Planning and Grants Committee

The Planning and Grants Committee 
will meet on the third Tuesday of each month in 2008
from 2:30 to 4:40 PM
in the Council's conference room

February 18, 2008
March 18, 2008
April 15, 2008
May 20, 2008
June 17, 2008
July 15, 2008
August 19, 2008
September 16, 2008
October 21, 2008
November 18, 2008
December 16, 2008
 

Meeting Activities
Date: March 17, 2008

ISSUE:

1. Presentation by Access & Ability

DISCUSSION:

 Presenters were Menda Warne, Victor Betancourt and Larry McDermott. 

The power point of the presentation and the article from the Greeley Tribune about the Bagel Project are available as a printed handout, and will be posted on the Council’s website.

The database being developed will monitor, among other types of information, what the problems are that people call about, what the outcomes of Access and Ability follow-up are.  The intent is to use the data collected to show that advocacy makes a difference in people’s ability to access supports and services and in the quality of life for people and their families.

One outcome from the first series of Mobilizing Families sessions has been the creation of a Special Education Advisory Committee for local school District 6.

ACTION / MOTION / CONSENSUS

BY WHOM/ BY WHEN:

1. Next meeting is April 15, 2008.

Those in attendance: Ben Sutton, Victor Betancourt (guest), Todd Coffey, Katherine Carol, Mackenzie Helton (staff), Bruce Cline (guest), Dan Dunlop (guest), Larry McDermott (guest), Marna Ares (staff), Menda Warne (guest), Mary Russell (by phone)             

Those absent: Thom Miller, Karl Valdez, Linda Dunn

Meeting Activities
Date: February 19, 2007

ISSUES:

DISCUSSION:

1         Reviewed grant timeline and grant status for FFY2008.

2         Review of Access & Ability proposal:  What is being included in the database, how is the information being collected, what questions are being asked?

One requirement could be a presentation to the committee, attempt to get information out to the community (e.g. article in the local paper, article in Impact). Mackenzie pointed out that if the committee wants a presentation to committee from all three grantees for the Five-Year Plan, we need to include that provision in the contract. We could post the presentations (PowerPoints) on the Council’s website. Bring along a parent and a person with a disability to give the presentation with Menda. Please put together a PowerPoint with pictures.

How to involve committee members in grants oversight?  Mary suggested, based on past experience that site visits and quarterly reports would be helpful, i.e. email quarterly reports to all committee members.

Katherine is suggesting that grantees be required to present their projects to statewide conferences, or national conferences. The Council could set standards for best practices in Colorado.

3         RFP re employment NTAR Leadership Center, and it’s about transition and employment, Rutgers University. The deadline is March 31 and two transition teachers in Denver Public Schools are ready to take advantage of the opportunity.

ACTION / MOTION / CONSENSUS

1         Mary will email results of strategic planning this committee did a couple of years ago.  Marna will email it to all committee members.

2         Marna will email committee members a draft of a grant-monitoring checklist.

3         Marna will ask Menda to give a presentation to the committee and answer questions about her proposal for Year Two funding.

4         The committee members will receive quarterly reports from all grants.

BY WHOM/ BY WHEN:

1         Next meeting is March 18, 2008.

Those in attendance: Katherine Carol, Laura Thompson Perkins, Jo Perkins, Todd Coffey, Mary Russell (by phone)

Staff Present: Marna Ares, Mackenzie Helton              

Those absent: Thom Miller, Karl Valdez, Linda Dunn

Date: January 15, 2008
Planning and Grants Committee Meeting

ISSUE:

1. Introductions
2. Project SEARCH voting item for January 23, 2008 Council meeting
3. Washington State model for employment
4. Update on current grants

_______________________________________________________________________________________

DISCUSSION:

Project SEARCH:

2. The timeline for the grant was discussed.  The plan is for work to begin in January 2009, with the expectation that students and project partners would be ready to implement the internship year with the beginning of the school year in late August/early September 2009. Recommendations concerned when to issue the RFP, how long to leave it posted, and when the chosen grantee would begin work. The students would still begin their year of internships in September 2009, though it might be possible for the internships to start in January 2009. The RFP will stipulate that the planning and partnership-building phase of the project will start in the fall of 2008.

The committee discussed putting in a clause that preference will be given to a grantee that hires or have on staff a person with a disability, and that that person would be compensated at a competitive rate. There also needs to be a clause concerning the active and meaningful participation of people with disabilities on the advisory committee.

The proposal evaluation committee would have time to review the proposals and also be able to have in-person interviews with each offeror. The committee would be responsible for drafting the questions that would be asked each offeror at the interview.

1)       Word-smithing:

       a) Include as one of the requirements that offerors will be asked to appear in person in front of the proposal evaluation committee.
      b) Todd suggested a low-risk contract process (that would be an arrangement with Procurement, not as part of the RFP.

      c) Include phrase potential start date January 1, 2009 and no later than September 2009.

      d) Page 3 delete “Planning”

      e) Add as one of requirements in #1 success in getting employment with benefits for people with disabilities

      f) Include clause about employment of people with disabilities in lead coordinating agency and as part of the advisory committee

      g) Include new area of emphasis on page 5.

      h) Replace “you” or “your” with offeror, where it makes sense.

For Interview Questions:

      Define “natural proportions”

      PASS plans and benefits management

      How to ensure meaningful participation

      What kind of follow-up career development experience do you have? (i.e. not just placement)

How to get the word out:  Transition coordinators in state school districts, providers, Voc. Rehab., Independent Living Centers, people and organizations who attended the session with Erin Reihle, Deanna Sands at UCD, other universities

3.  Washington State has state agency leaders supporting the policy to have every person has a vocational goal, and related expected outcomes

4.  Marcia gave an update on the Enhanced Person-Centered grant and the first session held last weekend on the Taking Charge part of the grant.

5.  Katherine encourages the Council to use the expertise of Griffin and Hammis concerning employment of people with disabilities.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

ACTION / MOTION / CONSENSUS

1. Linda moved to accept the voting item with the addition of indicating that the money would be encumbered prior to Sept. 30, 2008. Todd seconded. All committee members voted in favor.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

BY WHOM/ BY WHEN:

1. Next meeting: February 19, 2008 from 2:30 to 4:30 PM. One item on the agenda will be the discussion of VISTA volunteers.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Those in attendance: Todd Coffey, Mary Russell (by phone), Linda Dunn, Katherine Carol, Ben Sutton, Betty Henderson (left at 3:30, before the vote was taken)

Staff Present: Marna Ares, Mackenzie Helton, Marcia Tewell
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Those absent: Thom Miller, Karl Valdez, Laura Thompson Perkins

Date: November 9, 2007

Planning and Grants Committee Meeting
(Winter Park, following Council retreat)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

ISSUE:

1. Review of Project SEARCH
2. Update on current grants
3. Decisions on funding the Big 9 conferences

_______________________________________________________________________________________

DISCUSSION:

1. Review of Project SEARCH. Marna and Mackenzie reviewed the summary of components that lead to success in implementing Project SEARCH they had prepared and sent out to committee members prior to the November meeting (see attached document).  They also reported that the Office of Procurement had communicated their okay of naming Employment Link as the sole source contractor to replicate Project SEARCH in Colorado with CDDC grant funds. Both Todd and Linda objected to moving forward.  Linda offered to talk with the DVR central office concerning Bob Lawhead, Employment Link’s executive director, and Todd voiced his preference for issuing an RFP. Ben suggested that any partner organizations (DVR, Department of Education and local school districts, business partners) would do best to overcome political disagreements in favor of trying a program with proven success.
2. Mackenzie reviewed current Big 9 grantees and budget expenditures. The Committee will ask the Council at its January meeting for suggestions of groups to fund with scholarship monies.

ACTION / MOTION / CONSENSUS

1. Linda will email committee members with her findings after talking with DVR. The Committee will also communicate via email and surface mail concerning the decision whether to issue an RFP on Project SEARCH.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

BY WHOM/ BY WHEN:

1. Next meeting is on December 12 from 2 PM to 4 PM..  Next meeting after that is Jan 15 and then the Council meets on January 23, 2008.

Those in attendance: Linda Dunn, Todd Coffey, Ben Sutton, Chris Luby

Staff Present: Marna Ares, Mackenzie Helton

Guest: Andrea Eurick (CDHS)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Those absent: Thom Miller, Karl Valdez

Meeting Activities

Date: October 16, 2007

Planning and Grants Committee Meeting

_______________________________________________________________________________________

ISSUE:

4. Review of Project SEARCH
5. Update on current grants
6. Decisions on funding the Big 9 conferences

_______________________________________________________________________________________

DISCUSSION:

1.        Review of Project SEARCH. Contributions from local school district and DVR.  DVR pays for work adjustment, not work experience. Job coaching is about $33/hour. If it were monthly work adjustment it would be $1200/month/individual. Question to ask Susie/Erin is how job coaches are paid, i.e. by student or by project or site, e.g. hospital.  Discussion concerned whether to try to find a person to be the coordinator or to send out an RFP for an organization to take on the role of coordinator. Mary was wondering about AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) as the organization that could take role of coordinator statewide. They already receive grants to do various projects.  Google AHEC to find the sites around the state – looks like there are 5 sites. They are tied to the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences. Committee thought that it would be best to have AHEC and another organization with another area of expertise to work together in the coordinator capacity. Could extension service be a partner organization?

Consensus is that the coordinator responsibilities need to be taken on by an organization with statewide reach, not one person.

Identify the possible businesses/hospitals that might be partners/sites. It might be best to start with hospitals for the first year or two.

2.        El Grupo and P2P purchase orders are in process for payment for year two.  Cursory review of the three RFP projects (PEAK, CAPRA and Access & Ability).  Todd, Mackenzie and Marna reviewed their impressions of the morning’s site visit at Imagine! with Michael Smull and Bob Sattler reviewing progress to date with Wheat Ridge and Imagine! project implementers.

3.        Big 9 funding:  How are we able to track outcomes?  There aren’t that many resources for families and people with disabilities to attend conferences. Recipients of grants who are attending conference would be asked to complete a form regarding their conference participation.

Who should be on the Big 9 list?  How about getting ideas at the January Council meeting of the groups that need to receive the Big 9 funding?   Need to set some criteria for granting groups the money (alignment with Five Year Plan goals and objectives).  Another criterion is whether the group or the individuals have access to other scholarship monies. We want the Council to suggest and let this committee to decide which groups end up getting funded.

ACTION / MOTION / CONSENSUS

2. Have some more information ready for the committee to discuss at the committee meeting on November 9 at the retreat.
3. Todd moved and Linda seconded Committee voted to continue funding educational opportunities and local efforts for people with disabilities and their family members in keeping with what has been Big 9, but will ask Council in January for ideas of groups to fund.  This committee will retain the decision-making on which groups to fund. The maximum amount to be granted to each group is $4500, for a total of $36,000 for 8 groups. The motion carried.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

BY WHOM/ BY WHEN:

2. Next meeting is at the retreat on November 9.  Next meeting after that is Jan 15 and then the Council meets on January 23, 2008.
3. Mary needs information on how and when she can attend the meeting at the retreat by phone.

Those in attendance: Linda Dunn, Todd Coffey, Mary Russell (by phone)

Staff Present: Marna Ares, Mackenzie Helton

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Those absent: Thom Miller, Karl Valdez

Meeting Activities

Date: September 18, 2007

Planning and Grants Committee Meeting

_______________________________________________________________________________________

ISSUE:

1. Review of current grants
2. Site visits
3. Consumer satisfaction surveys
4. Minutes approval
5. RFP development

_______________________________________________________________________________________

1. DISCUSSION:

2. Review of current grants:  Discussed DD Suite software for keeping track of grants and grant outcomes.

3. Site visit calendars were discussed and when committee members can visit various project sites.

4. Committee members read through surveys received to date.

BY WHOM/ BY WHEN:

The November meeting was moved to the 27^th, at 2:30 to 4:30 PM.

Those in attendance: Linda Dunn, Todd Coffey

Staff Present: Marna Ares, Mackenzie Helton

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Those absent: Thom Miller, Karl Valdez

July 17, 2007
Five-Year Plan Committee Meeting

___________________________________________________________________________

ISSUE:

1. Review of proposal for continued funding for Parent to Parent grant
2. Grants oversight
3. Consumer satisfaction process
4. Minutes approval
5. RFP development

___________________________________________________________________________

DISCUSSION:

1. Parent to Parent’s proposal for renewed funding was reviewed.  The Council needs to determine if they want to fund grantees at lower levels, such as the $24,999 amount granted to Parent to Parent and to Families & Allies/El Grupo Vida. They have approximately $10,000 left until September 30, 2007.  Mackenzie explained the contracting process and how purchase orders allow payment to grantees. The Council will be using contracts with all grantees in the future. It would be important change the portion on technical assistance and replace the reference to the Multicultural Committee with a reference to the Five-Year Plan Committee. The Council needs to be told that one of the grantees is also a member of the MCC (Yvette Plummer). Include in voting item that offering continued funding is in keeping with how the Five-Year Plan committee decided to offer the same opportunity to other grants that were in place under the former Five-Year Plan.
2. How will committee be kept advised of grant project outcomes? The attempt to assign each committee member certain grants was not successful.  With these two grants the committee may want monthly reporting, as opposed to quarterly, until we can be sure they are well under way. After the smaller projects end on September 30, it will be easier to summarize grant project activities, both in terms of money spent and outcomes achieved.
3. Consumer satisfaction survey results will need to be in by December 31, 2007.  Shall we pay for website posting and mailing. The committee would like a summary presentation to be made to the Council. Change Committee meeting to November 27, 2007 at 2:30 to 4:30 PM.
4. Minutes from July were reviewed. Change the wording re Irene “her participation on the commission as a Council member.” Todd will bring that up with Executive Committee tomorrow to determine if her representation of the Council needs to be ratified by the Council.
5. RFP development reviewed.  The money must be encumbered by September 2008, i.e. contract needs to be signed. Mary suggested we use same RFP as used before, and make it specific to the employment area of emphasis. The RFP should ask offerors to request multi-year (three years) funding. Will need to include a timeline to alert the chosen grantees that they will need to submit a revised proposal and budget for year two and year three funding.

The committee discussed how to do a better job of getting the word out about the existence of the RFP.

Linda suggested letting people at the September 13 APSE conference know about the upcoming issuance of the RFP.  The tiered sheet of added objectives to the Quality Assurance can be accompanied with an announcement of the upcoming RFP specific to the Employment area of emphasis.  The Committee could also take advantage of the national employment of people with disabilities day in October.

ACTION / MOTION / CONSENSUS

1. Todd moved that the committee recommend funding for the P2P project, Linda seconded.
2. Linda motioned that the survey be posted on the web and mailed out to Colorado citizens on the Council’s mailing list, and Todd seconded.
3. Todd moved to approve the June minutes with noted change, and Linda seconded.
4. Marna will send out a draft RFP to the committee in September in time for the committee’s September meeting.
5. Marna will draft an announcement of the RFP and get draft to committee so it can be used at the APSE conference.
6. The meeting adjourned at 3:54 PM.

___________________________________________________________________________

BY WHOM/ BY WHEN:

1. Next meeting is August 21, 2007 at 2:30 PM. (third Tuesday)
2. The November meeting was moved to the 27^th, at 2:30 to 4:30 PM.

___________________________________________________________________________

Those in attendance: Linda Dunn, Todd Coffey, Mary Russell (by phone), Penny Gonnella

Staff Present: Marna Ares, Mackenzie Helton

___________________________________________________________________________

Those absent: Karl Valdez, Sharisa Kochmeister

    June 14, 2007
Five-Year Plan Committee Meeting

___________________________________________________________________________

ISSUE:

6. Amendments to the Five-Year Plan
7. Grants update
8. Site visit calendar

___________________________________________________________________________

DISCUSSION:

6. Marna reviewed the amendment process and the more internal process of establishing a strategic plan to achieve goals and objectives already in the Plan. The L&PP committee members reviewed the tabulation of survey results by topic and think that health care issues were reflected significantly in the surveys. In the development of the Plan last year the Five-Year Plan committee may not have gotten input from the Council’s other committees.  A year later, it seems to some members of the L&PP Committee that health care is an area that may need to receive the Council’s attention in the form of a Plan goal and objectives. Health care is a hot topic nationally, and statewide. Mary Russell reflected on the results of the survey, highlighting the emphasis in people’s narratives on the importance of transition and employment for people with disabilities. Mary noted that the 5YP committee hadn’t met with the existing committees to discuss how the Council and its committees might address the goals and objectives in the Plan.

Previous Plan had 9 Areas of Emphasis.  Discussion concerned whether to consider anything paid for by Medicaid is a health care issue. Todd read from the Five-Year Plan text (page 23) explaining how the Council will address health care issues and performance target outcomes through its funding of projects and legislative and public policy activities.

“While the Five-Year Plan includes three areas of emphasis that reflect the areas that Colorado citizens want the Council to focus on, Council activities and funding produce outcomes in all of the areas of emphasis required by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities… The Council anticipates addressing some of the performance target measures in the Health area through its legislative and public policy activities, especially as Colorado responds to the CMS audit requiring the unbundling of services under current Medicaid waivers and reporting expenditures accordingly.”

Todd also expressed concern that the legislative activities around health care focus on people with developmental disabilities. Irene referred to the language of the proposed amendment as it reflects a focus on people with developmental disabilities. The committee discussed how the Council addresses issues of children and families, as well as issues of adults. Eileen observed that early childhood efforts are often the impetus for system change in other areas of the system. Linda pointed out that elimination of the wait list would have an impact on making supports available for employment. Discussion concerned whether to add health care as part of existing goals and objectives, include it as a new area of emphasis, or focus on developing a strategic plan for addressing the waiting list issue through public policy advocacy.

208 Commission is looking at health issues statewide, with broad involvement of the many constituencies.  There is also a committee formed as a result of the resolution to end the waiting lists.

Irene has informally been appointed to the 208 commission to represent vulnerable populations. The council needs to support her participation on the commission.

The reference to wait list needs to be specific as to which waiting lists, and children and families need to be part of the reference.

Mary suggested sending email to Council members summarizing the committee’s discussion, attaching page 23 text, and prepare members for the discussion of amending the Plan.

Irene wants acknowledgement that it is in keeping with the Five-Year Plan for staff and members to participate in the Waiting List Resolution meetings.

7. $161,000 (from Mackenzie: is the balance of the money put aside for the last RFP, and needs to be encumbered by September 2008.  The RFP will be on the agenda for July’s meeting.  The Council is tracking the Division for Developmental Disabilities ad hoc committee on employment. Another avenue to effect change could be on the policy end addressing issues around transition from school to work. Discussion concerned how to balance Council members’ volunteer status and the need for their active involvement in Council work.
   
   
8. During the discussion that Mackenzie and Marcia had with Mary Beth Greene, of ADD, during the TA Institute in Washington DC, Mary Beth Greene advised that the entire Council should be appointing committee chairpersons, rather than the Council Chairperson or the Executive Committee. Another point of information from NACDD TA Institute is that Council projects carried out by staff are part of the 70% of program activities, and do not require match.

ACTION / MOTION / CONSENSUS

7. Marna will draft an email that can go to all Council members, and send the draft to those present today.  Attachments will include page 23 of the Plan, all pages of the Plan, with references to relevant sections. Include need to ratify Irene’s participation and note that the Council sanctions staff and members to be present at waiting list resolution meetings.
8. Todd motioned, Mike seconded that Five-Year Plan recommend to the Council ratification of Irene’s appointment to the 208 Commission. Motioned carried.
9. Mail Mary and Karl the handouts from today.
10. The meeting adjourned at 4:19 PM.

_________________________________________________________________________

BY WHOM/ BY WHEN:

3. Next meeting is July 17, 2007 at 2:30 PM. (third Tuesday)

___________________________________________________________________________

Those in attendance: Linda Dunn, Todd Coffey, Mary Russell (by phone), Eileen Forlenza (by phone), Mike McCarty (by phone), Irene Aguilar (by phone), Penny Gonnella

Staff Present: Marna Ares, Mackenzie Helton, Beverly Hirsekorn

___________________________________________________________________________

Those absent: Karl Valdez, Bruce Cline

 Date: May 15, 2007
Five-Year Plan Committee Meeting

___________________________________________________________________________

ISSUE:

9. Presentation to the committee by Bob Lawhead
10. Discussion of status on all grants
11. Site visit calendar

___________________________________________________________________________

DISCUSSION:

9. Part one:  July 2005 was beginning of the Best Practices in Supported Employment grant to Employment Link from the Council.  Bob reviewed the work of the project, including the bringing of Mike Callahan and Norciva Shumpert in from Marc Gold and Associates to train on customized employment.  Phases: Discovery, profile development (visual resume), job development training, systematic instruction training, job analysis and preparing for training on the job site.  Four participants were identified and the components of customized employment were afforded each participant. Two people received on-the-job services for a short period of time.

Part two – Handouts: Survey of current developments in Colorado concerning supported employment for people with developmental disabilities. PowerPoint presentations have been provided to DPS (Denver Public Schools). Discussion centered on the Oklahoma model of outcomes-based funding based on milestones.  The model has been used in OK for 10 years, and they are at the top of state ratings for the percentage of people in community supported employment (71%). Colorado DVR approach is a combination of hourly rate and milestone or performance-based pay schedule. Colorado advocates are, based on data from Colorado, seeking to have DVR pay more per individual for the up-front costs (increase rates), relying on Medicaid for later long-term follow-along funding.  Nationwide, CO rantks in the lowest three to four states in amount of money spent by DVR per individual for employment for people with developmental disabilities.  That is largely because CO was using Medicaid waiver dollars to supplement DVR expenditures.

To wrap up the grant: potentially will bring in Grant Revell and Norciva Shumpert for training in Denver and GJ to do one intor to customized employment, second day on technical aspects.  Second would be Mike Callahan providing a training on September 13 (CO-APSE conference) for families and people with disabilities to do some of the work on customized employment (various phases) on their own, using a family empowerment model focusing on school-to-work transition.

Discussion of where the Council can go in trying to address the employment goals and objectives in the Five-Year Plan: What are the limiting factors affecting employment for people in Colorado?  One obvious factor is funding (models and mechanisms). Another factor is who is involved in the discussion.  The usual players are agencies, people with disabilities, and the more infrequent members of the discussion are people in the business community and citizens.

Sources of information on successful strategies:  Virginia Commonwealth University, Developmental Disabilities Council listserv, DDD ad hoc committee on Employment.

In the RFP, we could include a section on Employment works when…

10. Mackenzie left updated dollar figures for the Grant Summary handout.

___________________________________________________________________________

ACTION / MOTION / CONSENSUS

11. The committee requested a proposal from Bob Lawhead for amendments to the plan of work for his grant, which ends on September 30, 2007.  The amended work plan will be on the agenda for the Five-Year Plan committee at its June meeting

________________________________________________________________________

BY WHOM/ BY WHEN:

___________________________________________________________________________

Those in attendance: Linda Dunn, Todd Coffey, Mary Russell (by phone)

Staff Present: Marna Ares, Mackenzie Helton

Guest: Bob Lawhead

___________________________________________________________________________

Date: April 18, 2007
Five-Year Plan Committee Meeting

ISSUE:

1. Status of new projects
2. There remains $161,000 to be granted through an RFP process.

DISCUSSION:

1. Two of the three contracts are ready for signing.  PEAK prefers to have their project start sometime after June 1, because of other activities at PEAK.
2. Next RFP should probably have public informational meetings after the RFP has been released. It would be important to get the information out to interested people and organizations, in CO and outside the state.  The idea of following along to ensure that people who get jobs are able to retain them might be a good element to emphasize in the RFP. In SWAP program people get follow-up for a year. Maybe fund research on gaps in services and supports for one year, with the idea of funding a project that would fill the gaps. If the money doesn’t have to be encumbered by September 2007, that would give the Committee members time to gather the research that has been done on supported employment, where the gaps are, what supports and how long they’re provided result in job retention, etc.  There has been research over the last few decades that can be accessed rather than funding another research project.

ACTION / MOTION / CONSENSUS

1. Committee members to gather research information on supported employment and share it at the May meeting.  Marna will send out information that she finds, and be sure to signify it as pertinent to this task for the Five-Year Plan Committee. At the March Council meeting Linda Dunn handed out summaries of the Roundtable Discussions concerning DVR and CCB supported employment services. (Click here to read the summaries.)
2. Linda will see if Bob Lawhead can attend an upcoming committee meeting to provide some background information and lessons learned from his experience in the field, as well as what he has learned from his most recent Council-funded project.

BY WHOM/ BY WHEN:

1. Committee members and staff to share information supported employment research at its May meeting.
2. Next meeting is May 15, 2007 at 2:30 PM.
3. Mackenzie and Marna will provide the committee with a schedule for site visits.
4. Mackenzie and Marna will contact all grantees in the next month and provide th committee at its next meeting with an update on grantees’ expenditures.

Those in attendance: Linda Dunn, Todd Coffey

Staff Present: Marna Ares, Mackenzie Helton,

Those absent: Karl Valdez, Bruce Cline, Mary Russell, Penny Gonnella

Date: March 20, 2007
Five-Year Plan Committee Meeting

ISSUE:

3. Status of policy to transition students to sheltered work vs. community-supported work.
4. Approval of minutes
5. Update on RFP responses.
6. Consumer satisfaction surveys
7. Committee oversight
   

DISCUSSION:

3. Linda Dunn reviewed the current state of affairs: The alternative is to do situational assessments for students in transition. On occasion, DVR has utilized local sheltered workshops for assessment purposes and work adjustment for students transitioning out of high school.  However, DVR is supposed to use the most integrated situation possible, so other forms of assessment would more than likely be used.  In the Denver area, the local workshops (e.g. Shalom, Bayaud) have either closed down or have a long waiting list, so students are less often utilizing the sheltered workshops for assessment and work adjustment services.  Linda has met with Goodwill, which does not have a staff person specifically employed to do placement, as does Laradon.  Bayaud is pulling out of the NISH site at Lowry, but that site will continue under another organization’s oversight. Bayaud had been paying prevailing wage, with benefits, and not using the Fair Labor Standards Act clause that allows companies to pay people with disabilities less than minimum wage. Linda will be polling local Voc Rehab offices to see how many students in transition are going into sheltered workshops around the state.
4. Todd motioned to approve the minutes for February 2007, Linda seconded. The minutes were approved.
5. The proposal evaluation committee recommended three organizations for funding under the RFP to implement the Council’s Five-Year Plan.  Initial contract negotiation meetings have taken place with two of the three organizations, with the last one scheduled for March 21. The three organizations are: Access and Ability, PEAK Parent Center and CAPRA (Colorado Association of Private Resource Agencies).  Access and Ability will undertake the Full Access for All Abilities project to provide training, advocacy and database development for people with developmental disabilities and their family members in Weld County and northern Adams County, Colorado. PEAK Parent Center will undertake the Enhanced Colorado Person-Centered Planning Initiative Project to build upon and expand existing person-centered planning efforts in Colorado.  The project will accomplish this by making the person-centered planning process available to young adults with developmental disabilities ages 18 – 26 who represent the broad range of ethnic, cultural and geographic diversity in Colorado. In addition, the project will make available training in leadership and advocacy.  CAPRA will undertake the Good to Great: Building Capacity to Provide Person Centered Supports in Colorado Project to establish models of best practice to meet the needs of people with developmental disabilities.  Implementation of these models through a collaborative effort among CAPRA, Alliance (an association of community centered boards), Wheat Ridge Regional Center and Peer Trainers will create change in organizational and systemic policies and practices with the incorporation of person-centered planning processes.
   
   
6. Consumer Satisfaction Survey: The purpose of the surveys is to collect information from people with developmental disabilities, family members and other stakeholders specific to satisfaction with Council-funded projects they have been involved in or affected by. Surveys can be done for current grantees, and offer participants and stakeholders the option of filling out the survey online, by phone or in writing. One guideline provided by ADD is that grantees may not administer the surveys themselves, so that task will fall to 5YP committee members and/or staff liaisons to the committee.
    
7. Oversight of grants is going to be done by the committee at monthly meetings rather than have individual committee members be responsible for certain grants. The new grantees (responders to the RFP on the Five-Year Plan) have contracts that specify that narrative reports will be required quarterly rather than monthly. Mackenzie and Marna will develop a calendar for site visits and let committee members know of the opportunities to go on the site visits.
   

ACTION / MOTION / CONSENSUS

1. The survey questions supplied by ADD will be formatted to use on site visits.

BY WHOM/ BY WHEN:

Those in attendance: Linda Dunn, Todd Coffey,

Staff Present: Marcia Tewell, Mackenzie Helton, Marna Ares

Those absent: Karl Valdez, Mary Russell, George deCurnou, Bruce Cline