Aging and Disability Network Meeting Minutes from 5/12/15

Aging and Disability Meeting Notes 5/12/15

Present: Mary Rickard (Saratoga County OFA), Donna Rudzinski (Shenendehowa Village), Kim Swire (CHOICES at St. Peter’s), Kathy Leonard (Eddy Health Alert), Denise DiNoto (Consumer Directed Choices), Eric Webber (Saratoga County DSS), JoAnn Zales (National Grid), Josephine Todano (Wilcenski and Pleat, LLC), Raechelle Perrin (Section 8 – Family Self-Sufficiency), Rick Amico (Community Hospice), Cindy Harrington (Shelters of Saratoga ), Jennifer Baldwin (Saratoga Hospital), Karen Laing (Health Literacy For All).

Attendees introduced themselves.

Today’s Speaker and Topic: Kathy Wallace, Outreach Coordinator, Southern Adirondack Independent Living Center (SAIL). Kathy presented the various programs offered by SAIL to the community.

SAIL is a small nonprofit that has served the tri-county area for over 20 years. Serving primarily Warren, Washington, and Saratoga counties, SAIL covers 15 counties of the North Country and the capital region. The focus at The Southern Adirondack Independent Living Center is to assist individuals with disabilities to become independent, empowered self-advocates.  SAIL will work within the community to remove physical and attitudinal barriers that stand in the way of independence. The Center will promote the concepts of self-determination and person- centered planning for work, leisure and life.

SAIL’s offerings are as follows:

- State and Federally funded Independent Living Center (ILC) - Information and referral, independent living skills training, peer counseling and individual and systems advocacy are ILC core services.  This includes advisement and guidance through benefit and entitlement programs such as housing, options for long term care supports for individuals of any age, education, DSS programs, and Social Security Administration.   Additional ILC services include communication services (braille transcription, sign language including Sorenson Video Relay, moderating communication between people with disabilities and community organizations) mobility training, architectural barrier consultation (for businesses and individuals), community education, and support for businesses/industry/agencies with ADA consultation and implementation.  SAIL’s Queensbury office also offers free, basic computer classes for individuals with and without disabilities.  

- Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities/Early Intervention (TRAID/EI) - This free, 30 day loan program meets the needs of individuals and families facing disability, illness, recovery, aging challenges, or businesses in need of exploring accommodations for employees or consumers.  Early Intervention adaptive and medical equipment is also available to families and professionals through this program.

- Navigator Program - SAIL provides local, in person assistance to explore and enroll individuals and small businesses in Qualified Health Insurance Plans, including Medicaid, Child Health Plus, utilizing the NYS of Health Marketplace. 

- Community Health Advocates (CHA) - Provides assistance to individuals to help people get, keep and use health insurance.  This includes assistance with Medicare, Long Term Care Medicaid applications, appealing claims, prescription savings, non-marketplace health insurance enrollment, pre-authorization and any other health related questions, concerns or challenges. 

- Money Follows the Person (MFP) - Provides advocacy support for residents of institutional settings (Nursing Homes, OPWDD housing) who have expressed an interest in returning to their homes and/or communities.

- Nursing Home Transition and Diversion and Traumatic Brain Injury Medicaid Waiver Regional Resource Centers (NHTD and TBI RRDC) -  On behalf of NYS Department of Health, SAIL provides entry services, waiver oversight and program management for individuals to receive home and community based long term care supports as an alternative to institutional living.

- Independent Consumer Advocacy Network (ICAN) - A program of Community Service Society of New York, ICAN representatives help people learn about, enroll in, problem solve managed long term care plans. 

- Aged Blind and Disabled Facilitated Enrollment (ABD) – Advocates assist consumers with completing and processing paper Medicaid applications for individuals with long term care needs due to aging, blindness or disability related health complications.   

- S.T.A.Y. at Home Program (Services to Access Your Home) - An annual fee based membership program available to people with disabilities and/or age 55+ who struggle with yard, housework, errands and basic repairs due to compromised health/disability.  STAY at Home members receive discounted rates for services throughout the year. PLEASE NOTE:  This is currently the only fee-for-service program SAIL offers.  All other SAIL services are at no cost.

In addition to the above listed programs, SAIL helps to serve the community by offering various short term educational sessions and hosting the following community and support groups:

TOPS- Take Off the Pounds Sensibly

Recovery International Discovery (self-help peer support group)

Multiple Sclerosis Support Group

Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group

If you have any questions about any of SAIL’s programs, please call 792-3537 or visit their website, www.sail-center.org

The next Aging and Disability Network Meeting will be held on 6/9/15, from 2pm-330pm, at the Malta Community Center. Rhonda Rosenburg from the NYS State Quality and Technical Assistance Center (QTAC) will be presenting on evidence based workshops available in our area, the benefits of these programs to participants and how to access these programs.