New Background Information

From our discussions at the weekly DDRA Draft Review & Revision Meetings, we've uploaded two new documents that provide background information on the Expert Review Panel and the draft DDRA's rulemaking requirements:

Expert Review Panel: Short biographies
A brief summary of the Expert Review Panel members' biographies.

• Expert Review Panel Short Biographies - 12 point font
• Expert Review Panel Short Biographies - LARGE PRINT

Fact Sheet: Draft DDRA Rulemaking Requirements
The draft DDRA requires the Department on Disability Services to issue rules within 6 months after the law takes effect. For some sections, the draft requires that rules address specific topics. This fact sheet summarizes the various rulemaking requirements in the draft DDRA.

• Fact sheet: Draft DDRA Rulemaking Requirements - 12 point font
• Fact sheet: Draft DDRA Rulemaking Requirements - LARGE PRINT
  

Review & Revision Meeting 4 Notes, Next Meeting

Thank you to everyone who participated in the fourth DDRA Draft Review & Revision meeting last Thursday, May 7th! At the meeting, we reviewed and made improvements to the sections on "Services & Supports," "Family Supports," "Family Support Council," "Informed Consent," and "Independent panel for administration of psychotropic medication."

• Meeting 4 notes - 12 point font
  
• Meeting 4 notes - LARGE PRINT
  

This week's topics for Meeting 5 will be: "Quality standards and monitoring," Interagency coordination," and "Records." All are welcome to join the conversation this Thursday, May 21st from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at The Arc of the District of Columbia, 415 Michigan Avenue, NE (3 blocks from the Brookland/CUA Station on Metro's Red Line).

Detailed directions are available (see post below).

New, Easier Way to View & Save DDRA Blog Files

We're trying a new service for hosting files that's hopefully easier to use.

One click will now take you directly to the document. You can then print or save the file by going to the "More" pull-down menu.

Let us know if this works better than the old system! We'll be migrating files to the new system (Scribd) over the next week.

Review & Revision Meeting Schedule Changes

The meeting schedule for the series of weekly meetings for people to review and revise the draft DDRA -- section-by-section -- is changing. Several topics are being added that have come up in community comments and in discussion at Review & Revision Meetings. Also, to permit more time for community comment and research on the topics of access to the court and grievances, those topics are moving to the end of the meeting series.

All are welcome to come to some or all meetings!

The full meeting schedule is below. You can print and download a PDF of it here:

• Review & Revision Meeting Schedule - 12 point font
  
• Review & Revision Meeting Schedule - LARGE PRINT
  

Meeting Schedule:

Meeting 1: April 23, 3 - 5 p.m.
441 Fourth Street, NW, Room 1117
Topics: Overview; Rights

Meeting 2: April 30, 3 - 5 p.m.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Room A10
901 G Street, NW
Topics: Comprehensive Developmental Disabilities Services Task Force and Plan; Eligibility

Meeting 3: May 7, 3 - 5 p.m.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Room A5
901 G Street, NW
Topics: Support and service planning; Support coordination

Meeting 4: May 14, 3 - 5 p.m.
415 Michigan Ave, NE (see directions)
Topics: Supports and services; Family supports and Family Support Council; Informed consent and health-care decisions

Meeting 5: May 21, 3 - 5 p.m.
415 Michigan Ave, NE (see directions)
Topics: Records; Quality standards & monitoring; Interagency coordination

Meeting 6: May 28, 3 - 5 p.m.
415 Michigan Ave, NE (see directions)
Topics: Criminal background checks; Abuse & neglect registry

Meeting 7: May 30, 11a.m. - 1p.m.
3400 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave, SE (see full post on this Saturday meeting!)
Topics: Saturday meeting to review updates and gather additional ideas

• Meeting flier - 12 point font
• Meeting flier - LARGE PRINT
  

Meeting 8: June 4, 3 - 5 p.m.
415 Michigan Ave, NE (see directions)
Topics: Services for persons found incompetent in a criminal case; Legislative review & reporting; Conforming amendments

Meeting 9: June 11, 3 - 5 p.m.
415 Michigan Ave, NE (see directions)
Topics: Grievances; Legal services and Court access; Transition from admission and commitment processes and procedures

Meeting 10: June 25, 3 - 5 p.m.
415 Michigan Ave, NE (see directions)
Topics: Grievances; Legal services and Court access; Transition from admission and commitment processes and procedures

441 Fourth Street NW (also known as One Judiciary Square) is at the Judiciary Square station on the Red Line.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Library at 901 G Street, NW is between Gallery Place/Chinatown and Metro Center.

3400 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE is approximately 1 mile from the Congress Heights station on the Green Line and is accessible by bus from the Anacostia Station on the Green Line. Parking lot and entrance on the back left side of the building (if you're facing the building). For directions call (202) 561-1991.

415 Michigan Avenue, NE is 2 blocks east of the Brookland/CUA station on the Red Line. Parking lot and entrance on the back of the building (proceed through the gate on the left side of the building). For directions, call (202) 636-2950.

Additional Review & Revision Meeting: Sat. May 30, 11am - 1pm

Saturday, May 30th will be a supplemental DDRA Draft Review & Revision meeting. This additional meeting is being held to accommodate people who are unable to attend one of the Thursday meetings.

• Meeting flier for Sat. May 30th - 12 point font
  
• Meeting flier for Sat. May 30th - LARGE FONT
  

What: DDRA Draft Review & Revision Meeting
Date: Saturday, May 30, 2009
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Where: 3400 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE (at National Children's Center / Quality Trust Family EMPOWERment Center)

By bus - Within 1/2 mile of the A2, A4, A6, A7, A8, A42, A46, A48, M8, M9, W2, W3 and W4 buses.

By Metro - From Anacostia Station on the Green Line, transfer to one of the "A" buses listed above, headed south.

From Congress Heights Station on the Green Line, walk approximately 3/4 mile south/west on Alabama Avenue, SE until Alabama merges with MLK Avenue. Turn left on MLK Avenue and go another 1/4 mile to 3400 MLK Avenue.

Parking - Free parking by the building (lot in the back of the building).

RSVP requested - To help make sure we have enough refreshments, if possible please RSVP to 202-636-2963 or tjsutcliffe@arcdc.net.

Child Care / Accommodations - To request child care or reasonable accommodations contact Toya Fisher at 202-561-1991 or tfisher@dcqualitytrust.org by 5 p.m. on Monday May 25th.

Light refreshments. All are welcome!

Review & Revision Meeting 3 Notes, Next Meeting

Thank you to everyone who participated in the third DDRA Draft Review & Revision meeting last Thursday, May 7th! At the meeting, we reviewed and made improvements to the sections on "Support and Service Planning" and "Support Coordination."

• Meeting 3 notes - 12 point font
  
• Meeting 3 notes - LARGE PRINT
  

This week's topics for Meeting 4 will be: "Supports and Services," "Family Supports," and "Family Support Council." All are welcome to join the conversation this Thursday, May 14th from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at The Arc of the District of Columbia, 415 Michigan Avenue, NE (3 blocks from the Brookland/CUA Station on Metro's Red Line).

Detailed directions are available (see post below).

Directions to 415 Michigan Ave, NE

DDRA Draft Review & Revision Meetings 4 through 10 (from May 14, 2009 to June 25, 2009) will be held at the The Arc of DC's offices at the McCormick Pavilion, 415 Michigan Avenue, NE. The McCormick Pavilion is at the corner of 4th Street, NE and Michigan Avenue, NE and is across the street from Catholic University.

Directions are below and in .PDF:

• Directions - 12 point font
  
• Directions - LARGE PRINT
  

Entrance: If you are facing the building from Michigan Avenue, the entrance is on the back left of the building. The entrance is not the steps at the front of the building. To get to the entrance, follow the driveway from Michigan Avenue through the gate to the back of the building where there is a large parking lot. The entrance is on your right.

• For DDRA Draft Review & Revision Meetings, we will have someone to welcome you at the entrance from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. If you arrive after 3:30, use the key pad at the door to call The Arc of DC's main office. You can also reach the main office on your cell at 202-636-2950.

By car: Free visitor parking is available in the rear parking lot. Visitors can also park across the street at Catholic University (metered parking).

By Metro: The McCormick Pavilion is 3 blocks from the Brookland-CUA Station on the Red Line.

• From the escalator - Exit the station to your left (toward Catholic University). At the top of the escalator, make a "u-turn" to your left, go under the bridge and turn right to go up the access road. Follow the access road to the top of the hill and you will be on the south side of Michigan Avenue. Go 2 blocks. The McCormick Pavilion is on your left.

• From the elevator - Exit the bus circle to your right onto 9th Street, NE. Cross Monroe Street (to the same side of Monroe as Colonel Brook's Tavern) and turn right on Monroe. Follow Monroe Street 2 blocks to Michigan Avenue. Bear left on Michigan Avenue and go 1 block. The McCormick Pavilion is on your left.

Review & Revision Meeting 2 - Corrected Notes

We found a minor but important typo in the notes from Review & Revision Meeting 2 (the meeting date was wrong!). Corrected versions of the notes are below. The links from the last post and in the "LARGE PRINT Zone" have also been updated to direct you to the right notes.

• Meeting 2 Notes - 12 point font
• Meeting 2 Notes - LARGE PRINT
  

Review & Revision Meeting 2 Notes, Next Meeting

Thank you to everyone who participated in the second DDRA Draft Review & Revision meeting last Thursday, April 30th! The meeting featured a productive discussion of and recommendations for improvements to the "Comprehensive Developmental Disability Services / Task Force" and "Eligibility" sections of the draft DDRA.

• Meeting 2 notes - 12 point font
  
• Meeting 2 notes - LARGE PRINT
  

This week's topics for Meeting 3 will be: "Support and Service Planning," and "Support Coordination." All are welcome to join the conversation this Thursday, May 7th from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 901 G Street, NW in Room A5.