U.S. SENATE MOVES ON BI-PARTISAN ‘HARD’ INFRASTRUCTURE BILL
Work in the U.S. Senate continues on the amendment process towards passage of what is expected to be a large, bipartisan ‘hard’ infrastructure bill. Formal weekend work is expected as the amendatory process runs into some hitches. How the House will proceed after assumed Senate passage is unsure, but the politics of the debt ceiling and a follow-up reconciliation bill to include health spending (including the much advocated for $400 billion for caregiving and HCBS) will come into play.
IARF remains committed to ensuring President Biden’s $400 billion caregiving and HCBS request and the spirit of the Better Care Better Jobs Act are included in the reconciliation package, and we thank the offices of Senators Duckworth and Durbin, as well as Congresspersons Schakowsky, Kelly, Garcia, Rush, Newman, Underwood, and Danny Davis for cosponsoring the legislation. (Contact: Josh Evans)
UIC PERSON-CENTERED PLANNING SURVEY
The Division of Developmental Disabilities is working with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to improve the person-centered planning process and expand capacity for services through the Adult Home and Community Based Services Waiver in Illinois. UIC has released a survey to help better understand gaps and strengths in the person-centered planning process through a variety of stakeholder perspectives in order to improve the process. They are interested in hearing from people receiving services, families, community organizations, ISCs and all other interested stakeholders. The survey is open until August 15, 2021. (Contact: Beth Owens)
UPDATE ON MH/DD CODE SEX EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
As you recall, the Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Code was amended to require access to sex education, related resources and treatment planning for all persons admitted to a developmental disability facility and receiving habilitation services. DDD along with the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy’s Human Rights Authority established a workgroup which has taken the lead in developing resources to assist in implementing the intent of this legislation. While the past year and a half’s events made this a less than ideal time to roll this out to our provider organizations, the Sex Education Workgroup continued to meet on a regular basis. Much work and guidance has been produced and can be found on the DDD website.
A Train the Trainer Curriculum for Sexuality Education has been created and Modules 1 and 2 are posted on the IDHS DDD Provider Training page. Additionally, the Division will be offering a training on September 9, 2021 from 1:00 – 3:00 but details to register have not yet been released. (Contact: Beth Owens)
ICDD WEBINAR: STATE OF ILLINOIS LEGISLATION & POLICY UPDATES
On August 8th from 1:00 – 3:00 pm the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities will host the State of Illinois Legislation & Policy Updates webinar with Phil Milsk. This webinar will provide attendees with an overview of legislation in the 2021 Illinois General Assembly that is relevant to the Developmental Disability community in Illinois. Attendees can ask questions and the session will be recorded. Click here to register. Please contact Mariel Hamer-Sinclair with any questions at Mariel.Hamer-Sinclair@illinois.gov.
This week IDHS/Division of Mental Health announced that registration is now open for CRSS/CPRS Competency Training Sessions 5 and 6. There are 3 options for each Session. You can register at the following links:
Session 5:
Session 6:
(Contact: Luis Andrade)
ILLINOIS LAUNCHES SITE TO SHARE VACCINATION DATA IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced this week that COVID-19 vaccination data for both residents and staff in long-term care (LTC) facilities is now available on the IDPH website. Given that LTC facilities have experienced a significant portion of COVID-19 deaths, particularly early in pandemic, this resource will be critical for tracking COVID-19 vaccinations for both staff and residents in facilities across state. We note that as this data is pulled from the CDC, it does not include ICFDD settings. (Contact: Luis Andrade)
ILLINOIS ANNOUNCES $100K ‘ALL IN FOR THE WIN’ WINNERS IN MACON COUNTY, SCHAUMBURG, SPRINGFIELD
The fourth $100,000 Monday drawing as part of the state's ‘All In for the Win' vaccine lottery has taken place, and three winners have been chosen. The winners of the August 2nd drawing are from the following locations across Illinois:
• $100,000 cash prize: Macon County
• $100,000 cash prize: Schaumburg
• $100,000 cash prize: Springfield
Over the last week, the state's vaccination rate has been on the rise. The seven-day average this week has increased to 27,400 vaccinations per day, compared to 18,400 per day last week — a 49% increase week over week. For more information on the prizes and schedule of the ‘All In for the Win’ vaccine lottery, visit allin.illinois.gov. (Contact: Luis Andrade)
STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR NAQ’S VIRTUAL CONFERNECE
NAQ is excited to be hosting their annual Developmental Disability Professionals Conference in a virtual format this year. Join NAQ on August 11th & 12th for this virtual event that offers a variety of sessions and an opportunity for attendees to learn, connect, and share! There is still time to register, but the clock is ticking, and time is running out. Click here to learn more and register today! (Contact: Maggie Henley)
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