Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
Chapter 171 Plan
Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
Annual Flexible Family Support Plan
State Fiscal Year 2004
I. Family Empowerment:
The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB) has long
believed that active consumer input, as manifested in each blind consumer's
dynamic expression of personal choice, is an important component in
that blind person's rehabilitation. As such, virtually every direct
and purchased service extended by MCB is, ideally, authorized and delivered
following such directive conversations between the individual who is
blind and the MCB staff assigned to partner with them. This interactive
approach to service extension is consistently applied by staff
from MCB's Childrens Unit to those serving Blind Elders.
The Commission has a long-established and active network
of both Regional (local) and Statewide Advisory Councils that serve
as the primary consumer-led forums for MCB to regularly engage with
blind persons of various ages and aspirations as the Agency seeks to
creatively and successfully administer a wide range of services to the
Commonwealth's blind community. These Councils are routinely involved
in discussions of new or revised policies and programmatic initiatives.
New Initiative:
The passage of Chapter 171 of the Acts of 2002 presented
MCB with another opportunity to process a new legal mandate, obviously
requiring an associated Agency response/initiative, through its network
of Advisory Councils. By September 15, 2003, all six Regional ACs had
received a presentation and engaged in a subsequent discussion regarding
the requirements of Chapter 171 and the manner in which MCB preliminarily
planned to implement this new mandate. Moreover, MCB's regional and
program staff directly surveyed a sampling of some 100 blind consumers
and, as appropriate, key family members, in an attempt to both inform
them about Flexible Family Supports and to solicit their direct feedback.
The response, both at the Council and individual consumer levels, has
been overwhelmingly positive.
II. Family Leadership:
The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind is currently
involved in two major statewide activities that are, in part, directed
at enhancing the leadership capacity of families with blind.members:
MCB assisted in the creation and maintenance of a parent-led family
group called the Deaf-Blind Family Alliance. This organization exists,
primarily, to serve the information and advocacy needs of a statewide
network of parents and family members of Deaf-Blind young adults who
are about to achieve their 22nd birthdays and thus transition to MCB
for their specialized, adult sector services. Deaf-Blindness is a relatively
low incidence disability and, as such, parents of these young consumers
are often isolated and unaware that other Massachusetts families are
in similar circumstances and carry similar concerns. The DB Family Alliance
provides a critical forum for these families to share experiences and
ideas. In addition, the Commission's Childrens Services staff engage
parents, guardians and other key family members every day regarding
the dynamics of C.766 and the associated IEP process at the local level.
Our staff work with parents to enhance their personal knowledge and
advocacy skills so they are better equipped to secure the local services
they believe their blind child needs. Related to this, MCB staff will
frequently offer support to parents of blind children who seek to attend
training sessions conducted by organizations such as the Massachusetts
Federation for Children with Special Needs, among others.
New Initiative:
Going forward, MCB is considering the establishment of
a small statewide
consumer group to further guide us in the implementation
of Chapter 171. The resources projected to be available for Flexible
Family Supports in FY2004 are relatively modest - c.$75K - and
thus we are contemplating something proportional. If created,
this group would consist of a small number of parents, consumers and
family members whose task would be to help assure that MCB's FFS offerings
were aligned with real consumer need.
III. Family Support Resources and Funding:
Currently, as virtually every service MCB provides occurs
following a 1:1 discussion with the involved blind person, we like to
think that a great deal of the work we already perform could fall under
the general heading of "Family Supports".
New Initiative:
As of October 1, 2003, MCB did not have a Flexible Family
Support program fully in place. There are, however, new initiatives
underway that should enable this Commission to extend Flexible Family
Supports to blind consumers and their families in the second hair of
the current fiscal year. Following our meetings with various MCB Advisory
Councils and scores of blind consumers, we are confident that such services
will primarily fall into three general categories: Home Adaptations
and Vehicle Modifications; Financial Assistance and Clothing; and, Adaptive
Equipment/Assistive Technology.
Again, we currently anticipate making some $75,000 available
to meet this mandate in FY2004.
IV. Accessing Services and Supports:
The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind is unique in
that our staff currently have the occasion to interact with every blind
resident of the Commonwealth. All new registrants (approximately 2500-3000
annually) are referred to staff in their most local MCB regional office
and the opportunity for a personal, in-home visit and enumeration of
MCB services is offered. Such visits commence the service partnership
between consumer and agency. While MCB serves as a active resource to
several thousand blind consumers, the Commission remains a latent resource
to the tens of thousands of others who, in most instances, have previously
concluded their receipt of rehabilitation services. We actively advise
individuals who are blind that we are available to help them address
future needs at the point at which they believe we might assist them
again.
New Initiative:
With the imminent arrival of a program of Flexible Family
Support services at MCB, all staff will be trained to extend these unique
offerings to persons on their caseloads who may need and/or benefit
from them.
V. Culturally Competent Outreach and Support:
The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind is very attuned
to the cultural and linguistic needs of its consumers. As such, we continue
to strive to have a workforce that possess the skills, abilities and
personal experiences that are generally aligned with our consumer base.
We also have statewide contracts that enable us to successfully interact,
via foreign language and sign language interpreters, with and for those
consumers for whom we don't currently have a direct accommodation. These
efforts are ongoing and as dynamic as the changing demographics of the
Commonwealth and its blind community.
New Initiative:
As we extend Flexible Family Supports later in FY2004,
that will largely occur as a purchased service. As such, we shall seek
to locate contracted providers who can demonstrate that they too
are appropriately culturally diverse and competent.
VI. Interagency Collaboration:
The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind is engaged
in numerous interagency activities intended to better serve those
blind consumers whose interests are best advanced by an interagency
response. Examples include: Collaboration between MCB and DMR regarding
the delivery of essential services to Blind/MR consumers under the auspices
of the Home and Community Based Waiver; supporting the independent living
aspirations of Blind/MR consumers through the delivery of MCB-funded
Orientation and Mobility training services to Blind/MR consumers residing
in community residences in Southeastern Massachusetts; collaboration
between MCB and DMH, DMR, MRC and OSD in the development of a statewide
pool of Supported Employment and Community Based Employment Service
vendors to, collectively, create more service options for blind and
other disabled persons seeking to work, and to create a common price
structure that both facilitates appropriate cost-sharing and extends
payment only after the delivery of a performance based outcome; establishment
of two ISAs - to assist MRC as we both seek to support the Statewide
Independent Living Council, and; separately, to support the Department
of Labor and Workforce Development's network of One-Stop Career Centers
as they successfully deliver enhanced services to blind job seekers.
New Initiative:
The Commission will be very mindful of opportunities under
its imminent Flexible Family Support program to engage in interagency
collaborations that serve to enhance the benefits accruing to blind
consumers. This consideration will be informed by the various interagency
discussions and public forums that are both underway and contemplated.
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