The 224th meeting of the CT Council on Developmental Disabilities was held on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 from 10:00a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Beth El Temple in West Hartford, CT.

 

Presiding:  James Hexter, Chair

 

Recorder of Minutes:  Donna Devin, Program Assistant

 

Members Present:  Charles Bergamo, Kevin Daly, Antonia Edwards, Vice Chair; James Hexter, Chair; Bryan Klimkiewicz, Joyce Lewis, James Rosen, Brenda Stenglein, Louis St. Felix,

 

Members Absent:   April Burke, Ann Gionet, Gretchen Knauff, Ellyn Little, Patricia Richardson, Lauren Traceski

 

Staff:  Walter Glomb, Director; Michael Lucas, Council Intern from the UCONN Department of Public Policy

 

1. Call to Order:  Without a quorum present, James Hexter, Chair, began the meeting at 10:09 a.m.

 

2. Public Comment:  There was no public comment.

 

3. Report from the Council Director:  Walter Glomb, Council Director, gave the Director’s report.

A flyer on Supported Decision Making has been sent out and the feedback on it has been good.

Walt attended a meeting at Yale University held by the ‘Banking for All’ group, which included the state Commissioner of Banking. They are exploring how to make banking less stressful and more accessible for people who have mental health disorders. They also a focus on instructing people in more responsible decision-making on banking matters. Consequently, the group was very excited to learn about the Council’s Supported Decision Making initiative and how they could reach people the initiative supports.

The Self Direction flyer is ready for printing and distribution.

The Building a Great Life Conference (BAGL) will be probably be canceled due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak. Walt’s trips to the Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, DC, and to the LifeCourse Planning annual conference in Kansas City, MO, have been canceled because of the outbreak.

Partners in Policymaking is off to a great start. Because its size is less than 30 people, training can move forward. In April, the class of 2020 will select their presentation topics. Walt will be participating in review of the projects.

The Cross Disability Alliance is continuing to host their Friday Legislative update advocacy calls.

There has been one request for the Consumer Involvement Fund by a parent who wants to attend the New England Fathering conference in Newport, RI.

Parent Leadership & Encouragement group has been holding regular small group meetings.

Since the advisor for Connecticut People First resigned, they are conducting a search for a new advisor. Linda Rammler from the UCONN UCEDD has been training the group on their duties, the responsibilities of the officers, president, treasurer, etc., and how to run their meetings. They have submitted a plan for improvement and steps they will be taking during the next year.

The Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS, and now within the CT Department of Aging and Disability Services), and the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is hard at work on a Customized Employment program for Connecticut.

Walt continues to monitor Livable Communities.

On the topic of Post-Secondary Education, Goodwin University is finalizing their program and is all set to accept students for the Fall of 2020. Their model is being heavily documented to prove to other schools that creating a program is very affordable and manageable.

The CT Legislature’s Transportation for a Vulnerable Population Task Force completed its study of On Demand Transportation. Recently, Walt had a meeting with Richard Andreski, Bureau Chief of Public Transportation at the CT Department of Transportation, and his staff. Their meeting went very well, and they found a lot of common ground on transportation issues.

CT-KASA continues to do an excellent job of educating health care professionals about the needs of people with disabilities. They are looking forward to collaborating with Connecticut People First.

 
Since January, there has been nothing new to report on Housing.

 

4. Budget Report:   The Council’s Disability Policy Specialist is on medical leave. The MOU with the UCONN UCEDD is being extended until the end of the fiscal year. Michael Lucas, the Council’s intern from UCONN’s Department of Public Policy Master’s Program has decided to stay on for another year to cull and analyze the data from the survey program he designed and see the project through to completion. The budget is on track and staff continues to look for opportunities to save money and cut back on costs whenever possible.

 

5. Discussion of Council’s Housing Position White Paper:  Joyce Lewis volunteered to accept council members’ comments on the paper and revise it for the next council meeting.

 

6. Legislative Agenda for 2020 Session of the Connecticut General Assembly:   The Cross Disability Alliance has a current list of bills. Kevin Daly will forward them to Donna, who will distribute them to the Council.

 

7. Topics for the Council Retreat in April:  A refresher on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) will be given at the Council’s April retreat. The Council will also be evaluating their current Five-Year Plan goals at the meeting. And they will begin the planning process for their upcoming Five-Year Plan.

 

8. Announcements and Adjournment:  The meeting concluded at 1:15 p.m. The next Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at Beth El Temple in West Hartford.