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Ahead of the Times
Volume 24, Number 1
April - May, 2004

MONEY FOLLOW THE PERSON PROGRAM
If you or someone you know is currently living in a nursing facility, has been living there for 90 days or more, and wishes to return to community living, the "Money Follows the Person" program can help with this transition.

As a pilot program administered by the Kansas Department on Aging and Kansas SRS, the Money Follows the Person pilot program is designed to assist 75 individuals in the state directly from a nursing facility onto the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver. This waiver covers services for in-home care only for people eligible for Kansas Medicaid. For more information contact Jill Enyart or Paula McMahon, Independence, Inc. Independent Living Counselors at 785/841-0333 or toll-free 1-888-824-7277.

The Center will be closed Monday, May 31 for Memorial Day
No transportation available.

APRIL IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
GaDuGi SafeCenter is currently working with Independence, Inc. and WTCS to implement a coordinated community response for violence against women with disabilities in an effort to identify and reduce barriers for accessing services. Independence, Inc. has graciously given GaDuGi SafeCenter the opportunity to share information about sexual violence and services available in their newsletter during Sexual Violence Awareness Month. 

Sexual assault and/or violence is an act of power, control and domination which uses a sexual act to hurt someone. An estimated 683,000 women are forcibly raped each year in the United States, which equates to 1.3 women being raped every minute. More than 92,000 men are victims each year as well. Among adults who have developmental disabilities, as many as 83% of the females and 32% of the males are the victims of sexual assault. For individuals with psychiatric disabilities, the rate of violent criminal victimization including sexual assault was two times greater than in the general population. Survivors with a disability know their offender 99% of the time. Of the most frequent crimes against people with disabilities, more than 90% are sexual offenses. ***

Beginning January 2004, RVSS became GaDuGi SafeCenter (gah-doo-ghee), which translates from Cherokee to English as "working together as a community toward a common goal." The agency's mission is to work together as a community toward a common goal to end sexual violence. GaDuGi SafeCenter is the new empowering agency name, whereas Rape Victim-Survivor Service remains as just one of the many services provided. 

The core components of the agency are Advocacy, Support, Education and Social Justice. We also offer the following services for survivors of sexual violence: 

• Rape Victim-Survivor Service (RVSS) advocacy during a sexual assault examination, during police interviews, as well as court accompaniment. 
• 24/7 availability by calling Headquarters Counseling Center (841-2345 in Lawrence and 594-6490 in Baldwin) and asking for an RVSS Advocate to be paged. 
• Support for friends, families and partners that want to understand the trauma endured by the victim-survivor. 
• Information and referral to area service providers for more assistance and further collaboration of services.
• Safety planning.
  Services for our community: 
• Community training and education.
• Prevention education for area public schools on respect, bully behavior, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. 
• Before and after school programming. 
  If you are a victim-survivor of sexual violence (now or in the past), it is NEVER too late to seek assistance with an advocate. You may call Headquarters Counseling Center 24 hours a day at 841-2345 (594-6490 in Baldwin) and ask for an RVSS Advocate to be paged. 

If you know someone who is a victim-survivor, listen, believe, and inform the person of available services in the community. 

***If you have any questions about our services, or want citations for the statistics, please contact us at our business line, 785/843-8985.

WANTED: A+ Certified Instructor 
to finish teaching the Spring 2004 A+ class and possibly teach in the fall. Contact Kendall Simmons, CLC Coordinator at Independence, Inc. 785/841-0333.

CONSUMER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

• APRIL EVENTS

The Quilting/Arts & Crafts Group
The Quilting/Arts & Crafts Group will meet Monday, April 5, 1 - 2 p.m. in the large conference room at Independence, Inc. We will learn how to make tie-knot blankets. If you have questions, please contact Ranita at 841-0333.

Cooking Club Celebrates Spring!
Celebrate the wonderful flavors of spring at the next Cooking Club. On Monday, April 12, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. members of the Cooking Club will create two delicious dishes using spring vegetables. RSVP with Ranita at 785/841-0333 by 5 p.m., Friday, April 9. On the menu: Pasta Primavera & Spring Salad

Get out your green thumbs! 
The New Gardening Group will meet on Monday, April 19, 1 - 3 p.m. in the Independence, Inc., training kitchen. We will plant vegetables and flower bulbs. We will also start seedlings for various herbs. If you would like to donate soil, garden tools, or plants to the group, contact Ranita at 785-841-0333. Donations are very helpful and much appreciated!

Art Car Parade Cookout and Decorating Party
Join members of the Peer Support Group on Thursday, April 29 at Noon to help decorate a car for the 7th Annual Art Car Parade. We will meet in the parking lot of Independence, Inc. to grill hot dogs and decorate a car for the parade. The event will last from Noon until 5 p.m. You can come and help decorate the car anytime during the day. Please feel free to bring something to throw on the grill. The Art Car Parade takes place on Saturday, May 1 at 11th and Massachusetts.

• MAY EVENTS

Peer Support Group Attends Art Car Parade
On Saturday, May 1, members of the Peer Support Group will meet at the South Park Gazebo, 11th and Mass at 11 a.m. for the 7th Annual Art Car Parade. The parade includes cars and other wheeled items of various shapes, ages, and engine sizes that are creatively decorated. Folks participating in the parade should arrive no later than 11 am. For folks who wish to only watch the parade, it starts at 1 p.m. For more information, contact Ranita at 841-0333.

Quilting/Arts & Crafts Group
The Quilting/Arts & Crafts Group will meet Monday, May 3, 1 - 3 p.m. in the large conference room. We will learn how to make Pi¤atas for Cinco de Mayo. If you have any candy or old newspapers that you would like to donate for this project, it would be greatly appreciated. If you have questions, contact Ranita at 841-0333.

Cooking Club's Mexican Fiesta
The Cooking Club is having a Mexican Fiesta Celebration! Join us for a celebration of music, fun games, and food on Monday, May 10, 4:30 -6:30 p.m. at Independence, Inc. RSVP to Ranita at 785/841-0333 by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 7. On the menu: Tacos (beef and bean), flan with caramel sauce, and alcohol-free Margaritas.

The Gardening Group
Monday, May 17, 1 - 3 p.m., the Gardening Group will meet in the Independence, Inc. kitchen to transplant our starter seedlings outside. If you have questions or would like to donate items for the group, contact Ranita at 841-0333.

WHAT'S NEW IN BENEFITS ADVOCACY
By Rob Tabor, Independence, Inc. Benefits Advocate

Today I have three items to report. As to where they fit in the good news-bad news dichotomy you are free to draw your own conclusions. However, at the risk of sounding overly presumptuous I might suggest that two of these items belong in the "good news" category and the other is in the "not so good" news category. Again, please feel free to judge this for yourself.

THE OFFICE MOVE - During the fourth week of October the Independence, Inc. Benefits Advocate moved to the large office just south of the kitchen. Our previous office was often crowded, particularly when consumers brought family members and professional helpers such as case managers. The new office quarters allow for more and better seating as well as much-needed floor space for file cabinets. Needless to say a big thank you goes out to all staff members who helped with the move while I was busy attending disability benefit hearings in Kansas City.

NEW STAFF - I am pleased to announce the addition of Kathy Alcorn to the advocacy department of Independence, Inc. Kathy officially joined our staff on March 1 as a reader/driver for Rob Tabor. Before March, Kathy had very ably provided reading and driving services as a contract vendor. Karen Bennett, a retired registered nurse, continues to provide some services to us on a contractual basis.

TEMPORARY CHANGE OF SERVICES - Due to an unusually high number of Social Security Disability benefit claims currently scheduled for hearing, we will only provide limited new services until May 1, 2004. As of this writing there are 12 administrative appeal hearings scheduled for April and six for May. This seemingly sudden increase in the number of scheduled hearings is caused by a change in the case docketing system at the SSA Office of Hearings And Appeals (OHA). OHA is a separate, independent office at the U.S. Social Security Administration which receives appeals of denials of claims for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and schedules and conducts these hearings before an administrative law judge (ALJ). The Regional OHA office which oversees operations of seven district OHA offices in the four state region of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska has asked the San Francisco Regional OHA office to take about 12,000 claims files to distribute among the 20 OHA offices in that region. The purpose of this ostensibly temporary case docketing change is to reduce the major backlog of cases waiting to be heard and decided by the Kansas City Kansas District OHA office. 

From our perspective the docketing change is a mixed blessing. On the positive side, many of our consumers who have been waiting for their hearings will have earlier hearings than some of them were advised to expect. The down side is that our availability will be quite limited to take new benefit claims for the foreseeable future. From now until May 1, our time will be occupied with preparing cases for hearings initially, then spending much of our time away from the Independence, Inc. offices attending these hearings, especially beginning April 12. 
Meanwhile, Bob Mikesic and Ranita Wilks have graciously agreed to help you start the claims filing process on a time availability basis. We simply ask for your patience in understanding that both Bob and Ranita are still providing this service in addition to their regular duties.

ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO GET HELP - You may begin the process of filing for SSDI or SSI by calling the Lawrence Social Security office at 843-9105. When you tell Social Security that you want to apply for disability benefits, the local field office representative will schedule an interview to take your formal application in a telephone interview or a face-to-face interview at the office at 1440 Wakarusa, Suite 200 in Lawrence. 

A second method is to apply on line at www.socialsecurity.gov . To apply on line you will need a web browser with 40-bit encryption in the software. Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5 and later versions have 40-bit encryption. You will also need a working printer to print out the signature pages of the online application and the Adult Disability Report form which is also available for online submission. Signature pages must be mailed to Social Security.

FINDING A REPRESENTATIVE - If you receive a denial notice on a disability benefit claim you have already filed you may contact Kansas Legal Services at 800/723-6953. This is the statewide central new client intake line for KLS. You will be contacted by a KLS attorney or paralegal assistant in a separate follow-up telephone call. If KLS is unable to help, you may call me for names of other attorneys in the Topeka and Kansas City areas who are experienced Social Security claimant's representatives.

We apologize for any inconvenience brought about by these changes in services. We believe these changes to be a temporary adjustment and will do our very best to get back to "full throttle" soon. I can be reached by telephone at 785/841-0333 or toll free at 888/824-7277, mailbox 210, or by email at robt@independenceinc.org 

COPING WITH STRESS MANAGEMENT
The Coping with Stress Management classes are held every Friday, at 12:30 p.m. at Independence, Inc.. For more information call 841-7108, 2 - 6 p.m. and leave a message.

WANTED: Electric box or oscillating fans that are broken or that you no longer want. Any brand and size accepted. If necessary, unwanted fans can be picked up. Contact Michael at 785/840-9861 or 841-5046 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Mon. - Fri.

MD SUPPORT GROUP DINNER EVENT
The Muscular Dystrophy Support Group of Independence, Inc. will have a dinner event at Odessa's Caf‚, 409 East 12th Street, on Saturday, April 3, 1 - 3 p.m. You should bring at least $6.00 for the meal. RSVP by Thursday, April 1 with Wylma at 843-1257 (try Wylma first) or Ranita at 841-0333 if you plan to attend. The MD Support Group provides a great opportunity to meet new people and participate in fun social activities. All interested individuals are welcome to attend the group!

DON'T TOSS IT - DONATE IT!
The periodicals section of our library at Independence, Inc. needs a facelift. If you subscribe to any of the magazines listed below, please consider donating them to our library after you are done reading them yourself. By helping us maintain our library, you are helping us educate others, and keeping your old magazines out of landfills. It's good for our Center and good for our environment. We really appreciate the help. Magazines we need are: In Motion, Mainstream, New Mobility, Mouth Magazine, Paraplegia News, Ragged Edge, Sports and Spokes, and Consumer Report.

MEDICAL RESOURCES FOR THE UNINSURED IN DOUGLAS COUNTY
In the newsletter this month was a graphic- medical resources for the uninsured in Douglas County for additional copies or revisions contact community health improvement project at 841-5760. A link to the website is provided below:
http://www.ci.lawrence.ks.us/medicine/health_resources_grid.pdf

THANKS 
to all the individuals and businesses who helped us make our Mardi Gras on the Kaw fundraiser a success!

Advanco, Inc.
Amazing Grains
Steve Braswell
Checkers
Community Mercantile
Dillons
Don's Auto Center, Inc.
Food 4 Less
Good Earth Mother Alchemy Shop
Great Harvest Bread Company
Charles Gruber
Jasmin Restaurant
Jiffy-Lube
Kirk Welding Supply
Lawrence Arts Center
Liberty Hall
Junie Moon
The Palace
Pancho's Mexican Restaurant
Pi Kappa Phi
Pizza Shuttle
Rejuven‚ Day Spa
Carol Richman
Charlie Ross
Sell-Your-Home-FSBO.com
Simple Simon's Pizza
Slimmer's Auto Services
Southwind Health Collective
Stonehaus Farms Winery
Westside Deli and Market
Wheatfields Bakery
and all the individuals who donated tickets for consumers use