The Arc of Florida - Advocates and Supports People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

The Arc of Florida

Advocates and Supports People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

THANK YOU

By Alisha Linton, The Arc of Florida, Training and Advocacy Director

Established as a grassroots advocacy organization more than 70 years ago, The Arc of Florida advocates for our local chapters, public policies and high-quality supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to be fully included in all aspects of their community. Advocacy efforts and campaigns provide opportunities for inclusion in areas such as housing, education and employment have garnered success through The Arc of Florida and our network of Arc chapters across Florida. While great progress has been achieved toward our mission, we still face challenging discrepancies, inadequate access and a lack of appropriate care options necessary for the people we serve to live healthy, independent lives in the community.

Our society maintains a steadfast narrative of emphasizing the importance of good health as a key factor in achieving maximum returns in quality of life. Charitable organizations and certain entitlement programs make it possible for many underserved populations to afford access to health care services. Unfortunately, although individuals with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities may qualify for assistance through these avenues, they still face overwhelming barriers to accessing practitioners who: 1) accept their funding; 2) have experience in providing treatment to individuals with I/DD; and 3) are available in their community.

Nearly a decade ago, The Arc of Florida polled families, caregivers and individuals with I/DD across the state to present their most challenging health care needs as a top priority advocacy issue. Overwhelmingly, the response was a desperate plea for dental treatment services. Armed with this information and personal testimonials, The Arc of Florida set out to develop a program that would ad-

We want to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to the FLORIDA DENTAL ASSOCIATION and the many dentists that serve those individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their service allows this vulnerable population the dental care and services they need. https://arcflorida.org/

dress this unmet need for service. Fortunately, The Arc of Florida received a special legislative appropriation in 2012 to pay for preventive and acute dental services for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. The Arc of Florida Dental Program was formed and opened its doors in July 2012 to become the first program in the state to bridge the gap for individuals with I/DD to a network of dental providers with the experience and willingness to provide care for this tragically underserved population.

Many of the individuals applying to The Arc of Florida Dental program have Medicaid which covers very limited dental procedures. Others receive dental treatment through Managed Care dental plans, but the service coverage is still limited, and even fewer dental practitioners accept this form of insurance. As a result, many times individuals with I/DD have to choose between dental services and other necessary services such as transportation, group home placement or daily meaningful activity.

The Arc of Florida has recruited and continues to engage dental providers to join our service network and provide much-needed dental care to the individuals we serve. Through the special appropriation, we can privately pay for these services at market rates instead of billing Medicaid or the individual. From July 2012 to the present, more than 8,500 individuals have been served through our dental program and the demand for services continues to increase each year.

A note from a parent whose son received services through The Arc of Florida Dental program:

“I am writing to express my gratitude for the program and assistance that has allowed (my son) to finally visit the dentist. Health care appointments are not easy, to begin with, and not having access to a dental facility that can work with my son’s disabilities has never allowed us to address his dental health. I wanted to reach out and let you know how important this service is to this specific population of children. I had no idea what was going on with my son’s mouth until I was able to take him to a dentist for a full mouthexamination and x-rays. It turns out he was suffering from some periodontal issues that I would have never known about and that would have continued to worsen if we had not been given this important opportunity. He was treated quickly and efficiently and it was all done under the use of IV sedation which made it very tolerable for him. I hope that you will continue your grant program to provide the necessary funding to help with these very important dental issues that would go unnoticed otherwise. Thank youso much from the bottom of my heart for helping my son andallowing us the opportunity to give him the best possible care under the best possible conditions. We will be forevergrateful for your generosity.” –M. Velez

The testimony above is one of many that we have received from our families and individuals served through the program. Testimonies range from accounts of individuals who need general dentistry care to those who urgently require specialty services to treat and alleviate extreme suffering. In all cases, the message is consistent: families and individuals depend on us to help them access dental care that improves their quality of life. As such, we require additional partnerships with dental practices throughout the state, so that our provider network can offer greater choices

and service outreach to our program participants. Increasingly, we are experiencing an overwhelming demand for dental providers who offer various methods of sedation, particularly IV sedation, and have hospital privileges that allow them to treat individuals with more significant disabilities. The Arc of Florida makes the process of joining our dental network simple and convenient. Interested dental practitioners are encouraged to send an email to dental@arcflorida.org to request information about joining our dental network.

Our ultimate goal is to make this a sustainable program to serve one of Florida’s most overlooked and undertreated populations. We rely on the generosity and support of the Florida Legislature, and the compassion of dental practitioners who are willing to rise to the occasion and help this vulnerable population take a giant step forward for their health. Together we can help the people we serve secure greater quality of life today and in the future.

Our society maintains a steadfast narrative of emphasizing the importance of good health as a key factor in achieving maximum returns in quality of life.