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Tags Posts tagged with "Advocacy"

Advocacy

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RCPA received notification today from the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) that the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act was included in Congress’s proposed year-end package. Key provisions included in this bill include:

Administration for Community Living (ACL)

  • Reauthorizes the State Partnership Program and Protection & Advocacy Program.
  • Allows grants to be used to support systems of care for people of any type of acquired brain injury.
  • Allows a state to request a waiver of the match requirement if they cannot meet the match to carry out the grant purposes. The match decrease can only be for that fiscal year, and states must maintain at least the match that they have had during the previous fiscal year.
  • Requires ACL in awarding State Partnership Program grants to take into consideration populations that may be at higher risk for brain injury.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

  • Reauthorizes the CDC’s TBI Programs, including the National Concussion Surveillance System.
  • Renames the TBI Program to honor Congressman Bill Pascrell.
  • Requires an examination of brain injury as a chronic condition that may impact someone across the lifespan. CDC plans to accomplish this through work with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
  • Requires CDC to review those who may have higher impact of brain injury, including due to their occupation and from interpersonal violence.

RCPA encourages providers, staff, and families to reach out to their members of Congress through email or phone call by COB Thursday, December 19, 2024. The message can be simple. For example:

As a constituent, I encourage you to support the year-end continuing resolution, which includes the TBI Act. The TBI Act is pivotal to create systems of care for people of brain injury. [Feel free to share any personal impact] Thank you for your support of this important bill.

In Pennsylvania, our current state Senators are:
Casey, Robert P., Jr. and
Fetterman, John

Additional information for contacting your Senators can be found here.

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A message from our national partner ANCOR:

As you know, Congress is winding down, and we only have a few more opportunities to pass the legislation to help create a standard occupational classification for DSPs. We are so close to getting this bill across the finish line–it has passed in the Senate and has also passed in House Education and Workforce Committee. The final stop is passage in the full House of Representatives.

Please help us in reaching out to your Representative and ask them to support the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals. You can use our action alert to send that message.

We especially ask that you reach out if you have any connections with House leadership offices: Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Rep. Scalise, or Rep. Emmer. The message to those offices is to put the bill on the calendar for a vote next week.

Thank you so much for all you do and for your strong advocacy efforts. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Thanks!

Elise Aguilar
Senior Director of Federal Relations
American Network of Community Options and Resources
Alexandria, VA
(703) 535-7850

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My Body, My Choice: Recognizing and Respecting the Body Autonomy of People With IDD
Thursday, December 5, 2024
2:00 pm ET
Register Here

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have the right to lead healthy, fulfilling lives within their chosen communities. This includes expressing their sexuality safely and being able to access sexuality education on topics of choice.

Join Relias December 5 at 2:00 pm ET as they explore the importance of recognizing and respecting the body autonomy of people with IDD.

Learning objectives

  • Explore the concepts of body autonomy, ways to support and respect the body, and the significance of supporting the rights of people with disabilities.
  • Develop the skills to create and sustain safe spaces that empower individuals with IDD to openly discuss their bodies.
  • Discover effective strategies to empower individuals with disabilities to advocate for their rights and establish personal boundaries.

Register Here

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RCPA joined with other ID/A Associations, including The Alliance of Community Service Providers, The Arc of Pennsylvania, PAR, MAX and TPA, in a letter to Governor Shapiro to thank him for recognizing the strain on individuals, families, and service providers across the intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) community and to discuss ongoing changes that are needed in the way service rates are updated. These changes are necessary so that our system can always meet its duty of care.

The full letter is available here, and we encourage our members to share this letter with your legislators in order to gain their understanding and support of our systemic needs.

For any questions, contact Carol Ferenz, IDD Division Director.

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This week is marked annually in honor of leading humanitarian Helen Keller’s birthday on June 27. Being deaf and blind herself, Keller’s work made a large difference in the lives of DeafBlind people. It is much more common than many people realize. Over 15 million people worldwide are estimated to be living with severe DeafBlindness. This week is a chance for us to raise awareness of deafblindness and make Pennsylvania a more DeafBlind-friendly place.

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