What's New
This page provides announcements for events, national reports, and links to news stories that affect Nebraskans with disabilities.
Access Nebraska is a new online DHHS resource for individuals to self-screen to see what financial assistance programs are offered and/or they may want to consider applying for. It is now possible to apply for and submit the online Application for Benefits with an electronic signature. Applicants will be contacted by a local DHHS office to complete the eligibility determination process.
A U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) project that focuses on the employment challenges of returning service members living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Designed for employers and the workforce development system, this Web site is your link to information and tools to help returning service members affected by TBI and/or PTSD succeed in the workplace - particularly service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
On September 11, the Senate passed the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (S. 3406) and the House followed suit on September 16. President Bush signed the measure into law on September 25. The act was created to clarify the definition of "disability" in the original Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (P.L. 101-336), which lawmakers and advocates say was greatly restricted due to several court rulings. Many individuals with documented medical disabilities were denied protection under the ADA as a result of these rulings, critics claim. Commenting on the bill, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said, "In reasserting the law's intent and its broad protections, Congress today is bringing our nation closer to the ideals of equality and opportunity that are both our heritage and our hope." The legislation received broad bipartisan support, and passed unanimously, after negotiators reached a compromise between business representatives and advocates for individuals with disabilities. For more information, visit
http://edlabor.house.gov/issues/adaaa.shtml.
DisabilityInfo Website Enhanced
The disabilityinfo.gov website, a collaborative product among twenty-two federal agencies, contains comprehensive information on cross-cutting issue areas including employment, benefits, housing, transportation, health care, education, civil rights and technology. In preparation for the 18th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the site has been enhanced and updated. Changes include: over 2,000 new links to state-level resources; the State and Local Resources Map has been enhanced to offer greater access to information about programs and services; access to the quarterly newsletter; and answers to frequently asked questions about the DisabilityInfo website. The site can be visited at
www.disabilityinfo.gov.
DOL Recommendations for Workplace Flexibility
The Department of Labor's (DOL) publication, Flexible Work: Adjusting the When and Where of Your Job, explores workplace flexibility options and provides individuals with tips for creating a work situation that best matches their needs. Options include working from home, changing jobs, working part-time, shift work, and flexible scheduling, among others. The publication includes recommendations on how to achieve each type of work arrangement, including a sample proposal. For the full report, please visit
http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2007/summer/art02.pdf.
Federal Minimum Wage Increases in July
Under the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, the federal minimum wage increased to $6.55 in July. This is the second of three increases in the minimum wage, with a final raise to $7.25 scheduled for July 2009. The text of the Act is available at
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h2ih.txt.pdf.
NCD Disability Status Report
The National Council on Disability (NCD) released Keeping Track: National Disability Status and Program Performance Indicators, a report using federal data to describe the status of people with disabilities in America. The number of people with disabilities in the U.S. is large and growing: 49.7 million noninstitutionalized individuals have disabilities, and about 21.5 million of them are working age. The report is available online at
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2008/pdf/Indicators_Report.pdf. Employment related facts include:
- In 2005, the employment rate of working-age adults ages 21–64 with disabilities was 38 percent, compared to 78 percent for adults without disabilities. The median annual labor earnings (wages and salaries) of working-age (ages 21– 64) people who work full-time/full-year is $30,000 for people with disabilities and $36,000 for people without disabilities.
- In 2004, 63 percent of unemployed people with disabilities ages 18–64 would prefer to be working compared to 42 percent of people without disabilities.
- In 2000, employed people age 18–64 with disabilities were less likely to report that their jobs required their full talents and abilities than those without disabilities (40 percent of workers with disabilities and 48 percent of workers without disabilities said their jobs required their full talents and abilities.)
- In 2004, 22 percent of adults 18–64 with disabilities said they had experienced some type of employment-related discrimination. Education, health and health care, financial status and security, community participation, leisure and recreation, political participation, transportation, housing, personal relationships, and technology indicators are included. The report also assesses the extent to which current data meaningfully measure the well-being of people with disabilities and includes a set of statistical social indicators to measure progress in important areas over time.
After many days, weeks, months, and paper, the NMFP project was approved on June 20. We are now up and running and are very excited about the impact we may have on many of the lives of those we serve through our Medicaid services. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions as we begin our travels in transitioning up to 900 individuals out of facility settings into home and community-based settings, please email Bil Roby, Grant Manager at
bil.roby@dhhs.ne.gov or call 402-471-2308.
New Toolkit Aimed at Supporting Community- and Faith-Based Service Providers
Download the Toolkit now or
order a free copy. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a new toolkit, "Sustaining Grassroots Community-Based Programs: A Toolkit for Community- and Faith-Based Service Providers." Grassroots community- and faith-based treatment and recovery providers are concerned about continuing critical services for people affected by substance abuse and mental health disorders. This toolkit is designed to help these organizations plan for long-term survival. Time-limited grant funding and categorical funding put grassroots organizations in the position of searching for funds to cover program expenses. Sustainability is about maintaining and continuing program services after a funding period is over and ensuring that the organization has become a permanent part of community resources. The toolkit contains useful tips and planning worksheets within six booklets that cover:
- Strategic planning
- Organizational assessment and readiness
- Effective marketing strategies
- Financial management
- Fund development and fund raising
- Results-oriented evaluations
Read about current events and other news that affect Nebraskans with disabilities.
In October, SSA announced the 2009 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Beneficiaries. Based on the increase in the Consumer Price Index from the third quarter of 2007 through the third quarter of 2008, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries will receive a 5.8 percent COLA for 2009. The COLA represents a larger increase than the COLAs of the past two years: 2.3 percent for 2007 and 3.3 percent for 2008. Other important COLA statistics include: The average SSDI payment will increase from $1,006 to $1,064 a month;
- The SSI Federal Benefit Rate will increase from $637 to $674 a month;
- The Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) threshold will increase from $940 to $980 a month for individuals who are not blind, and from $1,570 to $1,640 a month for individuals who are blind; and
- The Trial Work Period threshold will increase from $670 a month to $700 a month.
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For more information, and a complete summary of the Social Security changes, please visit
http://www.ssa.gov/cola/colafacts2009.htm.
Under the Social Security Administration's initial regulations for the Ticket to Work program, Employer Network (EN) participation has been minimal and there has been no improvement in the rate of beneficiaries leaving the roles due to employment. After a long delay, SSA has issued new regulations which become effective July 21, 2008. NCHSD prepared
At-A-Glance: The Final Ticket to Work Regulations to summarize and highlight the key changes SSA made through the new regulations. With these changes, SSA has created a payment system based on the attainment of increasing levels of employment over time that is attractive enough to entice Employment Networks to participate. And, SSA has modified the interaction of the Vocational Rehabilitation cost reimbursement system with the Ticket system to encourage collaboration among state VR agencies and private ENs.
Semiannual Report Fiscal Year 2008
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has released its strategic plan for 2008-2013. The plan focuses on four main goals: to eliminate the hearings backlog and prevent its recurrence; to improve the speed and quality of the disability determination process; to improve retiree and other core services; and to preserve the public's trust in Social Security programs.
Thomas to Serve on National Disabilities Advisory Panel
Joni Thomas, Unit Manager with the Medicaid & Long-Term Care Division, was named as one of eleven distinguished experts on an advisory panel to the National Technical Assistance & Research Leadership Center that promotes employment and economic independence for adults with disabilities. (NTAR Leadership Center). The group will play a critical role in shaping technical assistance and training activities for the NTAR Leadership Center.
"This advisory panel will ensure that our activities reflect the genuine interests and needs of state and local policy makers and practitioners as they work to move adults with disabilities to employment," said Kathy Krepcio, NTAR Leadership Center Project Manager. According to Long-Term Care Program Supervisor Ginger Goomis,
"Providing her insight, both as an administrator and a consumer, Joni will be a valuable contributor to the advisory panel in its effort to support employment of people with disabling conditions." Thomas has been a DHHS employee with the Medicaid program for seven years.
Timeline for Key Medicare Changes under H.R. 6331
On July 15, 2008, the U.S. House and Senate voted to override President Bush’s veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. This law contains important changes to the Medicare program. While the main focus of the bill was to assure that scheduled cuts to physician payments were blocked, it also contained several important protections for beneficiaries. A section by section description of the law can be found at:
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/110/sbs.pdf. The text of the legislation can be found at:
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/110/6631.pdf.
The authors offer recommendations for providing successful career preparation support to youth with mental health needs. They studied five successful programs to identify common design features that address frequently identified challenges in transitioning to an independent adulthood. They also offer analysis of systems level factors affecting program design and sustainability, in addition to recommendations for staff and policymakers. For more information please contact the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
via email at
contact@ncwd-youth.info or call 877-871-0744.
In 2006, the Nebraska Legislature passed a law allowing adults (friends, neighbors, and non-legally responsible relatives) to be reimbursed for providing medical transportation to people with disabilities and elderly individuals who are eligible for Medicaid-funded transportation services.
A new Georgetown University website, ArchiveADA, is a comprehensive online archive of documents and history related to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). Text of the law, legislative history, congressional hearings, Supreme Court cases, federal regulations, policy and advocacy documents and additional information related to the passage of the original ADA and the ADAAA are available on the site. Visit the site at
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/archiveada/.
