being recycled through ProAct. your lights and cords out of the trash and Christmas lights and electrical cords recycle bins. Let us handle them properly cannot be recycled in standard, single-sort to reclaim the valuable material for reuse recycling bins or in residential curbside in new products,” said ProAct Work and recycling programs. The items can cause Recycling Manager Jennifer Cavalier. The problems in the regular waste stream. But effort also helps to employ dozens of people the material is recoverable, said Cavalier. with disabilities.

ProAct has expanded its holiday recycling The program is now underway and will effort each of the last five years. More than continue until the first week of February 2019. seven tons of material were collected last People with disabilities process the season. All the work and income from the cords and bulbs at ProAct’s Eagan facility. processed material will benefit individuals ProAct has additional operations in Red with disabilities in its programs. ■

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Drop off locations

serviced by ProAct are offered in Dakota, Goodhue, Scott, Ramsey and Washington counties in Minnesota and in St. Croix County, WI. These include: Apple Valley: • Dakota County Western Service Center, 14955 Galaxie Ave. Eagan: • Lebanon Hills Visitors Center, 860 Cliff Road • ProAct, Inc., 3195 Neil Armstrong Blvd., (office or bin by garage, if closed) Farmington: • Farmington City Hall, 430 3rd St. • Farmington Liquor Store, 18350 Pilot Knob Road • Farmington Liquor Store, 109 Elm St. • Rambling River Center, 325 Oak St. Hastings • Dakota County Administrative Services Center, 1590 Highway 55 • Hastings City Hall, 101 4th St. E. • Hastings Cal Ruedy Maintenance Facility, 1225 Progress Drive • Hometown ACE Hardware, 1355 S. Frontage Road • Sterling Drug, 1399 S. Frontage Rd • Terry's Hardware, 375 33rd St. W. Hudson, WI. • ProAct- Hudson, 1202 Beaudry Blvd.

Inver Grove Heights • ACE Hardware & Paint, 3098 65th St. E. • City of Inver Grove Heights, 8150 Barbara Ave.

• Inver Grove Veterans Memorial Community Center, 8055 Barbara Ave. E. Lakeville • Lakeville City Hall, 20195 Holyoke Ave. • Lakeville Liquor Heritage, 20164 Heritage Ave. • Lakeville Liquor Kenrick, 16179 Kenrick Ave. • Lakeville Liquor Store, 16000 Galaxie Ave. Maplewood • City of Maplewood, 1830 Cty Road B Mendota Heights • Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve Oakdale • Oakdale City Hall, 1584 Hadley Ave. N. Red Wing • ProAct-Red Wing, 204 Mississippi Blvd.

Rosemount • City of Rosemount- Community Center, 13885 S. Robert Trail • City of Rosemount- Steeple Center, 14375 Cameo Center Savage • City of Savage, 6000 McColl Drive Shakopee • ProAct- New Options, 792 Canterbury Road, Suite 132 South St. Paul • City of South St. Paul, 125 3rd Ave. N. West St. Paul • City of West St. Paul, 1616 Humboldt Ave. • Dakota County Northern Service Center, 1 Mendota Road West

December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 4

FROM OUR COMMUNITY

An open letter to Gov. Tim Walz and his new administration Dear Governor-Elect Walz, Congratulations on your election. With a new governor we also welcome new leadership at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). For many of us providing services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities we welcome the opportunity to have a more positive and productive relationship with the Disability Services Division arm of DHS. Most importantly, with new leadership there is the prospect to correct mistakes from the past administration.

First and foremost, the veto of the omnibus bill in May left us with an avoidable 7 percent funding cut. This came after many years of grassroots effort from the Best Life Alliance and others.

They worked to obtain rate increases so that service providers can better attract and retain direct support professionals (DSPs).

As a result, many providers are left with little choice but to cut back on DSP employment, wages and benefits. We are in a field-wide workforce shortage that poses a very real threat to the health and safety of people with disabilities. We hope your administration will take note of this crisis and work to restore the funds lost by the 7 percent cut. This cut is coupled with policies that create winners and losers, and take choices away from people with disabilities, even displacing or preventing them from receiving the services they need.

Governer-Elect Tim Walz With this past administration, we saw the introduction of three new “waiver” services in 2018. While touted as new services, the reality is that these waivers, which often pay providers at a lower rate, are simply new billing silos for services that have been provided for years. The new waivers have needlessly complicated service provision and billing.

Not only do we need to track and bill three separate services that were once one, there is a new and excessive time tracking requirement of “15-minute units.” This

takes an incredible amount of time, and it does nothing to improve services for people with disabilities. In fact, it takes resources away from their direct support and care, therefore actually doing real harm.

These new waivers are coupled with the inefficient process that we use to bill services known as the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS). The DWRS was also introduced a few years back.

One example that showcases DWRS waste is illustrated at CHOICE, Inc., a small day services provider serving about 200 people. Prior to the DWRS, approximately eight hours of staff time per month were dedicated to billing services.

Today, over 200 hours per month are spent billing. Furthermore, expensive software with ongoing lease costs is necessary to keep billing time from exceeding 200 hours per month. It is an unnecessarily complicated system, and this too takes scarce resources from our DSPs—where our money should truly be spent.

There is only one pot of money, and with every burdensome regulation or cumbersome process, scarce resources are wasted. The disability service community needs you to appoint a DHS commissioner who has a better understanding of these issues and their impact on Minnesotans with disabilities.

In addition, we recommend that you place a hold on any additional system changes

until service providers have time to adjust to the many changes placed on us during the past administration.

The community of providers serving people with disabilities is prepared to offer support and assistance to your administration in developing new policies and priorities relating to issues affecting people with disabilities.

As Minnesota’s 41st Governor, you have the opportunity to ensure that our most vulnerable citizens receive the quality of care and services that they deserve. This is not a partisan issue.

The people we serve depend on us to do better. We know how to accomplish this, and we can, if your administration will work with us toward this end.

Michael Kraines, Executive Director, CHOICE, Inc., Eden Prairie, Minnesota Charlie Oaks, Executive Director, Stevens County DAC, Inc., Morris Elizabeth Schear, Executive Director, Rock County Opportunities, Luverne Jo Bittner, Executive Director, Polk County DAC, Crookston Tom Weaver, CEO, Achieve Services, Inc., Blaine Norm Munk, CEO, Partnership Resources, Minneapolis Jim Clapper, parent and co-chair, Minnesota Families & Advocates Coalition, North Oaks ■

Disability Waiver Rate System eyed for reform at capitol in 2019 The new year is almost upon us, and with it, a new state legislature and governor.

New legislative landscapes always offer both opportunities and challenges, we will have much work to do to grow alliances, continue to educate lawmakers on the great progress that has been made and also the needs that still exist within the disability services community, and ensure that legislation to maintain and improve services is a high priority. Many individuals with disabilities require some level of individualized, person-centered services to live their best lives, and more than 100 nonprofit Employment and Day Service providers in Minnesota are here to provide that support. The Minnesota Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation (MOHR) represents those providers. I want to share MOHR’s top priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

Our most urgent task is to advance continued reforms to the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS). DWRS is a new statewide system that determines the rate providers are paid for working with each individual. Key components of DWRS need to be improved to ensure funding is sufficient to support the achievement of the goals of the individuals to which we provide services.

In addition, disability services providers in Minnesota began experiencing the implementation of an extremely destabilizing percent cut to our funding in 2018. A bipartisan legislative remedy passed the House and Senate last session but was included in a massive omnibus budget bill which was vetoed by the governor. We need

to identify supporters this session to sign on to a bill that will fix DWRS and remedy the 7 percent cut.

I am sure that many of you are aware of the severe workforce shortage in our field. The above-mentioned needed fixes to DWRS and the related 7 percent cut are directly tied to this workforce shortage.

Direct Support Professionals are the lifeblood of disability services, and we need to find ways to pay them wages that are competitive with other job opportunities.

Our staff wages are tied to our rates, which are legislatively determined. We can continue to increase our efforts to recognize and reward our staff members, but only action by legislators and the governor will produce the higher wages that will have the biggest effect on improving our recruitment and retention efforts.

Not having adequate staffing makes it very difficult to meet the requirements of Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan and other state and federal initiatives that require more individualized services, increased community engagement, and increased employment supports. Put plainly, the workforce crisis is a huge issue which threatens our ability to support both the health and safety needs and the quality of life of individuals with disabilities.

Another area of focus for MOHR is the redesign of the menu of services we can provide. In 2018, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) introduced three new employment services that increase the opportunities people have to explore employment options, develop their skills, and be supported once they get

a job. We at MOHR are strong supporters of increasing options for the individuals we support, and we will be continuing our work with DHS around these new services as there is still much work to be done to ensure the funding and scope of these services are designed in a way that makes them effective and sustainable.

In the next two years, DHS intends to propose additional changes to the menu of Employment and Day Services provided. These include redefining and redesigning Day Training and Habilitation (DT&H), Prevocational and Adult Day, and Structured Day Services. Many of these changes would need legislative approval. MOHR will work with DHS and the legislature to ensure that any changes are in the interest of improving services, developing payment rates that reflect the true cost of services, and respecting the choices of each individual. We will also work to make certain the stability of the current system is protected while changes are implemented. We are encouraging the continued development of more effective methods for communication with the individuals served and their families, so they can fully understand the proposed changes to the system and make their opinions known if they choose to do so.

MOHR’s support for robust employment support services provided outside of DHS remains steadfast. Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) provides critical supports to the people served by MOHR members through Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) and the Extended

Employment Program. We want to support and expand access to this high-quality employment assistance. Current and longterm funding are key to sustaining these services, and policy changes are needed to improve access to them.

Lastly, MOHR will advocate for transportation reforms. Access to all services and work opportunities come back, at one point or another, to transportation.

Transportation rates in the current rate setting formula do not match the real cost of purchasing, driving, and maintaining our vehicles – many of which require expensive adaptations such as wheelchair lifts.

MOHR is asking for a transportation rate setting tool that produces rates that will make transportation services sustainable and support the choices that individuals make on where and when people want to receive services. We will work closely with DHS to make this a success.

Thank you to all who have joined with us in our important work, and I want to welcome everyone who is new to our cause.

This is a time of both great change and great opportunity in the disability field, and I’m hopeful that our efforts to collaborate with the new legislature and governor will help us move forward in our shared goal as a state to support Minnesotans with Disabilities to live their best lives.

We at MOHR are privileged to be a part of making a difference in the lives of Minnesotans with disabilities.

Julie Johnson, President Minnesota Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation – mohrmn.org ■

December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 5

FROM OUR COMMUNITY

PCA Reform Coalition seeks changes to address public health crisis wages more in line with other jobs that require similar education, training, and experience as PCA staff.

It's crucial to address both the reimburse rate and wage issues to contribute to solving the PCA workforce shortage crisis. Minnesota must assure that we can attract and retain job seekers to the role of a PCA. To do so will reduce the current PCA job gap which number in the thousands of unfilled job openings. Most importantly, people with disabilities who rely on PCAs to live the lives they lead will be assured the continued quality of life they seek and enjoy, and have the right to enjoy with a sustained PCA workforce.

FILE PHOTO

Members of the PCA Reform Coalition are passionate about changing laws affecting Minnesota’s Personal Care Assistance (PCA) program. The group consists of disability advocates, PCA agencies, and other human services providers in Minnesota. They propose several changes to Minnesota law that would increase reimbursement rates for personal care workers to reflect the difficulty of the work and the cost of providing the service, as well as creating a system of accountability within the industry to ensure the highest quality of care.

A PCA is a direct support staff person who provides medical and health-related services, assistance with activities of daily living, and assistance with instrumental activities daily, such as cooking and cleaning, in an individual’s home or workplace.

The service is critical in supporting the independence and inclusion of Minnesotans with disabilities and older adults, but The Olmstead Report on Recommendations to Expand, Diversify, and Improve Minnesota’s Direct Care and Support Workforce highlights the many challenging aspects of working in this profession.

For instance, the prominent perception is of a low-wage, dead-end job that is difficult, unreliable and sometimes dangerous. In addition, according to PCA Reform Coalition data, there has been very little change in rates since 2008. The rate of change since October 1, 2008 has been 1.642 percent.

This impression is not lost on the recipients of care.

“It is disheartening to see fast food workers being paid better than my caregivers. For example, my full-time caregiver has more than 30 years of experience and is paid $11.27 per hour. Her salary has increased only 77 cents per hour in the past 10 years,” said Carla, a Minnesotan with a disability.

This slow rate of wage increases has exacerbated the direct support workforce crisis within the PCA program. And, while staffing shortages are a cross-sector crisis affecting businesses and industries, the stakes for Minnesotans with disabilities are literally life and death.

Some Minnesotans with disabilities have died in their homes due to the PCA staffing shortage - demonstrating the significant public health crisis faced today. Others have been forced to transition into more costly

congregate settings in order to receive the support they need – despite their ability to live independently with just a little bit of help.

Despite being one of the most cost-effective ways of supporting seniors and individuals with disabilities living and working in their communities, PCA services have never been reimbursed by the state in a way that reflects the actual costs of providing care. Past attempts to remedy this disparity have failed due to absence of hard data to determine and explain what the reimbursement rate should be. That is why the PCA Reform Coalition hopes to work with the Minnesota legislature to establish a cost-based, data-driven methodology for calculating feefor-services PCA rates.

The proposed rate-setting framework uses Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) information to establish a wage that is competitive with other jobs requiring similar skills, and then adds a competitive work force factor to bring

A rate increase and framework will: *Help ensure the long-term sustainability of the PCA program by increasing PCA and supervisor wages. *Help alleviate the workforce shortage to ensure that more Minnesotans with disabilities can hire and retain high-quality PCA staff. *Help provider agencies cover costs for which they currently don’t receive reimbursement.

In addition to a higher rate of pay, a plan is being drafted to create a system of accountability for the personal care industry to ensure that all PCA agency providers are operating in a way to safeguard public funds, while also ensuring high quality services. The PCA Reform Coalition seeks to implement greater enrollment standards and financial reporting for PCA providers to improve the quality of care and maintain integrity within the program.

Currently, the requirements to enroll as a provider are minimal. There is no requirement that providers demonstrate business competence or have the financial stability to administer this program.

Greater provider standards will: *Reduce and prevent fraud, waste and abuse. *Help ensure recipients are receiving quality services.

In the end, this legislation is critical to address the public health crisis currently impacting Minnesotans with disabilities and older adults in our communities.

According to the Olmstead Report, if nothing changes by 2030, the current crisis is expected to deepen, based on a significant drop in the prime working-age population of Minnesota residents.

(Editor’s note: The commentary is authored by the PCA Reform Coalition. Its members prepared the recent workforce report submitted to Minnesota’s Olmstead Subcabinet. A story about the report is on page one.) ■

December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 6

REGIONAL NEWS

Former Bethel student sues university A former Bethel University student is suing the Arden Hills university for discrimination, basing his claims on a widely touted inclusion program. The student’s parents allege the university did not live up to its promise, and state law, in ensuring that their son was treated inclusively in a special program for students with intellectual disabilities.

The student is identified in court documents as A.C. He is an adult with cognitive disabilities who was enrolled in Bethel’s BUILD program for inclusive learning. His parents said that the program isn’t inclusive.

“The law requires that he participate with non-disabled peers and students. He was not allowed to do that,” said attorney Phillip Villaume.

The Bethel BUILD program is marketed as an inclusive two-year certificate program where students learn to “live as independently as possible, maintain meaningful employment and value lifelong learning.”

“But what we were led to believe is very different from what it was,” AC’s father Christopher Luebke said in an interview with KMSP-TV. The lawsuit alleges Bethel “specifically promised inclusive educational services and associated extracurricular activities that were never performed or not performed as promised.”

AC’s parents filed a complaint with the university. The lawsuit includes letter from Bethel University President Jay Barnes to AC’s parent that stated, “I find that disability discrimination occurred against your son” in access to academic class electives.

“This is a serious, serious discrimination case. It should not have happened.

Hopefully it won’t happen again and my clients bringing this lawsuit will hopefully bring some prevention so that it doesn’t happen again to any other students,” Villaume said.

A spokeswoman for Bethel University said the university cannot comment on litigation, but said it’s committed to providing a safe and productive learning environment for all students.

(Source: KMSP-TV)

Vision Loss Resources announces site change

Vision Loss Resources, a nonprofit with offices in St. Paul and Minneapolis, has announced that it is selling its Minneapolis building on Lyndale Avenue.

“After lengthy discussion with our board and staff, and listening to comments about our space, we have determined that our current building limits our ability to serve you in the best way possible,” aid Vison Loss Resources President/CEO Kate Grathwol.

A plan is underway to sell the current Minneapolis building and find a new location that is more accommodating for Vision Loss Resources program participants. A timeline for the building marketing and sale isn’t known and no date for a move has been set.

The sale doesn’t affect the St. Paul location.

"We are committed to making the move to a new space as smooth as possible to ensure minimal disruption to our services. We are excited to continue to learn from you, our staff and our volunteers about your future space needs so that we can continue to serve you in

the best way possible,” said Grathwol.

Vision Loss resources has provided services and support to people with vision loss since 1914, when the Minneapolis Society for the Blind was founded. In 1993, that group merged with the St. Paul Society for the Blind and became Vision Loss Resources. The nonprofit offers a wide variety of classes and services in the Twin Cities.

(Source: Vision Loss Resources)

Outrage over light sentence

The mother of a man with severe developmental and physical disabilities is outraged the caregiver convicted of assaulting her son won't see jail time.

On November 30 Zachary Bostelman, 24, of North Mankato, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fifth-degree assault at the Blue Earth County Justice Center in Mankato. He received a 90-day jail sentence suspended for a year, a $700 fine and is barred from working in a similar caretaker role.

The victim’s mother, Pat Booker of New Ulm, said her family wanted jail time for what she called a “callous disregard” for her son’s welfare.

“It’s a total slap in the face,” she told the

Mankato Free Press. “There’s no justice there at all for him.” Her son, Keith, 43, is nonverbal, uses a wheelchair and has contractures in his legs causing pain when touched or moved. He lives at the Autumn Grace assisted-living facility in Mankato, which is where the assault occurred in September 2017.

Witnesses reported Bostelman physically and verbally abused Booker while working there, according to the criminal complaint. Booker's mother said everyone on the care team would've known her son's legs are painful to the touch and that he needed to be handled with care. A mandatory reporter alerted authorities to the allegations.

The physical nature of the accusations shocked Booker's family, but his mother said the disparaging comments Bostelman made about her son were equally hurtful. “It was so painful reading that,” she said. “It took me three times before I could get through it because I was crying and angry at him."

She told Blue Earth County District Judge Krista Jass she wasn't satisfied with the plea and thought her family's input wasn't considered by the County Attorney's Office. Assistant County Attorney Christopher Rovney disagreed, while saying he understood the Booker family’s frustrations.

Bostelman faced two counts of felony stalking, misdemeanor stalking with intent to injure and misdemeanor criminal abuse by a caregiver on a vulnerable adult charges, along with the assault charge. Rovney said the initial charges were motivated by the need to remove Bostelman from his caregiver role. Rovney also said the prosecution would’ve faced significant challenges in securing guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a jury trial, the process the victim's family preferred. One challenge cited is that the state took no action against Bostelman after an investigation.

(Source: Free Press of Mankato)

Disability-specific housing is funded

Grants totaling $2.97 million have been awarded to 46 counties and three American Indian tribes to help more people with disabilities have housing of their own through a new initiative from the state of Minnesota. Community Living Infrastructure Grants will support initiatives to people with disabilities with housing instability get housing, move out into the community or remain in their own homes.

“Too many people with disabilities are stuck in institutions or group homes, bouncing between friends’ couches and crisis beds, or sleeping in homeless shelters,” said Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Emily Piper. “Minnesota needs to shift away from over-reliance on group homes and other facilities by supporting and helping people to live in their communities.”

The grants, which will be distributed

over four years, support people with disabilities by providing a realm of services. There will be outreach to people who are homeless, unstably housed, or who want to relocate from hospitals, treatment centers, corrections or other facilities. Local experts will provide information and resources for individuals who need housing. Support will be provided for counties and tribes to administer and monitor effective housing support programs.

The grants will help people with disabilities know what housing resources are available to them in their area and how to get them. Moving people to more appropriate housing is expected to open beds in high level-of-care facilities for people with greater needs, reducing waiting lists.

Grant recipients are Anoka County, $191,027; Carver County, $118,820; Clay, Becker, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin counties, $385,875; Dakota County, $140,088; Hennepin County, $212,842; Marshall, Kittson, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Polk and Red Lake counties, $191,908; Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, $102,720; Minnesota Prairie County Alliance (Dodge, Steele, Waseca counties), $102,580; Olmsted County, $150,000; Ramsey County, $214,357; Regional Metro Committee (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties), $181,904; St. Louis County with the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, $256,175; Scott County, $79,750; Southwestern Minnesota Adult Mental Health Consortium (Big Stone, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Swift and Yellow Medicine counties), $100,000; Stearns County, $187,211; Washington County, $185,447 and White Earth Band of Chippewa, $169,296 Funding for the grants was appropriated by the 2017 legislature within the Minnesota Housing Support Act. Additional funding will be awarded through a new competitive grant process next year, for a total of $7.07 million over four years.

(Source: Minnesota DHS)

Fatal shooting sparks call for change

The fatal police shooting of a possibly suicidal man on Minneapolis’ North Side in November has renewed calls for better responses to mental health crises. City Council Member Phillipe Cunningham is leading the charge after months of quietly pushing for an expansion of the department’s mental health co-responder program, which pairs officers with counselors on calls involving mental health crises.

Cunningham blamed the program’s REGIONAL NEWS To page 15

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December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 7

PEOPLE & PLACES A student leader, police department, therapist/author and dedicated volunteer are among those honored in November by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) Minnesota. Eleven individuals and organizations were honored at NAMI’s state convention, which was held in St. Paul. Awards were presented to those demonstrating extraordinary work and advocacy on behalf of children and adults with mental illness and their families.

The Special Board Award was given to Deborah Saxhaug, Inver Grove Heights. Saxhaug is the executive director of the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health (MACMH). She has a background in child, adolescent, and family therapy.

Before working for MACMH, she was the director of a day treatment program for Human Resource Associates and worked as a psychotherapist in private practice.

“For over 25 years she has dedicated herself to improving the lives of children with mental illnesses by providing support to families, empowering youth, educating professionals, and advocating for a better system,” said Sue Abderholden, NAMI Minnesota’s executive director. “The MACMH conference is the largest mental health conference in the state educating both families and professionals.

MACMH materials are always well-researched and wellwritten. The Fidgety Fairy Tales are a wonderful way to change attitudes and educate youth and others.”

Saxhaug was also feted for her leadership with Youth Move Minnesota, creation of training for certified family peer specialists, work on the custody relinquishment issue and other efforts. “The children’s mental health system is better thanks to her.”

Mounds View High School student Sanjana Dutt won the Transforming Attitudes Award, given to someone who has promoted justice, dignity, and respect and worked to transform attitudes towards people with mental illnesses.

“Sanjana Dutt has worked to transform the culture at Mounds View High. She is the founder and current president of a student run mental health awareness group called H.E.A.R.T. – helping every at-risk teen,” said Abderholden.

Dutt serves as the Minnesota Youth MOVE president, a teen advocate for the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health, a member of NAMI’s young adult cultural advisory board and teen board member of the Ramsey County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative. “Clearly she has a passion for changing the way both youth and adults view mental illnesses,” said Abderholden.

Grand Casino - Hinckley was honored as Employer of the Year. This award is given to firms that show for support for hiring and retaining people with mental illnesses; take extraordinary measures to educate its employees about mental illnesses; or has create a supportive workplace for families who have a loved one with a mental illness.

Grand Casino – Hinckley does many things to support guests’ and employees’ mental health, including staff training and daily reminders about the importance of good mental health. The casino has partnered with NAMI Minnesota to bring suicide prevention classes for their employees and their community. It also offers a mental health resource area where employees can get information about mental illnesses and how to access treatment, developed a program called the Bridge Group where a group of employees receive additional training so that discussions about mental illnesses and mental health are continuous, Employees also wear green ribbons to demonstrate their support and willingness to talk about mental illness.

Two Minnesota lawmakers were honored with the Legislator of the Year Award, Sen. Susan Kent and Rep. Jennifer Loon. The award honors legislators who are outspoken advocates for children and adults with mental illness and their families.

Of Kent, Abderholden said, “Her commitment to students’ health and well-being is unwavering. She was the chief author of a bill that would focus on engagement of students instead of suspensions and expulsions. She has been the leading senator advocating for increased funding for school support personnel such as school social workers, counselors, psychologists and nurses.

Deborah Saxhaug

Rep. Jennifer Loon

PHOTOS BY NAMI MINNESOTA

Champions for the mentally ill are honored with NAMI awards

Mac Weekly staff and students

St. Paul Police Department Officer Ellison, Sgt. Zauhar, Dept.

Chief Nash and Sgt. Sipes She is always eager to sign on to any bills that increase school linked mental health funding or provide early intervention. We appreciate her support in making sure that all students can succeed.”

“Representative Loon has been an incredible advocate for children with mental illnesses. This past February she held a hearing in her committee on the mental health needs of students in Minnesota schools. She listened carefully to the testimony, really wanting to have an in-depth discussion about what could be done,” said Abderholden. “She has consistently supported increased funding for school-linked mental health programs – going so far as to put money in her education bill for the Department of Human Services to expand the program – something that is rarely done.”

Loon was also cited for supporting suicide prevention training for teachers and extra funding to meet the complex needs of children in intermediate districts.

Warroad Pioneer reporter/blogger Kellie Knight and the Mac Weekly student newspaper at Macalester College in St. Paul were given Media Awards, for reporting on the needs of people with mental illnesses or effectively portraying the stories of people with mental illnesses and their families.

Knight wrote a four-part series about mental health starting off with the first segment titled “What’s eating rural America,” raising the issue of the high suicide rate among farmers and the reluctance to talk about it in rural Minnesota. She also wrote about children’s mental health and what rural Minnesota employers are doing to help workers.

“Despite being far from the speed and the bustle of the

Sen. Susan Kent

Kellie Knight, Warroad Pioneer

city, regardless of our clean air and pristine water, even with our close-knit communities and disproportionally large numbers claiming faith, we rural folk are not immune to the stress of the modern-day world. We will fall prey to anxiety and its many causes.

We too suffer from the most common mental illnesses, depression, at levels nearly par with our urban counterparts,” Knight wrote.

“Knowing the reluctance to talk about mental illnesses, particularly in rural Minnesota, Kellie opened the door, she started the conversation. It was incredibly well written, and we Sanjana Dutt know it had an impact on the community,” said Abderholden.

The Mac Weekly in April issued a 16-page special report about mental health at Macalester. Sparked by the death by suicide of a Macalester student, the editors and reporters decided to investigate the state of mental health CHAMPIONS To page 12

December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 8

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December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 10

OPPORTUNITIES Advocacy MNCCD training, meeting The Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MNCCD) had two upcoming events. The organization’s annual meeting is 1-3 p.m. Tue, Dec. 11 at Goodwill Easter Seals- 553 Fairview Ave. N, St Paul. The organization strategic plan will be shared, along with information about the upcoming legislative session. RSVP: Jack Malone, 612-387-6836, jmalone@mnccd.org The annual advocacy training is 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Fri, Jan. 18 at the State Office Building, St. Paul. Learn and prepare for the 2019 legislative session. Cost is $20 and includes lunch. Preregister. FFI: www.mnccd.org

Children & Families PACER workshop sampling PACER Center offers many useful free or low-cost workshops and other resources for families of children with any disabilities.

Workshops are at PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, unless specified. Workshops are offered throughout the state. Advance registration is required for all workshops. At least 48 hours’ notice is needed for interpretation. Ask if workshops are live-streamed. Check out PACER’s website and link to the newsletter of statewide workshops that allows participants to pick and choose sessions catered to Tech for Teens Club: Building Websites is 10 a.m.-noon Sat, Dec. 15 at PACER Center. The workshop will introduce teens with disabilities to the basics of coding for the internet with HTML and CSS. Students will create their own unique website and publish it on the Internet using Mozilla Thimble.

Students will be able to experiment with code and see the results online in real time. This workshop is designed for students with basic computer skills, but no previous coding knowledge is required.

Students of all abilities are encouraged to attend.

Tech for Teens Club: A Star Wars 3D Printed Universe is offered 10-11:30 a.m. Sat, Jan. 12 at PACER Center. A guest speaker from a galaxy far far away will present the basics behind 3D printing. Teens with disabilities are invited to watch a 3D print from start to finish and to experiment with the 3D design software called SketchUp. Students of all abilities are encouraged to attend.

Curiosity is the only requirement.

Early Childhood and Assistive Technology: Assistive Technology Consideration and Assessment is offered 2-4 p.m. Tue, Jan. 15 at PACER Center. Assistive technology (AT) is important for many children with disabilities but it isn’t always clear how to consider and document AT in the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP). Although AT consideration for children ages birth to 3 is not legally required, it is considered best practice. This workshop will address how to intentionally consider AT and ensure it is documented in both the IFSP and IEP. The AT assessment process will also be discussed.

Live captioning provided. Co-sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education.

Parent Leadership Training on Children’s Mental Health is offered 6:30-8 p.m. Thu, Jan. 17 at PACER Center. Parents of children and youth who have behavioral health challenges play an important role in their child’s services and supports and can use those experiences to help others. This training will cover information for parent leaders in Minnesota including: Parent leadership opportunities, systems advocacy: an overview for parent leaders, and influencing change through the parent story.

Workshops are free but advance registration required. FFI: PACER, 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237, www.pacer.org

Info & Assistance Mental health support offered NAMI Minnesota offers more than 300 free educational classes statewide each year, along with help in navigating the mental

health system. NAMI also has more than 70 free support groups for people living with a mental illness and their families. Get to Know NAMI in St. Paul is 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wed. Sept. 12, at NAMI Minnesota, 1919 University Ave., Suite 400, in St. Paul.

Meet NAMI staff and volunteers and hear firsthand how NAMI’s work directly affects the lives of children and adults with mental illnesses and their families. Learn about education and support programs and how to advocate for better mental health policies.

RSVP to Kay King, 651-645-2948 x113 or kking@namimn.org In the Twin Cities NAMI has about two dozen family support groups, more than 20 support groups for people living with a mental illness, anxiety support groups, groups for veterans and other groups. Led by trained facilitators, groups provide help and support. Parent resource groups are facilitated by a parent who has a child with a mental illness and who has been trained to lead support groups. A group meets 6:30-8 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday at Eagle Brook Church, 2401 East Buffalo St., White Bear Lake. FFI: Jody Lyons 651-645-2948 x109.

Family support groups help families who have a relative with a mental illness. A group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Wed at Centennial United Methodist Church, 1524 Co. Rd. C-2 West, Roseville. FFI: Anne Mae. 651-484-0599.

Open Door Anxiety and Panic support groups help people cope with anxiety disorders. One group meets 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. the second and fourth Thu in Room 104, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Ave. S., St. Paul. Another group meets 6:30-8 p.m. the first and third Thu at Woodland Hills Church, 1740 Van Dyke St., St. Paul.

A peer support group is offered for LGBTQ adults living with a mental illness. The group meets 1-2:30 p.m. Sat, Living Table United Church of Christ, 3805 E. 40th St, Mpls. FFI: David, 612-920-3925, 651-645-2948.

Young Adult NAMI Connection is a free support group for persons ages 16-20. One group meets 7-8:30 the first and third Thu at Friends Meeting House, 1725 Grand Ave., St. Paul. A group also meets 7-8:30 p.m. on the first and third Thu at Dental Office of Dr. Crandall & Associates, 2300 East Highway 96, White Bear Lake. The group is facilitated by young adults who live with mental illnesses and are doing well in recovery. A full calendar of all events is offered online. FFI: 651-645-2948, www.namihelps.org Vision loss group offers activities Vision Loss Resources provides free and low-cost activities in the Twin Cities for people who are blind or visually impaired. Life skills classes for those with low vision; card games, craft classes, book clubs, walking groups, dinners out, special outings and technology classes are among the offerings. Participants need to RVSP to participate, at least three working days prior to an event. The calendar is also available on the Vision Loss Resources website and as a printable large-print PDF document for those who wish to print their own or additional copies. FFI: RSVP hotline, 612843-3439; activity line and audio calendar, 612-253-5155, www. visionlossresources.org MCIL hosts classes and activities The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living provides many life skills classes as well as fun outings and events for people with disabilities. MCIL is at 530 N. Robert Street, St Paul and most activities are there or start there. Classes and events are listed on the website, www.mcil-mn.org. Click on “Classes Groups and Sessions” for updated information or to print their calendar.

Please give two weeks’ notice if the alternative format or other accommodations are needed. Events are free, accessible and mostly scent-free. The People of Color with disabilities group meets 5:30-8 p.m. the third Thu of each month. FFI: 651-603-2030

ILICIL offers opportunities ILICIL Independent Lifestyles, 215 N. Benton Drive, St. Cloud, offers a number of classes, events and other opportunities for Minnesotans with disabilities in central Minnesota. The center offers its own programming and hosts other groups. The free mental health discussion group 6-:30 p.m. Mon. Learn to live life to the fullest and support each other. The center has a full schedule of activities including support groups, martial arts, Nordic walking and more. FFI: 320-267-7717 Adult support groups offered AuSM offers free support groups for adults with autism spectrum disorder. Groups include those for adult family members, women with autism spectrum disorders and independent adults with autism. Check the website for upcoming groups. Groups meet at the AuSM offices at 2380 Wycliff St. FFI: 651-647-1083 ext. 10, www.ausm.org Parkinson’s support group The St. Cloud Area, Parkinson's Disease Support Group meets 1-2:30 p.m. the third Mon of each month at ILICIL Independent Lifestyles, 215 N. Benton Drive, St. Cloud. Free. Open to those diagnosed with Parkinson’s, their families, caregivers and the public. The group provides support, education, and awareness about the disease. FFI: 320-529-9000 Dementia Caregivers Support Jewish Family Service of St. Paul, in partnership with Sholom Home East and the Alzheimer’s Association, facilitates a caregiver support group for people who are providing care to a loved one suffering from dementia. Designed to provide proven resources and methods for caregivers who are caring for someone at home or considering in-home services or a transition to assisted living or long-term care. Meets 3-4 p.m. on the second and fourth Mon of each month in the Community Room at Sholom Home East, 740 Kay Ave., St. Paul. Free and open to the public. RSVP. FFI: Grace, 651-690-8903, glundquist@jfssp.org, or Cassandra, 651-328-2014, cnickell@sholom.com

Volunteer Readers Sought Volunteers are a valuable resource at Radio Talking Book, broadcasting local news and information programs to blind and print-impaired listeners from sites in Duluth, Fergus Falls, Grand Rapids, Mankato, Rochester, St. Cloud and the Communication Center in St. Paul. The goal is to provide accurate and timely information to thousands of listeners throughout Minnesota and across the nation. FFI: Roberta Kitlinski, 651-539-1423 Open the Door Education Help adults reach their educational goals and earn their GED. Tutor, teach or assist in a classroom with the Minnesota Literacy Council.

Give 2-3 hours a week and help people expand their opportunities and change their lives through education. Provides training and support and accommodations for volunteers with disabilities. FFI: Allison, 651-251- 9110, volunteer@mnliteracy.org, http://tinyurl. com/adult-opportunities

Get to know NAMI NAMI Minnesota will hold a free Get to Know NAMI class 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Fri, Dec. 14 at NAMI Minnesota, 1919 University Ave., Suite 400, St. Paul. Meet NAMI staff and volunteers and

Meaningful engagement makes a difference The Minnesota Department of Human Rights launched its Civic Engagement User-Guide as part of its Meaningful Civic Engagement Makes a Difference website that provides tools and resources for government officials at the local, county and state levels to plan, coordinate and evaluate the effectiveness of their civic engagement efforts.

Meaningful civic engagement can make a difference in communities while creating better programs, services and policies for communities. Over the past few years, MDHR has worked with state agency leaders and members of the Diversity and Inclusion Council’s civic engagement committee to develop a user-guide based on best practices from pilot projects at state agencies throughout Minnesota.

A Guide to Evaluate Civic Engagement provides government officials a general framework to follow when embarking on evaluation of civic engagement work to ensure the engagement is meaningful and meets goals. The guide offers approaches, templates and lessons learned that serve as examples for government officials as they begin their journey of meaningful civic engagement.

“Minnesota is stronger when all people in our communities have the chance to share their talent,

hear firsthand how NAMI’s work directly affects the lives of children and adults with mental illnesses and their families. Learn about education and support programs and how to advocate for better mental health policies. Please RSVP to Kay King, 651-6452948 x113 or kking@namimn.org.

expertise and unique voices to shape our collective future,” MDHR Commissioner Kevin Lindsey said. “Meaningful civic engagement can make a difference in communities while creating better programs, services and policies for communities. Through the Department’s civic engagement work, MDHR receive input from government officials indicating that it would be helpful to their civic engagement efforts to have more tools to effectively measure civic engagement and to design a user guide.”

“MDHR designed this user guide as a process to follow when embarking on the first steps of your evaluation journey. Our hope is we can build bridges between government and communities by sharing these resources and best practices.”

If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651-539-1100, 1-800-657-3704 or online at mn.gov/mdhr/intake. For more information about discrimination, please visit mn.gov/ mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at Twitter at @ mnhumanrights.

Our award-winning access services can help make your OPPORTUNITIES To page 12 visit a memorable one.

Connect with us to learn more.

612.377.2224 • accessibility@guthrietheater.org guthrietheater.org Access programs at the Guthrie are sponsored by Travelers, Medtronic and Xcel Foundation

December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 11

STAGES THEATRE

ENJOY!

Mary Poppins It’s always a lovely day with Mary. The beloved children’s story about a magical nanny, her chimney sweep friend and the children in their lives is playing at STAGES Theatre in Hopkins. Check the Enjoy! listings for accommodations and dates.

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas Children’s Theatre Company presents its original production of the Dr. Seuss tale, at Children’s Theatre Company, United Health Group Stage, 2400 3rd Ave. S., Mpls. AD and ASL offered 7 p.m. Fri, Dec. 14. To reserve ASL/AD seating, visit https://my.childrenstheatre.org and click on the ASL or AD link at the bottom of the page. ASL offered 5 p.m. Sun, Dec. 16. Assistive listening devices, induction loop system, Braille programs and sensory tours available upon request. SF offered 7 p.m. Fri, Jan. 4. Sensory friendly performances aim to provide a supportive and welcoming environment for children and families affected by autism spectrum disorders and sensory, social and cognitive disabilities. Features include reduction of loud or jarring sounds, reductions in flashing or strobe lights, modification of the house lights, audience members are free to talk or move during the show, extra staff and volunteer support, designated Quiet Room and Take a Break Space, guidance and sensory supports (fidgets, earplugs, noise cancelling ear-muffs) available in the lobby before the show, audience members are welcome to bring their own manipulatives, seat cushions, comfort objects and extra support items to the show. Families may select their own seats, but if special assistance or a buffer seat is needed, call 612-874-0400 or email access@ childrenstheatre.org. For pre-visit resources to prepare for a visit, go to www. childrenstheatre.org/plan/sensory-friendly-programming. Tickets start at $15.

Discounts available FFI: 612-874-0400, www.childrenstheatre.org Minnesota Orchestra Small Ensemble Concert: Horn and Piano Duo Minnesota Orchestra Minnesota Orchestra horn player Brian Jensen and pianist Charles Scarborough present a sensory friendly concert with guest musicians, at Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls. SF offered 11 a.m.

Sat, Dec. 15. Talented guest musicians from the audience will be part of the show. It is an inclusive experience for patrons of all ages and abilities, including individuals on the autism spectrum and those with sensory sensitivities. Concerts take place in a relaxed environment – the Target Atrium – where audience members are welcome to be who they are and enjoy music with family and friends. Fidgets, noise-canceling headphones, and quiet spaces are available, and attendees can access online preparatory materials one month before performances. Stand-alone chairs provide for flexible seating, and open space is available for those who wish to sit on the floor or move around the room. Lyndie Walker, MT-BC, of Toneworks Music Therapy Services hosts the concerts. Tickets $6.25. FFI: 612-371-5656, www.minnesotaorchestra.org A Year with Frog & Toad Youth Performance Company presents the treasured children’s story, at Howard Conn Fine Arts Center, 1900 Nicollet Ave, Mpls. ASL offered 4 p.m.

Sat, Dec. 15. Tickets $15. Ask about VSA discount. Other discounts offered.

FFI: 612-623-9080, www.youthperformanceco.org It’s a Wonderful Life Lakeshore Players Theatre presents the Frank Capra classic, at Hanfil Performing Arts Center, 4941 Long Avenue, White Bear Lake. ASL: Sun, Dec. 16, 2:00 PM. (If no ASL seats are reserved within two weeks of the performance – by Dec. 2 – the ASL-interpretation will be cancelled). Tickets $20; reduced to $10 for ASL patrons, who can purchase tickets online with a direct link that is active until two weeks before the performance. The $10 ASL seats highlighted in purple have the best view of the interpreter, are only visible via this link, and will not be released to the general public until the Mon after the ASL reservation deadline. Assisted listening devices available. FFI: 651-429-5674, www.lakeshoreplayers.org Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins Jr. Stages Theatre Company presents the story of a magical nanny, at Hopkins Center for the Arts, Mainstage, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins. AD and ASL offered 4 p.m. Sun, Dec. 16. Tickets $16, discount for AD/ASL patrons, reduced to $12.

Other discounts available. FFI: 952-979-1111, option 4, www.stagestheatre.org The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley Jungle Theater presents the premiere of an Edwardian Christmas story, at Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls. AD offered 7:30 p.m. Thu, Dec. 20.

Contact theater to request an ASL-interpreted show. Tickets reduced to $27 including fees (regular $37 plus fees). FFI: 612-822-7063, www.jungletheater.com Les Miserables Touring company presents the musical about 19th century France and broken dreams, at Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. OC offered 7:30 p.m. Thu, Dec. 20. ASL offered 1 p.m. Sun, Dec. 23. AD offered 6:30 p.m. Sun, Dec. 23. Tickets: $39 to $199. Limited seats are available at the lowest price level to patrons using ASL interpreting or captioning services on a first-come, first-served basis. Prices apply for up to two tickets for each patron requiring ASL interpretation or captioning. Additional seats may be sold separately and at regular price. Audio description receivers may be used in any price level in Hennepin Theatre Trust theatres. FFI: 612339-7007, www.hennepintheatretrust.org Black Nativity Penumbra Theatre stages the Langston Hughes classic, at Penumbra Theatre, 270 N. Kent St., St. Paul. ASL offered 7:30 p.m. Sat, Dec. 22. ASL

patrons, for $5 discounted ticket, contact Dahlia Stone at dahlia.stone@ penumbratheatre.org. Tickets $40. Discounts available. FFI: 651-224-3180, www.penumbratheatre.org Sounds of Blackness – The Night Before Christmas Sounds of Blackness bring a family-friendly Christmas show to Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. ASL offered 8 p.m. Sat, Dec. 22.

Limited seats are available at the lowest price level to patrons using ASL interpreting on a first-come, first-served basis. Prices apply for up to two tickets for each patron requiring ASL interpretation. Additional seats may be sold separately and at regular price. Tickets $28.50 to $58.50. FFI: 612339-7007, https://hennepintheatretrust.org/events/accessible/ Planetarium Show: No Limits!

An interactive planetarium program takes visitors on a journey through space and time, at Bell Museum, 2088 Larpenteur Ave. W., St. Paul. ASL offered 2 p.m. Thu, Dec. 27. Purchase combination museum and planetarium tickets or planetarium-only tickets. Tickets start at $8 for planetarium only and $17 for planetarium and museum. Discounts available. Planetarium tickets go on sale three weeks before the date of the show. Pre-purchasing is recommended because shows sell out. Recommended for ages eight and older. Call to arrange ASL, OC or accommodations. FFI: 612-626-9660, www.bellmuseum.umn.edu Marie & Rosetta Park Square Theatre presents the story of legendary gospel guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe, at Park Square Theatre, Proscenium, 20 W. 7th Place, St. Paul. OC offered 7:30 p.m. Fri-Sat, Dec. 28-29 and 2 p.m. Sun, Dec. 30.

Assistive listening devices available. OC single ticket discount is half-price for patron and one guest with code ACC. Regular $40, $60. Discounts available. FFI: 651-291-7005, www.parksquaretheatre.org Holiday Inn Chanhassen Dinner Theatres presents the story of a farmhouse-turned-inn and the holidays celebrated there, at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, 501 W. 78th St., Chanhassen. ASL offered Sun, Dec. 30 with 4:30 dinner and 6:30 show. Limited seating in ASL area, first-come first-serve. Tickets: $15 discount off regular price: Sun eve regular $84. Discounts available. Tickets may be purchased for the show only. FFI: 952-934-1525 or 800-362-3515, www.ChanhassenDT.com Open Flow Forum The Artists with Disabilities Alliance is the first Thu of the month, 7-9 p.m. at Walker Community Church, 3104 16th Ave. S., Mpls. Upcoming dates are Jan. 3 and Feb. 7. Join artists with disabilities and supporters to share visual art, writing, music, theater and artistic efforts or disability concerns. Informal, fragrance-free, shared refreshments. Facilitators are Dan Reiva, Tara Innmon and Kip Shane. Fully accessible, but anyone needing special accommodations should contact Jon at VSA Minnesota, 612-332-3888, jon@vsamn.org Tour for People with Memory Loss At 10 a.m. on the first Tue of every month the historic James J. Hill House, 240 Summit Ave., St. Paul, offers a sensory-based tour designed for people with memory loss and their caregivers. Each themed tour, usually an hour or less, highlights three rooms and is followed by an optional social time until 11:30 a.m. with pastries and coffee. Private group tours are available for care facilities. Next tours Tue, Jan. 8 and Feb. 6. Free but reservations required. FFI: 651-297- 2555, www.mnhs.org Rosy Simas Dance: Weave Native American choreographer Rosy Simas presents the Weave dance project, at Ordway Music Theater, 345 Washington, St. Paul. ASL and AD offered 7:30 p.m. Sat, January 12. Braille, large-print programs and infrared listening systems available at Patron Services in Ordway’s first level lobby. Tickets $22-$37; If using ASL, recommended seating locations (subject to availability) are: ORCH-RGT G 307-310, ORCH-RGT H 308-311, ORCH-RGT J 309-312. FFI: 651-224-4222, www.ordway.org Beyond Broadway One Voice Mixed Chorus performs favorite Broadway and Hollywood tunes, at Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 S. 4th St., Mpls. ASL offered 7:30 p.m. Sat, Jan. 12. Tickets $24-$49. ASL tickets 50 percent discount off regular pricing. The interpreter will be located on the right side of the stage. ASL Seating is available on the orchestra and mezzanine levels.

FFI: 612-624-2345, www.onevoicemn.org Dead Man’s Cell Phone Lyric Arts Company of Anoka presents a wildly imaginative romantic comedy, at Lyric Arts Main Street Stage, 420 E. Main St., Anoka. ASL offered 2 p.m. Sun, Jan. 13, reserve by Dec. 23. Lyric Arts reserves seats in Row I for parties including persons using wheelchairs or with limited mobility. ASL interpreters are provided at the first Sunday performance of each regular season production if a reservation is made 3 weeks before the show (reserve by Sun, Dec. 23). If no ASL seating has been reserved, the ASL interpretation is canceled and seats released to the general public.

When ordering tickets, please indicate the need for seating in this section.

Assisted listening devices available on request. Tickets $29-32; $5 discount for ASL seats. FFI: 763-422-1838, www.lyricarts.org The Giver GREAT Theatre presents the story of a perfect world, at Helgeson Learning Lab Theatre inside GREAT World Headquarters, 710 Sundial Drive, Waite Park. ASL offered 7:30 p.m. Fri, Jan.18. Tickets for zone-based seating, $3236. Other discounts available. FFI: 320-259-5463, www.GreatTheatre.org Hasan Minhaj: Before the Storm Comedian, actor, host and writer Hasan Minhaj, the first Indian-American to host his own weekly comedy show for Netflix, appears at Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. ASL offered 8 p.m. Sat, Jan. 19.

Tickets $29.50 to $75. Limited seats are available at the lowest price level to patrons using ASL interpreting on a first-come, first-served basis. Prices apply for up to two tickets for each patron requiring ASL interpretation.

Additional seats may be sold separately and at regular price. To order. FFI: 612-339-7007, https://hennepintheatretrust.org On Your Feet!

The story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, presented by a touring company, is at Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. OC offered 7:30 p.m.

Thu, Jan. 24. ASL offered 1 p.m. Sun, Jan. 27. AD offered 6:30 p.m. Sun, Jan. 27. Tickets $39 to $135. Limited seats are available at the lowest price level to patrons using ASL interpreting or captioning on a first-come, firstserved basis. Prices apply for up to two tickets for each patron requiring ASL interpretation or captioning. Additional seats may be sold separately and at regular price. AD receivers may be used in any price level in Hennepin Theatre Trust theatres. FFI: 612-339-7007, https://hennepintheatretrust.org The Italian Straw Hat Minnesota Opera presents a wedding comedy, at Ordway Music Theater, 345 Washington St., St. Paul. Sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage. Braille, large-print programs and infrared listening systems available at Patron Services in Ordway’s first level lobby. OC offered

7:30 p.m. Sat, Jan. 26; Tue, Jan. 29; Thu, Jan. 31; all at 7:30; 8 p.m. Sat, Feb. 2 and 2 p.m. Sun, Feb. 3. AD offered 2 p.m. Sun, Feb. 3. Tickets $25-165; reduced to half-price for AD patrons; 612-333-6669, tickets@mnopera.org Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery Lakeshore Players Theatre presents a comic adaption about the great detective, at Hanifl Performing Arts Center, 4941 Long Ave., White Bear Lake. ASL offered 2 p.m. Sun, Jan. 27. Assisted listening devices available. If no ASL seats are reserved within two weeks of the performance – by Jan. 13 – the ASL-interpretation will be cancelled. Tickets $20; reduced to $10 for ASL patrons, who can purchase tickets online with a direct link that is active until two weeks before the performance. The $10 ASL seats highlighted in purple have the best view of the interpreter, are only visible via this link, and will not be released to the general public until the Mon after the ASL reservation deadline. FFI: 651-429-5674, www.lakeshoreplayers.org The Children Jungle Theater presents a haunting and thought-provoking drama, at Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls. AD offered 7:30 p.m. Thu, January 31. Tickets reduced to $24.50 including fees (regular $37 plus fees). Contact the theatre to request an ASL-interpreted show. FFI: 612822-7063, www.jungletheater.com Art Show by Ken Dobratz Vision Loss Resources, 1936 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls., hosts the final month of Bloomington resident Ken Dobratz’s show. Free during lobby hours through December, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The paintings represent a new beginning for Dobratz, who lost his sight 13 years ago to ischemic optic neuropathy. He turned to painting thanks to support from the Mpls VA Medical Center and trained himself to paint with the little vision he has let and hopes to inspire his fellow veterans. FFI: 612-332-3888, www.vsamn.org Weaving Wellness: Art, Community, and Mental Health Resilience Martha Bird has put together an exhibit about wellness, community and art, at Minnesota History Center Library Gallery, 345 Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. Runs through Dec. 15 and open during gallery hours. Free. The heart of the exhibit highlights the relationship between creativity and resilience. Elements of Bird’s life are woven into each display case, which connect to her life as an artist, her work as a nurse, and her personal experience living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The intention is to bridge the past with the present and highlight the vitality of the human spirit when confronted with challenges. FFI: 651-259-3015, www.mnartists.org/martha-bird MORE EVENTS INFORMATION VSA Minnesota is a statewide nonprofit organization that works to create a community where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in and access the arts, at http://vsamn.org. The website has a comprehensive calendar at the upper right-hand corner of its homepage. For galleries and theater performances join email list at access@ vsamn.org or call 612332-3888 or statewide 800-801-3883 (voice/TTY). To hear accessible performances, call 612- 332-3888 or 800-801-3883.

Access Press only publishes performance dates when accommodations are offered. Contact the venue to find out the entire run of a production, run times and if discounts for seniors, students, other individuals or groups are provided. Call or email ahead to make such that an accommodation is offered, as schedules can change. VSA Minnesota can refer venues and theater companies to qualified describers, interpreters and captioners.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES A web events listing is http://c2net.org (c2: caption coalition, inc., which does most of the captioned shows across the country. Sign up to connect with Audio Description across Minnesota http:// tinyurl.com/ d34dzo2.

Connect with ASL interpreted and captioned performances across Minnesota on Facebook http:// tinyurl.com/FBcaption. A resource is Minnesota Playlist, with a recently updated website calendar with all the ASL-interpreted, audio-described, captioned, pay-what-you-can shows and features. Go to http://minnesotaplaylist.com/calendar Art Festivals, check: www.exploreminnesota.com/index.aspx, http:// festivalnet.com/ state/minnesota/mn.html, www. fairsandfestivals.net/states/MN/ ABBREVIATIONS: Audio description (AD) for people who are blind or have low vision, American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, Open captioning (OC) for people who are hard of hearing, and sensory-friendly (SF) performances. ■

December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 12

PEOPLE & PLACES and mental health care on campus. Drawing on many interviews they wrote about college policies, the impact on students, involuntary leave policies, disability services, Mac’s culture, mental illness versus mental health and resources for students.

“It was an incredible undertaking by the Mac student reporters, but the result was extraordinary. Thoughtful yet thorough, they helped the Macalester community move past their grief to take action,” said Abderholden.

Excelsior resident Elaine Love was honored as Volunteer of the Year Award, for giving generously of their time, resources and energy to either a NAMI affiliate or NAMI Minnesota.

“Elaine Love is a terrific teacher and presenter, bringing empathy and her own personal story to connect with others,” said Abderholden. “She is an amazing volunteer and we can’t thank her enough for the countless hours she has dedicated to NAMI’s mission.”

Love has taught the 12-week NAMI’s Family-to-Family course and the Hope for Recovery workshop and has worked hard to raise awareness in the western suburbs.” She was described in her nomination as a force to be reckoned with and has never said no to NAMI’s needs.

Resmaa Menakem is the Professional of the Year Award winner. The author, healer and trauma specialist were honored for providing high quality services, exemplifying best practices, and demonstrating commitment and leadership to the field.

Menakem has served as director of counseling services for Tubman Family Alliance; as behavioral health director for African American Family Services in Minneapolis; and as a cultural somatics consultant for the Minneapolis Police Department. As a community care counselor, he managed the wellness and counseling services for civilians on 53 U.S military bases in Afghanistan. He is also a therapist in

Resmaa Menakem

Southwest Mental Health Board Chair Marlene Trageser

PHOTOS BY NAMI MINNESOTA

CHAMPIONS From page 7

Grand Casino – Hinckley employees private practice in Minneapolis.

His new book, My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies, discusses racialized trauma, the physical nature of trauma, and how it impacts our bodies and our minds.

He explores somatic treatment to create a healing process from these experiences.

Southwestern Mental Health Center was given the Provider of the Year Award, for an organization that provides mental health services that demonstrate excellence, respect and best practices. The center was established in 1959 and serves people in Cottonwood, Jackson, Nobles, Pipestone and Rock counties, with offices in Jackson, Luverne, Pipestone, Windom and Worthington.

Southwestern Mental Health Center provides a wide variety of services including outpatient mental health, the Unity House adult residential treatment facility, adult community support services, permanent supportive housing project, community support services for children, and mobile mental health crisis response team. The center recently put all of its services in a specially decorated building with integrated color theory.

Abderholden said that the center works closely with area members of the NAMI Southwestern MN affiliate.

“Scott Johnson, its executive director, is very committed to providing quality services, promoting mental health and total wellbeing for their community members, and ensuring

respect and dignity during all aspects of care,” she said. “ The St. Paul Police Department was given the Criminal Justice Award, for demonstrating a strong commitment to decriminalizing mental illness.

After a tragedy, Deputy Chief Mary Nash called people together including NAMI, 911 operators, police, the mental health crisis team and emergency departments. The department has since made significant changes, including an intensive effort to provide all officers with Crisis Intervention Team training.”

“The 911 operators can now make a warm hand off to the crisis team,” said Abderholden. “A mental health unit was established, where officers receive additional training on mental illnesses and whose job it is to connect to people in the community who are struggling with their mental illnesses to connect with the care they need, helping to significantly reduce mental-health-crisis-related arrests and repeat calls for service.”

Other efforts include contracting with agencies to have social workers co-respond with police officers to a mental health crisis and partnering with NAMI to ensure the voices of people with mental illnesses are heard.

The St. Paul Police Department is a participant in the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) One Mind pledge, a campaign to ensure successful interactions between police officers and persons affected by mental illness. ■

∏∏∏∏∏∏f∏∏∏∏∏∏

Parkhurst found a new life

Gordy C. Parkhurst was institutionalized for years but found a new life in a Minneapolis group home after advocates worked to get him back into the community.

Parkhurst, 73, died of pneumonia in November.

Born in Minneapolis, Parkhurst spent about 40 years in state institutions after commitment at age 2 ½ in 1948.

Deafness from an illness wasn’t diagnosed at that time.

Family members and medical professionals mistakenly believed he was developmentally disabled.

In the 1980s attorneys worked to get him released from Cambridge State Hospital. Testing confirmed that Parkhurst had normal intelligence. Deaf community members supported him, and he learned American Sign Language. He also learned of his Oneida American Indian ancestry and was accepted in that community as well, attending pow-wows and embracing his heritage.

Parkhurst loved the Minnesota Vikings, professional wrestling, kittens and coffee made to his liking. And after decades of being institutionalized and not having control over his life, Parkhurst stuck to his own schedule and rules for the rest of his life.

He is survived by friends and caregivers. Services have been held. Memorials can be made to Metro Deaf School in St. Paul.

Oden dedicated to disability community

Ross Oden maintained a strong interest in disability issues for all of his life. Oden died in November, after living for almost two years with the rare autoimmune disorder Wegner's Granulomatosis. He was 39 and lived in St. Louis Park.

Oden was a graduate of Totino-Grace High School, where he excelled in sports. He graduated from the University of Minnesota and Hamline University School of Law. His career path included work for Ramsey County, therapy for children with autism, and mediation. After graduation from law school he worked as a special education compliance monitor at the Department of Education for

In Memoriam

Minnesota until being hospitalized earlier his year.

Oden’s service to the disability community including serving on the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) Board. He enjoyed his family and its traditions, his faith, traveling, gardening and doing civic duties including serving as an election judge.

Oden is survived by his wife Jane and their four children, Andrew, Leah, Emily and Matthew; his father Dale and his brother Patrick and Patrick’s family. He was preceded in death by his mother Alice, former webmaster for Access Press. Services have been held.

A Go Fund Me account has been set up for his family, at https://tinyurl.com/yaxj85wh

Elliot paved way for education

Carolyn Jeanne Landrud Elliott spent her career in education, with a focus on students with behavioral issues. Elliott died in November after a short battle with cancer. She was 85 and lived in Stillwater.

Elliott was encouraged to share her expertise with all of Minnesota schools by becoming the Minnesota Department of Education's consultant for specific learning disabilities (SLD) and emotional, behavior disabilities (EBD). She also worked for the state’s Department of Children, Families and Learning.

In retirement years she served as a Washington County guardian for children and enjoyed serving as an

election judge. She enjoyed reading, card games, birds, sports and travel.

She is survived by nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and many friends. Private services will be held in spring 2019. Memorials are to Lakeview Home Health Care and Hospice of Stillwater, Relay for Life of Stillwater, Bark for Life of Stillwater, or an animal charity of the donor’s choosing.

Have an obituary to share?

Access Press welcomes obituaries from Minnesota’s disability community. Information needs to be sent in within one month of a person’s death. Deadline is the 25th of each month, for publication the following month.

If the 25th falls on a weekend, get things in the following Friday. Sending a link to a newspaper article or funeral home notice is acceptable, as long as there is information provided about the deceased’s role in Minnesota’s disability community. Please be as specific as possible.

Please send a photo if one is available, as well as contact information in case the editors have any questions.

Questions can be sent to the editors at access@accesspress. org. Or call 651-644-2133 if there are questions. ■

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December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 13

CLOSING

Another upcoming deadline is in February, for the Minnesota Artists with Disabilities programs, for six $2,000 Emerging Artist Grants. (See related story.)

Performances and exhibits will continue into 2019. An exhibit will be held to display artwork created by 2018 Emerging Artist Grant recipients.

June 2 is the Caritas concert/VSA MN fundraiser. On July 26 there will be performances by artists with disabilities at the 29th annual Minnesota ADA celebration.

VSA Minnesota also plans a celebration with its constituents – artists and arts patrons with disabilities, arts and disability organizations, educators, students, teaching artists, as well as program stewards.

VSA Minnesota began in 1986, 12 years after the national organization began. VSA was founded in 1974 by Jean Kennedy Smith, one of five sisters of President John F. Kennedy. Another sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, helped found the Special Olympics. The Kennedys have a longstanding commitment to people with disabilities as their late sister Rosemary lived with disabilities.

When founded in 1974, VSA was named the National Committee - Arts for the Handicapped. In 1985 the name changed to Very Special Arts. In 2010 it became VSA. In 2011, VSA merged with the Kennedy Center’s Office on Accessibility to become the Department of VSA and Accessibility at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

In 2012 VSA Minnesota had to make

several difficult cuts after losing its funding from the national organization.

At that time, a newsletter was eliminated, as were arts access awards and hands-on community arts activities.

In 2011, VSA Minnesota received $80,000 for programming from the national VSA organization. Support for 2012 was reduced to $36,000, and then totally cut effective October 1, 2012.

Kennedy Center officials said in 2012 that the parent organization itself had sustained deep funding cuts, and had no choice but to stop funding affiliates. The Kennedy Center website currently shows affiliates in 32 states and in 48 countries.

The closest affiliates to Minnesota are Wisconsin and North Dakota.

Learn more about the national VSA organization at http://education.kennedycenter.org/education/vsa/

RECOMMENDATIONS

also set in some cases.

One example is a recommendation to conduct analysis for a competitive workforce wage adjustment for direct care workers providing Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), with options for a one-time increase in compensation and indexed adjustments every two years.

This is to be based on the average of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Classifications (SOC) codes for similarly skilled/educated occupations and include total compensation.

“The expected outcome is that if acted upon through legislation, a competitive workforce wage and parity among workers will enable people with disabilities and providers of HCBS services to address current difficulties in attracting and retaining quality direct care workers to meet the health and safety, employment and community engagement needs of people receiving support across the state. More frequent adjustments will make HCBS rates keep pace with economic changes,” the amended work plan stated.

Analysis of this goal is to be given to the subcabinet by January 31, 2019. The original report stated that the analysis

was to go to DHS. A second task with the same timeline is to provide the subcabinet with analysis on personal care attendant (PCA) reimbursement rates to allow for differentiation of rates based on the level of training and care required by the person receiving services. “A report on what is required to adjust PCA rates to take into account higher levels of skills and training required to support people with greater and more complex support needs will be available to interested parties, including legislators, state agencies, providers, researchers, advocates and people who use services and their allies as they consider strategies to address workforce pressures.’ The report stated.

Deadlines are also outlined in following months for a survey of workers, a look at how to provide better worker benefits, technology, training and training gaps, hiring strategies and preparation of material and plans to mark direct care as a career path.

In some cases, steps are already being taken, said Alex Bartolic, director of disability services at DHS. One example is Direct Support Connect, a servicer

which is meant to help workers and those in need of staff find each other.

Another study that is rolling is that of transportation. Legislators have authorized a study of the problems workers and their clients face. “It’s a big issue for everyone,” Bartolic said.

Subcabinet members said they were pleased to see further analysis and fleshing out of issues. Mary Tingerthal, who leads the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, chairs the subcabinet.

She said the work group’s efforts and review and approval of recommendations has been a very thoughtful process.

“The recommendations don’t overpromise but hit on the fundamental points, if we are to make a dent in the workforce shortage,” Tingerthal said.

Her hope is that DHS, DEED and the Olmstead Implementation Office bring forward the importance of the report and its recommendations in the months ahead.

The current subcabinet leadership has recommended to incoming Gov. Tim Walz that the subcabinet’s work continue.

Regardless of that, a new subcabinet will have a learning curve and will have to get up to speed on issues including the workforce issue and the study. ■

SEASON

projected surplus of $329 million.

At the capitol, committee and leadership assignments have been made in the House and Senate. One new committee on the Senate side is a Family Care and Aging Committee that will focus on issues important to families in the 2019-20 biennium. It will take on the work of what is now the Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Committee.

In the House, Speaker-designate Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) announced the committee structure, chairs, and meeting schedule for the 2019 legislative session. The House will increase from 29 to 34 committees, subcommittees and divisions. Committee leaders have been picked and members will be named soon.

This is the first time the DFL has controlled the House since 2013-2014.

According to House Public Information Services, much of the change occurred in the Twin Cities suburbs, especially near and just off the Interstate 494694 corridor, where DFL candidates beat incumbent Republicans in places

like Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Edina, Lakeville, Plymouth, Rosemount, Stillwater and Woodbury.

In late November lawmakers heard a presentation from a national legislative expert to a group of state lawmakers.

Brenda Erickson, a program principal in the National Conference of State Legislature’s Legislative Management Program, spoke at the first of two meetings on ways to potentially reform Minnesota’s lawmaking process. The public also testified. Whether the sessions and any changes will result in a less rocky processes remains to be seen.

Getting House and Senate committees’ leadership and membership in place sets the stage for lobbying efforts, which began when organizations and advocacy groups roll out their legislative agendas or goals.

Organizations began unveiling agendas during the fall, with the Minnesota Council on Disability (MNCCD) and the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities presenting agendas as this issue of Access Press went to press.

Other organizations and groups have already released their agendas. MOHR’s agenda appears on page 4 of this month’s issue.

But the agendas and goals are just the start. Not only do many organizations publish legislative goals or agendas most offer some form of weekly updates and action alerts to sign up for. Many also offer training days before or at the start of the session to prepare advocates for outreach to state lawmakers. Advocates who are just starting their work, or who need a refresher course, often benefit from these sessions.

Most groups also have advocacy days, such as Mental Health Day on the Hill, ARRM/MOHR Day at the Capitol and other disability or group-specific events.

Tuesdays at the Capitol, organized

by MNCCD, have been a staple of organizing efforts. Other rallies and days at the capitol have ramped up since capitol renovations were completed a couple of years ago.

Check websites for specific agendas and goals, advocacy days and training sessions. ■

From page 1 Grants for the past nine years, will administer the program in-house beginning in fall 2019.

One program still in need of a sponsorship or new parent organization is the Accessible Arts Calendar. This calendar is widely distributed in electronic form. A print version appears monthly in Access Press. Tim Benjamin, executive director of Access Press, said the newspaper staff and board very much appreciate the years of collaboration with VSA Minnesota. If the calendar doesn’t continue, a replacement will have to be found for the Access Press Enjoy! Page listings that come from VSA Minnesota.

The organization is continuing to seek stewards for its accessibility assistance services and its Emerging Artists with Disabilities Grant program, which has been funded by the Jerome Foundation for 23 years. Jerome has chosen not to continue funding for the program after 2019.

Also needed is an archival home for its records and historical artifacts documenting how access to the arts has changed for people with disabilities.

VSA Minnesota will continue programs in the coming year. The next deadline coming up is for the ADA Access Improvement grants on December 14, with one more VSA Minnesotaadministered round in 2019. The second deadline is May 1. The grants provide funding for improvements for Twin Cities metro area nonprofits.

From page 1 is a workforce shortage in all areas of commerce in Minnesota, not just in the area of direct support workers needed in long-term services and supports. It goes on to explain that while state agencies recognize their role, agencies cannot alone resolve the workforce challenges faced by people with disabilities. Others will have to help.

“The work plan is a living document that will be modified to reflect future legislation or other opportunities to collaborate on strategies,” it stated.

The plan’s strategies to expand, diversity and improve the direct care workforce don’t contract what the work group recommended. Instead, the recommendations were expanded upon and more direct actions and deadlines were spelled out.

The amendments approved in November don’t contradict the report recommendations that call for expanding, diversifying and improvement the pool of direct care and support staff workers. Instead, recommendations expand upon points made. Deadlines are

From page 1 will be brought to the capitol. Although many issues that failed to pass in 2018 are likely to make a return appearance, new leadership brings the opportunity for rolling out new programs and initiatives.

The new capitol landscape has been taking shape since the election. Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan have been touring the state to listen to Minnesota. One factor to watch is the state economic forecast, which was released after deadline for this issue of Access Press.

Twice a year, state budget officials release a forecast Minnesota’s economic outlook. The latest forecast sets the stage for the new administration and the next two years. While there was optimism that the state will have additional money in the new biennium, there is also caution about what a rising federal budget deficit, higher interest rates and the changing tariff picture will mean.

The February 2018 forecast revealed a

2019 Early Career & Emerging Artists with Disabilities Grant Program

Grants are available from VSA Minnesota to help Minnesota artists with disabilities who are early (emerging) in their artistic careers and want to create new work. Six grants of $2,000 each will be awarded in early 2019 to writers, performers, composers, visual or multimedia artists who create new, original work (not a performance of someone else’s song or play). Grant money can be used for whatever will help the artist create and present this new work – art supplies, a class, mentor, computer, camera, time to do research, festival

entry fees and other expenses.

Artists submit a simple application including samples of recent work, an artistic resume, list of exhibits or other accomplishments, an “artist’s statement” of their approach to their art, and a narrative with a budget to outline what they want to do with the grant.

February 1, 2019 is the application deadline. In March a panel of artists and administrators will review the applications and determine the recipients. Applicants are also considered for other exhibits, publications, performances, etc.

The Jerome Foundation has chosen to not continue funding for this program, so this may be the final Emerging Artists grant program for the foreseeable future.

Guidelines are available at www.vsamn. org/artists-disabilities/emerging-artist-grant or can be requested in several formats at 612-332-3888, 800-801-3883, or emerginggrant@vsamn.org.

The Jerome Foundation and VSA Minnesota have been offering these annual grants since 1996. VSA Minnesota is a statewide, nonprofit organization whose mission is to create a community where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in and access the arts. The Jerome Foundation seeks to contribute to a dynamic and evolving culture by supporting the creation, development and production of new works by emerging artists. ■

Want to be in the next Directory of Organizations?

It appears in our January 2019 print issue and 24/7 online Call Dawn 651-644-2133 or Email: access@accesspress.org

Polar Plungers start time of chills, thrills

December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 14

RADIO TALKING BOOK

Radio Talking Book Seasons’ Greetings During the holiday season, here’s to a joyful present and a well-remembered past. May the closeness of friends and the comforts of home renew everyone’s spirits. Radio Talking Book offers seasonal selections for its listeners, beginning on these dates: • Mon, Dec. 10: The Deal of a Lifetime

by Frederik Backman, read by Mike Piscitelli on Good Night Owl. • Mon, Dec. 17: The Noel Diary by Richard Paul Evans, read by John Holden on Bookworm.

• Tue, Dec. 18: The 13th Gift by Joanne Huist Smith, read by Pat Muir on The Writer’s Voice.

Please join Radio Talking Book for the Holiday Programming broadcast. The annual tradition begins at 8 p.m. Mon, Dec. 24, with regular programming resuming at 6 a.m. Wed, Dec. 26. (All times CST).

Books Available Through Faribault Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. Call 1-800-722-0550, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon through Fri. The catalog is online at www.mnbtbl.org, click on the link Search the Library Catalog. Persons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies of books via an inter-library loan by contacting their home state’s Network Library for the National Library Service.

Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, either live or archived program from the last week, on the Internet at www. mnssb.org/rtb or on handheld devices via the SERO app (iOS or Android). Call the Talking Book Library for a password to the site. To find more information about Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network events go to the Facebook site, Minnesota Radio Talking Book.

Audio information about the daily book listings is also on the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) Newsline. Register for the NFB Newsline by calling 651-539-1424.

Access Press is featured on It Makes a Difference, 9 p.m. Sun. The sampling published monthly in Access Press doesn’t

represent the full array of programming. Many more programs and books are available.

Donate to the State Services for the Blind at mn.gov/deed/ssbdonate Chautauqua* Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m.

Our Towns, nonfiction by James and Deborah Fallows, 2018. Two writers traveled across America in a small airplane, visiting towns and cities and meeting the people. Read by Judy Woodward. 17 broadcasts; begins Fri, Dec. 28.

The Road to Sleeping Dragon, nonfiction by Michael Meyer, 2017. A young man enlists in the Peace Corps and is assigned to a tiny Chinese town. Read by John Potts. 14 broadcasts; begins Wed, Dec. 26.

Past is Prologue* Monday – Friday 9 a.m.

The Flying Tigers, nonfiction by Sam Kleiner, 2018. The story of a group of American men and women who crossed the Pacific to risk their lives defending China. Read by Jim Gregorich. 10 broadcasts; begins Wed, Dec. 19.

PM Report* Monday – Friday 8 p.m.

Data for the People, nonfiction by Andreas Weigand, 2017. Each Internet visit creates data, collected and used to make decisions for businesses and government. Read by Phil Rosenbaum. 11 broadcasts; begins Thu, Dec. 20.

Bookworm* Monday – Friday 11 a.m.

The Noel Diary, fiction by Richard Paul Evans, 2017. A man returns to his late mother’s home at Christmastime and finds a mysterious diary and a woman seeking her birth mother. Read by John Holden. Six broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 17.

Night Journey* Monday – Friday 9 p.m.

Force of Nature, fiction by Jane Harper, 2017. Five business colleagues are on a wilderness retreat, and only four return.

The missing woman is a whistleblower in a court case against their company. Read by Myrna Smith. 11 broadcasts; begins Tue, Dec. 18. – V

When the Men Were Gone, fiction by Marjorie Herrera Lewis, 2018. In the fall of 1944 the men of Brownsville, TX are off to war. Could this mean a season with no high school football coach? Read by Michele Potts. Six broadcasts; begins Wed, Dec. 26.

Choice Reading* Monday – Friday 4 p.m.

Future Home of the Living God, fiction

by Louise Erdrich, 2017. A young Ojibwe woman, four months pregnant, seeks out her biological parents during a time when the world is changing. Read by Rachael Freed. 12 broadcasts; begins Tue, Dec. 11.

The Man Who Came Uptown, fiction by George Pelecanos, 2018. A young man in prison discovers the world of books.

After his release, he sets out to resolve old scores. Read by Tom Speich. Seven broadcasts; begins Fri, Dec. 28.

GOLD ($500-$999) Mary Benhardus Michael Bjerkesett (in memoriam) Steven Dahl Mel & Georgia Duncan Julie Huffman Jim and Cindy Musselman Lynn Noren Debra Shriver Dick Van Wagner (in honor of) Mark Traynor Accra Ally People Solutions Best Life Alliance Choice, Inc. Chrestomathy, Inc. ESR, Inc. IMED Mobility Minnesota Diversified Industries MRCI-Client Directed Services Natl. Handicapped Housing Institute Occupational Development Center, Inc. PAI, Inc. ProAct, Inc. Rock County Opportunities, Inc. Tamarack Habilitation Technologies TSE, Inc. WACOSA

Fred & Phyllis Benjamin (in memoriam) Mike Gude Sandi Lane John & Suzanne Severson Hennepin County Library

Stephanie Cunningham Dale Janiszeski William & Joen Overby John Sherman Reach for Resources

Rose Adams Nancy Eustis David Kangas Lori Schluttenhofer LOTTSA Tax & Accting Services

Steve Anderson (in honor of) Marjorie Goldberg Rachel Malone Virginia Schwartzbauer

Lawrence B. Dunham Steve Kuntz Meysembourg Family ADA Minnesota Companion Housing Program Kaposia Vinland National Center

BRONZE ($75-$149)

Craig Dunn Joe & Cindy Johns-Giesen Annette Pantel Jon Skaalen

FRIEND ($50-$74)

Weekend Books Your Personal World, 1 p.m. Sat, presents Slow by Brooke McAlary; followed by Have Dog, Will Travel by Stephen Kuusisto, both read by Beverly Burchett.

For the Younger Set, 11 a.m. Sun, presents The Museum of Us by Tara Wilson Redd, read by Esmé Evans; followed by Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian, read by Connie Jamison.

Poetic Reflections, noon Sun, presents The Road By Heart edited by Greg Watson and Richard Broderick, read by Dan Sadoff; followed by Human Hours by Catherine Barnett, read by Cintra Godfrey.

The Great North, 4 p.m. Sun, presents The Northern Gardener by Mary Lahr Schier, read by Myrna Smith.

Potpourri* Monday – Friday 11 p.m.

Anonymous Soldiers, nonfiction by Bruce Hoffman, 2016. A landmark portrayal of three decades of international battles, leading to the creation of Israel. Read by Scott Brush. 31 broadcasts; begins Tue, Dec. 18. - L

BENEFACTOR ($1000 & up) Janice Chevrette Dean Doering & Lisa Scribner Jim Gerlich Jane Larson Ronna Linroth Lynda Milne Paul Mueller Kay Willshire Ghita & Bill Worcester Central Minnesota Community Foundation Handi Medical Supply In Home Personal Care MN Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities MRCI Client-Directed Services SEIU/MN Dept of Human Services UCare

SILVER ($150-$499)

After Midnight* Tuesday-Saturday 1 a.m.

My Lucky Star, fiction by Joe Keenan, 2006. Philip, Gilbert, and Claire are three writers who find themselves in Hollywood, caught up in a feud between a notorious celebrity and her down-and-out actress sister. Read by Laura Young. 13 broadcasts; begins Fri, Dec. 21. – L, S

Vox, fiction by Christine Dalcher, 2018.

The government decrees that women may speak no more than 100 words a day. Read

by Esmé Evans. 10 broadcasts; begins Wed, Dec. 26.

for supporting Access Press

Bill & Alex Bartolic Rick & Susie Macpherson Andrea McKee Linda Wolford Best Life Alliance Institute on Comm. Integration Minnesota Diversified Industries

The Girl on the Train, fiction by Paula Hawkins, 2015. Rachel, a commuter, pays attention to a man and woman she sees each day from the train window. One day the woman disappears, and Rachel is compelled to find out why. Read by Myrna Smith. 12 broadcasts; begins Mon, Dec. 31.

Off the Shelf* Monday – Friday 10 p.m.

There There, fiction by Tommy Orange, 2018. Twelve Native American travelers each has his or her own reason to attend the Big Oakland Powwow. Read by Bonita Sindelir.

Nine broadcasts; begins Tue, Dec. 11.

Thanks to ALL OF YOU

Jeff Bangsberg & Anita Boucher Dianna Krogstad Dorothy McCoy Anne Henry & Jerry Peterson Axis Healthcare Gillette Children’s Special Healthcare MN Brain Injury Alliance

Good Night Owl* Monday-Friday midnight Love and Ruin, fiction by Paula McLain, 2018. Martha Gellhorn, in love with Ernest Hemingway, must choose between being a famous man’s wife and forging her own path as a writer. Read by Holly Sylvester.

12 broadcasts; begins Tue, Dec. 11.

The Writer’s Voice* Monday – Friday 2 p.m.

The 13th Gift, nonfiction by Joanne Huist Smith, 2014. A family shattered by an unexpected death reclaims the holidays with their own traditions of kindness. Read by Pat Muir. Six broadcasts; begins Tue, Dec. 18.

Sherry Gray Robert Paul Gregory Kenneth Lakin Richard Lesicko Brandon Miller Manley & Ann Olson Advocating Change Together Courage Kenny Institute MCIL Medica

Lee Ann Erickson Burl Gilyard Mary Kay Kennedy Tag & Keli Krogseng Mark & Mary Payette Carrie Salberg Sharon & Paul van Winkel

Ellen Boucher Robert Burkhardt Yoshiko Dart Luther Granquist & Anita Schermer Beth Johnson Monir Johnson John Marty Sue Norman Susie Schatz David Sherwood-Gabrielson Hammer Residences

All times listed are US Central Standard Time.

Abbreviations: V – Violence, L – Offensive Language, S – Sexual Situations, RE – Racial Epithets, G – Gory Depictions

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December 10, 2018 Volume 29, Number 12 Pg 15 limited rollout on a lack of funding. it would cost $1 million per year to expand it citywide. The council is working to provide more money for crisis services, and will adopt a budget by year’s end.

He disagrees with the suggestion that north Minneapolis has fewer residents suffering from mental illness than other parts of the city. If anything, he said, North Siders may be more reluctant to call 911 out of fear of police intervention.

“You could ask probably any North Sider — especially anyone of color on the North Side — ‘Would you call the police if somebody that you knew was going through a mental health crisis?’

They would say no,” Cunningham said in an interview with the Star Tribune. “I would say no.”

The death of 36-year-old Travis Jordan comes amid a national debate involving when and how police officers use force against the mentally ill. Jordan was shot and killed after someone requested a wellness check on him, and he emerged from his home holding a knife.

Minneapolis has a co-responder program, run with Hennepin County, in the two police precincts that cover south Minneapolis — the Third and the Fifth — which police say account for more than half of the city’s mental health-related calls.

The unit pairs officers with mental health service providers from the county’s Community Outreach for Psychiatric Emergencies program, or COPE, to handle certain calls involving individuals with cognitive disabilities and mental illness. Department officials have announced plans to move the program to the downtown First Precinct on a pilot basis.

(Source: Star Tribune)

School construction underway

A public partnership between the city of Montevideo and the Southwest West Central Service Cooperative is making possible a new school to serve area students with special needs.

Construction on the Northstar Educational Learning Center is underway, with expectations that the 22,500-square-foot facility on the east edge of Montevideo will be ready for its first students at the start of the 2019-20 school year.

"This couldn't have been done without the collaboration,'' said Cliff Carmody, executive director of the service cooperative.

The Montevideo Economic Development Agency is the project owner. It is taking on approximately $5.2 million in debt to construct the facility, which it will lease to the service cooperative with a buyout option.

For the city, the project represents an economic development initiative.

The school will create 30 to possibly 40 new jobs in the community when fully staffed with paraprofessionals and licensed instructors.

For the service cooperative, the new school represents the first of its learning centers that is specifically designed and built for students with special needs. The cooperative operates learning centers in Cosmos, Willmar, Belview, Windom and Pipestone. The sixth site in Montevideo

will also help it achieve a goal of offering services within 30 miles of all students in the area served by the cooperative.

Carmody said the school is expected to initially serve 25 to 30 students in grades K-12. It will be the first of its centers to also include a preschool component, he added.

The site offers space for expansion if student enrollment grows, which is very possible, according to Carmody. Special needs programs fill very quickly at all of the centers. "Somewhere there is a ceiling, but we haven't found it yet," he said.

The learning centers serve students with behavioral, mental health and other learning disabilities. The students will come from area school districts.

Smaller districts may have only one or two students in need of the special services provided at the learning centers.

The new school will feature smaller classrooms, as well as sensory rooms for students to take time when struggling during the school day.

(Source: West Central Tribune)

Activist loses election in recount

A longtime Minnesota disability community activist narrowly lost her bid for a seat on a suburban city council. After the November 6 election, incumbent Maplewood City Council member Marylee Abrams was tied with activist Nikki Villavicencio for an at-large seat on the council. Both candidates received exactly 5,755 votes.

Under state law, if there’s no clear winner after election day, it must be settled “by lot.” How that is done is up to the local unit of government.

Maplewood used a coin toss, which Villavicencio won.

But Abrams petitioned for a recount and won. She is a labor and employment law attorney.

Villavicencio is a long-time activist who has arthrogryposis. She’s a fixture at the capitol, working on disability rights issues. She’s currently chairs the Maplewood Parks and Recreation Commission and a member of the city’s parks task force, where she was part of the push for a new 20-year master plan for the suburb.

(Source: Minnesota Public Radio, Pioneer Press)

Grants announced for schools

North Education Center, New Hope was the site to announce $4.9 million in mental health grants to intermediate school districts. The funding helps specialized school districts provide mental health services to children, including those who have experienced trauma.

Intermediate school districts provide highly specialized educational programs to students and families, including special education, area learning centers, career tech programs and online learning.

Intermediate school districts give additional support to students whose needs are not being met in a more traditional school setting. Minnesota has four intermediate districts that serve more than 20,000 students annually from member school districts. The twoyear grants went to all four districts and one service cooperative, with three to mental health providers who will work with intermediate school districts and

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two to intermediate school districts who qualify as mental health providers.

The goal of the School Innovation Grant initiative is to improve clinical outcomes for students, helping them return to their home school districts, reversing the disproportionate impact on students of color, and providing support and training for school staff and parents. Teachers partner with mental health staff to provide early childhood special education and mental health programs, and families have access to monthly parent/child/family psychoeducational trainings.

“Many of our students need more support in order to be successful in the classroom,” said Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius.

“Partnerships between schools and mental health providers is one great way to connect with more students. We need to support the whole child at school in order for them to reach their full potential, and I am excited to see new partnerships help us reach that goal.”

Supported initiatives include psychotherapy and psychiatric services, substance use disorder recovery services, case management, day treatment, and consultation and coordination. Key strategies include creating a traumainformed learning environment, integrating mental health care, providing culturally responsive services and serving multi-generational mental health and family stability needs.

Grantees are Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, in partnership with Intermediate School District 287, Plymouth, $1,973,612; Northeast Metro 916 Intermediate School District, White Bear Lake, in partnership with Canvas Health and Family Innovations, $1,497,911; Greater Minnesota Family Services, in partnership with Southwest West Central Service Co-op, Marshall, $421,992; Intermediate School District 917, Rosemount, $580,604 and Scott County Mental Health Center, in partnership with SouthWest Metro Intermediate District 288, Shakopee, $425,876.

(Source: Minnesota DHS)

Alzheimer’s added to cannabis list

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced that it will add Alzheimer’s disease as a new qualifying condition for the state’s medical cannabis program. Under state law, the condition joins several other conditions in August 2019.

“Any policy decisions about cannabis are difficult due to the relative lack of published scientific evidence,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm. “However, there is some

evidence for potential benefits of medical cannabis to improve the mood, sleep and behavior of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.”

As in years past, MDH used a formal petitioning process to solicit public input on potential qualifying conditions.

Throughout June and July, Minnesotans submitted petitions to add qualifying conditions. Following this petition period, the process included public comments and a citizens’ review panel. MDH staff also prepared a set of documents summarizing the available research pertaining to the use of medical cannabis for each prospective condition.

Petitioners put forward seven conditions this year: Alzheimer’s disease, hepatitis C, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, opioid use disorder, panic disorder, psoriasis and traumatic brain injury. After reviewing the research summaries and other input, Malcolm approved Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that mainly affects elderly people. It is the most common cause of dementia. Other symptoms include cognitive impairment, delusion, depression and agitation. The MDH research brief cited two available studies, which found that after cannabis use some patients saw improvements in disruptive nighttime behaviors and agitation.

Under current state rules, patients certified to have Alzheimer’s disease will become eligible to enroll in the program on July 1, 2019, and receive medical cannabis from the state’s two medical cannabis manufacturers beginning Aug. 1, 2019. As with the program’s other qualifying conditions, patients will need advance certification from a Minnesota health care provider.

More details on the process are available on the Medical Cannabis website.

When the 2014 Minnesota Legislature authorized the creation of a medical cannabis program, the law included a set of nine conditions qualifying a person to receive medical cannabis.

State rules direct the commissioner of health to consider each year whether to add other qualifying conditions and delivery methods. The current list of qualifying conditions includes cancer associated with severe/chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, or cachexia or severe wasting; glaucoma; HIV/AIDS; Tourette’s syndrome; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); seizures including those characteristic of epilepsy; severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis; inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease; terminal illness, with a probable life expectancy of less than one year; intractable pain; post-traumatic stress disorder; autism spectrum disorders and obstructive sleep apnea.

(Source: MDH) ■

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