Disability Thrive Initiative

The window for many Californians to sign up for health coverage widened Friday when the state exchange said it would extend this month’s deadline to enroll in a plan until the end of April.

Covered California said it was making the change to accommodate taxpayers who are just now realizing that they’ll be charged penalties on their tax returns if they don’t have health insurance. This is the first year such penalties kick in under the federal health care law.  Read more here

•  Senate’s GOP leader says the support for services and benefits is bipartisan

•  “We must … ensure that there is a sustainable community environment to support the developmentally disabled”

Read More and see the Assembly Budget Hearing here.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is arriving this fall
and schools, employment agencies, and the Department of Rehabilitation are
getting prepared. Read belowabout this innovative new program to increase employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities and check out the DOL’s information sources ready for this big change in transition focus. Read more.

The California Senate Human Services Committee began deliberations on what some members called the “staggering number” of foster children on psychiatric medications as it considers a wide range of possible policy changes to reduce the unwarranted use of the powerful drugs. Read More.

With energy, momentum and justice driving their cause, the Lanterman Coalition descends upon the state capitol Wednesday, March 4rth. Bringing the voice of over 270,000 individuals with developmental disabilities with them,  the Lanterman Coalition seeks to fulfill the promise of the Lanterman Act with the funding necessary to meet the challenge.

Join the Coalition at the steps of the capitol, and read more about how you can support the Lanterman Coalition by encouraging your Assembly members and Senators to vote:

• Lanterman-Coalition-2015-Priorities-Executive-Summary
• Lanterman-Coalition-04-Mar-Rally-Flyer
• POS-OPS-Collapse Reports – Exec Summary

The California Supreme Court says the state health department may only withhold names of patients when it makes public citations. Read More.

ARCA has released its newest report, titled On The Brink Of Collapse, meant to provide policy-makers, advocates, and the citizens of California an understanding of the crisis engulfing our state’s developmental services system.Long-term underfunding of the service system has left both service providers and regional centers struggling to serve more people with fewer resources- Read More.