The Spring 2022 issue of our quarterly print newsletter Advocate is now available online.This issue features important stories on the ongoing Workforce shortage crisis, the toll the pandemic has taken on families, and the latest status of priority pieces of legislation that The Arc supports.
In addition, you will find recaps of The Arc’s 2022 Building Brighter Futures Gala, an article on the expansion of Operation House Call, activities from Pathways to Friendship, and much more.
Read The Spring 2022 Issue
Workforce Crisis Plagues Disability Services
By Leo Sarkissian
By Leo Sarkissian
In a related article, you learned about the positive developments for Department of Developmental Services (DDS) line items in the House budget. However, further progress was not made above Governor Charlie Baker’s $230 million for Chapter 257, which is based on the law governing how rates are set and paid to private providers for delivering social services purchased by state agencies or departments within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS). Setting or funding MassHealth service rates are not governed by Chapter 257.
A Closer Look at Operation House Call: Our Growth, Impact, and Pending Legislation
By Maura Sullivan
By Maura Sullivan
Operation House Call (OHC) is continuing to grow, with the addition of UMass Chan Medical School. The Arc of Massachusetts is finalizing the details of this new program which will add to the school’s already successful Graduate Nursing Program. OHC now has a program for medical students in every medical school in Massachusetts. Harvard Medical School became a partner in early 2022. We also have pending legislation – Operation House Call, S2615 “An Act improving healthcare for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism”– that is poised to become law.
Final Push Needed for Top Priority Bills!
By Maura Sullivan
By Maura Sullivan
As we move into the final months of the 192nd session of the legislature, our top priority bills are the focus of our advocacy, along with the workforce and the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. With very successful hearings and advocacy behind us, we have a half dozen bills in an excellent position to pass into law but getting these bills to a priority status takes a very dedicated community and support from our sponsors and champions at the State House.
Pathways to Friendship and self-advocates are spreading the word about the importance of friendships. They have been offering their new presentation, “Friendship Matters!: Tools and Tips from Self-Advocates on Building and Maintaining Friendships,” to audiences of self-advocates, other people with disabilities, support staff, and friends. The presentation was developed by self-advocates Jonathan Spiller, Sam Paster, Norma Laureano, and Luciano Garcia with assistance from Rachel Hayward and Meg Gaydos, Pathways to Friendship Facilitators.
