The Advocate newsletter Spring 2009

The "budget cutters" in Columbus have proposed to eliminate the Family Support Service Program, FSSP, (also known as the Family Resource Service Program) by rolling all of its funding into general subsidy for County Boards of MR/DD.

This means that a County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities could use the FSSP money any way it chooses. It would have no requirement to use it to support families through respite care, home modification, summer recreation programs like camp, special diets, diapers, etc.

67% of people with developmental disabilities live in their family homes and are cared for by their families...

 HOWEVER, currently only 2% of the department budget was proposed to support the families caring for the 67% of people with developmental disabilities who live in their family homes. Now even that is proposed to be eliminated, by the "budget cutters."

YOUR VOICE MATTERS: 

 Voice your support of the families who care for 67% of Ohians with disabilities - we must retain the Family Support Servive line item and avoid turning it into County Board Subsidy. We are NOT asking for additional money, simply to retain what we already have.

It is very important that you let them know of your support by phone,email, or fax 

Senator Bill Harris  614-466-8086 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Speaker Armond Budish 614-466-5444 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Govenor Strickland 614-644-4357 Fax 614-466-9354

Please email back to let us know that you contacted an elected official.

State "budget cutters," making last minute cuts, want to devastate a vitally important service to people with developmental disabilities, APSI!

APSI, Advocacy and Protective Services, Inc., serves as guardian for people with developmental disabilities who have no one in their lives to perform that vital role. They currently serve 4667 individuals, with 175 others about to be assigned to them by probate courts, and an additionally 580 referrals on the way.

The latest proposal would cut APSI'S budget $384,00.00 in 2010, and another $384,000.00 in 2011. This is on top of about $300,000.00 in cuts they sustained this past year.

These cuts, totaling to over a million dollars in three years will devastate APSI's $2.5 million dollar budget!

APSI's clients have no where else to turn for the vital role APSI performs in their lives.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS:

Tell them to restore funding to the proctective services line item, funding Advocacy and Proctective Services, Inc.

 Email, Fax, or Call:

Senator Bill Harris  614-466-8086 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Speaker Armond Budish  614-466-5444 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Governor Strickland  614-644-4357 Fax 614-466-9354

Please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   back to let us know that you contacted an elected official.

The Arc Hamilton County's DD Council Center for Public Policy

The Arc is pleased to announce the Covenant of Support! A Covenant of Support is formed when friends and family members make a commitment to be involved in the life of an individual with a developmental disability.  It is an innovative and vital advocacy/support process which more thoroughly connects a person with a developmental disability to his or her world.  It involves volunteers, family, neighbors, and friends all working to reduce or eliminate the isolation of an individual with disabilities from the community and to make unannounced visits to prevent abuse and neglect.  The reasons an individual with developmental disabilities would want a Covenant of Support group would be to feel safer, to not be lonely, to count on family and friends to come to see the individual, to help the individual's friendships last and grow and to encourage the individual's friends to get to know each other. 

• The following points are essential to the Covenant of Support process:
• The Covenant of Support concept and process were developed in 1998 by people with disabilities, family members, and professionals.
• Anyone can have a Covenant of Support
• The individual for whom the Covenant is developed is its core member.
• The primary goal of a Covenant of Support is to insure that the core member has a caring, committed group of friends and family members whose voluntary involvement makes his/her life richer and safer.
• One member of the Covenant is identified as the coordinator to assist the core member.
• Covenant relationships are reciprocal. Members can count on each other as a source of friendship and support.
• Members meet at least twice a year to renew their commitment, and schedule specific times for each member to spend with the core member.
• Direct support staff know about and respect Covenant relationships.
• Those who have Covenants greatly value them.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COVENANT OF SUPPORT PLEASE CONTACT PATTY MCMAHON AT 821-2113 EXT 113 OR BY EMAIL AT This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Arc Hamilton County is thrilled to announce the Second Annual “Dancin’ With The Arc”.

Last year, this event brought many warm memories and opportunities to meet more of the community:

"What I remember about Dancin' With The Arc was the incredible energy in the room. Everyone had so much fun! My wife and I agreed that it was the most enjoyable evening we had spent in a long time."- Jay Allgood

“My wife and I have three sons, so we hardly get out at night by ourselves.
Dancin' With The Arc last October offered us a chance to get out and have fun, meet some great people and to support a great organization that does immeasurable good for many in the community. What more could anyone ask? We are looking forward to Dancin' With The Arc this fall!”- Alfred Joseph

“I was part of the planning committee, and brought two friends with me to the event. We all had so much fun! Both of my friends are excited about attending the event with me again this year! We danced, laughed, and talked to lots of new people. ” - Mindy Freson