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Resources in the Community

Hundreds of Seniors and People with Disabilities to Create an Earthquake to Protest the Disastrous Cuts to In Home Support Services (IHSS), Thursday!!!! City Hall.

Thursday, October 22 Noon to 1:00 SF City Hall Steps  1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

San Francisco, CA October 21, 2009
In response to Governor Schwarzenegger’s attack on the IHSS Program, the IHSS Task Force of Planning for Elders will hold a noisy rally and press conference on the steps of San Francisco City Hall on Thursday October 22 from 12:00 – 1:00. The IHSS Task Force is a broad coalition of homecare consumers, disability rights organizations, labor, service providers, homecare workers, advocates and community based organizations. They are demanding that the City of San Francisco take immediate action to mitigate the economic earthquake that the Governor has created by slashing of income, health and long term care support programs to the lowest income Californians.

More than 8,000 seniors, persons with disabilities in San Francisco were set to lose some or even all of their homecare on November 1, putting over 1,000 homecare workers out of work.   A judge has temporarily halted the November 1 implementation of the worst of these disastrous cuts, but many provisions are still moving forward.

The IHSS Task Force member groups will hold a noisy and festive rally at City Hall to draw attention to the “IHSS Earthquake” and to say “We’re Getting Prepared” for what’s ahead.

The IHSS Task Force is asking the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to commit a significant portion of the budget reserve to “prevent harm” to those impacted by current or future IHSS cuts.  This includes:
Back-filling IHSS service cuts with local dollars and alternative meals and homecare programs;
Use federal “Jobs Now” stimulus dollars and other funds to keep current IHSS workers on           the job;
Continue health benefits without a break of coverage for laid-off IHSS workers;
Continue and expand “share-of-cost” options under Medi-Cal to help low-income             seniors and people keep to visit website for their health and long term care services.
Stop the current plans to fingerprint IHSS providers and consumers as expensive, ineffective, and disrespectful to low income Californians.

Vera Haile, IHSS Task Force member for over 20 years said, “These cuts to homecare will result in an erosion of peoples’ health, and increased isolation.  While many IHSS consumers will see their hours reduced, around 2000 people will lose all of their homecare services. This is a disaster about to happen.”

The IHSS Task Force will create an IHSS Earthquake of their own, with hundreds of Seniors and People with Disabilities, stomping mad about state cuts that are causing continuing aftershocks.

The Task force will present their recommendations to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors following the rally.

Contact:
James Chionsini, MSW
IHSS Task Force of
Planning For Elders
415-703-0188 ext 304
james@planningforelders.org
check out our website: http://www.planningforelders.org

Resources in the Community

Persons with disabilities encouraged to participate in the Great California ShakeOut

At 10:15 a.m. on October 15, 2009, millions of Californians will “Drop, Cover and Hold On” in the Great California ShakeOut, the largest earthquake drill ever!  Everyone is encouraged to participate in the drill.

Major earthquakes may happen anywhere you work, live, or travel in California.  The ShakeOut is our chance to practice how to protect ourselves and for everyone to become prepared.  The goal is to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes, especially for seniors and people with disabilities..

How to Participate:

Register at www.ShakeOut.org/register to be counted in the ShakeOut drill, get email updates and more.

How to Get Prepared for Earthquakes:

1.  Setup a Personal Support Network
If you require assistance to live independently, designate someone to check on you in an emergency.  This person will make sure you are okay and will help you to evacuate if necessary, or shelter safely in-place.

2.  Assemble some basic Emergency Supplies
– Flashlight (electricity may be out; put the flashlight near your bed)
– Battery Operated Radio (to listen for information about the disaster)
– Bottled Water — Enough to Last for 3 Days (tap water may be contaminated or unavailable)
– Non Perishable or Ready-to-Eat Food — Enough to Last for 3 Days (dried fruit, canned tuna, stew, beans, nuts, crackers, etc., plus a manual can opener)

3.  Prescription Medications
Try to always maintain an extra 3-day supply of any prescription medications

4.  Have an “Out-of-Area” Contact (and call to advise of your status)
Following a disaster, it will be easier to get connected to an out of state telephone line, versus a local telephone line, given the volume of calls within the local/affected area.  Use this out-of-area contact person to relay messages between you and the people who care about you including family members, friends, your personal care assistant and other people who may want to reach you.  Let everyone know how to reach this contact person.

The Great California ShakeOut is part of the week-long series of Big Rumble events to recognize the 20th Anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Take a look at the flier below to get more information about the events and visit the Big Rumble website at  http://thebigrumble.org/

Carla Johnson
Access Compliance and Emergency Planning
Mayor’s Office on Disability
401 Van Ness, Room 300
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone 415 554-6785
TTY 415 554-6799
Fax 415 554-6159

Resources in the Community

A CAPE of Self-Protection: Abuse and Violence Prevention for People with Disabilities, Their Families and Allies. October 13.

The San Francisco Public Library in Association with the World Institute on Disability presents:

A CAPE of Self-Protection: Abuse and Violence Prevention for People with Disabilities, Their Families and Allies

Thursday, October 15th, 2009, 6:00 -7:30 p.m.

SF Public Library, Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room, Main Library, Lower Level

Join us for a presentation about disability abuse and violence prevention,
demonstrating our new educational tools:

Sticks and Stones: Disabled People’s Stories of Abuse, Defiance and Resilience

CAPE: Curriculum on Abuse Prevention and Empowerment

WID Project Director, Marsha Saxton, will present short educational films and facilitate a reading of empowering stories of disabled individuals resisting mistreatment and discrimination, with discussion and refreshments to follow. CAPE and Sticks and Stones will be available for purchase.

Refreshments provided!

All are welcome. For more information, visit www.wid.org/cape

All programs at the Library are free.

Main Library 100 Larkin St. (at Grove) sfpl.org, near Civic Center BART

Sign language interpreted and wheelchair accessible

For more information about access, contact Marsha Saxton, 510-251-4349, marsax@wid.org

Resources in the Community

Fight IHSS Cuts! Learn how to appeal and keep services! First training, October 13

In the next few months, approximately 8,000 San Franciscans will lose some or all of their In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) because of state budget cuts. IHSS provides vital personal care and domestic services that allow seniors and younger individuals with disabilities to remain at home and in the community.  We expect these cuts may go into effect as early as November 1, 2009.

Consumer Rights for Community Living, in collaboration with Bay Area Legal Aid, is sponsoring trainings in October that will train volunteers to help consumers preserve these essential services by assisting them in administrative appeals. The training will enable volunteers to: Understand the new eligibility standard and what must be demonstrated in order to meet it; Help the recipient file an appeal. Assist in developing the information/evidence needed to show that the new standard is met; If there is a hearing, assist the recipient in presenting her/his evidence and testimony.

We have a great opportunity to inform the Community on what is going to happen and how they can help:

Tuesday, October 13
2:00-4:00 PM at Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin St. If you are interested in participating in this training, please contact Donna Willmott at donna@planningforelders.org  or 415-703-0188 ext 315.

If you cannot make this first training, then join us:

Monday, October 26
5:00-7:30 PM, Bar Association of San Francisco, 301 Battery St., 3rd floor (MCLE: 2.5 hours). Co-sponsored with the Bar Association of San Francisco. To register, contact Megan Colla at mcolla@sfbar.org or 415-782-9000 x8759.

For more information on these trainings or the IHSS cuts, contact Donna Willmott: donna@planningforelders.org or 415-703-0188 ext 315.  The attached flyer gives more detail about the training.  The second attachment is the English version of a flyer telling consumers how they can appeal a notice of action notifying them of cuts to services, and where they may call for help.  Check our blog site www.crclsf.org for the updated versions of this flyer in the following languages: Chinese, Spanish, Russian and Korean”

These venues are wheelchair accessible. To request assistive listening devices, real time captioning, large print materials, a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for a disability, please contact Donna at donna@planningforelders.org, 531-7743. Providing at least 72 hours advance notice will help to ensure availability.

Resources in the Community

Disability Aawarenss Day events in San Jose, October 8

2nd Annual DISABILITY AWARENESS DAY

Thursday, October 8, 2009, 10am-2pm

San José City Hall Rotunda & Plaza

200 East Santa Clara Street, San José, CA

————————————————–

* Workshops begin at 8:30 a.m.*

For more information please visit: http://www.DAD.sjdistrict1.com ,

call: (408) 369-6438 or email: DAD@sjdistrict1.com

* Free Workshops

* Games & Activities

* Art Display & Demos

* Resource Fair

* Sports Exhibitions

* Empathy Experience

2nd Annual Disability Awareness Day Celebrating Diversity, Awareness and Empowerment for Persons with Differing Abilities Event Schedule: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Free Workshops Topics Include:

* Autism Research Findings

* Employment Strategies

* Finding a Caregiver

* IT Web User

* Reducing Caregiver Stress

* Social Security Benefits

* A final schedule with workshop locations will be available at:

www.DAD.sjdistrict1.com on October 1st

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Festivities & Resource Fair

Live music & entertainment by people with disabilities.

12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m. Press Conference

12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Empathy Experience Challenge

12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Wheelchair Basketball Demonstration

Disability Awareness Day (DAD) is a celebration of unity, inviting the entire community to participate while promoting awareness and appreciation of people with differing abilities. DAD educates the general public on the many challenges people with disabilities encounter on a daily basis. DAD also seeks to empower persons with differing abilities and their families through information and resource acquisition to overcome those barriers. This day celebrates diversity and strives to build an integrated community in which all people are equally valued.

Resources in the Community

Money-saving resources from the ILRC

STRETCHING YOUR DOLLARS
Prepared by the Independent Living Resource Center, San Francisco. Available in Spanish and Chinese

Food
• You can often get fruit and vegetables at a cheaper price if you go to the Farmers Market at the end of the selling day, since vendors would rather get paid less for their produce, than pack it up and haul it back to the farm or have to find a way to dispose of it.
• The Free Farm Stand distributes free produce from local organic gardeners, organic farmers, organic fruit from backyard fruit trees and public spaces. They also offer garden advice & help to those who want to start their own garden, including giving away seedlings.

Sundays 1-3 pm • Treat Commons Community Garden • the corner of 23rd St. & Treat Ave. http://freefarmstand.blogspot.com/2009/06/pride-day-free-farm-stand.html
• Free groceries & meals are available throughout the city (see Free Print Shop pantry & free eats lists).

PGE
PGE offers several discounts based upon income and medical need. It is possible to use more than one of these discounts at a time:
• California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE): (866) 743-2273
• Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA): (800) 743-5000
• Medical Baseline: (800) 743-5000
• TTY (800) 652-4712 • Spanish (800) 660-6789 • Cantonese/Mandarin (800) 893-9555

Phone/Communication
• ATT Universal Lifeline is a discount for basic phone service for low income customers (landlines only – no cell phone service discounts). (866) 999-6181

•TTY 800 651-5111 • Spanish (800) 870-5855 • Cantonese/Mandarin (800) 281-2288
• Free voicemail – Central City Hospitality House/Self-Help Center – 290 Turk Street
• Free Phone use
o Central City Hospitality House/Self-Help Centers (2 locations) 290 Turk Street ▪ 169 & 181 Sixth Street
o Mission Neighborhood Resource Center – 165 Capp Street

Housing
If your rent is based on a percentage of your income and your income has decreased, have it recalculated. Take your letter showing the decrease to the manager’s office or, if you have Section 8, to the Housing Authority office at 1815 Egbert St.

Transportation
• Bay Area – Make sure you take full advantage of transportation discounts for people with disabilities such as BART, Muni, Taxi (extremely limited) – see ILRCSF handout
• Homeward Bound
San Francisco’s Human Services Agency provides a one way bus ticket to areas outside of the Bay Area for people who are stranded (homeless or “marginally” homeless) in San Francisco. To qualify you must have no outstanding warrants, and not be on probation or parole. You must have a working phone number of a person who will verify that they will take you in when you arrive at your destination. You can take 2 suitcases/duffle bags weighing no more than 50lbs. each, and a small carry-on bag. Go to 1235 Mission by 9a.m. (tell guard “Homeward Bound”). After warrant check, interview and successful phone call, you’ll get a Greyhound ticket to travel THAT DAY, plus meal money. (415) 533-3475

Individual Emergency Grants
Modestneeds.org (website) makes small grants to people with an unexpected expense that threatens financial stability, including assistance to people with disabilities to support independent living.

Resources in the Community

Help CFILC bring a disability perspective to the health care debate!

Your Letters are Needed Now!

Support the Community Choices Act

The House and Senate are considering seperate bills to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to proivde individuals with disablities and older Americans with equal access to community -based attendant services and supports and for other purposes. Take Action!

Support Healthcare Reform

Congress is now debating critical changes to American’s healthcare system. It is vital that people with disabilities raise their voices to ensure that reforms remove barriers and increase access to affordable healthcare for people with disabilities.Take Action!

Support Long Term Care Services in Healthcare Reform

The Fight is on for Long Term Services and Supports in Health Care Reform. The health care reform plans from the five Congressional committees developing health care reform legislation have all now been released. And now begins the real fight for what stays in, gets added or taken out of those plans.Take Action!

HELP CFILC BRING A DISABILILITY PERSPECTIVE TO THE DEBATE! Donate now to support our efforts to:

    • Meet with local Legislators
    • Send Letters, Postcards & Emails
    • Travel to the Capitol
    • Testify at Hearings
    • Collect Personal Stories
    • Meet with the Media
    • Hold Local Rallies
Resources in the Community

Community Living Campaign News: Help People Stop the IHSS Cuts

August 23, 2009  Vol 1, # 7

WARNING: COMMUNITY LIVING AT RISK !

We have just experienced an extraordinary attack on low-income consumers and workers in the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program.   If allowed to go forward, 1000’s of workers in San Francisco will lose their jobs and nearly 8,000 seniors and persons with disabilities will find their IHSS services reduced or eliminated.

But that’s not all. The Governor’s budget says both IHSS workers AND recipients will need to be fingerprinted if they want to stay in the program.  This comes on top of cuts to people’s already meager SSI/SSP income (reduced from $907 to only $850 for most individuals), elimination of Medi-Cal optional benefits that are anything but optional – vision, dental, hearing, podiatry, mental health and more.   Add cuts to adult day health care, caregiver support, and the list goes on and on.  Let’s hope San Franciscans can find ways to reduce the harm these cuts will cause.   See below for ways you can help…

HELP PEOPLE STOP THE IHSS CUTS
The Consumer Rights for Community Living (CRCL) program at Planning for Elders asks your help in reaching IHSS Consumers with this message…

We expect that up to 8,000 people in San Francisco will either lose IHSS services altogether or have their hours reduced.  We as a community need an emergency response!  If you receive a notice that your services are being reduced or eliminated, here are three things you can do:

1)   APPEAL !

If you think the County does not understand all the help you need, you can appeal. Information about how to request a fair hearing is on the back of the notice you received. To continue receiving benefits until the hearing decision is made, you must file within 10 days of the date of the notice (or the date on the envelope if later than the date on the notice, whichever is later). As your reason for appeal, you can say something like “I need help with everything, my scores should be higher). If you miss the 10-day deadline, you still have 90 days to appeal, but you won’t continue to receive benefits.

Call Consumer Rights for Community Living at 415-703-0286 or Bay Area Legal Aid at 415-982-1300 for help with preparing for a fair hearing.

2)    TELL YOUR STORY !

Disability Rights California is preparing a class action lawsuit to stop the cuts. They need stories from consumers as soon as possible to help with the legal fight. Send an email or fax describing what it would mean to lose the services your social worker has told you that you will receive. Be sure to give your name and full contact information when you contacting them:
Phone: 800-776-5746          Fax: 510-267-1201
Email: dan.brzovic@disabilityrightsca.org or Rachel.scherer@disabilityrightsca.org

Consumer Rights for Community Living would like to hear your story as well. You can email to us at helpline@planningforelders.org

3)    HELP US FIND VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST PEOPLE WITH FAIR HEARINGS !

Consumer Rights for Community Living is coordinating trainings led by Bay Area Legal Aid and Disability Rights California for volunteers who want to help people who are losing IHSS prepare for fair hearings and accompany them to the hearing. Call us at 415-703-0286 if you want to volunteer.

For the most current information on the IHSS cuts, go to www.disabilityrightsca.org

Please forward this email/posting to those who you think might be interested.

Information  provided by Consumer Rights for Community Living (CRCL) Program of Planning for Elders.

Resources in the Community

New List of Aging and Disability Resource Centers

AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTERS

Need information and assistance, translation, help filling out forms, volunteer services?  Contact one of the centers below. Additional Locations will be announced. In the meantime, call the ADRC office at the Canon Kip Senior Center at (415) 487-3370 (ENGLISH), (415) 487-3371 (SPANISH), (415) 487-3372 (RUSSIAN) and (415) 487-3373 (CHINESE).

Main Location: Canon Kip Senior Center
Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco
705 Natoma at 8th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Telephone:  (415)  487-3370
Monday – Friday 8:30AM – 5:00PM
English & Tagalog; Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish & Russian on certain days and times

INITIAL OUTSTATIONS/LOCATIONS BY JULY 1, 2009

Self-Help for the Elderly
407 Sansome Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
Monday – Friday (8:30AM – 5:00PM)
English, Cantonese & Mandarin

30th Street Senior Center   
225-30th Street 3rd Flr.,
San Francisco, CA 94131
Monday, Wednesday and
 Friday (8:30 AM – 5:00PM)
 English & Spanish

OMI –Catholic Charities
1948 Oceanview Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94127
Mondays   9:00AM – 1:00PM 
Thursdays 9:00AM – 1:00PM
English, Mandarin, Cantonese
& Tagalog 2nd Thursday of the
 Month 9:00AM – 1:00PM
English & Russian
Independent Living Resource Center (ILRCSF)
649 Mission Street. 3rd flr. San Francisco, CA 95105
Tuesdays   9:00AM – 4:00 PM
English and other languages as needed

Bayview Hunters Point Multi-Purpose
Senior Service
1706 Yosemite, San Francisco, CA 94124
Day and Time (to be announced)
English and other languages as needed

SF Senior Center-Downtown Branch
481 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Thursdays only 10:00AM – 2:00PM
English, Cantonese and Mandarin
1st Wednesday of the month 10:00AM-3:00PM English & Russian

Kimochi
JCCCNC (Issei Memorial Hall) 1st Floor
1840 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94115
Wednesdays only (to be announced)-English 
Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese & Korean

Visitacion Valley Senior Center
66 Raymond Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94134
ONCE A WEEK) (to be announced) 
English, Cantonese, Mandarin & Spanish

Sunset Senior Center
1290 5th Avenue and Irving
San Francisco, CA
Tuesdays only 10:00AM – 1:00PM
English, Cantonese and Mandarin

Stonestown YMCA
3150 20th Avenue
Francisco, CA 94132
Day and Time (to be announced) 
English, Cantonese & Mandarin