NCDDR Webcast On Technology Transfer

Please join NCDDR for a webcast hosted by SEDL and the Center on Knowledge Translation for Technology Transfer (KT4TT), in collaboration with the Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) program at Memorial Herman/TIRR.
Monday, June 29, 2009: Knowledge Translation for Technology Transfer: Ensuring Beneficial Impacts from Research & Development

The 60-minute webcast will begin at 3:00pm Eastern; 2:00pm Central; 1:00pm Mountain; 12:00pm Pacific; 11:00am Alaska; 9:00am Hawaii.
Webcast Registration (no fee to participate):https://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/12291g3dc20

NCDDR is working with The University at Buffalo Continuing Education Office to offer 0.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for participating in the webcast. Note that a fee of $15 would be required by the Continuing Education Office to process the CEUs. Information about how to request the CEUs will be provided at a later date.

You may read this online: http://www.ncddr.org/webcasts/18/index.html

Jamaican Culture and Rehabilitation Issues

You are invited to join a webcast hosted by the National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) on Thursday, July 16, 2009: Jamaican Culture and Rehabilitation Issues. The featured presenter is Doreen M. Miller, RhD, CRC.

The 90-minute webcast will begin at 3:00pm Eastern; 2:00pm Central; 1:00pm Mountain; 12:00pm Pacific; 11:00am Alaska; 9:00am Hawaii.

The webcast is presented in collaboration with the Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) program at Memorial HermanTIRR. Webcast Registration (no fee to participate):https://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/12291g3e38e SEDL has received pre-approval from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) for 1.5 Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Continuing Education Units (CRC-CEUs) for participating in the webcast, or viewing the archive of the webcast, through 12-31-09.

NRCA Announces Medicare Committee Draft

From the National Rehabilitation Counseling Association:

The three House committees with jurisdiction over health care—the House Ways & Means Committee, the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and the House Education & Labor Committee—have released draft health care reform legislation, including provisions to update the Medicare program.

Importantly, the draft legislation (known as the “Tri-Committee” draft) would establish Medicare coverage of licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists. The legislation makes significant changes to the way the current health insurance marketplace works in the U.S., with the goal of building on our current system to broaden coverage and constrain health care cost increases. Information on the legislation, including the bill text and a summary, is on the House Education & Labor Committee’s website at http://edlabor.house.gov/blog/2009/06/health-care-reform-house-dems.shtml

New CRCC Salary Report on Rehab Counselors

CRCC, US-- The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification released the "CRCC Issues 2008 Salary Report: An Update on Salaries in the Rehabilitation Counseling Profession".
In May 2007, CRCC conducted constituent research among 1,220 Certified Rehabilitation Counselors. The resulting 2008 Salary Report provides valuable insights and is a resource in helping to assess how individual compensation compares across fellow Certified Rehabilitation Counselors. Areas addressed include salary by demographics, disability, education, work setting, and length of time in the rehabilitation counseling profession.

The 2008 Salary Report is available on the CRCC website, News & Events page, or www.crccertification.com/pages/news_events/117.php or at http://www.crccertification.com/filebin/pdf/CRCC_2008SalaryReport_FINAL.pdf

Legislative Update- HELP Committee

From Patricia Leahy-
Senator Kennedy's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee recently released a 615 page health care reform draft bill, entitled "Affordable Health Choices Act," which includes insurance market reforms, a prohibition on insurers from denying coverage to sick people, a mandate on individuals who want coverage and marketplaces where people can compare and buy coverage. Senator Chris Dodd (D.CONN.), the second Ranking Democrat on the Senate HELP Committee will lead this legislation through the Senate while the Chairman of the HELP Committee, Senator Edward Kennedy, continues to recuperate from brain cancer. The Committee will mark up this legislation beginning next week.

June 22, 2009 Olmstead Anniversary

From Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey Continues--
June 22, 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Olmstead ruling for disability civil rights. Nearly ten years after the disability civil rights movement's victory in the Olmstead decision, incremental progress has occurred. Still, more than 313,000 people with disabilities in nursing homes (23% of the total) want to live in the community, and yet are denied their civil right to integration, primarily because of Medicaid's historical bias in favor of segregation.

How hard is it to understand and accept that, but for the denial of civil rights, many institutionalized people with disabilities would live in the community with adequate programs and supports, especially since its cheaper for the federal government and states to provide such programs and supports in the community?

How hard would it be to enact a Disability Civil Rights Act in 2009 to end unnecessary segregation just as Congress did with the Civil Rights Acts in the 1960s? Will U.S. Attorney General Holder look to how U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy addressed ending discrimination in the 1960s? General Holder could start by looking at the 313,000 people with disabilities living in nursing facilities who have said they do not want unnecessary institutionalized. He could inform states that Olmstead and the ADA/504 require providing real choice for people with disabilities who are segregated and want to live in the community.

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects. To contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegoldada@cs.com or call 215-627-7100.

Disability Info on Twitter

You can now follow DisabilityInfo.gov updates at http://twitter.com/Disabilitygov <http://twitter.com/Disabilitygov! Keep up with the latests information with ease. Twitter accounts are free and easy to set up. Visit: http://twitter.com/

Campaign for Disability Employment News

The Campaign for Disability Employment, a newly-formed collaborative of leading disability organizations funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor, has announced an online video contest to promote the talent and skills that people with disabilities bring to America's workforce and economy. Videos received by July 15, 2009 will be judged by a panel of representatives from member organizations of the Campaign for Disability Employment.
This information has recently been updated, and can be read by visiting this link:
http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=10

National Association of Service Providers in Private Rehabilitation

Join us for our Pre-Conference Session Thursday, September 10, 2009
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm at the National Rehabilitation Association Annual Training Conference: Marriot-Louisville Downtown, Louisville, Kentucky September 10-13,2009
For Pre-Conference registration and discount information go to http://www.nationalrehab.org

A new Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification becomes effective on January 1, 2010. Learn about the additions and modifications to this new Code and methods of applying those changes to your daily practice.Don’t miss this opportunity to stay current with the new CRCC Code of Ethics and earn ethics contact hours too!

**By registering for this Pre-Conference and the National Rehabilitation Training Conference, you will receive a 20%discountoff the National Rehabilitation Training Conference registration fee.

80,000 Texas Children Need Your Help

From the Center for Public Policy Priorities: Affordable health insurance for 80,000 uninsured children is in jeopardy because state leaders think it's not a priority--for you. Last week, the Texas House blocked consideration of the CHIP buy-in bill. The Governor said he does not support it because, "That is not what I consider to be a piece of legislation that has the vast support of the people of the state of Texas." If you support the CHIP buy=in bill, state leaders need to hear from you immediately. We still have a chance today to get this done:
Call Governor Perry at 1.888.746.9714 and tell him, "I and the majority of Texans DO support a CHIP buy-in." Call Speaker Straus, Lt. Governor Dewhurst, and your representatives and tell them: "Pass the CHIP buy-in. A clear vehicle already exists in SB 841 and HB 2962."
Speaker Straus: 1.888.327.2086
Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst: 1.866.934.2619
Find your legislator: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

ORTIZ, JR. PRAISES PASSAGE OF STATE BUDGET

AUSTIN-The Texas House of Representatives gave final approval today to the State of Texas 2010-2011 budget, including important investments in health care and education and $ 4 million for a new mechanical engineering program at Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi.

"This budget does a good job of funding the essential services that Texans need in these tough economic times," Ortiz said. "I commend House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts, Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, and the other budget conferees for their hard work addressing the priorities of the State of Texas."

The budget includes:
• a 1.9 % reduction in General Revenue spending
• a tax cut for small businesses
• 4 % across-the-board increase in funding for higher education
• $4 million for a new mechanical engineering program at TAMUCC
• $1 million for a small business incubator at TAMUCC
• $141 million each year to fund educator salary increases for public school teachers
• $264 million increase in higher education financial aid
• $8 million each year to go towards Texas reading, math, and science initiatives
• $500 one-time payment to be distributed to retired teachers and state employees
• $10 million to fund seat belts on school buses
• $12.6 million each year to fight coastal erosion
• $464 million to increase home and community-bases services for persons with developmental disabilities
• $12 billion in Federal Stimulus Funding.
• $450 million in bonds approved for the cancer prevention & research
"This is a balanced, fiscally responsible budget," Ortiz said. "With the assistance of federal stimulus funding, we controlled spending, made important investments in education, health care, and transportation, and achieved a big victory for Corpus Christi with the new engineering program at TAMUCC.
For more information on the budget, visit http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/ or contact Rep. Ortiz's office.