DD Ombuds Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
October 28, 2017
Voting Members Present: Ros Damm, Tony Hall, Sorretie Jaro, Jamie Kasinger, Ky Ly, Willie Medgard, and Mike Raymond
Staff Present: Tim McCue, Lisa Robbe, Betty Schwieterman, Noah Seidel
Accommodation Staff: Kathy, Lamine and Laurel.
Guests: None
Welcome and Ground Rules
Tim welcomed everyone and explained how to use the microphone so all can hear. One person talks at a time to help us all hear each speaker.
Introductions
Everyone introduced themselves and described something about their advocacy experience.
Review Purpose of the Advisory Committee
Noah reviewed the purpose of the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee is made up of people with developmental disabilities guiding the work of the DD Ombuds program. The Committee brings connections from the community, gives ideas and feedback to the program, shares information about the DD Ombuds with the developmental disabilities community, holds the DD Ombuds accountable and helps the program grow by recruiting new volunteers and advisory committee members.
A member asked about putting DD Ombuds posters at the homes and other ways to let people know about the program. Noah responded that we are working on our outreach materials. We are gathering information about the places we are going and will develop materials that work in the different types of homes.
Group Picture
The advisory committee group had pictures taken after the members or legal representatives, signed consent forms for pictures.
Elections: Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary
The Advisory Committee elected officers to one year terms.
Chair – Mike Raymond
Vice Chair – Ros Damm
Secretary – Ky Ly and Willie Medgard
Program Updates
Stakeholder survey - Noah reviewed the results of the survey so far. 48 respondents, 90% white, mostly family members and providers. Advisory Committee members advised that the staff must reach more people with developmental disabilities and more from ethnic communities.
Comments for Advisory Committee - do surveys face-to-face at presentations, during monitoring. Go to the people. Do a better job reaching ethnic communities. Go to Open Doors groups, outreach at festivals and community events. Include interpreters. Many people with developmental disabilities will not fill out survey on-line.
Take aways for the survey so far – People with developmental disabilities don’t fill out the survey on-line but will in person. Family members respond more. Need to reach diverse communities.
Issues that stood out to the Advisory Committee – People have difficulty finding providers, high turnover. Also high turnover in case managers, DDA services are very difficult to navigate.
Website - Tim reviewed progress on the website. Members wanted to know more about the qualifications to be a DD Ombuds and how to use the complaint form. Will it be possible to help a person file a complaint or file a complaint for them? Yes you will be able to file a complaint both those ways.
Review numbers of people served by DDA and types of services - Lisa reviewed the data from Developmental Disabilities Administration about the numbers of people being served and where. All numbers are 2016 and rounded. 44,000 people are DD eligible. About 10,000 are not getting paid services. 28,000 people live with parents; 5,000 in their own home; 700 in Residential Care Centers (RHC); 1,600 in Adult Family Homes (AFH); 4,000 in homes receiving Supported Living services; 250 in group homes; 200 in Assistive Living Facilities (ALF); 300 in Nursing Homes (NH); 900 children in foster care. There may be people with developmental disabilities in other parts of the service system such as Child Study and Treatment, state psychiatric hospitals and prisons.
Report Card
Noah handed out the draft Report Card for discussion and input. The DD Ombuds staff will collect information to fill in the report card and present it at the August Advisory Committee meeting each year. The Committee will review, comment and make recommendations. Positive comments from the committee on the plan for the report card. The Report Card Report will be posted on the DD Ombuds website.
Schedule Future Meetings
All meetings are on Saturdays at 11:00 am until 3:00 pm. Meetings are held in Seattle at the offices of Disability Rights Washington, 315 5th Ave South unless notified in advance of a change of location. Next meetings are scheduled for:
February 10, 2018
May 12, 2018
August 11, 2018
October 20, 2018
DD Ombuds staff will let members know several months in advance if the meeting location changes. DD Ombuds willpay for transportation costs for members if the meeting is held in a different location.
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