Mental Health Parity Bill Passed in
Senate
The following is forwarded from Justice for All, an electronic
information program of the American Association of People with
Disabilities (AAPD)
Senate Health Committee Approves Mental Health Parity Bill
by 18-3 Vote
Volume 12 Number 31
ISSN 1091-4021
Lead Report: Mental Health
Thursday, February 15, 2007
By an 18-3 vote, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Committee Feb. 14 approved legislation (S. 558) requiring business
with 50 or more workers to offer the same medical benefits for
mental health care as they do for other medical conditions.
The proposed Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 would not require
businesses to offer mental health benefits, but if they do, such
benefit packages must embody parity with other medical benefits in
the areas of patient deductibles, co-payments, and annual and
lifetime coverage limits, as well in covered hospital days and
visits.
The bill's sponsors have said they hope the measure can be brought
to the Senate floor soon. A similar bill is expected to be
introduced into the House in March.
"Access to mental health services is one of the most
important
civil rights issues facing the nation," Senate HELP Committee
Chairman Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) said in his opening statement
at the committee's markup. "For too long, persons living with
mental disorders have suffered discriminatory treatment at all
levels of society. They have been forced to pay more for the
services they need and to worry about their job security if their
employer finds out about their condition."
Voting against the bill in the Senate committee were Sens. Richard
Burr (R-N.C.), Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).
Cost Exemption
The bill includes a cost exemption for businesses. Health plans
can be exempted from the parity requirements if they are projected
to have increased health care costs exceeding 2 percent of total
plan costs during the first year or exceeding 1 percent of the
total plan costs each subsequent year, according to a summary of
the legislation provided by the lawmakers. The Congressional
Budget Office has estimated that mental health parity will
increase employers' health care costs by less than 1 percent, the
summary said.
The individual health insurance market is not covered under the
legislation.
Under the bill, state laws requiring mental health parity must
have the same coverage as defined in the legislation.
Mental health parity legislation approved by Congress in 1996
requires group health plans that offer mental health benefits to
set the same annual and lifetime caps on mental health coverage as
for other medical/surgical services. Mental health advocacy groups
said the 1996 law has loopholes that need to be closed by barring
group health plans from requiring higher co-payments, deductibles,
and coinsurance payments for mental health services, compared to
other health benefits.
Groups including the American Psychiatric Association have
criticized Congress for merely passing extensions of the 1996 law,
rather than addressing the cost-sharing issues. Some employer
groups have said passing more sweeping mental health parity
legislation would increase health care costs for businesses.
In March, Reps. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) and Jim Ramstad (R-
Minn.) are expected to introduce companion legislation, the Paul
Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act. The legislation
is modeled after the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program,
which covers members of Congress and other federal workers and
dependents and which implemented parity in 2001, according to a
Feb. 14 press release from Rep. Kennedy's office.
--
Bryan Dague, Ed.D.
University of Vermont
Center on Disability & Community Inclusion
Mann Hall, 3rd Floor
208 Colchester Ave.
Burlington, VT 05405-1757
Email:
[log in to unmask]
Phone: (802) 656-1345
Fax: (802) 656-1357
TTY: (802) 656-8499
Website: http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/
Call for Presentations
Tenth Annual Vermont APSE
Supported Employment
Conference:
"Harmony of Workplace
Diversity"
May 14, 2007
Wyndham Hotel & Conference
Center
Burlington, Vermont
Keynote Speaker: David
Harp
http://www.davidharp.com/
David is the author of two dozen "how
to" books, on subjects ranging from music to meditation. He's
great at making complex subjects seem simple! He's also an
internationally known teacher of cognitive-behavioral science
(currently the most effective form of psychology for behavioral change
in organizations or individuals), and travels the world teaching
groups of every kind to work more co-operatively and more effectively,
with greater creativity and less stress.
APSE-The Network on Employment is a
non-profit, national membership organization formed to improve and
expand integrated employment opportunities, services and outcomes for
persons with severe disabilities.
*Note: Please copy and distribute to employers, employees,
families, and advocates who may be interested.
http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/programs/vtapse.html
Call for Presentations:
We would like to extend this invitation and
opportunity for you to share your successes, ideas, innovations, and
expertise with your fellow supported employment partners. Our
theme this year is
"Harmony of Workplace
Diversity"
We invite supported employees, employers, providers, school employment
staff, and other interested persons to take this opportunity to be
creative and share your expertise, issues, concerns, and solutions
with others.
We are offering a variety of Session Types for you to share your
success and expertise.
Session Types:
Workshop: (1 hour) Presentation of topical information
that may include audience participation.
Panel Discussion: (1 hour) Designed to offer information
from several individuals on one topic or related issues. A
moderator must be designated to lead the discussion.
Poster Session:
Involves displaying or disseminating information and/or materials on
tabletops. Poster sessions may be on display all day.
Please submit Abstract with completed
Presentation Information Form by March 12, 2007
to:
Bryan Dague/Vermont APSE Conference Committee
University of Vermont
Mann Hall, 3rd Floor
208 Colchester
Ave.
Burlington, VT 05405-1757
Phone: 802-656-1345
Fax: 802-656-1357
Presentation Information Form
Presenter Information
Lead Presenter Name:
Title of Presentation:
Organization:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Please list any necessary Presenter Accommodations and Audio/Visual
needs:
Co-Presenter Information
Note: Lead presenter is responsible for all
communication with co-presenters.
1. Name(s):
Organization:
2. Name(s):
Organization:
3. Name(s):
Organization:
4. Name(s):
Organization:
Session Type: (please
check)
__Workshop
__Panel
Discussion
__Poster
Session
Theme Track: (please
check)
__Mental Health
__Self-Determination
__Transition
__Employer Relations
__Other
Presentation information is concerned
with persons with: (check all that apply)
__Autism
__Deaf or Hard of
Hearing
__Multiple Disabilities
__Vision Impairment/Blindness
__Deaf-Blindness
__Psychiatric
Disability
__Dual
Diagnoses
__Cognitive Disability
__Physical Disability
__Traumatic Brain
Injury
__Transition Services
__Generic
Abstract: Please use the space below or a separate
paper to briefly describe your presentation. (limit to 100
words)
--
Bryan Dague
University of Vermont
Center on Disability & Community Inclusion
Mann Hall, 3rd Floor
208 Colchester Ave.
Burlington, VT 05405-1757
Email:
[log in to unmask]
Phone: (802) 656-1345
Fax: (802) 656-1357
TTY: (802) 656-8499
Website: http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/
The Training on Conflict and Challenging
Behaviors scheduled for February 27 has been postponed to a
later date. The new training date will be sent out via
listservs. We apologize for any inconvenience.
-----Original Message-----
From: vtapse [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Dale Hindmarsh
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 1:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Training on Conflict
and Challenging Behaviors
(Please note: This message is being sent through
multiple listservs.)
ANNOUNCING
Supported Employment Specialized Training
Seminar:
CONFLICT AND CREATIVITY: Responding to Challenging
Behaviors in the Workplace
February 27, 2007
Vermont Technical College, Randolph
Old Dorm Lounge
9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
CONFLICT AND CREATIVITY: Responding to Challenging
Behaviors in the Workplace
The goal of this training is to generate an approach to
employment and consumers that builds a safe environment for dealing
creatively with conflict as it emerges in the workplace.
Participants will:
...Identify perceptions and fears around issues of
conflict and challenge as the emerge in a work setting,
...Clarify the impact of those perceptions and fears on
the ability to shape a safe and creative work
environment,
...Explore ways to build a workplace community that
realizes creative potential of all persons -- based on safety and
communication with integrity,
...Plan strategies for ongoing support for addressing the
day-to-day experience of conflict and challenge in the
workplace.
The seminar will be an "interactive" and
"hands-on" training, designed to address conflict and
challenges as they emerge in the actual work setting. Participants are
asked to bring with them situations and scenarios that are being
encountered in their setting. Each component of the training will
present learners with an opportunity to examine their own experiences
in light of the framework and methodologies outlined. Participants
will also explore ways they can create continuing support systems
following the training day.
Trainers:
Jeff Coy, DDAS Training Specialist, one of the founding
designers of the VSAT training program.
Dale Hindmarsh, Research Associate and Supported
Employment Technical Assistance Resource, UVM Center on Disability and
Community Inclusion.
Registration Fee: $25 per person, limted
scholarship funds available.
For more information: Phone: 802-656-1345
Fax: 802-656-1357, or
Email: [log in to unmask]
To register: Send in registration and check
for $25 made payable to University of Vermont by February 21, 2007.
Or complete the email registration below and return it while you
pursue your registration funds. The important thing is to reserve your
spot early. If special accommodations are needed please
respond by February 15, 2007.
Send to: Dale Hindmarsh
University of Vermont-Center on Disability and
Community Inclusion
208 Colchester Ave, Mann Hall, 3rd Floor
Burlington, VT 0540
******************************************************************************************************
REGISTRATION FORM
Name
_________________________
Job Title ___________________
Agency
_______________________
Phone: ____________________
Address
______________________
City
_______________
State____ Zip _______
Fax
(___)_____________________
Email: ______________________
Accommodation needs, if any (all requests must be made by
February 15, 2007
Registration must be received by: February 21, 2007
Send registration and check payable to University of
Vermont to:
Dale Hindmarsh
University of Vermont-Center on Disability and
Community Inclusion
208 Colchester Ave, Mann Hall, 3rd Floor
Burlington, VT 05405
You may also advance register by completing this
form and returning it via email.
Dale Hindmarsh
University of Vermont
Center on Disability and Community Inclusion
Mann Hall 3rd Floor
208 Colchester Ave.
Burlington, VT 05405-1757
Email: [log in to unmask]
Phone: (802) 656-1345
Fax: (802) 656-1357
TTY: (802) 656-8499
Website: http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/
Dale Hindmarsh
University of Vermont
Center on Disability and Community Inclusion
Mann Hall 3rd Floor
208 Colchester Ave.
Burlington, VT 05405-1757
Phone: (802) 656-1345
Fax: (802) 656-1357
TTY: (802) 656-8499
--
Bryan Dague, Ed.D.
University of Vermont
Center on Disability & Community Inclusion
Mann Hall, 3rd Floor
208 Colchester Ave.
Burlington, VT 05405-1757
Email:
[log in to unmask]
Phone: (802) 656-1345
Fax: (802) 656-1357
TTY: (802) 656-8499
Website: http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/
New England
Rehabilitation Continuing Education (NERCEP)
in collaboration
with
University of
Vermont Center on Disability and Community Inclusion, Division of
Disability and Aging Services, Division for Vocational Rehabilitation,
VT-APSE
presents:
Building Leadership Skills
A Four-Day Workshop for Supported Employment Program
Coordinators
March 8, 9:00-4:00 &am=
p;
March 9, 9:00-3:00
March 19, 9:00-4:00 & March 20, 9:00-3:00
Comfort Inn & Suites at Maplewood
213 Paine Turnpike N.
Montpelier, VT 05602
(I-89 exit 7, right at 1st traffic light. Take driveway to the right
of the Mobil Station. Hotel is behind the Mobil Station)
Instructor: Loretta Symons, Center Stone Consulting
Day 1& 2:
=85 Culture and Vision:
Developing strategic thinking skills.
=85 Situational Leadership:
How to motivate, instruct, coach, support, and direct your
employees=8Aand when to do each.
=85 Level of Leadership
Involvement: Provides a model to guide information flow and
communication between manager and direct reports. This model is useful
for most situations and may be particularly helpful with offsite
employees.
=85 Decision-Making:
Describes several approaches to group and individual decision-making,
and provides an opportunity to try methods through exercises and
activities.
Day 3 & 4:
=85 Exploring your Leadership
Style: Building self-awareness, Motivating others, Style
application in problem-solving
=85 Emotional Intelligence:
building healthy relationship, and managing your own emotions under
stress.
=85 Performance Management and
Career Development: learning and application, provide an overview,
tools and an opportunity to practice some difficult conversations.
Trainees are expected to attend all sessions. Lunch will be
on your own. Registration may be limited.
The fee for this four-day training is: $100.00
=46or more information:
Phone: 802-656-1345
=46ax: 802-656-1357
Email: [log in to unmask]
To register: Send in registration and check made payable to
University of Vermont by March 1, 2007. If special
accommodations are needed please respond by February 15, 2007.
Send to:
Bryan Dague
University of Vermont-Center on Disability and Community Inclusion
208 Colchester Ave, Mann Hall, 3rd Floor
Burlington, VT 05405
=46or More information on the New England RCEP & other training
opportunities go to: http://www.nercep.org/
REGISTRATION FORM
Building Leadership Skills
A Four-Day Workshop for Supported Employment Program
Coordinators
Comfort Inn & Suites at Maplewood
213 Paine Turnpike N.
Montpelier, VT 05602
March 8, 9:00-4:00 & March 9, 9:00-3:00
March 19, 9:00-4:00 & March 20, 9:00-3:00
Name:
Job Title:
Agency:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Email:
Phone:
Accommodation needs, if any:
--
Bryan Dague, Ed.D.
University of Vermont
Center on Disability & Community Inclusion
Mann Hall, 3rd Floor
208 Colchester Ave.
Burlington, VT 05405-1757
Email:
[log in to unmask]
Phone: (802) 656-1345
=46ax: (802) 656-1357
TTY: (802) 656-8499
Website: http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/
Please join us for the 10th Annual Vermont APSE Conference on
Supported Employment!
Follow this link for our web page or print out information
below:
http://www.uvm.edu/%7Ecdci/programs/vtapse/apseconference2007.html
Tenth Annual
Vermont APSE
Supported Employment
Conference
May 14, 2007
Wyndham Hotel & Conference Center
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
"Harmony of Workplace
Diversity"
Keynote Speaker:
DAVID HARP
http://www.davidharp.com/
David is the author of two dozen "how
to" books, on subjects ranging from music to meditation. He's great
at making complex subjects seem simple! He's also an
internationally known teacher of cognitive-behavioral science
(currently the most effective form of psychology for behavioral change
in organizations or individuals), and travels the world teaching
groups of every kind to work more co-operatively and more effectively,
with greater creativity and less stress.
Tentative Schedule of Events:
8:30-9:00
Welcome! Registration and Refreshments
9:00-10:30
Keynote Presentation: David Harp
10:45-12:00
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
12:00 - 1:00
Lunch
1:00 - 2:15
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
2:30 - 3:15
Closing and Recognition Ceremony
More information on Breakout Sessions to come later=8A
Plus Display Tables and Exhibits, and Much More!! Celebrate
Vermont APSE's 10th Anniversary!
*************************************************************
REGISTRATION
Note: Registration Fee includes Lunch
____ Professional:
$60.00 ($70.00 after April
30)
____ Self Advocate-Supported Employee:
$25.00 ($30.00 after April 30)
APSE Members deduct $10 from the total fee.
APSE Membership # __________ (required)
Join APSE now http://www.apse.org/joinnow/join.html and attend the
conference at the reduced rates!!
Scholarships may be available to persons with disabilities on request.
Call 802-656-1345 for more information.
______Yes, we would like a display table for our non-profit agency.
Professional registration is required. (Space may be
limited)
Name(s):
Organization:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Special Accommodations (please specify):
Please send your registration with check made payable to Vermont
APSE
If special accommodations are needed please respond by April 23,
2007
Payment MUST accompany registration unless prior arrangements are made
with Karen Hussey at 802-652-2161.
Send Check and Registration to:
Karen Hussey
Vermont APSE
c/o Project Hire/HCS
102 South Winooski Ave.
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: 802-652-2161
=46ax: 802-860-2360
Note: There will be a fee for parking at
the Wyndham or city lots.
The Wyndham Burlington is offering a special guest room rate of $119
which is based on availability. Please identify Vermont APSE
when making reservations for overnight accommodations.
The Wyndham Burlington is pleased to hold
these rooms until 4/8/2007 at which time, any non-reserved rooms will
be released for general sale.
--
Bryan Dague, Ed.D.
University of Vermont
Center on Disability & Community Inclusion
Mann Hall, 3rd Floor
208 Colchester Ave.
Burlington, VT 05405-1757
Email:
[log in to unmask]
Phone: (802) 656-1345
=46ax: (802) 656-1357
TTY: (802) 656-8499
Website: http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/
