Looking forward, AdvocacyDenver will be jointly supervised by Pamela Bisceglia and Scott Utash. Pamela is taking on the role of Interim Director of Advocacy and Scott is taking on the role of Interim Director of Operations.
Together, Pamela and Scott have decades of combined experience working with individuals with disabilities, advocating for better opportunities and outcomes for children and adults, and creating policy and systemic change on a state level with other organizations and government agencies.
Their work, and the work of the other members of the staff of AdvocacyDenver, empowers our clients with confidence and self-respect and strengthens our community of constituents. [Read more…] about AdvocacyDenver Announces New Leadership
Helen Keller’s Birthday Closure
Disabilities Fund Executive Cautions Proper Use of ABLE Accounts
An Interview with Catherine Strode
Colorado has now become the 28th state to launch an ABLE program. The ABLE (Achieving A Better Life Experience) Act amends the IRS tax code of 1986. Colorado ABLE will allow individuals with disabilities to save thousands of dollars in an ABLE account without threat of losing their eligibility for benefits from the federal government.
Megan Brand, Executive Director of the non-profit organization ‘Colorado Fund for People With Disabilities,’ administers the state’s largest locally managed pooled trust and oversees a wide range of fiduciary services that protect the finances and benefits for individuals with disabilities.
In an interview with Catherine Strode, she cautions individuals and families to be well-informed about ABLE account usage. She says using the funds improperly can permanently jeopardize their public-funded support.
[Read more…] about Disabilities Fund Executive Cautions Proper Use of ABLE Accounts
Mayor Hancock Prioritizes Improved Mobility in City’s Bond Package
An Interview with Catherine Strode
In November, voters in the city of Denver will decide the fate of a $937 million general obligation bond package proposed by Mayor Michael B. Hancock. The general obligation bonds are designed to fund capital improvements across the city.
Mayor Hancock is targeting better mobility for people with disabilities as a central goal. In an interview with Catherine Strode, the Mayor acknowledges the success of community listening sessions concerning accessibility needs. He also discusses increased bond amounts for accessibility improvements.
[Read more…] about Mayor Hancock Prioritizes Improved Mobility in City’s Bond Package
Self-Advocates Join Medicaid Protest Rally
An Interview with Catherine Strode
AdvocacyDenver Board Member and Self-Advocate Mitch McKinney was one of over 400 individuals to protest the proposed cuts to Medicaid in the GOP health bill in a rally held in front of Senator Cory Gardner’s downtown office. Several Colorado legislators also participated in the Medicaid Protest Rally, including State Representative Dave Young. Representative Young spoke at the rally calling the proposed cuts to Medicaid a ‘civil rights issue.’
In an interview with Catherine Strode, Representative Young who serves on the Joint Budget Committee said Colorado would not be able to accommodate the cost shift from federal to state funding.
[Read more…] about Self-Advocates Join Medicaid Protest Rally
Moving Announcement
Educational Expert Discusses Disparities and ‘School to Prison Pipeline’
An Interview with Catherine Strode
Dr. David Houchins is recognized as one of the country’s leading researchers in juvenile justice reform and academic strategies for at-risk youth. He was recently a featured speaker at a local conference addressing the ‘school to prison’ pipeline, defined by the American Civil Liberties Union as practices that drive kids from the classroom into the criminal justice system.
Now a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at Georgia State University, Dr. Houchins formerly taught high school and middle school students. In an interview with Catherine Strode, Dr. Houchins shares his thoughts on how to impact school expulsion rates and in doing so, impact the school to prison pipeline.
[Read more…] about Educational Expert Discusses Disparities and ‘School to Prison Pipeline’
2017 Session Brings Big Wins for People with IDD
An Interview with Catherine Strode
The Executive Director of the Arc of Colorado, Marijo Rymer, says the major legislative goals for supporting adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the 2017 Session were successful. These issues include banning the use of prone restraints in public schools, establishing a pilot for the creation of an Office of Public Guardianship, Adult Protective Services background checks for direct care providers, and addressing case management conflict of interest.
In an interview with Catherine Strode, Ms. Rymer adds that two public education issues which failed this Session may make a repeat appearance during 2018.
[Read more…] about 2017 Session Brings Big Wins for People with IDD
Conflict Free Case Management Bill Passes Unanimously
An Interview with Catherine Strode
The bill implementing conflict-free case management for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are eligible for home and community-based services under the medicaid program is on its way to the Governor to be signed into law. House Bill 17-1343 was sponsored by State Representative Dave Young, a member of the Joint Budget Committee. It passed both the Senate and the House on unanimous votes of 35-0 and 65-0, respectively.
In an interview with Catherine Strode, State Representative Young discusses the primary motivation for the Joint Budget Committee bill. He says the driver was not actually federal rule compliance but a long persisting human rights issue.
[Read more…] about Conflict Free Case Management Bill Passes Unanimously
Reform of the Division of Youth Corrections
An Interview with Catherine Strode
State Representative Pete Lee has sponsored a series of bills to bring about change in Colorado’s juvenile justice and youth corrections systems. State Representative Lois Landgraf has established a legislative reputation for being an advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This Session, the two legislators from El Paso County have paired up to sponsor House Bill 17- 1329, a bill that supports a cultural shift in the Division of Youth Corrections including a name change. A recently released report, entitled Bound and Broken, details incidences of increased violence and injuries within the Division.
In an interview with Catherine Strode, Representative Pete Lee explains the bill’s attempt, through a proposed pilot program, to combat violence and to change the culture within the state’s youth corrections system. Representative Landgraf explains how this juvenile justice bill relates to her ongoing efforts to back legislation that offers protection to individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
[Read more…] about Reform of the Division of Youth Corrections