Week Starting – April 19, 2024 Note: To attract PCA’s to Consumer Job Searches, the following link http://edlitcher.hypermart.net/ListofAvailableJobs.txt has been added to both Craigslist Advertisements https://newyork.craigslist.org See the recently modified advertisement. Search: (consumerdirectedservices) - in Jobs – for the PCA Advertisement Search: (consumerdirectedservices) - in Services – for the Consumer Advertisement Hopefully this will help. Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) Scope and Procedures https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/publications/adm/11adm6.htm List of CDPAP Provider Contract Awardees https://www.health.ny.gov/funding/rfo/20039/docs/awardees_names_and_counties.pdf Articles April 17, 2024 - CDPAS is at Risk due to Short-Sighted State Budget Cuts. April 09, 2024 - One Fiscal Intermediary (FI) is Not the Answer. April 05, 2024 - NY governor ‘very concerned' about explosive growth in cost of home care workers April 05, 2024 - Political earthquake! Intro Statement – Pages 01 Consumer Listing – Pages 03 PCA Information – Pages 05 PCA Candidates – Page 06 Articles – Pages 12 Finding a New PCA - DIA Information -Page 17 Able News – Page 18 Independent Living Centers – Page 19 Alternative Resources - Page 20 Find My (FI) - Questions to consider when changing your (FI) CDPAP Provider - Page 21 On September 16, 2013, the New York State Department of State accepted the Certificate of Incorporation submitted by Consumer Directed Services, Inc. under section 404 of the Not-for-Profit Law. A certificate that included the following statement: We are pilgrims on a journey; we are travelers on the road. We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load. Excerpt from - The Servant Song- Richard Gillard (1974) To assist Consumers with the problem of finding new Personal Care Assistants, Consumer Directed Services, Inc. created a FREE Employment Information Bridge between Consumers and Personal Care Assistant (PCA) Candidates. Consumers / Advocates To search for a PCA Candidate, complete the form at the following link Consumer / Advocate - Search for a PCA Candidate. When your information is received it will be enrolled in the email database, and posted on the website for a month, distributed to all of the members of the Consumer Directed Services database (Consumers, PCA Candidates, and a variety of other Employment Resources), and published in the Consumer Directed Services Newsletter for a month. To just add your information to the Consumer Directed Services database, a Consumer or Advocate need only send me an email to elitcher@consumerdirectedservices.com and include your name and the text Newsletter Request. When your information is received it will be enrolled in the email database and you will begin receiving future issues of the Consumer Directed Services Newsletter and other emails related to the program's goal. Personal Care Assistant (PCA) Candidates To include your information in the Newsletter and email database, complete the form at the following link: Look for a PCA Job (FREE) - New York City Metro. When your information is received, your information will be published in the Newsletter for a month, and you will begin receiving future issues of the Consumer Directed Services Newsletter and other emails related to the program's goal. Also, to access our list of Currently Available Jobs, please use the following link: JOBS Previously distributed Newsletters have been archived on the Consumer Directed Services home page. Finally, if you have any questions, comments, or recommendations about this service, or should you wish to remove your address from this list, please contact send an email to elitcher@consumerdirectedservices.com. Best Regards Ed Litcher Consumers Searching Consumers Wanted: For an Employment Information Bridge to work it requires traffic to flow in both directions. If you are in a Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, you will eventually need to find a new Home Care Worker. And up to now you may have relied upon Friends, Family, an Agency or you may have chosen to put your own advertisement on the Internet (See the list of Internet resources on the PCA Employment Agency page of this newsletter). Therefore, to help you find the PCA Candidate of your choice, I urge you, to do everything you ordinarily do, to consider an Internet resource and to try www.ConsumerDirectedServices.com. Finally, if you try Consumer Directed Services, please spread the word. Tell your friends and associates about this FREE service. Joann Vitiello () on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 14:53:08 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neighborhood Name: Coney Island City, Town, County or Borough: Brooklyn Available Transportation: Subway, Bus, Train, Auto, Phone: 718-372-8425 Best Time: 10am-500pm E-mail: joseann1724@gmail.com Email Authorization: Yes Consumer Age: Older than 70 Consumer Gender: Female Payroll Method: Agency Type of Candidates: Personal Care / Home Health Candidate Experience: Seniors, Wheelchairs, Languages Description of Languages: English Preferred Candidate Gender: Female Required Documentation: Social Security Number, Proof of Identity, Recommendations Hours: 12hrs Days: 3 Start Time: 8am to 8pm Description of Schedule: Night or Day Pay Per Hour: $20,00Ha Comments: Should be able to transfer Consumer from Bed to chair chair to toilet , Housekeeping going out with Consumer during the day be able to dress Consumer . Ms. L. () on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 06:01:53 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- City, Town, County or Borough: Queens Available Transportation: Bus, Train, Description of Other Transportation: Uber WAV & Access-A-Ride Phone: 929-648-0615 Best Time: 24/7, 365 Consumer Age: Between 51 and 70 Consumer Gender: Female Payroll Method: Agency Type of Candidates: Other Employees Description of Other Type of Candidates: Home Aide/Companion/Assistant Candidate Experience: Young Adults, Seniors, Quadriplegia, Wheelchairs, Lifters, Other Equipment, Visual / Auditory Impairments, Special Diets, Languages Description of Special Diets: Allergies/Intolerances —- (Penta Paresis) Description of Languages: English Preferred Candidate Gender: Female Required Documentation: Social Security Number, Proof of Identity, Recommendations Description of Schedule: Flexible 4 hours per week, (additional hours will be available soon) Comments: CDPAP Rates via Freedom Care Agency Consumer / Advocate Confirmation: Yes PCA Information Consumer Directed Services is not an Agency and makes no representation (positive or negative) regarding the appropriateness of any PCA Candidate, or the terms and conditions of any employment relationship. All employment and payment decisions are the exclusive responsibility of the Consumer. Although there is no specific training, certification or licensure prerequisite, beyond that required or provided by the Consumer, if you are seeking employment from a Consumer who is receiving their service authorization from a New York State Medicaid funded Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, the Consumer is permitted to consider your employment only if you can pass ALL of the following New York State reviews. 1. You are an adult of at least 18 years of age. 2. The Consumer is not your spouse or (if the Consumer is younger then 21) is not your child. 3. You do not live in the home of the Consumer (unless their service requires it). 4. You are not the Designated Representative (Surrogate) of the Consumer. 5. You do not have any financial control over the Consumer. 6. Your information must pass a Federal and State Government Exclusion List Review. 7 You have a verifiable Social Security number and the qualified documents needed to prove that you are eligible to work in the United States. The State of New York also requires each Personal Care Assistant to complete a Health Assessment BEFORE you begin work. The Health Assessment includes: - A basic physical exam - blood pressure, height, weight, etc. - A TB (Tuberculosis) Screen (PPD) or a chest x-ray if the test is positive or if the test would not be appropriate - A Measles and Rubella Screen or Vaccine - A drug test of Urine (forensic toxicology) - Documentation of vaccination against influenza, or wearing of a surgical or procedure mask during the influenza season In addition to the above New York State requirements, the municipality in which the Consumer lives may also impose additional health assessments or legal reviews. The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program your Consumer chooses will require the completion of a Memorandum of Understanding (Consumer / Personal Care Assistant Agreement) to clarify the employment relationship, and they may require other documents to help them effectively complete their role as the Consumers Fiscal Intermediary. PCA Candidates Waynicia Reid () on Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 01:18:01 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Address: 130 E 39th, Manhattan Phone: (203) 666-0819 Best Time: ANY E-mail: wayniciareid@yahoo.com Email Authorization: Yes Gender: Female Type of Position: Personal Care / Home Health Worked with a CDPAP Consumer/Surrogate: No Experience: Children, Teens, Young Adults, Seniors, Paraplegia, Wheelchairs, Lifters, Mental Impairments / Alzheimer's Disease, Visual / Auditory Impairments, Languages Description of Languages: English/ Spanish Can pass the New York State Review: Yes Had a Health Assessment in the past 12 months: Yes Have or can get a copy of my recent Health Assessment: Yes Other Documentation Available: Proof of Identity Certificate/License: Personal Care, Home Health Aide Days I Would Like to Work: MON-FRI I am willing to work a 24 Hour Sleep-In schedule: Yes on weekends Comments: I have worked in this field for almost 8 Years. Before my father passed of cancer in Aug. 2023, I was his hospice care. I have always enjoyed this line of work and because of that and my father, I plan on going to school for nursing by the end of the year. Jessy () on Friday, April 19, 2024 at 04:24:12 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- E-mail: Jbraffith@gmail.com Email Authorization: Yes Gender: Female Type of Position: Personal Care / Home Health Worked with a CDPAP Consumer/Surrogate: Yes Consumer/Surrogate References Available: Yes Years Employed with a Consumer/Surrogate: Over 7 Enrolled with a CDPAP: Yes CDPAP Agency Name(s): Chinese American planning Experience: Children, Teens, Young Adults, Seniors, Paraplegia, Quadriplegia, Ventilators, Wheelchairs, Lifters, Other Equipment, Mental Impairments / Alzheimer's Disease, Visual / Auditory Impairments Can pass the New York State Review: Yes Had a Health Assessment in the past 12 months: Yes Have or can get a copy of my recent Health Assessment: Yes Other Documentation Available: Proof of Identity, Recommendations Certificate/License: Other Description of Other Certificate/License: Certified nursing assistant Days I Would Like to Work: Monday evenings Comments: I am a PCA and CNA. I have been doing this for over 10 years. I have experience with elderly as old as 105, dementia, hospice, wheelchairs, walkers, lifts, visually and hearing impairments to name a few. I am A very understanding and patient individual. I would prefer working with someone that is with Chinese American planning since I am already registered with them. Katie Marino () on Thursday, April 4, 2024 at 16:37:14 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Address: Nassau county Phone: 917-880-6970 Gender: Female Type of Position: Personal Care / Home Health Description of Other Type of Position: CDPAP Worked with a CDPAP Consumer/Surrogate: Yes Consumer/Surrogate References Available: Yes Enrolled with a CDPAP: Yes Experience: Children, Teens, Young Adults, Seniors, Ventilators, Wheelchairs Can pass the New York State Review: Yes Had a Health Assessment in the past 12 months: Yes Have or can get a copy of my recent Health Assessment: Yes Other Documentation Available: Proof of Identity, Recommendations Certificate/License: Personal Care, Driver's License Description of Other Certificate/License: Medical as well experienced all areas of wellness Days I Would Like to Work: Monday through Friday over nights Target Salary Per Hour: 20/40 Polonia Lepore () on Sunday, March 31, 2024 at 17:57:59 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Address: Porchester NY, Westchester Phone: 914-256-0115 Best Time: 24/7 E-mail: Leporepolonia@gmail.com Email Authorization: Yes Gender: Female Type of Position: Personal Care / Home Health Description of Other Type of Position: Caregiver Worked with a CDPAP Consumer/Surrogate: Yes Consumer/Surrogate References Available: Yes Years Employed with a Consumer/Surrogate: 6 years Enrolled with a CDPAP: Yes CDPAP Agency Name(s): Community home health Experience: Seniors, Paraplegia, Wheelchairs, Other Equipment, Mental Impairments / Alzheimer's Disease, Special Diets, Languages Description of Special Diets: Dialysis, diabetes, anemias, etc. Description of Languages: Spanish English Can pass the New York State Review: Yes Had a Health Assessment in the past 12 months: Yes Have or can get a copy of my recent Health Assessment: Yes Other Documentation Available: Proof of Identity, Recommendations Certificate/License: Personal Care, Home Health Aide, Driver's License Hours per Week: 60 Days per Week: 5 Preferred Start Time: 7am Days I Would Like to Work: Monday - Friday I am willing to work a 24 Hour Sleep-In schedule: Yes Target Salary Per Hour: 25.00 Xavier Richards () on Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 18:26:26 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Address: 889 St. Nicholas Ave, Manhattan Phone: 917-651-6817 Best Time: 9am E-mail: xavierrichards09@gmail.com Email Authorization: Yes Gender: Male Type of Position: Personal Care / Home Health Worked with a CDPAP Consumer/Surrogate: No Enrolled with a CDPAP: No Experience: Children, Teens, Young Adults, Languages Description of Languages: English Can pass the New York State Review: No Review Problem: No SSN Had a Health Assessment in the past 12 months: Yes Have or can get a copy of my recent Health Assessment: Yes Other Documentation Available: Proof of Identity Description of Other Certificate/License: Phlebotomy, B.Sc. Public Health, AAS, Biology Hours per Week: 40 Days per Week: 5 Preferred Start Time: 6am Days I Would Like to Work: Mon-Fri I am willing to work a 24 Hour Sleep-In schedule: Yes Target Salary Per Hour: 17 Comments: Phlebotomy, B.Sc., Public Health, AAS Biology, Currently working on attaining HHA, CNA AND EKG Certificates Cynthia Vellair () on Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 10:21:49 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Address: 139-48 226th street, Laurelton, Queens Phone: 929-503-0249 Best Time: Afternoon Gender: Female Type of Position: Domestic / Homemaking Worked with a CDPAP Consumer/Surrogate: No Enrolled with a CDPAP: No Experience: Other Description of Other: Currently working as PCA Can pass the New York State Review: Yes Had a Health Assessment in the past 12 months: Yes Have or can get a copy of my recent Health Assessment: Yes Other Documentation Available: Proof of Identity Certificate/License: Other Description of Other Certificate/License: Medical Assistant Hours per Week: 25 Days per Week: 4 Preferred Start Time: 5pm Days I Would Like to Work: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays I am willing to work a 24 Hour Sleep-In schedule: No Target Salary Per Hour: 20 Svetlana Botvinnik () on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 21:25:28 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Address: Midwood, Brooklyn Phone: (347) 793-5671 E-mail: bsvetlana@myyahoo.com Email Authorization: Yes Gender: Female Type of Position: Personal Care / Home Health Worked with a CDPAP Consumer/Surrogate: No Consumer/Surrogate References Available: No Enrolled with a CDPAP: No Experience: Children, Seniors Description of Languages: English/Russian Can pass the New York State Review: Yes Had a Health Assessment in the past 12 months: No Have or can get a copy of my recent Health Assessment: No Other Documentation Available: Proof of Identity Certificate/License: Driver's License, Other Description of Other Certificate/License: Certificate in cardiovascular ultrasound Hours per Week: 16 Days per Week: 2 Preferred Start Time: 10 am Days I Would Like to Work: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday I am willing to work a 24 Hour Sleep-In schedule: No Target Salary Per Hour: 25 Target Salary Per Day: 200 Luis Meza () on Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 00:17:54 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Address: 758 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn NY Phone: 718-930-7958 Best Time: Noon Gender: Male Type of Position: Personal Care / Home Health Worked with a CDPAP Consumer/Surrogate: Yes Consumer/Surrogate References Available: Yes Years Employed with a Consumer/Surrogate: 4 Enrolled with a CDPAP: Yes CDPAP Agency Name(s): Concepts of independence Experience: Seniors, Quadriplegia, Ventilators, Wheelchairs, Languages Description of Languages: Spanish and English Can pass the New York State Review: Yes Had a Health Assessment in the past 12 months: Yes Have or can get a copy of my recent Health Assessment: Yes Other Documentation Available: Proof of Identity Certificate/License: Other Description of Other Certificate/License: CPR and EMT Days I Would Like to Work: Weekdays only I am willing to work a 24 Hour Sleep-In schedule: No "sleep-in" Target Salary Per Hour: 20 Articles Related to the CDPAP CDPAS is at Risk due to Short-Sighted State Budget Cuts. • By Todd Vaarwerk Special to The Daily News • April 17, 2024 In the old days, should someone have disabilities such as limited limb use that prevented the person from performing daily living tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, bathing, dressing, and so on, unless the person had a family member who would provide all his/her needs, it was routine to place the individual in a nursing home or other long-term care facility. Out of the institution… Then it was permitted to use Medicaid funds to hire personal care attendants (PCAs) to do these tasks in the consumer’s home. However, all decisions about the individual’s life were decided in discussions between County Social Services, the PCAs, and the Nursing Organization that employed them. The person with a disability had no dignity or voice in his/her own life choices; so, while in more familiar territory, it was only a slight step up from the nursing home. The promised land Then, a moment that made all the difference! The creation of Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS), in which Medicaid funds were still used, but the consumer was “in the driver’s seat”. After some instruction by a non-profit, consumer run human service agency, such as a Center for Independent Living (CIL), the individual was able to do the hiring, scheduling, evaluation and even firing of the PCAs (now usually called Personal Assistants or PAs). This was an entirely new dynamic, with the PAs answering directly to the consumer, and it could truly be deemed “Independent Living”! Plus, the consumer could hire friends, family, or anyone who could supply the level of help required. Details of vetting the applicants, the payroll, and other legal issues were handled by Fiscal Intermediaries (FIs), often the CILs. A complication… CDPAS works using ongoing support from State Medicaid funds; however, there has long been a hesitancy for legislators to authorize a pay rate for PAs above State minimum wage, even when it was raised to $15 per hour and more, just for employees in many entry level positions, such as retail workers. It is very difficult to find people willing to work such a demanding job as PA for a lesser rate. Disability rights advocates pressed for changes, under the banner “Fair Pay for Home Care”. And, while not quite what was sought but better than nothing, the legislature passed, and Governor Kathy Hochul signed off on, an increase of $2 per hour in the first year and $1 in the next. This was far from ideal, as many of the FIs were owned by insurance companies and other for-profit companies, which kept a sizable part of the raise for “administrative expenses.” and which caused other for-profits to enter the program to make a buck. Advocates lobbied for reforms. 2024 – the roof fell in… After Governor Hochul released her preliminary budget requests, advocates continued to press their legislators for improvements in PA pay before the budget was finalized, but the Governor surprised everyone in a shocking proposal that could destroy all that has been built up under CDPAS. Each year, in mid-March, the Governor releases amendments to her original budget, intended to be technical fixes to drafting errors that inevitably occur in documents that are thousands of pages long, but generally not considered substantive changes. This year, in cooperation with some legislative leaders, Kathy Hochul is proposing 15 pages of fresh provisions that would fundamentally change CDPAS, and all of them for the worse, and in the name of “Cost Containment”! A few of the significant changes: • Eliminating the over 600 existing or applying Fiscal Intermediaries, including CILs, and contracting with one (for-profit) FI for the entire state. • Taking away CDPAS for consumers with somewhere between 20 to 40 hours per week or less and requiring them to be served by traditional home care agencies – a giant step backwards! • Eliminating Designated Representatives (DRs) for those unable to direct their own care, such as children with developmental disabilities and those with dementia (for example), disconnecting tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, from receiving CDPAS. The ultimate question We cannot understand why our state government would want to redirect funds from the Disability Community to further enrich the large corporations, rather than empowering its citizens with disabilities to work with them on changes. We say, “Nothing about us without us”. We encourage anyone who agrees to contact their legislators and urge them to resist these changes and demand a voice at the table for the future of homecare. Todd Vaarwerk is director of advocacy and public policy for Western New York Independent Living, Inc. https://tinyurl.com/CDPAP-at-Risk One Fiscal Intermediary (FI) is Not the Answer. April 09, 2024 The Assembly and Governor remain fixated on the idea of one Fiscal Intermediary (FI), the agency that administers your CDPA benefits. This idea of a monopoly flies in the face of common sense. How much do you like your power company, or the cable company? No company with a monopoly is incentivized to do good work, and it will ultimately cost the state more money as they try to deal with the chaos of switching people. In PA, when they switched FIs (because - shocking! - the 1 FI was not popular), 8% of workers did not get paid for two months. In NY, 8% of workers would be almost 30,000 people. That is about 20-25,000 consumers who would go without services as their workers leave. The Senate is holding strong, but we need them to continue to. And they cannot hold strong forever. They have put licensing on the table, but we are being told that the State needs more. Fortunately, CDANY has a license (we called it authorization, but for all we care they can call it whatever they want, and it would be acceptable). Our proposal would: ensure agencies have the staff and experience to run the program properly; give the Dept. the ability to not award or remove a contract if agencies are not following basic laws such as filing cost reports, meeting their Electronic Visit Verification (call-in/call-out) requirements, or engaging in false and misleading advertising. • ensure that agencies operate without conflicts of interest with other lines of business, like nursing homes or home care agencies. • allow for other criteria that the agency must meet to demonstrate it is compliant and able to properly run the program. We need continued calls to the Speaker and the Governor letting them know that we are not interested in a national conglomerate like PPL, are being given a no-bid contract to have a monopoly. And we need the Senate to remain strong, and issue strong authorization standards outlined by CDANY. I know you have all done a lot already, but please call the Speaker, the Majority Leader (new number), and the Governor - as well as your Senator and Assembly Member and tell them that CDPA is too important to give to a monopoly. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie - 518-455-3791 Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins - 518-455-2715 Governor Kathy Hochul - 518-474-8390 Then -Please make two more calls. Call your Assemblymember and Senator and ask them to go to the Leader and ask them to say that they are opposed to any policy that gives a monopoly to one FI. https://tinyurl.com/CDPAP-TakeAction Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of New York State. NY governor ‘very concerned' about explosive growth in cost of home care workers Chris Glorioso and Lucia Walinchus April 05, 2024 https://tinyurl.com/NBC-NewYork-CDPAP Political earthquake! April 05, 2024 The 4.8 magnitude earthquake that hit this morning was just the start. The Legislature and Governor have provided us with another massive quake in CDPAP. The Governor has latched onto the Assembly's idea to go to one FI across the entire state. This would be a disaster. In every state where they have transitioned - sometimes with a singular FI to a different singular FI - it has been a disaster. In Massachusetts, tens of thousands of workers quit after going without pay for weeks or months, leaving consumers without anyone to provide services. In Pennsylvania, after months and months of delays, the same thing happened. Legislative leaders want to solve a problem that has been created by managed care companies by keeping those companies and getting rid of your FI. We cannot let that happen. If you want to save your FI, and make sure NY's CDPA program keeps working as it should, call Governor Hochul, Speaker Heastie, and Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins now. Governor's Office: 518-474-8390 Senate Leader Stewart-Cousins: 518-455-2585 Assembly Speaker Heastie: 518-455-3791 Tell them: "CDPAP is my lifeline. I chose my FI because of what they can offer. Don't take away my right to choose when it comes to my healthcare decisions by forcing a single agency monopoly on me." Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of New York State. Finding a New PCA United Spinal Association, https://unitedspinal.org/ Best tips and strategies for finding and hiring a PCA. https://unitedspinal.org/best-tips-and-strategies-for-finding-and-hiring-pcas/ Annie Streit, Grassroots Advocacy Manager, Aug 23, 2023 How to Secure Housing and Manage PCA Services at College https://newmobility.com/how-to-secure-housing-and-manage-pca-services-at-college/ Annie Tulkin, March 29, 2022 Managing Personal Assistants: A Consumer Guide https://pva.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/persasstfc6d.pdf Paralyzed Veterans of America, 2000 Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York The "DIA Activist" News Letter can be found online at: http://largestminority.net/activist.html or https://www.disabledinaction.org/ The Largest Minority is a news, opinion and resource web site on issues of concern and interest to the community of people with a disability. It is produced in conjunction with Disabled In Action of Metropolitan New York. DIA Membership: A civil rights organization committed to ending discrimination against people with disabilities that believes in the motto, "Nothing about us without us!" Everyone is welcome. For Dues and Meeting information, please visit https://www.disabledinaction.org/ If you're on Twitter or Facebook - http://www.twitter.com/DIA_ New York https://www.facebook.com/ Disabled-In-Action-of- Metropolitan-New-York The next DIA meetings will be held Selis Manor 135 W 23rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues - 1:30 – 4:00 p.m. Sunday, May 5th - Monday, June 3rd - Sunday, July 7th Monday, May 20th - 8:45-9:15 - Elevator Maintenance Rally at 2 Broadway Monday, June 24th - 8:45-9:15 - Elevator Maintenance Rally at 2 Broadway Come for lively discussion and brainstorming on changes we can make as well as learn what we have been up to and are planning to do to advance the cause of disability rights. In case of extremely bad weather, you can call the DIA phone number - 646-504-4342 - after 6pm the Saturday night before to find out if the meeting will be cancelled. Our meetings are usually held on the 1st Sunday of the month. We only do the second Sunday if a holiday falls right on that day or if there is a big NYC event that makes getting around extra difficult such as the marathon, or if the weather is impassable or dangerous. Our new phone number is 646-504-4342. Our new mailing address is Disabled In Action PO Box 1550, New York, NY 10159 Able Newspaper As March begins, we’re happy to share that the latest digital edition of Able News is now live! With expanded original reporting on wheelchair sports, transportation accessibility, local news, and more, you won’t want to miss this issue. We’re glad you’re part of our growing community as our journey continues under new editorial leadership at The Viscardi Center. Thank you for reading! With appreciation, Emily Ladau Editor, Able News https://ablenews.com/latest-edition/ SUBMIT NEWS ITEMS TO ABLENEWS@VISCARDICENTER.ORG. Ablenews@viscardicenter.org Local Independent Living Centers • Bronx Independent Living Services, Inc. (BILS) 4419 Third Ave, #2C, Bronx, NY 10457 TEL 718 515-2800 x 116 / TTY 718 515-2803 / FAX 718 515-2844 • Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled (BCID) 27 Smith St, #200, Brooklyn, NY 11201 TEL 718 998-3000 / TTY 718 998-7406 / FAX 718 998-3743 • Center for Independence of the Disabled in NY (CID-NY) (Manhattan) 841 Broadway, #301, New York, NY 10003 TEL 212 674-2300 V / TTY 212-674–5619 / FAX 212-254-5953 • CID-NY/Queens - 137-02A Northern Blvd, Flushing, NY 11354 Phone: 646-442-1520 / Sorenson VP 866-948-1064 / TTY 718-886-0427 / Fax 718-886-0428 • Harlem Independent Living Center (HILC) (Manhattan) 289 St. Nicholas Ave, #21 Lower Level, New York, NY 10027 TEL: 212-222–7122 / Sorenson VP 646-755-3092 / Relay 866-326-5876 / FAX 212-222-7199 / info@hilc.org • Staten Island Center for Independent Living (SIILC) 470 Castleton Ave, Staten Island, NY 10301 TEL 718-720-9016 / TTY 718-720-9870 / FAX 718-720-9664 • Long Island Center for Independent Living (LICIL) (Nassau Co) 3601 Hempstead Turnpike, #208, Levittown, NY 11756 TEL 516-796-0144 / TEL (Espanol) 516-796-6176 / TTY 516-796-0135 / FAX 516-796-0529 / licil@aol.com • Self Initiated Living Options, Inc. (SILO) (Suffolk Co) 2111 Lakeland Ave, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 TEL 631-880-7929 / TTY 631-654-8076 / FAX 631-946-6377 / contact@siloinc.org • Westchester Independent Living Center (WILC) (Westchester/White Plains) 200 Hamilton Ave, White Plains, NY 10601 TEL 914-682-3926 / TTY 914-682-0926 / Sorenson Video Phone 866-933 5390 / FAX 914-682-8518 • Westchester Disabled on the Move, Inc. (WDOM) Westchester/Yonkers) 984 No. Broadway, #L-10, Yonkers, NY 10701 TEL 914-968-4717 V & TTY / FAX 914-968-6137 Alternative Resources The following resources MAY help Consumers find new Personal Care Assistant (PCA) Candidates and manage the CDPAP. (Suggestions Welcome) Employment Kingsborough Comm. College, Marisa Joseph 2001 Oriental Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11235 marisa.joseph@kbcc.cuny.edu 718-368-5563 NYC Technical College Placement Office pdc@citytech.cuny.edu (718) 260-5050 Advertising Able Newspaper Cost $5 for each 5 word line (or part) – 30days Phone: 516-939-2253 www.ablenews.com Classified Ads, Cost Free http://www.classifiedads.com/post.php Craigslist, Cost $45.00 (30 days) http://newyork.craigslist.org/ Barefootstudent.com - $75 per month Employment site for recruiting college grads and nearby students. System Navigation Homecare Planning Solutions http://www.hpsny.org/learning-center/home-care/enroll-in-cdpap/ 718-215-0926 Assistance with enrolling in a CDPAP, or questions about CDPAP Call to speak with a specialist. Never any charge for their help Independent Consumer Advocacy Network (ICAN) ICAN helps people in New York’s Managed Care Plans Call (844) 614-8800 TTY Relay Service: 711 https://icannys.org/ Evelyn Frank Legal Resources Program Focus - Medicaid, Medicare, home care services, and public benefits issues affecting older adults & people with disabilities 212.613.7310 Monday through Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EFLRP@nylag.org Find My FI https://cdpaanys.org/findmyfi/ CDPAANYS recommends doing thorough research before selecting a fiscal intermediary. Wages, benefits, and programs can vary between providers. Your Medicaid service coordinator or plan care manager should provide you with a list of all options. The fiscal intermediaries listed on this site are current provider members of CDPAANYS. Our members have all been screened and interviewed before joining to ensure they operate according to the principles and philosophy of Consumer Direction. Your FI should never ask for your workers to sign a non-compete agreement. Questions to consider if changing your (FI) CDPAP Provider In addition to considering the items you already value such as personal recommendations, information contained in company advertisements, or other local factors; when considering a new CPAPA provider agency, you may wish to consider some of the following questions. Please note: the agency may choose not to answer any of your questions, but even that may help you to decide if the agency is a good fit for you and your circumstances. • Name of Agency • Address • Contact Person • Contact Telephone • Contact Email Address • Website • Counties Served • Managed Care Providers • Direct County or DSS Contracts • Number of Years Providing Home Care Services • Number of Years Providing Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services • Percent CDPAP Consumers verses total Home Care Consumers. • Will your agency be required to participate in the Electronic Visit Verification Program? • If I change between provider agencies will my service authorization change? • What is included in the PCA’s wage and benefit package? • Does the agency provide a recruitment assistance resource to help me attract new PCA’s? • Positions occupied by Consumers: 1. Service Recipients 2. Client Advisory Members 3. Board Members 4. Employees 5. Other • If Consumers are on the Board of Director, what percent of the Board is controlled by Consumers? • What are some of the reasons for becoming a CDPAP Provider Agency? 1. Is the program the corporation’s primary mission? 2. Does the program help the corporation achieve its goal of consumer empowerment? 3. Does the agency also serve offer traditional home care services? 4. Did the corporation choose to become a provider because the CDPAP provided a more cost-effective service solution for consumers with more complex service needs? 5. Did the corporation choose to become a provider because the CDPAP allow you to diversify your mix of services? 6. Did the corporation choose to become a provider because the CDPAP business model offered an opportunity that could benefit both the corporation and the consumers? 7. Other • What are some of the Problems with the CDPAP (Besides inadequate reimbursement)? 1. Does the model complicate the process of utilizing the corporation’s proven systems of quality and fiscal control? 2. Does the model facilitate and encourage Consumer fraud and abuse? 3. Does the model complicate the process of complying with and controlling new regulatory requirements, such as overtime, sleep-in, and joint employment? 4. Is it difficult to maintain a clear line of separation between agency and consumer responsibilities? 5. Does the consumer’s problem of locating suitable PCA’s, and managing the delivery of services create situations that are too difficult for some consumers? 6. Is it administratively difficult to manage the problem of collecting all the required PCA documents without compromising consumer independence or program liability? 7. Other • Why Should a Consumer choose your Agency? • Other Comments about your Agency