Announcement/Press release

A new survey shows overwhelming support for giving residents choices for long-term care in the home and community. Tennessee is last in the nation in providing options in long-term care. AARP commissioned this survey to determine where voters stand on key issues. Voters say they are more likely to vote for state candidates who support allowing funds now used only for nursing homes to also be available for alternative services which help older and disabled Tennesseans remain independent.

Parent to Parent and Family Voices are proud to announce the new Family to Family Health Information and Education Center called the Virginia Integrated Network of Family Organization or The VA-INFO Center. The center provides youth and parents of children with special needs, service providers and others one place to call to get information and referrals, parent to parent peer support, annual family support conference, and other training opportunities.

HUD CPD Notice 06-04 provides guidance on the HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The Notice updates CPD Notice 04-05; it is applicable to a) Units of General Local Government (UGLGs) that wish to form a consortium to participate in the HOME program, b) existing consortia that are already qualified to participate in the HOME program and want to add one or more UGLG members, c) existing consortia that must execute a new consortium agreement because their consortium qualification period ended.

On March 31, 2006, HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt outlined new flexibilities available to states under the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 (Pub.L. No. 109-171). Find out how the new DRA provisions may link with other options available under Medicaid to transform long-term care to person-centered care and to expand coverage for individuals with disabilities, increase access to community supports, and promote personal responsibility, independence, and choice.

The New Mexico legislature has passed the \"Money Follows the Person Act\" (MFP) allowing people with disabilities of all ages to choose community living. The passage of MFP dove-tails with federal legislation signed into law by President Bush in the Omnibus Budget bill. The New Mexico legislation will allow a person in a nursing facility to choose community living, and have the money that has supported the person in the facility to follow the person to the community.

The Office of Affordable Housing Programs is now pleased to announce this new training initiative which will use a modified 'Building HOME' primer course as its foundation. Two and one-half days of training will be provided followed by a certification test. The training and testing will happen in various locations across the country and will focus on the HOME regulations. At this time only PJ or HUD staff with at least one year of direct HOME experience are permitted to register.

IL NET of Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) will present a three-week distance learning course. The online program is designed to help CIL and SILC leaders manage organization finances more effectively. Upon completion, participants will be able to identify key components of sound fiscal management, develop fiscal reports, prepare and deliver agency and program budgets, identify fiscal risk management controls, and define appropriate roles for board and staff financial oversight.

It is necessary for organizations working with vulnerable people to recruit and advance promising leaders as well as further renew and encourage existing leaders. This specialized five-day event prepares the next generation of leaders as the present baby boomers begin to leave the field of advocacy, academia and governmental services. Participants will develop a proposal that identifies key leadership issues that each believes their organization ought to pursue. The event is in March 2006.

As part of the New Freedom Initiative, 17 states have been awarded Real Choice System Changes grants. The $25.8 million in grants is to help people of all ages with disabilities or long-term illnesses live in their homes and participate fully in community life. Review the list of Systems Transformation Grant Awardees and Family to Family Health Information and Education Center Awardees.

Dr. Margaret Giannini, Director of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Disability needs our help to locate hurricane survivors who were placed in nursing homes and other restrictive facilities. HHS is enlisting our help so they can work with HUD to get these folks back out of the nursing homes and into temporary housing in the community. The attached memo details ways you can send specific information about survivors.