Q: I am a teacher planning for Women’s History Month. I want my students to see a wide range of powerful women in history, including people with disabilities. Any suggestions?

A: Thanks for asking! Here are some ideas other teachers have tried:

• There are many women who shaped our history who had disabilities—Temple Grandin, Harriet Tubman, Hellen Keller, Dorothea Lange, Melissa Stockwell, Bethany Hamilton, and many more. Try having students pick a woman and do a research project on how they changed history.
• Try having students write down adjectives that describe women they look up to.
• Find a panel of successful women of different backgrounds, including women with disabilities, to speak to your class and answer questions.
• Ask the students to write down a dream or goal. Then, have them research someone who is similar to them who has accomplished that dream. Ask them to describe how the person did it.

The post Ask an Advocate: Women’s History Month first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Ask an Advocate: Women’s History Month appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

A: The “Transition to Adulthood: A Future Planning Workbook” can be a great place to start. This self-directed workbook includes four areas to gather information and plan for the future.

• The ‘Quality of Life’ section focuses on what currently contributes to your child’s positive life.
• The ‘Informal Supports’ section highlights who is in your network and the resources your child is currently connected to.
• The ‘Formal Supports’ section concentrates on any public or private agencies, and professionals who support your child.
• The ‘Legal and Financial Planning’ section documents which professionals support you and have space for you to document what work you’ve done.

Each section also allows you the opportunity to consider what the future can look like and gives you resources for how to move forward. This workbook is for parents and caregivers. It is a great way to organize your thoughts and a perfect place to start your journey in future planning.

Order the Transition to Adulthood: A Future Planning Workbook at arcminnesota.org/planning-workbook.

The post Ask An Advocate: Transition Planning first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Ask An Advocate: Transition Planning appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Q: I am an adult with a disability and have a CADI waiver. I am searching for housing and I live in the Southeast region of Minnesota. Can The Arc assist me or do you only have housing access services in the metro area?

A: Yes, we can assist you! The Arc Minnesota has housing coordinators in Duluth, Moorhead, St. Cloud, Rochester, Mankato, and the metro.

We assist adults who have a waiver. We also assist adults who don’t have a waiver but have Medical Assistance and are eligible for certain disability services.

Give us a call at 833.450.1494 for more information or support!

The post Ask an Advocate: Can The Arc help with housing? first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Ask an Advocate: Can The Arc help with housing? appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Q: I keep hearing about the Self-Advocacy Advisory Committee (SAAC), but I’m not sure what that committee is. Can you tell me the types of events they do?

A: The Self-Advocacy Advisory Committee (SAAC) is one of The Arc Minnesota’s self-advocacy groups. This group meets in St. Paul on the second Tuesday of every month, in the evening. Leadership within this group has grown, and they host many events. Here are some highlights:

• In October, they hosted a panel about self-advocacy. People shared their stories about self-advocacy, employment, education, relationships, moving out, money, and other topics. This event was geared towards parents of people with disabilities.
• Also in October, they began meeting with Cow Tipping Press for writing workshops. Over several sessions, committee members have been learning about expressing themselves through creative writing.
• In November, the Minnesota Olmstead Implementation Office led a community listening session in partnership with the SAAC.

For more information about the SAAC or other self-advocacy groups across the state, contact The Arc at 833.450.1494.

The post Ask An Advocate: Self-Advocacy Groups at The Arc Minnesota first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Ask An Advocate: Self-Advocacy Groups at The Arc Minnesota appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Q: I have a question about an application I submitted to the county, and I can’t get ahold of anyone there who can help me. What can I do?

The post Ask an Advocate: Calling your county first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Ask an Advocate: Calling your county appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Q: I received a letter from the county asking me to return a document in order to stay on Medical Assistance (MA). I’m confused because I don’t understand what it means, and I don’t want to lose my MA. The form I am supposed to return mentions “Account Validation Service (AVS)”. Can you help?

A: So glad you wrote in to ask and yes we can help! This is a very important letter to respond to. If you do not return the form within the timeframe listed, your MA can be closed. Here is more information about what the letter is about:

Earlier this summer, the Department of Human Services (DHS) issued a bulletin announcing a new policy that impacts some individuals applying for and accessing MA.

This policy applies to people who are age 21 or older and who are eligible for MA because they are age 65 or older, blind, or have a disability (MA-ABD), including people who are eligible for Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) and Medicare Savings Programs (MSP).

The AVS is a new tool DHS will use to verify individuals’ assets and ensure they are eligible for MA – in addition to current asset verifications. Individuals applying for or accessing MA will need to sign and return a new authorization form for the AVS in order to be considered eligible for or maintain their MA coverage.

With questions or for more information, contact your county or tribal agency, the Disability Hub (866.333.2466), or advocates here at The Arc Minnesota (833.450.1494).

The post Ask an Advocate: Account Validation Service (AVS) first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Ask an Advocate: Account Validation Service (AVS) appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Q: I keep hearing about MNsure’s Open Enrollment period for health insurance this fall, and I am not sure if I need to do anything to keep or renew my daughter’s insurance coverage. She has Medical Assistance, and it pays for some of her therapy costs that our private insurance does not cover. It also pays for a Personal Care Assistance (PCA) services, a trained person who helps my daughter with day-to-day things like eating, getting dressed and redirecting some of her behaviors. My daughter has received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits through Social Security because of her disability since she was 18 years old.

A: Because your daughter has disability-based Medical Assistance, you do not need to do anything during MNsure’s Open Enrollment period to renew or keep her coverage. People who have disability-based Medical Assistance must renew their coverage once a year, when they receive a letter and renewal form in the mail from their county. MNsure’s Open Enrollment period is for people who want to make changes to the health plan they bought through the MNsure exchange. To learn more about MNsure’s Open Enrollment period, visit their website at www.mnsure.org. If you have questions about your daughter’s Medical Assistance benefits or renewing her coverage, call us toll free at 833-450-1494 or visit our website at www.arcminnesota.org and submit an “Ask an Advocate”.

The post Ask An Advocate: MNsure Open Enrollment first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Ask An Advocate: MNsure Open Enrollment appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Q: I live in Southwestern Minnesota and heard about something called the Minnesota Microgrant Partnership. Can you tell me more about it?

A: Your question comes at a good time. On November 14, The Arc Minnesota will be hosting meetings at the Redwood Falls Library (1:00pm) and the Pizza Ranch in Marshall (4:30pm) to share more information about the Minnesota Microgrant Partnership.

Minnesotans 18+ who receive waiver services and 16+ with IEPs who spend most of the day in special education classrooms are eligible to apply. Funds are awarded to help them reach goals related to competitive employment, independent, accessible housing, or community inclusion. Please register for the information session you would like to attend at bit.ly/SWMNGrants or call 833.450.1494.

The post Ask an Advocate: Microgrants in Southwest Minnesota first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Ask an Advocate: Microgrants in Southwest Minnesota appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Q. What determines whether my 25 year old son with an Intellectual & Developmental Disability (IDD) can get rides from Metro Mobility? How does he apply?

A. Metro Mobility is a service through Metro Transit that offers rides to people with disabilities and seniors who cannot use regular route transportation or would have difficulties at certain times of the day. Eligibility follows criteria under the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) guidelines that look at factors like: Does the person have limiting physical or cognitive disabilities that prevents them from using the regular route system? Is the person limited by a physical or cognitive disability in transferring rides or getting to their destination? If the person has the ability at all times of the day to use regular fixed route transportation, they do not qualify for Metro Mobility. However, if the person because of disabilities could not use regular fixed route at night or other times because of their disabilities, they could qualify.

A person of any age can ride Metro Mobility. Parents can accompany children under age 18, and Personal Care Assistance (PCAs) or other guests can accompany adults but must pay the Metro Mobility fare.

There is a Metro Mobility Certification Questionnaire that must be completed before someone can ride Metro Mobility. A qualified medical professional, such physicians, psychologists, social workers, registered nurses, therapists, etc,  must complete the Professional Verification Form and provide information about the person’s disability. Metro Mobility must approve the submitted application before rides can begin. Find more information at metromobility.org.

If you have questions, contact The Arc Minnesota via phone at 952.920.0855 or toll-free at 833.450.1494, and ask to speak to an Advocate about transportation.

The post Ask An Advocate: Metro Mobility first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Ask An Advocate: Metro Mobility appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Q. What can Master Pooled Trust funds be used for?

A. The Arc Master Pooled Trust is a resource to enhance the quality of life of an individual with a disability without disqualifying the individual from public means tested benefits. It can be used for many things with the following limitations: it must be used for the “sole benefit” of the trust beneficiary; it cannot give cash directly to the beneficiary; disbursements must be in the beneficiary’s best interest; and it can supplement but not take the place of an individual’s benefits. For example, if an individual is receiving SSI benefits, the trust could not pay for any housing or food since SSI benefits are being received to pay for housing and food. Examples of a few items the trust has paid for include: pet expenses, clothing, entertainment, education, and summer camps, just to name a few.

For more information about the Arc Minnesota Master Pooled Trust, please visit our website at arcminnesota.org/master-pooled-trust or contact the trust department at 952.920.0855 and MPT@arcminnesota.org.

The post Ask An Advocate: Use of Master Pooled Trust Funds first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Ask An Advocate: Use of Master Pooled Trust Funds appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.