May 2020 Edition - Access Press

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TWIN CITIES, MN PERMIT NO. 4766

Volume 31, Number 5

May 1, 2020

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Anniversary is delayed, not denied

ANNIVERSARY To page 4

Julie Lux, MRCI

Enjoying this issue of Access Press at home?

FILE PHOTO

A worker at ProAct took apart strands of holiday lights. ProAct has kept some services open during the pandemic.

Loss of day programming a difficulty being felt statewide Shuttered day programs, closed employment services and canceled activities present overwhelming obstacles for many Minnesota organizations serving people with disabilities. Keeping people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic has meant locking the doors.

It’s estimated that about 30,000 people

use day services in Minnesota. Some programs were already facing difficulties as clients struggled to find care staff.

Because organizations are paid only when services are provided, there is no income to cover fixed costs such as rent, utilities, transportation, staff health

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LOSS To page 8

Pandemic complicates care worker shortage Minnesota had a full-blown-direct support staff crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic. The loss of care staff since the pandemic began had compounded the staff shortage’s human impact and urgency.

The staffing shortage has intensified the difficulty of keeping people with disabilities safe in their homes, and not forcing them into already overwhelmed nursing home and hospital settings.

“We were in a period of crisis before this,” said Jenny Kempfert , PCA Choice director of Duluth-based Arc Northland.

“We had a significant staffing shortage before the pandemic hit.”

The Minnesota Legislature in April considered relief including a temporary pay increase for personal care attendant (PCA) program workers and changes to some care requirements including face-toface nursing visits. As Access Press went to press, proposals were making their way through virtual House and Senate hearings. But with hits to Minnesota’s economy, the state’s financial condition may make it difficult if not impossible to find additional funding for care needs over the long haul.

THANK YOU

FILE PHOTO

The Access Press May 2020 issue would typically be an issue commemorating our 30 years of bringing the news to Minnesota’s disability community. But as we know all too well, the COVID-19 pandemic means that these are not typical times.

Our newspaper was founded in 1990, the same year that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. That was a time of radical change, uncertainty and hope for people with disabilities throughout the United States. The ADA marked a major step in our civil rights movement.

Access Press’ first issue also marked a major step. Our newspaper began as a means for the community to be informed, find common ground and organize around important issues.

Minnesotans with disabilities and their advocacy groups were planning a big ADA anniversary celebration for July. We had hoped to celebrate our newspaper’s anniversary in conjunction with the ADA event.

Like many events, the ADA commemoration is postponed. Our hope is that it will be an even bigger and better event when it happens in July 2021.

Access Press and ADA Minnesota are feeling the same disappointment that graduating seniors in high schools, colleges and universities are feeling this spring of 2020. We have passed milestones and overcome millstones in our journeys to earn a diploma, or for us, to celebrate 30 years of greater accessibility for living, learning, working and for being visible and valued.

We were looking forward to celebrating the ADA and Access Press 30th anniversaries with a big bang.

We planned to honor our recently retired executive director Tim Benjamin for 20 years of successful, compassionate leadership.

Just as so many groups are doing, we can postpone the galas and in-person events to 2021. We need to stay safe.

Just as we celebrate the ADA, stay with us in 2020 as we celebrate Tim’s dedication to Access Press by sharing decades of highlights during our upcoming editions and online Access Press still plans to start marking its three decades of history in the weeks ahead our website at www.accesspress. org and in print.

It’s often said that news is the first rough draft of history and especially in these times, it’s worth reflecting on our rough drafts over 30 years.

But we must set history aside.

We need to devote as much space as possible in this issue and upcoming issues to our pandemic coverage. We also must work with the advertisers and sponsors who bring us the newspaper every month.

During the peacetime emergency in Minnesota, we at Access Press have made many changes. We are working virtually and not in an office. We cover

"We're desperate for personal protective equipment and cannot find it. We need gowns, gloves and masks."

Supporters of direct care staff turned out for capitol rallies this session before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

When the 2020 legislative session began, Minnesota had a $1.5 billion surplus. While 2020 is a bonding and policy year and there is less focus on state

Access Press thanks this month's issue sponsor!

budget issues, many disability advocates had hoped for additional funding for PCAs and for other programs. The PCA SHORTAGE To page 11

May 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 5

TIM’S DESK

Whenever I get really worried and panicked about my own vulnerability, I think about the people who are truly putting their lives on the line to serve others.

Tim Benjamin

We all know we are experiencing a time that is very scary, with the coronavirus and COVID-19 playing havoc in almost everything in our lives today. It’s hard to know that the end is not in sight yet. As some states start to reopen, Minnesota will remain on shutdown until at least May 3.

Even then, the state’s COVID-19 numbers are not expected to peak until July. The Centers for Disease Control just said that a worse time may come in the fall with a second wave of the virus arriving at the same time as the annual flu season.

The government reported in the third week of April that more than 33 million people in the U.S. have applied for unemployment in the five weeks since COVID shutdowns started. Some experts say that translates to more than 20 percent of the population being out of work. It's astonishing to see it reported that the big hospitals in the Twin Cities are even laying off essential employees because the hospitals aren’t doing elective or non-essential procedures. They make a lot of money on those procedures, so they are also losing millions of dollars.

Also, people are not using the emergency rooms as much as usual. Earlier last month, Fairview encouraged people who

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need emergency care not to avoid the hospital ER. On the upside, the slow activity in the hospitals may mean that we don’t have to worry as much about shortages of PPE and respirators. Gov. Tim Walz also has a critical care supply working group of private companies working with the state that is procuring and storing supplies. I hope that way before fall we will have enough testing as well as protective masks, hand sanitizers, gloves and all the other preventive items we need to keep the spread down effectively.

While we worry together, what we can lose sight of is how historic this time is. No matter how old or young we are, nobody’s been through anything like this complete shutdown of the majority of economies throughout the world. Add to that the possibility that anybody you see could be contagious with a disease they don’t even know they have, but that could kill them--or you.

When I think back on other historic events I’ve lived through, like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy or 9/11, at the time they seemed huge to me, and it felt like things would never go back to “normal.” But there was always a

new normal and we became accustomed to the changes and moved on. I don’t think we can know yet all the ways we’ll be different after this pandemic, but it’s a good idea to think and write about how things feel now. We can all find ways to document our individual experiences of how this is affecting our lives and our world. The big bottom line is that we are all experiencing this. In different ways, sure, but … let’s each try to record the good and the bad.

For all the horrible things about this time, I’m trying to pay attention to the historically good things, too. It is pretty cool, for example, to see all the people who are looking beyond themselves to get us through this horrible crisis together.

People are working and learning together, and even singing together from their front porches. People are looking out for and comforting one another everywhere and demonstrating how “we are in this together.” Technology is really taking on new roles, and showing employers how people can be productive even when they’re not in the office. That’s something that people with disabilities have been advocating for a long time.

Of course I share the big concern within the disability community about the possibility of rationing care. For years many of us have had the fear of being last in line when it comes to care decisions based on quality of life. The able-bodied community

often doesn’t see a high quality of life when someone's using a wheelchair or some other mobility device to get around, or has a developmental disability, or needs an interpreter, or uses a mechanical voice to speak for them. COVID-19 has already proven that it kills more men than women, more African-Americans than whites, and more people with diabetes, obesity and other pre-existing conditions. Let’s work together to make sure the health care system doesn't discriminate against people with disabilities, or anybody, because of calculations about “quality of life.”

Whenever I get really worried and panicked about my own vulnerability in this situation, I try to think about the people who are truly putting their lives on the line to serve others. There are doctors and nurses and EMS personnel and grocery store cashiers who are dying as they do their jobs. I am grateful for all of them, and I know I can trust them and our state’s leadership. Walz and Commissioner Jan Malcolm at the Minnesota Department of Health have been doing a fantastic job of keeping us informed and safe. We all need to be wary of questionable advice like injecting disinfectants or herd immunities.

There’s a power far beyond those of elected officials that I depend upon.

I trust my God in heaven and in each of you. Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay positive.

HISTORY NOTE

It was the end of an era earlier this spring when Virginia Hymans Schoenbohm Clymer died. She was 96 and at the time of her death in March lived in St. Louis Park.

She was married from 1954 to 1998 to Rev. Wilko Schoenbohm, founder of Courage Center. She was his partner in many ways, including actively supporting his work for people with disabilities.

Virginia Schoenbohm not only had a 32year career in special education in Iowa and Minnesota, she also was a longtime volunteer and committee member at Courage Center, now Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Center. She served on the Courage Center Foundation’s board of directors.

Many people might not remember the Schoenbohms today or Rev. Wilko Schoenbohm’s long and remarkable career serving people in disabilities. His legacy is in two states.

The Lutheran pastor was instrumental in shaping what is now the Anne Carlsen Center, which provides an array of opportunities to people with disabilities throughout North Dakota.

In 1922, the Evangelical Good Samaritan Society home was opened in Arthur,

N.D. with 13 residents. The home grew to offer employment training for people with disabilities and in 1932 moved to the former Fargo College campus in Fargo. Wilko Schoenbohm joined Good Samaritan during the post-Great Depression era. He led fundraising efforts to create the Crippled Children’s School and was its superintendent until 1948, leading the school through a move from Fargo to Jamestown, N.D. The school provided occupational training for people with disabilities. The social service agency which grew out of the school is named for Anne Carlsen, a quadruple congenital amputee, who taught at the school for many years and was a coworker of Wilko Schoenbohm’s.

In 1952 he took over what was the Minnesota Society for Crippled Children and Adults and in two decades developed it into the nationally renowned Courage Center.

One highlight of Wilko Schoenbohm’s long and storied tenure was the founding of Camp Courage, located west of Maple Lake, in 1955. The camp welcomed 300 children with disabilities during its first year.

The concept for Camp Courage originated in 1953 when Schoenbohm

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FILE PHOTO

Schoenbohms committed to helping people with disabilities

Camp Courage, now part of True Friends, is shown in a past postcard. launched a committee to seek out and build a camp for children and adults with disabilities. The committee began the search for land, hoping to find something on a lake within 50 miles of the Twin Cities. Histories indicate that the 40acre site was purchased for $8,500. That drained the society’s development fund, so more fundraising took place.

But what to call the camp? The original name “Camp Courageous” later was shortened to Camp Courage, a name which wound up replacing the society’s name.

At the camp’s 50-year anniversary in 2005, the Camp Courage Honeymoon

Cabin History Center was dedicated. The cabin was originally the Schoenbohms’ cabin. They had wed during planning and construction for the camp. The camp is now part of True Friends.

Camp Courage was just one part of the Schoenbohms’ legacy to Courage Center, Camp Courage and the Minnesota disability community. Virginia Schoenbohm Clymer’s obituary appears elsewhere in this issue of Access Press.

The History Note is a monthly column sponsored by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, www.mnddc.org

May 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 5

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CHARLIE SMITH AWARD DETAILS ISSUEFORTHCOMING SPONSOR | GT INDEPENDENCE

GT Independence provides services to help meet our changing times Using self-directed services to receive needed care and support is crucial during these changing times. Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS) and Consumer Support Grant (CSG) are two ways that Minnesotans are empowered to direct and lead their own services.

Having the power to choose when and where their services are provided and by whom is important. Individuals with disabilities, seniors and others with long-term care needs face many challenges every day including how they will obtain and keep the assistance they need. There are many different long-term care options available to most individuals but only a limited few which truly provide the freedom and ability for individuals to oversee how they live their life.

But through programs like CDCS and CSG people can take control of those everyday decisions and live their best life. GT Independence is a financial management services (FMS) provider in Minnesota and five other states including Wisconsin and Michigan. GT is guided by its core values of community, integrity, respect, excellence and professionalism.

Perhaps most important to its work is the value of self-determination. GT believes that every individual, those we serve and those we employ, has the right to live a life of their choosing. It is because of this value that we have implemented programs like Caregiver Link, a listing of available staff in our communities for individuals to access if they need staffing solutions.

As the FMS provider, GT works with the individual to complete all required paperwork and tax forms through a simple enrollment process and then assists the individual with hiring caregivers. After enrollment is complete the caregivers are hired and the FMS assumes the responsibility of all administrative functions including collecting timesheets, issuing payroll and withholding/filing taxes. The individuals choose who they want to hire as caregivers, which may include family, friends, and neighbors. The individual has complete authority over how, when and where services are delivered.

With the advent of COVID-19, GT Independence has been there for the people they serve and their employees. Within four days, GT had 400 corporate staff members working from home and telecommuting. GT’s top priority throughout the crisis has been to ensure the health and safety of employees, people they serve and members of the communities during this event. The company is very fortunate to have been able to continue to be fully operational with a few minor adjustments to services.

As the COVID-19 response develops nationally GT has adjusted policies to accommodate emergency changes to program rules and the implementation of the FFCRA act. The company’s leaders monitor ongoing policy changes and provide education to stakeholders across the nation through webinars and website updates.

Since individuals are being forced to stay home and typical caregivers not being able or allowed to provide services, the flexibility of selfdirected programs is poised to meet the demand. Self-direction assists in maintaining services at home and provides continuity of care by allowing family and friends to provide support. According to Applied Self Direction, a national organization to promote efficient self-directed programs, self-directed services could be a solution for the staffing shortages and traditional program shortfalls related to COVID-19. They encourage states to look to self-direction as a creative way to provide services and expand self-direction during this unprecedented time.

Recent changes in the Department of Human Services (DHS) requirements for background studies make it easier and faster to hire staff during this crisis. GT excels at onboarding employers and employees with our contact-less eEnrollment process. Once services begin individuals and their staff use the Caregiver App by GT to document work and submit timesheets.

For individuals already using CDCS, the Department of Human Services has offered additional guidance to adjusting plans to make them more flexible during this time.

• Schedules can be adjusted so that workers can accommodate the changing needs or schedules of people using the program. • DHS clarified that there is no policy for overtime in CDCS. Lead agencies can approve additional hours (including OT) within the current budget allocation.

• Additional hours for paid parents and spouses can be approved up to 40 hours per week, provided they are completing activities related to waiver services.

GT Independence staff help clients lead their best lives.

GT Independence staff help clients lead their best lives.

• There are no limits related to the time of day services from a paid parent can be provided, if appropriate, those hours can be delivered during the day since the child is not at school.

• People using CDCS who have previously received the 20 percent budget exception for their employment services, but can’t currently work are able to use those funds to pay workers supporting them. Self-direction through CDCS and CSG has never made more sense.

With predictions of COVID-19 the next year may be spent in various stages of quarantine; individuals that are not accessing their current waiver services will be needing assistance in their homes. CDCS and CSG provide options for hiring people in their own home, keeping everyone safe and together. For any questions about self-directed models in Minnesota or to learn more about GT Independence please access the website at www.gtindependence.com/programs/minnesota or contact the State Director at 651-247-7107.

Access Press welcomes issue sponsors Call us at 651-644-2133 today Or email access@accesspress.org

May 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 5

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FROM OUR COMMUNITY KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Disability Law Center offers advice with issues related to COVID-19

by Dan Stewart More than 500,000 Minnesotans have some type of disability and the COVID-19 public health emergency has negatively impacted their rights and health. While some people with disabilities have significant health risk factors that make them particularly vulnerable to the novel coronavirus, many others face additional challenges The Minnesota Disability Law Center, a division of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, with offices in Duluth, Mankato, Fertile and Minneapolis, is the state’s protection and advocacy system for Minnesotans with disabilities. We work to ensure Minnesotans with disabilities are free from discrimination and can live, work, learn, play and participate in our communities as independently and meaningfully as possible.

Because of our role, we are in a unique position to serve people with disabilities, understand their concerns, and warn about future problems.

Here’s a sample of the most pressing COVID-19 issues raised thus far and how MDLC has responded: • Health care access and rationing: Even though it appears that Minnesotans are flattening the curve of COVID-19 contagion rates, there is a risk that people with disabilities may not be able to get emergency access to health care. That is due to a lack of transportation options or immediate help from family or friends to get to a medical provider. There are also issues with obtaining in-person mental health services (tele-practice may be insufficient), getting necessary medications, and obtaining preventative and habilitative services including occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy.

Further, if ventilators, oxygen and medications are running out, many people with disabilities fear they will not have equitable access solely because they have a disability.

• Staffing and equipment crises in congregate care facilities: We have received reports that group homes, nursing homes, residential care providers and other facilities aren’t able to maintain appropriate staffing levels because pay is too low, and risk is too high. Staff lack masks, shields, sufficient supplies of soap or sanitizer, or other forms of personal protective equipment. As a result, some facilities are limiting services to residents, not having or following disease prevention protocols, and/or preventing residents from returning from a job, a home visit or trip to a medical provider. If there’s not enough staff, some residents may need to go to the already overburdened hospital system to get basic, preventive care.

ANNIVERSARY From page 1

meetings and legislative hearings online, through meeting apps or conference calls.

We have had to make changes to where we drop off copies of the newspaper. We are looking at ways to further reduce our spending and increase revenue.

One way to help us is through charitable donations under the recently passed CARES Act. The CARES Act adds a new above-the-line deduction that allows an individual who does not itemize to deduct up to $300 of cash contributions to a qualified charity. This is in addition to the standard deduction. Ask your tax professional about this deduction.

Beyond tax-deductible donations to Access Press, here are other steps to help us in this time *We are happy to mail newspapers to our readers around the region. We welcome new subscribers, at the

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• Increasing isolation in secure facilities: Another tragic result of staffing inadequacies is that people with disabilities may be isolated from peers, families, service providers and others even when they are non-verbal, sick or nearing the end of their lives. Isolation is necessary to keep everyone safe and not transmit Covid-19. But unnecessary or over-restrictive limitations on freedom and access to services are worrisome. Balancing these competing principles is challenging, but a safe resolution informed by data and research can be reached.

• Representative payees: Social Security beneficiaries sometimes need or choose to have a representative payee help with managing finances and paying for necessary expenses. This is a critically important role that has generally been carried out well. Unfortunately some payees have taken advantage of their position by overcharging, neglecting requests, and engaging in downright fraud. With federal stimulus checks arriving, oversight and vigilance to ensure beneficiaries are protected becomes even more important.

• Inaccessible websites and unavailable technology: As the governor’s stay at home order has been extended to at least May 5, more people use technology to engage with employers, friends, families, governmental agencies, businesses and colleagues. But for some technology isn’t accessible to people with disabilities (especially those with visual impairments). For others, technology isn’t available due to income or because a cell phone is simply too small to fully access the Internet.

• Access to courts, public meetings and press conferences: Each of the government’s three branches has moved toward virtual hearings, meetings and television appearances. While decisions need to be made quickly to continue necessary public work, we also must safeguard the fundamental principle of universal access to public forums through American Sign Language interpreters, closed captioning and other forms of communication, notice and adequate participation.

• Distance learning for public school students with disabilities: Many students with disabilities will be able to fully benefit from the efforts of dedicated teachers and service providers to ensure learning can occur, albeit remotely. For many others, distance learning is ineffective, poorly suited to unique learning needs, and, in some situations, could compromise health and safety.

Some students need in-person nursing services, support to prevent self-injurious behavior, and help with their

occupational and physical therapy needs. Distance learning simply cannot fully substitute for the direct, personal care provided by a certified, licensed professional. Even when distance learning can provide a partial educational benefit, there will almost certainly be widespread educational regression. It will take an extraordinary effort by parents, schools and students to recover these losses.

• Employees with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations: Before the public health emergency, limited gains were seen in employment rates for workers with disabilities. Their employment helps the economy and contributes to a personal sense of meaningfulness and contribution to society. Even during the COVID-19 crisis, many workers can still contribute fully with reasonable accommodations from their employers while maintaining personal health and safety. But too often we learn that request for accommodations are denied or not sufficiently considered. Legal protections ensure careful deliberations and the balancing of competing considerations.

• Voting rights and 2020 Census: There are legislative proposals to move Minnesota toward a mail in election in August and in the pivotal November election. It is unclear how the state will ensure the ballots are accessible to people with different types of disabilities and how the ballots will get to people who live in congregate care facilities or those who have to move more frequently than others. Similarly, Minnesota has a long history of vastly undercounting Minnesotans with disabilities in the census.

With COVID-19 continuing its path of devastation and isolating people with disabilities, we are very concerned about how historically hard-to-count people will participate in the census. Minnesota is at significant risk of losing a congressional seat and millions of public funds if our population is not adequately counted.

Our office has been proud to effectively tackle these issues through direct legal representation, answering questions, educating policy makers, issuing informational materials, making virtual visits to facilities serving people with disabilities, doing remote outreach to communities throughout the state and otherwise being a resource for the great state of Minnesota. We are working remotely and still open for business to continue our work. You can contact us at 612-334-5970 or 800292-4150. We and our partners in other disability advocacy organizations stand ready to serve, but more is needed. We call on the state and its agencies, state and local public officials, all levels of government, social service agencies, and, most importantly, the public to watch out for and challenge discrimination, unnecessary isolation, and decisions that have a negative disproportionate effect on Minnesotans with disabilities.

Dan Stewart is Legal Director/Deputy Director of MidMinnesota Legal Aid/Minnesota Disability Law Center.

rate of $30 per year. You may also donate so that we can provide newspaper subscriptions to low-income readers.

We currently face a challenge of needing to update our individual subscriber list. If you get the paper, and wish to continue to receive it, check in with us and let us know the last time you paid for a subscription. Subscriptions are due annually.

If you are getting the paper and no longer wish to receive it, please let us know so we can take you off of the mailing list. If you know of a subscriber who has passed away, we need to know that, too.

Reach us with subscription questions by calling 651644-2133 or emailing access@accesspress.org *We cannot emphasize enough that there is a huge need to support our advertisers and sponsors, as they help bring you Access Press each month.

Many of our advertisers are facing challenging times.

They need your help now more than ever, especially

service providers in Greater Minnesota. Many are taking donations. Others need medical supplies, especially masks and personal protective equipment.

We were struck during a recent conference call including the Greater Minnesota agencies and comments about staff and their clients lacking basic supplies, such as liquid hand soap and toilet paper. This is not only a public health issue; it is a matter of dignity and proper care.

We are sharing these needs on our Facebook page.

We know these are tough times for our community.

Many of us who live with disabilities were all too aware of the challenges and sadness of isolation. We lived with that long before the pandemic hit. Now more than ever, we need each other.

Looking forward to the next 30 years of Access Press and wishing you safety and health, Jane McClure, Managing Editor Kay Willshire, Access Press Board President

May 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 5

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FROM OUR COMMUNITY

Progress on disability issues at risk due to pandemic

by Julie Johnson, MSS

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Minnesota has worked for more than 40 years to move away from an institutional model of disability services and into a rich community-based and person-centered array of supports and services. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic threatens to erode the extensive progress our state has made in this area.

One sector of disability services, day and employment service providers, is being hit particularly hard by the effects of this virus.

Many day and employment services providers have had to suspend their services. in order to minimize the risk of infection to the medically vulnerable individuals they support. These providers help people with disabilities learn about employment and join the workforce, connect more deeply with their local communities, and enrich their lives with opportunities like creating art and staying physically active. Without these services, people with disabilities would have limited choices for how to spend their day and would lose opportunities to increase their independence and socialize outside their home.

I am the president of the Minnesota Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation (MOHR).

MOHR is comprised of more than 100 day and employment service providers from across the state. MOHR members support more than 26,000 Minnesotans with disabilities each day. I am also the president/ CEO of MSS, a day and employment provider supporting more than 550 individuals each year and employing

Julie Johnson

160 staff. I have first-hand knowledge of the toll the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is taking on the people we support, providers, and our staff. I hear about it every day from MOHR members, and MSS services have been suspended since March 17.

We are very supportive of the community effort to slow the spread of the virus and keep our communities healthy.

Day and employment services are only paid when these services are provided. These providers across the state are nonprofits with little to no cash reserves in case of an emergency such as this. Fixed costs, such as rent, utilities, payments for buses, and other vehicles continue, even if services are not being provided. The longer these providers are forced to suspend or reduce services, the greater the chance that some of them may not be able to reopen their doors once it is safe to do so.

We simply cannot come back from this crisis with a decimated infrastructure for these crucial community disability services, where people with disabilities will not have access to innovative, individualized supports during the day. We cannot turn back the clock on our progress. We must ensure this service structure remains viable when we get through this pandemic.

Emergency funding is urgently needed to help day and employment service providers pay for the fixed costs they have until it is safe to resume services fully. Governor Walz used Executive Order 20–12 to give the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) broad temporary authority to modify existing law to ensure social service providers can weather this storm. We are looking to our state legislature and DHS to work together to ensure emergency funds are directed to disability community service providers now.

CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR SUPPORT WORKERS

website gets a makeover How do people with disabilities fnd the support workers they need? It’s a riddle people have been trying to solve for decades. Connecting that “need” with that “help” was already a challenge, now add in a Statewide stay at home order due to COVID-19 for a brand new obstacle.

Now, more than ever,

Access Press needs your support!

COVID-19 has hit everyone hard — but arguably, the disability community has been the hardest-hit. We have people reaching out to us daily asking for information, for help, for increased communication. It makes our role as a voice for those with disabilities of all kinds all the more important.

But we’re doing it on a shoestring staff, working remotely, and with many of our usual methods hampered by the virus.

Right now, we need funding for increased reporting to one of the most vulnerable populations in Minnesota. Will you help us with that?

Even the smallest gift helps, and all donors over $30 receive a subscription to Access Press.

To donate, please go to our GiveMN site at www.givemn.org/organization/ Access-Press-Ltd

or mail in a check to Access Press, 161 St. Anthony Ave., Ste. 910, Saint Paul, MN 55103

We cannot turn back the clock on progress. We must ensure this service structure remains viable when we get through this pandemic.

Direct Support Connect is Minnesota’s dedicated job board for direct support workers, such as Personal Care Assistants (PCAs), and the individuals who hire them. Now facing unprecedented challenges related to COVID-19, this free statewide resource can be instrumental in connecting support workers and the people who need them.

Enhanced features make Direct Support Connect easier to use than ever Individuals who hire direct support workers can create one or more job postings with job description, location, pay range, supports needed and schedule availability.

People looking for work can view a dashboard displaying job openings compatible with their skills, schedule and work goals.

New messaging features support private, secure messaging and live chat with others who have Direct Support Connect profles.

Whether you want to hire a support worker, create a backup plan, or fnd temporary or permanent job opportunities, count on Direct Support Connect. Create a profle today:

DirectSupportConnect.com

May 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 5

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PEOPLE & PLACES ��f

In Memoriam f��

O'Neil's hard work, dedication transformed MSS

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Gordon "Gene" O'Neil is enjoyed his family and is remembered for remembered for his years of leadership having a strong Catholic faith, a penchant for with what is now MSS. O’Neil, 90, died jokes and a positive outlook on life. in April. He was 90 years old and lived A tribute posted by MSS stated, “Gene in Minneapolis. was forever an optimist who always saw O'Neil grew up in Faribault and the good side of people. He loved to tell went on to St. Thomas College (now stories, especially of his days in the Navy.

University of St. Thomas). He served in Gene totally enjoyed spending time with the the Navy during the Korean War. people served in the programs and it was not He began his long career in disability unusual to find someone from the old shop services in 1972, with United Cerebral program sitting in his office trading laughs.

Palsy of Greater St. Paul. He guided He had a strong sense of humor, and kept what became Midwest Special Service a book of jokes in the credenza behind his and later MSS, as it grew from a small office chair ‌ He loved a good party, a good Gordon "Gene" O'Neil agency on St. Paul’s east Side to a polka band and a hearty toast to love and regional organization providing needed services for people good health. Gene valued loyalty, hard work, honesty and with disabilities throughout the Twin Cities metro area. generosity and modeled those qualities in both his private O’Neil was well-known for his years of leadership and and professional life. He was known as a man of strong activism, testifying at the state capitol and working with convictions, occasionally stubborn, but who was also other disability community leaders to improve the lives of respectful of the opinions of others.�

Minnesotans with disabilities. One strong focus for him O’Neil is survived by his five children and their families, was meaningful employment for people with disabilities. and other family members. Services have been held.

He retired in 2000 and spent his remaining years actively Memorials are preferred to MSS. volunteering for his church and Loaves and Fishes. He also

True Friends provides life-changing experiences to children and adults with disabilities through a variety of programs at five Minnesota locations.

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Residential and outpatient substance use treatment for adults with TBI,

cognitive deficits or multiple disabilities.

Ziemer was commited to helping her many clients Lorraine Ziemer drew on her own working life with disabilities to help others find and retain employment. Ziemer died in April.

She was 79 and lived in Faribault.

Born in the small southern Minnesota town of Dunnell, Ziemer earned degrees from Southwest Minnesota State and Mankato State University (now Minnesota State Mankato). She worked as a rehabilitation counselor for the state for 31 years.

Ziemer had used a wheelchair since a young age and drew on her own life experiences to encourage her clients. One 1984 state newsletter describes how she worked with a client to develop a shopping service for people with disabilities at the

Ridgedale Dayton’s Department store.

Her client at the time described Ziemer as ‘the prime motivator and my biggest booster.� In the newsletter, Ziemer emphasized the need for the service, not just for the jobs it provided but to make people with disabilities more visible in the greater community.

Her obituary describes Ziemer as being like a second mother to her nephews as they grew up, as she enjoyed attending their school events. She was also a longtime volunteer for many nonprofits.

Ziemer is survived by her nephews and their families. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Where experiences & adventures are open to individuals of all abilities

Lorraine Ziemer

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May 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 5

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Minnesota Council on Disability is searching for an Executive Director.

Minnesota Council on Disability is searching for an Executive Director.

The Council is a state agency providing leadership to empower and

The Council is a the state agency providing leadership to empower strengthen rights of Minnesotans with disabilities.

We and collaborate strengthen the rights of Minnesotans with disabilities.

We collaborate with with the public and private sectors as a policy and technical resource the public and private sectors as a policy and technical resource advisor.

advisor.

For more information about the position, visit mn.gov/careers and search ForID: more information about the position, visit mn.gov/careers and for Job 40129, or call 651-259-3768.

search for Job ID: 40129, or call 651-259-3768.

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Data from the census impacts many programs and services that our communities receive including access to resources that support advocacy and civil rights protections. The 2020 Census is accessible for everyone, including individuals with a wide range of disabilities.

The following options are available to assist individuals in completing the form including: • Telephone devices for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.

• Video guides to the questionnaire in American Sign Language • Videos or webcasts with open or closed captioning • Census guides in braille or large print • The option to request census takers who are fluent in American Sign Language

Complete the 2020 Census to ensure that everyone has access to the resources that are required to meet their needs. For more information visit the U.S. Census Bureau website at 2020Census.gov

...BECAUSE everyone has a right to be empowered.

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Connect with us for these statewide services: Self-Directed Services • Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS) • Consumer Support Grant (CSG) • PCA Choice • Personal Support and Respite (245D) • Veterans Directed - VD-HCBS

800.829.7110 MyMRCI.org

May 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 5

Pg 8

PEOPLE & PLACES State grants provide variety of nursing home improvements efforts to improve mental health and social connections to reducing falls and infections.

At $6.7 million per year, the Performance-based Incentive Payment Program (PIPP) provides up to 5 percent in additional operating payments to nursing homes throughout the state. PIPP lets nursing homes dedicate resources to quality improvement and requires them to meet specific goals related to care, resident quality of life, workforce and other issues. Since 2006, the program has funded more than 300 projects. Eighty percent of Minnesota nursing homes have participated.

“Collectively, these performance improvement projects make a big difference and improve the lives of thousands of nursing home residents,” said DHS Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. “We’ve seen ground-breaking improvements in areas like resident sleep quality and falls prevention. Nursing facility staff are invested in making improvements and excited about sharing successes with their peers.” Current grantees are listed by region.

More than 100 nursing homes across Minnesota have launched 36 projects to promote better care and quality of life for their residents. The projects, funded by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), range from

LOSS

Care Ventures Collaborative, multiple locations, $122,568 to develop a resident

centered behavioral management program using evidenced-based practices to improve quality of life.

Care Ventures Collaborative, multiple locations, $97,811 to improve management of resident pain by implementing a comprehensive pain management system.

CentraCare Health Collaborative, multiple locations, $56,931 to create a telehealth pain program that will pair residents experiencing chronic pain with an integrated pain team.

Clara City Care Center, Clara City, $9,805 to develop weight-loss prevention programming to reduce the number of pressure ulcers and weight loss.

Cornerstone Nursing & Rehab Center, Bagley, $19,573 to provide a higher quality of life and care for residents by enhancing training and education of staff.

Evansville Care Center, Evansville, $10,143 to improve fall assessment, prevention, follow-up and interventions.

Glencoe Regional Health Services, Glencoe, $16,303 to improve the dining experience by implementing an open breakfast and fine dining program.

Good Samaritan Society, Howard Lake, $23,020 to improve the quality of life of residents with dementia and mental health challenges by expanding employee training and education through the Eden

Alternative®, which aims to eliminate loneliness, helplessness and boredom.

Good Samaritan Society, Battle Lake, $16,878 to improve quality of care by revising infection control program and further developing antibiotic stewardship.

Johnson Memorial Health, Dawson, $11,486 to implement the Eden Alternative® with a focus on elder-centered community, loving companionship and meaningful activities.

Lac qui Parle Health Network, multiple locations, $30,824 to enhance its pain management program by creating “meaningful moments” that improve residents’ emotional well-being and quality of life.

St. Francis Health Services of Morris Collaborative, multiple locations, $88,669 to strengthen the quality of care for residents with Walk to Dine and balance exercise programs.

The Lutheran Home: Belle Plaine, $19,811 to improve quality of life by developing and implementing the Enhance Memory Care program.

Valley Care and Rehab, Barnesville, $9,794 to create a resident-centered, evidence-based restorative nursing program to improve mobility and function for residents.

The payments would be equal to 50 percent of the past revenue for services.

“We’ve reached out to the legislature and said, ‘We understand you can’t pay us, but we need to cover our fixed costs,’” said Julie Johnson, president of the Minnesota Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation (MOHR). MOHR members provide services to more than 26,000 Minnesotans with disabilities.

“We simply cannot come back from this crisis with a decimated infrastructure for these crucial community disability services, where people with disabilities will not have access to innovative, individualized supports during the day,” Johnson said.

The state help may be all some providers can get, as many organizations are too large to quality for small business loans. Other emergency funding assistance may also shut the programs out.

Impacts around Minnesota vary provider to provider. Thousands have been laid off or locked out. Julie Zbaracki, CEO of PRI in St. Louis Park, said the shutdown had an immediate and detrimental impact on PRI’s 325 clients.

Clients’ “new normal” includes a lack of day programs as well as no transportation and no job support coaches and other support staff to assist. A big concern is that clients are losing long-held daily routines as well as their working and personal relationships. Isolation is a huge

worry as people with disabilities lose ground in skills training. It’s a new normal Zbaracki and others say isn’t acceptable.

About 750 adults with disabilities were impacted when Opportunity Partners closed its five disability day programs in mid-March. The programs, located in Minnetonka, Coon Rapids and Plymouth, provide employment, training and enrichment activities. Closing the programs impacts 60 percent of the nonprofit’s revenues.

“We are so grateful to all who have reached out to see how the recent events have impacted the people we serve,” said President and CEO Armando Camacho. “Although our day services are temporarily closed, we continue to care for over 300 individuals living in our group homes and apartments – they need us now more than ever as they are home all day with no programs to attend.

We also continue to provide job coaching and support to about 100 people with disabilities who work in industries deemed essential.”

Some organizations have radically changed service delivery. Julie Guidry, Upstream Arts co-founder and executive director, notes that the challenges people with disabilities face mean that many likely face longer periods of isolation in the time of COVID-19. She and co-founder Matt Guidry have not been able to see their son Caleb for several weeks. Caleb’s

compromised immune system means the family and his fellow group home residents must take extra precautions.

The Minneapolis-based nonprofit halted in-person operations in midMarch, affecting as many as 35 classes each week with 400 participants of all ages and abilities. “We closed down physical classes on a Friday, entered the virtual world the following Monday and by the end of the week had produced new content and plans for our classes for the following week,” said Julie Guidry.

Upstream Arts is using the pandemic experience to develop virtual ways of working that will make its programs more accessible for more people with disabilities for years to come. The new programming, called studio ACCESS, thus far includes two-minute community videos with short activities that can be done at home. Five-minute partner videos offer signature curriculum designed for teachers and caregivers. Livestream classes offer more opportunities.

One month into social distancing, Upstream bounced back to 11 livestream classes per week with current partners and students who are excited to see each other, The teaching artists have produced 20 curriculum videos,. More partners and a series of open enrollment classes are in the works.

Central/West Central

From page 1 insurance and other expenses. While some employment programs’ work is considered to be essential services and they can remain operating, others sit idle.

The shutdowns are compounded in small towns where people with disabilities lack other outlets for work or social activities. Providers and staff throughout the state worry that people with disabilities will lose progress or face mental health issues as they miss opportunities to work, create art, go to events and just socialize.

Many providers hope to reopen in May, if state leaders give the go-ahead. But that still leaves costs to cover from the weeks of closure. Some providers in Greater Minnesota are unsure if they’ll be able to reopen at all. There has been a push to have the Minnesota Legislature provide emergency funding for day supporters and services, so those needs can be met after the pandemic passes. Funding is also seen as a way to develop new ways to serve clients.

In April the Disability Day and Employment Services Fixed Cost Relief Bill was introduced. It would authorize retainer payments to service providers, including day programs and employment services for individuals with disabilities as well as adult day services for the elderly.

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May 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 5

The spring and summer calendar is usually full of galas, banquets, awards ceremonies, conferences and art shows and performances. COVID-19 is keeping everyone home, now and for the foreseeable future so many events are canceled or postponed, including a statewide disability rights celebration.

A few events are going virtual, including the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Center Art of Possibilities Show.

Courage Kenny is forging ahead with its annual Art of Possibilities Art Show & Sale, even though it has temporarily closed its facilities. The event opened April 24 and ends May 21, and is online at www.CourageArt.org This is the 56th year for the art show and sale, but the first time art patrons won’t be able to browse a gallery in person. The juried event features almost 300 pieces of original art, submitted by 175 artists. virtual art show and sale features artwork created by artists with disabilities from Minnesota and across the United States.

Art of Possibilities is one of only a handful of juried art shows in the world featuring artists with physical or mental impairments. Traditionally, the opening reception for the Art of Possibilities has become a much anticipated event, drawing in artists from around the nation.

However, some events simply cannot move online. One big disappointment is the postponement of the July 30year anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) celebration in St. Paul. It was set for July 26.

“The ADA 30th Anniversary Celebration Planning Committee has determined that given the uncertainties

FILE PHOTO

Canceled events, fundraisers put strain on service providers

The Art of Possibilities will welcome virtual guests this year. and risks surrounding the COVID-19 crisis, it was best to postpone the 30th ADA Anniversary event until July 2021,” said a statement from the group. “This difficult decision was made out of an abundance of caution for all.”

The committee, which has representatives from many disability organizations, will continue to post updates at www.ADA30MN.com or on the ADA 30 Minnesota's Facebook page.

Postponing fundraising events even a few months can have an adverse impact on the bottom line. Many organizations are now appealing for support to get through the COVID-19 pandemic, in the form of monetary donations, masks and other personal protective equipment.

PACER Center’s annual gala, which always feature a

Pg 9

prominent performing artist, has been pushed back until November. Motown artist Smokey Robinson will still be the featured performer.

Opportunity Partners, which serves about 750 adults at five disability day programs, already lost about 60 percent of its revenues when programs closed. Another blow was when the Opportunity Partners gala, set for May 2, was postponed. The gala was budgeted to raise $400,000 on May 2. With the event now rescheduled for fall, the organization is holding an online fundraising campaign throughout the month of April until May 2, which was the original gala date. It hopes to raise $60,000 in that time.

But for everything that is closed, businesses considered essential services remain open. Handi Medical is among the firms getting supplies and services to customers, some of whom are moving loved ones home in the face of COVID-19.

Just as medical workers in hospital and clinics are on the front lines, so, too, are service providers with daily living supplies as well as the assistive technology, equipment and products needed if someone is ill with COVID-19. .

“We represent another group; we are on the front lines in people’s homes,” said Handi’s Laurie Tomaszewski. “Handi Medical Supply is providing medical supplies and equipment necessary for people to stay home, or to get home from the hospital. Our team of respiratory therapists, service technicians, care consultants, along with our behind the scenes warehouse and purchasing agents work diligently to obtain, deliver and educate on the equipment in people’s homes.”

UPDATES AND INFORMATION Almost all of the groups that have listings in the Access Press Enjoy! and Opportunities pages have suspended activities, have gone to online services or are offering limited services until first week of May at the earliest. Please check with a venue or organization before heading out. Many offices are operating remotely, or with limited staff and hours.

Gov. Tim Walz ordered a wide range of places to close until May 4. Places ordered closed include live indoor and outdoor performance venues, cinemas, museums, amusement parks, gymnasiums, recreation centers, fitness centers, indoor sports and exercise facilities, arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, indoor climbing facilities, skating rinks, trampoline parks and other entertainment venues. It is anticipated that some if not all will be allowed to reopen over time.

In most communities, trails are open but play equipment and sports courts are closed.

Theaters including the Guthrie, Children’s Theater Company, Steppingstone, Penumbra, Jungle, Ordway, Mixed Blood, Park Square, History Theatre, the theaters of Hennepin Theater Trust and others have shut down.

Contact theaters to see when shows will be rescheduled and if tickets will be honored.

With museums, check to see when or if interpreted and sensory activities will continue. Some sensory activities are only offered during the school year.

Most places that schedule appointments are still honoring appointments, but check to see before going to an appointment.

Here are some offerings to check out:

∏∏f

Get Up Stand Up scholarship applications due

The Get Up Stand Up to Cure Paralysis Board of Directors has announced that applications for the second biannual GUSU Adaptive Fitness Scholarship are now open. The scholarship is awarded thanks to generous donors.

Scholarships will be awarded in $2,500 amounts to selected applicants for use by an individual living with a spinal cord injury in the Upper Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota) for participation in one of Minnesota's adaptive fitness programs. For consideration applications must be submitted no later than May 31.

For full scholarship and application information go to www. gusu2cure.org/. FFI: info@gusu2cure.org

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)

Minnesota staff are very concerned about the mental health of the people served and the greater community. Call the warm line at 651-288-0400 or text “Support” to 85511 or call 844-739-6369 Call the local crisis team at **CRISIS or check the NAMI website for the county numbers.

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273TALK (8255).

Use the Crisis Lifeline by texting MN to 741741.

Call the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800985-5990

Metro Mobility has made changes

Metro Mobility, the Twin Cities’ paratransit service, has made changes due to the pandemic. Certified customers should only use the service for essential trips. Extra care is being taken to keep vehicles clean and safe.

Metro Mobility is helping certified customers with grocery and household essentials pickup, and delivery during the

Mental health peer groups offered

NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) sponsors a variety of online peer support groups for adults and young adults living with a mental illness, their families, friends, spouses/partners, as well as parents of children and teens. Led by trained peer facilitators the support groups help individuals and families learn coping skills and find strength through sharing their experiences. When joining an online group, please add only your first name. Also, the groups are specifically for those individuals suggested by the group’s title. For example, Family Support Group is only for family members and NAMI Connection is only for those who live with a mental illness and are over 18 years old, etc.

Find a complete listing of group meetings and how to join in by going to namimn.org and clicking on “Support Groups” or go straight to https://namimn.org/support/nami-minnesotasupport-groups/.

In Memoriam f∏∏

Schoenbohm Clymer led as volunteer

Virginia Hymans Schoenbohm Clymer was a faithful supporter of Courage Center, now Allina’s Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Center. She also had a long career in special education. Clymer died in March. She was 96 and lived in St. Louis Park.

She was a native of Hull, Iowa and attended Central College in Pella, Iowa. She earned a B.A. degree from the University of Iowa and then did graduate work there and in Colorado and Minnesota.

Clymer taught special education at the elementary and junior high school levels, first in north central Iowa. In Minnesota she taught in university child psychiatry and was a speech therapist and coordinator in the Robbinsdale Area Schools for many years. In 1986 she retired from her 32-year career in special education.

Her first marriage, in 1954,was to Wilko Schoenbohm, founder of Courage Center. She was a longtime Courage Center and Camp Courage volunteer, serving on boards there and as part of its foundation leadership.

After Wilko Schoenbohm’s death she married Wayne Clymer, a former Methodist Bishop. He also preceded her in death.

Clymer was an active church and community volunteer.

She is survived by children and step-children, and their families. She donated her body to the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program. A memorial service is planned for a later date.

Henslin designed medical facilities

pandemic. The service is offered with stores that have online shopping and local pick up. Metro Mobility will pick up orders up and deliver to a customer’s house.

The service is free – no fares for delivery. Service can be booked the same day or in advance, just as rides are booked.

Deliveries are received within 60 minutes of the scheduled pickup time.

Tell the store Metro Mobility is picking up and provide the reservationist the order number, if provided, as proof of purchase.

Pickups must be scheduled at a commercial location.

Drivers will verify a customer’s photo ID at drop-off.

Metro Mobility is also providing free rides for health care workers. Workers have to show an i.d. badge, proving they work at a health care facility. Disability advocacy groups have sought a policy decision to see if this applies to personal care attendants.

Rodney “Rod” Lowell Henslin’s medical facilities reflect unique and accessible design. Henlsin died in April. He was 95 and most recently lived in Eden Prairie.

Henslin grew up in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood in the shadow of the Cathedral of St. Paul. He attended Mechanic Arts High School. He met Lorraine de Louismet at age

15, and they were married during a two week leave in his service as a Navy Pilot. They were married for 74 years before her death in 2017.

He was a registered architect in 13 states and had an impressive career designing medical facilities. He pioneered the circular hospital design at Regions Hospital, and designed major medical centers including Mayo, Massachusetts General, Beth Israel Medical Center, Mary Hitchcock Hospital, Health Partners Clinics and numerous Shriners’ burn units and medical centers for children with disabilities.

He enjoyed building furniture as a hobby.

Henslin is survived by his three daughters and their families. There will be a private interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, with a celebration of life at a later date.

Anderson was district court judge

Steven A. Anderson was someone who worked hard and didn’t seek recognition. Anderson died in April after a short battle with COVID-19. He was 65 and lived in Mille Lacs County.

Born with one arm, Anderson grew up in Minneapolis.

His family noted that he never viewed this as a disability, but as an opportunity to figure out a new way of doing something. It never stopped him from doing anything.

Anderson graduated at the top of his class from Patrick Henry High School in 1972, where he attained the status of Eagle Scout, was a trumpet player, and was a letter winner in football and track. He was also a graduate of the University of Minnesota and its law school.

He worked as an attorney in Princeton and served as city attorney for Princeton, Milaca, and other surrounding communities.

In 2006, then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty appointed Anderson to a district court judgeship in the Seventh Judicial District of Minnesota.

May 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 5

Pg 10

RADIO TALKING BOOK COVID-19 Update This month’s Radio News is much more slim and trim than usual. During the uncertain and rapidly-changing COVID-19 pandemic, Radio Talking Book have made temporary changes in order to continue broadcasting.

Gov. Tim Walz issued a stay-at-home order in late March to protect the safety of Minnesotans and ensure that those on the frontlines get necessary equipment and supplies.

This order required a shutdown of the SSB Communication Center in St. Paul, putting RTB on temporary hold.

Beginning March 27, RTB began broadcasting the signal from the University of Kansas Audio-Reader Network. Audio-Reader is a reading and information service for blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled individuals, and broadcasts daily newspapers, magazines, and books 24 hours a day. This interim change has met a positive response. To learn more about this service, go to www.reader.ku.edu.

RTB resumed newspaper broadcasts on April 16. Michael LaFleur again presents state and local news 9-11 a.m. weekdays, with Edy Elliott presenting on Saturdays and Sundays. Brad Bronk presents the New York Times 5-6 p.m. weekdays.

The intent is for regular broadcasting to return as soon as possible. Once the Communication Center reopens, radio Talking Book will begin regular programming again as soon as possible. Regular programs will return and for those who were following books underway before the shutdown began, be aware that each book will start again from page one. That will listeners a chance to get caught up or jump in at the beginning.

Don’t hesitate to contact State Services for the Blind (SSB) at 651-539-2300 or 1-800-6529000) or by email, ssb.info@state.mn.us, for more information.

SSB services during COVID-19 Here’s an overview of what to expect from SSB during the stay-at-home period: • Staff will continue to assist customers by phone, email and through other virtual channels.

• Custom transcription of print materials into audio and e-text is suspended for now.

• Braille production will continue, although

though there may be delays in getting materials to customers.

SSB’s general email will be checked regularly, at ssb.info@state.mn.us • SSB’s main number, 651-539-2300, will be checked daily. Staff will respond within two days.

AROUND THE DIAL Disability and Progress KFAI Radio, 6-7 p.m. Thu. Host Sam Jasmine and her guests explore a wide range of topics that are important to people with disabilities. KFAI is at 90.3 FM in Minneapolis and 106.7 in St. Paul. Listeners outside of the Twin Cities, or those looking for a past show, will find the show’s archives online at www.kfai.org Look for the link to archives and for Disability and Progress. Listeners need to have a Real Audio Player downloaded. A smartphone app is also available to hear archived programs.

To make comments or make suggestions, call 612341-3144, or email disabilityandprogress@tcq.net. Postal mail can be sent to KFAI, 1808 Riverside Ave. S., Disability and Progress, Box 116, Minneapolis MN 55454.

New listening options A new RTB app is now available for both iOS and Android devices. The app can be found in the Apple app store for iOS, and the Google Play store for Android. Both apps will enable listener to listen to our live stream, or archived programming from the past week.

When searching in either store make sure to select MN RTB, as other radio reading services have made apps available. In the Apple store use the terms Radio Talking Book or RTB without the quotes; in the Google Play store, search for Radio Talking Book.

An RTB “skill” is also now available on Amazon smart speakers. To begin say, Alexa, enable Radio Talking Book. Alexa will ask if the user wants to play RTB, hear the schedule, or find out what is now playing. Respond by saying, Alexa, play Radio Talking Book.

Next, Alexa will ask if the user if he/she/they are blind or print-impaired. This is so those eligible for the service can be sure to gain access. Those eligible need to say, yes, so that Alexa will play the RTB live stream.

Current schedule information cannot be accessed because regular programming isn’t being aired at this time.

Listen to RTB’s live or archived programs online at www.mnssb.org/rtb. Call or email to get a password for the site. The password requirement will be removed in the near future.

The NFB-NEWSLINE service will continue.

The service provides access to more than 500 magazines and newspapers, plus information on COVID-19 in the Breaking News section. To learn more about NFB-NEWSLINE visit www. nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-newsline. Call or email for more information.

Conor’s Corner St. Paul Highland Park resident Conor O’Meara can be heard at 10 a.m. Mon, replayed 8 a.m. Saturdays, at 94.1 or WFNU.org Frogtown Community Radio. The show can also be found on Spotify and Mixcloud. Find the radio station at www.wfnu.org The on-air studio line, offered 10-11 a.m. Mondays, is 651.313.5125.

O’Meara conducts a wide range of interviews, talks about what is going on in his life and even sings a little Elvis Presley when the time is right. He is a past Minnesota State High School League adapted bowling champion. T-shirts from the show are for sale at the St. Paul Highland Park Lund’s & Byerly’s store.

Disability Viewpoints Disability Viewpoints is an award-winning public access television show by and for people with disabilities. Mark Hughes and his team of co-hosts feature current news, interesting people and groups, and events in Minnesota’s disability community. The show is produced by volunteers at St. Paul Neighborhood Network. Some shows are archived on YouTube, so search for Disability Viewpoints on that web channel to find past shows. Visit the show’s Facebook page, and www. spnn.org Other programming Access Press is interested in listing regularly scheduled broadcast, cablecast or podcast programs by and for people with disabilities.

Programming needs to have a tie to Minnesota or the Upper Midwest.

Around the Dial is published on a space-available basis. Anyone with questions can contact jane@accesspress.org

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May 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 5

Pg 11

SHORTAGE From page 1

Reform Coalition began the session with a push for higher PCA wages, increased pay rates for those providing enhanced care, and more data collection to Sen. Jerry Relph (R-St. Cloud) said he hopes to find the needed funding to meet the PCA needs. “But we’re also looking at the absolute decimation of our budget forecast,” he said.

“One of the biggest uncertainties now is that of resources,” said Matthew Bergeron of the Minnesota First Providers Alliances.

The PCA Reform Coalition and the Minnesota Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities (MNCCD) April 14 hosted a virtual forum for people with disabilities, caregivers, family members and agency staff. Almost 60 people from throughout Minnesota participated, as did representatives of the labor union SEIU and the Minnesota First Providers Alliance.

Many groups and self-advocates are seeking a temporary wage increase. Another ask is for adequate personal protective equipment for PCAs and other caregivers. A third request is for stepped-up COVID-19 testing for those who provide care.

Legislators listened as stories were shared. The prepandemic worker shortage has been complicated by several factors, said Jeff Bangsberg, board chairman of the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL) and a leader in the PCA Reform Coalition. One wrinkle is that when colleges and universities shut down their campuses, students who worked in direct care went home weeks before the end of their terms.

Caregivers are finding other work and leaving the field for more money and less stress. Some can collect more money by going on unemployment than they can make working.

Throughout the state, people with disabilities cannot hire new staff. Some current staff members are staying home, fearful of becoming sick. Others have had exposure to a person with COVID-19, and are quarantined.

“We know that everyone’s experience is different,” said Tyler Frank of SEIU, the union representing healthcare workers. Workers have three main concerns.

One question is how they can be paid for overtime.

Another is how they can get sick pay as needed. A third need is for personal protective equipment or PPE, including gloves, masks, face shields and gowns.

For both clients and staff, one huge issue is the difficulty in finding PPE. MRCI Work Source provides PCA Choice service in 50 Minnesota counties, said Julie Lux, strategic relations manager for the Client Directed Services Department of MRCI. She described the unique circumstances Greater Minnesota communities face.

“We’re desperate for personal protective equipment and cannot find it. We need gowns, gloves and masks.”

Many rural Minnesota residents don’t have easy access to stores to buy what they needed, Lux said. That’s even true of toilet paper, liquid hand soap and cleaning products. “When they do get to a store, there’s nothing there for them.”

Many struggles for clients, families Clients have their own struggles. One woman, who has lost her 20 hours of staffing per month, told the group that she had to post on social media to have a stranger bring food to her home.

Many people with disabilities and their families are fearful about letting care workers into their homes. That problem is compounded in communities where there are cultural and language barriers. Not only are some agencies struggling to hire care workers, they also need to bring on interpreters.

“We have clients who are so scared, they won’t answer their phones,” said Pang Vang, a board member for the Minnesota First Providers Alliance and administrator at St. Paul-based Rainbow Health Kare.

Rainbow Health Kare has had phone calls at midnight and 1 a.m. from people seeking help, Vang said. “It’s a chaotic mess.”

Parents and family members of people with disabilities are stepping up, but at a high personal and financial cost to some. Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) activist and St. Paul parent Jean Bender’s family usually relies on four staff members to care for her son. Three cannot work at this time as they have had contact with COVID-19 patients. “In order to keep our son safe, we have to not let anyone in,” Bender said.

“It’s just insane, trying to manage it all,” said Carol Dinius, a parent from Duluth. “It just has this huge snowball effect.” Like Bender’s son, Dinius’ adult daughter is considered high-risk, so her family has to be extra-vigilant about care.

Having families step up has its own complications.

Lux described a situation where a man whose father had to step up and start caring for his son. The father now faces the choice of losing his job, which pays more than direct care work, or staying with his son.

NURSING HOMES

Twin Cities metro area

From page 8

North/Northwest

Aftenro, Duluth, $10,845 to develop and implement Centers for Disease Control guidelines for prescribing antibiotics.

Aicota Health Care Center, Aitken, $20,264 to enhance pain management by focusing on short stay residents or those with cognitive limitations for expressing pain.

LakeWood Care Center, Staples, $11,321 to develop and implement a life enrichment program for residents with dementia.

Lakewood Health System, Staples, $26,054 to implement a restorative sleep program.

The Gardens at Foley, $25,846 to improve quality of life by enhancing meaningful activity programming.

South/Southwest

Divine Providence Community Home, Sleepy Eye, $10,413 to develop and implement a restorative sleep program.

Gundersen Health Collaborative, Spring Grove, $11,818 to enhance the skin care and wound management programming with the addition of wound nurse certification.

Heartland Senior Living, Truman, $11,335 to improve residents’ mental health by enhancing the meaningful activity programs and incorporating telemedicine into the facility.

Mayo Clinic Health System, Lake City Care Center, $26,861 to revise and implement a new fall prevention program. The facility will take a comprehensive residentcentered approach aimed at identifying and reducing risk factors for falls.

Oak Hills Living Center, New Ulm, $13,518 to implement a project focusing on behavioral and mental health management with a resident-centered approach.

Addressing the worker shortage Some PCAs and other direct care staff have been laid off. Jillian Nelson, AuSM’s community resource and policy advocate, also works part-time as a PCA. She has lost all of her hours due to the pandemic. “There’s no support for people like me,” she said. “I cannot qualify for unemployment; I cannot pay my bills … it’s just a frustrating time in this field.”

The Best Life Alliance, a statewide coalition of more than 130 organizations, is targeting those laid off as it touts the need for 18,500 skilled caregivers. The group has announced the #MeetTheNeedMN campaign to hire new support professionals for Minnesotans with disabilities. Part of the campaign is to appeal to an array of workers to join the disability services industry, not just those providing care.

“We know that many Minnesotans who worked in bars, restaurants and stores have recently lost their jobs along with many others who are experiencing employment uncertainty. Through #MeetTheNeedMN, we want to invite these valuable workers into our industry where the need for support professionals is greater than ever,” said Sue Schettle, CEO of ARRM, an association of more than 200 service providers in Minnesota and member of the Best Life Alliance.

“It’s a critical time for Minnesotans with disabilities.

By bringing on more workers into this meaningful and rewarding field, we can ensure continued access to care throughout this crisis and create opportunities for displaced workers,” Schettle said.

Pandemic coverage is by Managing Editor Jane McClure.

CLASSIFIEDS

Andrew Residence, Minneapolis, $46,154 to provide additional support for residents who want to work or are currently employed.

Medical Equipment For Sale Benedictine Health Center of Minneapolis, $27,340 Invacare equipment: Sit-to-Stand w/hand pump, to reduce re-hospitalization by reducing the number of Hoyer Lift battery-operated 450 lb max, power infections related to ventilator use by implementing new wheelchair. Call 763-228-1378 technology and utilizing evidence-based best practices.

Benedictine Health System Collaborative, multiple For Rent locations, $209,336 to develop and implement a residentCalvary Center Apts: 7650 Golden Valley Road, centered, integrated, restorative nursing model of care.

Bethesda, St. Paul, $32,380 to improve residents’ mental Golden Valley, MN. A Section 8 building now health by reducing symptoms of depression and reducing accepting applications for our waiting list. Call 9 am the use of anti-depressants. to 4 pm, Mon – Fri Birchwood Care Home, Minneapolis, $22,119 to develop 763-546-4988 for Ridge Manor a resident-centered behavioral management program using an application. evidenced-based practices to improve quality of life.

Equal Opportunity Apartments Ecumen Collaborative, multiple locations, $87,974 Housing.

to develop and implement a comprehensive continence Ridge Manor Apartments program.

Find your new Empira Collaborative, multiple locations, $534,918 to in Delano is accepting home with At improve resident bowel and bladder elimination needs. applications for our 1 Home Apartments.

Good Samaritan Society-Ambassador, New Hope, and 2-bedroom units!

Call 651-224-1234 $23,020 to improve how meals are prepared, presented or visit AtHoPlease call (763) 274-2700 and delivered, and to offer residents more food choices meApartments. for your application with anytime menus. com for an aparttoday!

Hayes Residence, St. Paul, $18,782 to enhance residents’ ment or town family and representative relationships by creating an home. Equal Openvironment where families and representatives will visit portunity Housing. more often and feel connected to their community.

Monarch Healthcare Management, multiple locations, $48,629 to develop a model of therapeutic programming and education to improve residents’ well-being.

Classified rates: $15 (first 18 words) and 65¢ per word thereafter.

Southview Acres Health Care Center, West St. Paul, Classified ads prepaid. Mail to: Access Press, Capitol Ridge Inn $30,270 to enhance pain management programming for Offices; 161 St. Anthony Ave; #910; St. Paul, MN 55103; Phone: 651short-stay residents.

The Emeralds at St. Paul, $57,730 to improve quality of 644-2133; Fax 651-644-2136; Email: access@accesspress.org life by enhancing the meaningful activity programming.

May 1, 2020 Volume 31, Number 5

We’re for the people living in group homes.

Nursing homes.

Single family homes.

Section 8 homes.

People and service dogs lined up during for public testimony.

Any homes.

UCare has health plans for everyone.

Get started at ucare.org Call 1-866-457-7144 | TTY 1-800-688-2534 No English 1-800-688-2534

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