The Disabilities Leadership Council recently received an interesting news story from one of our members, attorney Wendy Sheinberg. The article details how New York state and city agreed to pay out $450 million to settle allegations that they submitted false claims for disabled patients to the federal government's Medicaid program. The article can be found at http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE56K5YI20090721
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
The College Internship Program at the Berkshire Center
Today’s Disabilities Leadership Council spotlight is on the College Internship Program (CIP) at the
The Disabilities Leadership Council also had the opportunity to interview Karen Noel, the Center’s Admissions Director. She said that the College Internship Program generally has enough space for all of its applicants. When asked about the program’s financial aid policies, Karen said that financial aid is provided in three ways: “In
Karen also talked in more detail about some of the services provided by the CIP. She said, “CIP’s goal is to develop a students overall well-being. Career coordination includes individual and group meetings with the intent on placing students in community service, internships and jobs. Socially, students meet one on one with mentors (usually psychology graduate students) to practice various skills in a comfortable environment as well as partake in social thinking classes.” However, according to Karen, CIP does not award diplomas or degrees; it supports students in their pursuits at nearby colleges. She said, “Students leave CIP with improved social and life skills and a better understanding of the strengths and challenges of their learning differences.”
Lastly, Karen explained where students go once they have finished the program. She said, “CIP graduates may transfer to a university, obtain a job, move into an apartment, etc. At the core of the program, CIP works individually with students to provide a foundation on which they can live independently.” The Council believes that the CIP is very important in providing support during the difficult transition from school into adulthood and the workforce, and that it practices the innovative solutions that are critically needed in the special needs community.
To read the full interview with Karen Noel, Admissions Director for the Berkshire Center, please visit http://docs.google.com/View?id=d56tc3v_5g7knj7gw
Monday, July 13, 2009
Blessed with Autism and Christina N. Peck
Today’s Disabilities Leadership Council spotlight is on the organization Blessed with Autism (http://www.blessedwithautism.com/) and its founder, Christina N. Peck. The organization helps parents of children on the autism spectrum recoup the considerable costs of therapy from their health insurance providers. In a recent interview, Christina explained why it is so difficult for parents to get these services paid for by insurance. Most of the providers of these services, which include speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioral intervention, are not in any of the health networks set up by major health insurance providers. Since they are out-of-network, parents have to pay for the services up front and out of their own pocket, and can only recover costs if their plans include out-of-network benefits. These costs are especially difficult to recoup if parents don’t have a PPO insurance plan. Christina said, “It is easier to recoup costs from private insurers than from Medicaid; you can go out of network.” Parents with an HMO can also find it tough to get reimbursement; Christina said that these parents “should get new [private] insurance. In the long run, the therapy can cost $90,000 and with this insurance you can get back maybe $50,000 of that.” Christina said that employer-provided PPO plans allow one to recoup many of the costs of therapy. This entire system is made even more difficult by the fact that there are many differences in plans not only from company to company, but even within different plans of the same company!
Christina explained how parents can claim reimbursement for their child’s therapy. She said, “The key is diagnosis codes for the type of therapy. You have to code for the medical condition being treated, not for autism. Quite often, providers don’t even put the billing codes on the bill. Parents must submit the bills and proper forms to their insurance company using codes provided by Blessed with Autism. If you submit a bill that is coded for autism, there is no chance of receiving reimbursement.” Coding for the medical condition means that the bill will be coded for the specific problem being treated, not autism. For example, for speech therapy, the bill would be coded as treatment for a speech impediment, not as treating for autism.
Christina’s book, Blessed with Autism, contains all the details on how to deal with different kinds of insurance and what the different codes and procedures are to deal with every type of therapy and treatment. The book is available on her website, http://www.blessedwithautism.com/. Christina’s hope is that, using the book, parents can complete the entire process on their own. For those parents who need help, Christina’s colleague Yvonne McNamee runs a consultation service through the Blessed with Autism website. Christine said that her main goal is to “empower people to do it themselves.”
Christina explained how parents can claim reimbursement for their child’s therapy. She said, “The key is diagnosis codes for the type of therapy. You have to code for the medical condition being treated, not for autism. Quite often, providers don’t even put the billing codes on the bill. Parents must submit the bills and proper forms to their insurance company using codes provided by Blessed with Autism. If you submit a bill that is coded for autism, there is no chance of receiving reimbursement.” Coding for the medical condition means that the bill will be coded for the specific problem being treated, not autism. For example, for speech therapy, the bill would be coded as treatment for a speech impediment, not as treating for autism.
Christina’s book, Blessed with Autism, contains all the details on how to deal with different kinds of insurance and what the different codes and procedures are to deal with every type of therapy and treatment. The book is available on her website, http://www.blessedwithautism.com/. Christina’s hope is that, using the book, parents can complete the entire process on their own. For those parents who need help, Christina’s colleague Yvonne McNamee runs a consultation service through the Blessed with Autism website. Christine said that her main goal is to “empower people to do it themselves.”
Friday, July 10, 2009
Special Needs Organizations: The Brooklyn Center for the Independence of the Disabled
The Disabilities Leadership Council is continuing its series highlighting important organizations in the special needs community. Today’s focus is the Brooklyn Center for the Independence of the Disabled (BCID). According to its website, the BCID “[empowers] persons with disabilities by improving the quality of their lives and fostering their integration into the mainstream of society.” The Center also seeks to ensure that persons with disabilities have their full civil rights. It is highly active in advocacy for individuals with disabilities and in training these individuals to be their own advocates. Services provided by BCID include disability rights advocacy, peer support, resource information and referral, housing advocacy, independent living skills consultation, government benefits information and advocacy, and youth services.
One of the major issues that BCID is trying to work with is transition planning, for young adults transitioning from the school system into the workforce. The Disabilities Leadership Council was able to interview Raphael Rivas, the BCID’s Youth in Transition Coordinator, to try and learn more about the issues facing these young adults. He said that a big problem is that many young adults aren’t aware that they have a disability, whether it be a learning or developmental disability. Raphael said, “They’re not aware of it while they’re in school. Because they don't realize they have a disability, they may not be fully prepared for an interview. They more often than not don't know if they should disclose their disability if they even know that they have one.”
Raphael also explained that the current educational system is inadequate for persons with disabilities. He said that many individuals are getting a diploma called the IEP diploma, which (unlike the GED) is not a substitute for a regular high school diploma. Because of the IEP’s shortcomings, many employers are unwilling to hire students who only have the IEP diploma. Raphael said, “These students are leaving the system lost. They are falling through the cracks and not getting the services that they need.” He said that New York is phasing out the Local High School Diploma. Raphael said, “There is more potential for failure at this point, since students have to get either the GED or the regions diploma to be attractive to employers.” When asked about the current state of transition planning, Raphael said that the system currently in place in New York City is inadequate to serve the needs of the students. He said, “Transition plans in New York City are poor and generic, not tailored specifically to each individual.”
Lastly, Raphael talked about how the system of caring for persons with disabilities will change in the future. He said that, as awareness of these issues increases, more people will become involved in helping to solve the problems. More individuals with disabilities will also become involved in advocating for themselves, which will accelerate the drive towards solutions. Disabilities Leadership Council founder Stuart Flaum said, “I think Raphael really speaks for young people in transition. He really understands the needs of youth in transition, in part because he sees them struggling for success as measured by the higher standards that an employer expects.” The Council invites our readers to comment on the blog, because this issue is going to become extremely significant in the special needs community.
One of the major issues that BCID is trying to work with is transition planning, for young adults transitioning from the school system into the workforce. The Disabilities Leadership Council was able to interview Raphael Rivas, the BCID’s Youth in Transition Coordinator, to try and learn more about the issues facing these young adults. He said that a big problem is that many young adults aren’t aware that they have a disability, whether it be a learning or developmental disability. Raphael said, “They’re not aware of it while they’re in school. Because they don't realize they have a disability, they may not be fully prepared for an interview. They more often than not don't know if they should disclose their disability if they even know that they have one.”
Raphael also explained that the current educational system is inadequate for persons with disabilities. He said that many individuals are getting a diploma called the IEP diploma, which (unlike the GED) is not a substitute for a regular high school diploma. Because of the IEP’s shortcomings, many employers are unwilling to hire students who only have the IEP diploma. Raphael said, “These students are leaving the system lost. They are falling through the cracks and not getting the services that they need.” He said that New York is phasing out the Local High School Diploma. Raphael said, “There is more potential for failure at this point, since students have to get either the GED or the regions diploma to be attractive to employers.” When asked about the current state of transition planning, Raphael said that the system currently in place in New York City is inadequate to serve the needs of the students. He said, “Transition plans in New York City are poor and generic, not tailored specifically to each individual.”
Lastly, Raphael talked about how the system of caring for persons with disabilities will change in the future. He said that, as awareness of these issues increases, more people will become involved in helping to solve the problems. More individuals with disabilities will also become involved in advocating for themselves, which will accelerate the drive towards solutions. Disabilities Leadership Council founder Stuart Flaum said, “I think Raphael really speaks for young people in transition. He really understands the needs of youth in transition, in part because he sees them struggling for success as measured by the higher standards that an employer expects.” The Council invites our readers to comment on the blog, because this issue is going to become extremely significant in the special needs community.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Spotlight On: National Autism Association-New York Metro Chapter
The Disabilities Leadership Council is focusing today on the New York Metro Chapter of the National Autism Association (http://www.naanyc.org/). Unlike many other non-profit organizations, the main focus of the chapter is not on fundraising for families, research, and advocacy. Instead, its mission is to “educate and empower those in the Autism community.” In a recent interview, Sabeeha Rehman, the president of NAA-NY Metro, explained that the chapter is distinct in that “we work closely with families and parents that have been affected by autism. We are a parent-centered group that seeks to educate and support parents.” She also talked about how the chapter provides this support in four main ways. The chapter holds two sessions every month, each with a different purpose. One session is an educational session, in which the chapter brings in a nationally recognized expert to talk about an issue related to autism. Recent issues included the Tomatis therapy system, financial planning, and applied behavior analysis (
When asked about how effective the chapter has been so far, Mrs. Rehman said, “We have been very effective. Through our initiatives we have been able to educate parents on a broad range of topics, such as different treatment modalities.” After 18 months of existence, the chapter now has about 600 members, both families and individuals. She also talked about how the organization is active in the media: “We are solicited by the media each time there is a breaking story on autism.” Mrs. Rehman also explained how active the chapter is in lobbying for or against legislation in
The NAA-NY Metro Chapter has its own website and blog, where you can get more information on the organization and on past and upcoming events. Disabilities Leadership Council founder Stuart Flaum said, “NAA-NY Metro is very forward-thinking. Their seminars and sessions present outside-the-box solutions, which are the type of solutions we’re looking for too.”
Monday, July 6, 2009
Special Needs Professional: Bruce Lish, DDS
Today’s article is on another important professional in the special needs community. Dr. Bruce Lish is the Chairman of Dentistry at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City and runs his own private dentistry practice in Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Lish provides specialized dental care for individuals with disabilities. Unlike most dentists, Dr. Lish always employs general anesthesia for routine dental work like cleanings and X-rays. This extra step is necessary to allow him to perform these procedures on some individuals with special needs. Indeed, in a recent interview Dr. Lish said that, “If general anesthesia is not necessary, I don’t do the work. I only see patients that cannot be seen by a general dentist and who need an operating room and general anesthesia.” Dr. Lish said that, as a dentist who works in a hospital, he is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the facilities offered by the hospital and provide care for these individuals. These include operating rooms that are needed to perform some of these procedures.
When asked about his mission, Dr. Lish said, “This population needs quality dental care. Of course, everyone deserves great dental care, but most people are capable of getting it on their own. This population has very limited outlets, and I enjoy being able to provide for this population.” Dr. Lish also noted that it can be difficult to deliver proper dental care to young adults who have moved out of the guardianship of their parents. He said, “It’s our responsibility to take care of those who can’t take care of themselves. These individuals need the care and we’re here to provide it.” Lastly, Dr. Lish noted that, while dental care is important, it is a part of a broader picture of general health and well-being. Individuals with special needs and their families must ensure that they are healthy medically and dentally, in order to lead fulfilling lives. The Disabilities Leadership Council strongly supports Dr. Lish’s work in the special needs community, as a provider of essential services to these individuals. Founder Stuart Flaum said, “The work that Dr. Lish is doing for this community is wonderful. Health and well-being are important not just for individuals with special needs, but for everyone.”
When asked about his mission, Dr. Lish said, “This population needs quality dental care. Of course, everyone deserves great dental care, but most people are capable of getting it on their own. This population has very limited outlets, and I enjoy being able to provide for this population.” Dr. Lish also noted that it can be difficult to deliver proper dental care to young adults who have moved out of the guardianship of their parents. He said, “It’s our responsibility to take care of those who can’t take care of themselves. These individuals need the care and we’re here to provide it.” Lastly, Dr. Lish noted that, while dental care is important, it is a part of a broader picture of general health and well-being. Individuals with special needs and their families must ensure that they are healthy medically and dentally, in order to lead fulfilling lives. The Disabilities Leadership Council strongly supports Dr. Lish’s work in the special needs community, as a provider of essential services to these individuals. Founder Stuart Flaum said, “The work that Dr. Lish is doing for this community is wonderful. Health and well-being are important not just for individuals with special needs, but for everyone.”
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Fourth of July
Due to the holiday, the Disabilities Leadership Council is not posting on the blog today. Happy 4th of July to everyone, and we'll be back with a new post on Monday!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Spotlight On: Mike Radicone and eSpecialMatch.com
The Disabilities Leadership Council is continuing its series highlighting important organizations and individuals in the special needs community. Today we’re focusing on eSpecialMatch.com, a social network for families with special-needs children and organizations active in the world of special needs. The goal of eSpecialMatch.com is to bring families together to share their experiences, and to connect families with providers of important services. Organizations can also post events and updates on the site.
The editors of the Disabilities Leadership Council’s blog were fortunate to have the opportunity to interview Mike Radicone, the founder of eSpecialMatch.com. He has extensive experience in special needs education, having worked as a teacher of children with special needs since graduating from college. Disabilities Leadership Council founder Stuart Flaum said, “It’s wonderful that Mike has found so many ways to contribute to the special needs community. His website is truly innovative, and has done a lot to bring people together.” In addition to running eSpecialMatch.com with his wife, he continues to teach at a school on Long Island in New York. Indeed, eSpecialMatch.com has no other employees; the website more or less runs itself. Mike did say that he tries to “update the site every couple of days, to make sure it is fresh. I make sure that its working, send emails to members, and send out a monthly newsletter. I also keep a running blog on the site.”
Mike originally was inspired to start eSpecialMatch.com when he was searching the iTunes database and the site automatically ordered his results by those that most related to his search. Mike said, “I thought it would be cool to match families that way. Parents would fill out criteria, which would then go into a searchable database. People could then search out database and look for people to match up with.” Mike also said that he used existing social networking sites like Facebook to help him model his site. He said his teaching experience helped him in coming up with the criteria which parents would fill out for the website. Mike says that “I tried to create a broad spectrum for the profiles, so that families could know as much as they could about a possible contact.”
According to Mike, eSpecialMatch.com is a for-profit company. However, all of its revenue comes from advertising, and it is 100% free to join and be a member. The site does not receive outside funding from either the government or other non-governmental organizations.
So far, says Mike, eSpecialMatch.com has been “moderately successful in achieving our goals. We launched 18 months ago and by now we’ve worked all the bugs out and have a fully functioning, working site. We’re currently focusing on getting more members.” eSpecialMatch.com currently has a strong, nationwide base of membership that is concentrated on the East Coast. Mike says that he looks to gain new members in several different ways. He searches the web for other special-needs organizations to trade links with them, to have his website written about in as many places on the web as possible; he has placed an advertisement on Facebook; and he goes to conferences and workshops to give presentations about the site and meet with families and other professionals. According to Mike, this last method is the most effective, as it is the best way to educate people about his site and show that it is open to anyone affiliated with the special needs community. Mike also said that he keeps profiles on a number of different social networking and blog sites: “I use Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogspot, Tumbler, and Twitter. We basically have as many free social networks and blogs you can have, which keep updating to the site.”
Mike has also made sure that eSpecialMatch.com is free from predators and solicitors. The site is hosted on a secure server, and Mike immediately removes any solicitors that are reported by the site’s members. However, people who are unfairly removed can petition to be placed back on the site. Mike says that profiles must be created by a parent or legal guardian, not by an individual with special needs, for the reason of security. Mike fears that these individuals might be preyed upon unless they are deemed capable to run their own profile by their guardians. A profile can be given over to an individual after it is created.
Mike’s ultimate goal for eSpecialMatch.com is to make it a “one-stop shop for anything to do with special needs.” Not only does he envision developing a wide array of professionals who have profiles on the site, he also has allowed members to post book reviews, travel recommendations, and events. In this way, said Mike, “Families with questions about anything can come to our site and get answers for them.”
The editors of the Disabilities Leadership Council’s blog were fortunate to have the opportunity to interview Mike Radicone, the founder of eSpecialMatch.com. He has extensive experience in special needs education, having worked as a teacher of children with special needs since graduating from college. Disabilities Leadership Council founder Stuart Flaum said, “It’s wonderful that Mike has found so many ways to contribute to the special needs community. His website is truly innovative, and has done a lot to bring people together.” In addition to running eSpecialMatch.com with his wife, he continues to teach at a school on Long Island in New York. Indeed, eSpecialMatch.com has no other employees; the website more or less runs itself. Mike did say that he tries to “update the site every couple of days, to make sure it is fresh. I make sure that its working, send emails to members, and send out a monthly newsletter. I also keep a running blog on the site.”
Mike originally was inspired to start eSpecialMatch.com when he was searching the iTunes database and the site automatically ordered his results by those that most related to his search. Mike said, “I thought it would be cool to match families that way. Parents would fill out criteria, which would then go into a searchable database. People could then search out database and look for people to match up with.” Mike also said that he used existing social networking sites like Facebook to help him model his site. He said his teaching experience helped him in coming up with the criteria which parents would fill out for the website. Mike says that “I tried to create a broad spectrum for the profiles, so that families could know as much as they could about a possible contact.”
According to Mike, eSpecialMatch.com is a for-profit company. However, all of its revenue comes from advertising, and it is 100% free to join and be a member. The site does not receive outside funding from either the government or other non-governmental organizations.
So far, says Mike, eSpecialMatch.com has been “moderately successful in achieving our goals. We launched 18 months ago and by now we’ve worked all the bugs out and have a fully functioning, working site. We’re currently focusing on getting more members.” eSpecialMatch.com currently has a strong, nationwide base of membership that is concentrated on the East Coast. Mike says that he looks to gain new members in several different ways. He searches the web for other special-needs organizations to trade links with them, to have his website written about in as many places on the web as possible; he has placed an advertisement on Facebook; and he goes to conferences and workshops to give presentations about the site and meet with families and other professionals. According to Mike, this last method is the most effective, as it is the best way to educate people about his site and show that it is open to anyone affiliated with the special needs community. Mike also said that he keeps profiles on a number of different social networking and blog sites: “I use Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogspot, Tumbler, and Twitter. We basically have as many free social networks and blogs you can have, which keep updating to the site.”
Mike has also made sure that eSpecialMatch.com is free from predators and solicitors. The site is hosted on a secure server, and Mike immediately removes any solicitors that are reported by the site’s members. However, people who are unfairly removed can petition to be placed back on the site. Mike says that profiles must be created by a parent or legal guardian, not by an individual with special needs, for the reason of security. Mike fears that these individuals might be preyed upon unless they are deemed capable to run their own profile by their guardians. A profile can be given over to an individual after it is created.
Mike’s ultimate goal for eSpecialMatch.com is to make it a “one-stop shop for anything to do with special needs.” Not only does he envision developing a wide array of professionals who have profiles on the site, he also has allowed members to post book reviews, travel recommendations, and events. In this way, said Mike, “Families with questions about anything can come to our site and get answers for them.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)