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What Is the Issue?
Across the state as many as 1400 people's lives may be affected in a real and substantial way if their housing is lost due to funding cuts. $36000/year may be lost to the .5600a group homes which may well cause many of them to close their doors. Assessments for each resident are due to be completed by the end of November that will determine if they will still be eligible for the funding that comes with qualifying to receive personal care. Due to federal citations, the General Assembly took action to reduce the number of people who will get personal care services, and save money through this reduction, not being fully aware of the affect on those living in group homes.
We need to ACT NOW to avert one more disaster from happening in North Carolina to our citizens with mental illness.
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Take Action:
1. Write/call/email your legislator asking them to find an immediate short term solution to stop this disruption in the lives of those with mental illness by finding funding by January 1, 2013. Act Quickly!
2. Suggest that they reinvest the savings that the state realized from conversion to the medicaid waiver by investing it into the mental health system.
3. Revisit the $39M legislative appropriation currently restricted to Adult Care Homes- consider this as well for .5600 a homes. Also reconsider the i waiver solution that had been rejected, that would allow this to be cost shared with the federal government.
The Chairmen of the Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services are Representative Nelson Dollar Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net 919 715 0795, Representative Justin Burr Justin.Burr@ncleg.net 919 733 5908, and Senator Louis Pate Louis.Pate@ncleg.net 919 733 5621.
Click here for the full membership list, and Click here for a complete policy description.
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It's Complicated!
Many of our group homes are well run, protecting client rights, supporting recovery, and only serving to provide housing for the period that a person who is very ill, or in need of short term structure, needs that help. But sometimes people end up staying too long in group homes, or they don't do a good job protecting rights, and helping move to their most appropriate least restrictive setting, like independent living. We need an array of residential choices, and they all need to be high quality.
Other Recommendations:
1. Make a call to the Division of Mental Health Director Jim Jarrard asking that the Core Rules and the specific Rules for Group Homes be revamped to ensure quality, and address recovery. Start now!
2. Ask that monitoring and evaluations of the homes for quality, and appropriateness for those living in those homes be done quickly.
We are counting on our state leaders - the General Assembly members, and our DHHS leaders to do the right thing to solve this latest crisis. But if they don't...consider an appeal of the termination of personal care services if your loved one receives a letter terminating this medicaid service. It will buy you 90 days more time.
Deby Dihoff, MA
Executive Director, NAMI NC
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