STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCIL
February 20, 2019
11:30 – 2:30 pm
Walker Building 1st Floor
21 South Fruit Street, Concord, NH 
Present:  Jeff Dickinson, Andrew Harmon, Rose Prescott, Marcia Golembeski, Jennifer Beaulieu, Shellie Lemelin, Tobey Parch-Davies, Gary Whitmarsh, Dorine Pelletier, Carrie Dudley, Erin Hall, Joan Marcoux, Christopher Emerson
Absent: Deborah Naumann-Lindsey, Susan Wolf-Downes, Peggy Teravainen
The SPIL task forces began work at 11:30.
The full SILC meeting was called to order by Chair Jeff Dickinson at 1:03 PM. Attendance was taken via introductions. 
It was also mentioned that Jen should look into having a microphone and speaker for these meetings due to excessive background noise and the size of the room. 
Presentation by Nancy Diamond and Valerie Kidder from GSIL
The first part of the meeting consisted of a presentation by Nancy Diamond (Long Term Supports Coordinator) and Valerie Kidder (Director Outreach and Education, Long-term Support) from GSIL (Granite State Independent Living). They spoke about GSIL’s attendant care programs, personal care services, and the status of nursing home transition initiatives in NH. 
Nancy first mentioned that GSIL has a nursing facility transition program which helps people transition out of nursing homes and into the community if that is what they wish. She highlighted some of the issues that the program deals with, such as there not being a home to return to, and perceptions of what a person can and can’t do.  She mentioned that there are only 25 people on it right now and they have to fight facilities who decided to use consumers’ social security to pay co-pays, leaving no money to save for providing the first and last month’s rent on an apartment. She noted that the Money Follows the Person program dried up a few years ago and it used to provide $5,000 so that somebody could have their first and last month’s rent, get some furniture in the home, and get some food in the home. Currently the CFI (Choices for Independence Program) waiver has some transition funds available, but the case management companies must front the money and then bill the state for reimbursement, and this is problematic. Eligible consumers may access $1,500 to pay for first month’s and last month’s rent in subsidized housing, but if they don’t get discharged on the planned date because something happens like an infection they lose that funding.  She mentioned that Citizen’s bank has provided funding for nursing facility transition programs which helped move three people out of nursing facilities, including someone who thought they would never be able to leave the nursing facility. 
Next Nancy and Valerie discussed the current PCA shortage. Nancy noted that the program is flexible, driving to customer’s homes counts towards a person’s hourly wage, and that PCAs don’t get paid enough. They can’t increase the rate because they get a certain reimbursement rate and pay a certain rate to workers like other agencies, but with GSIL some funding is used for other programs such as the nursing facility transition program. 
Valarie discussed GSIL’s employment services which work closely with VR. She mentioned that some who are on disability insurance can only work 15 to 20 hours a week or else they will lose their benefits. They also need to make sure they don’t make too much. If they have a love for helping people, they could work as a PCA. This can be a win-win; they get to work and not have to worry about losing their benefits, and we get more PCAs. She reported she has seen an uptick in people who are on disability insurance becoming PCAs. 
Nancy and Valarie also mentioned the information and referral services GSIL provides which connects people to resources that can help them. 
Approval of Full SILC Minutes
Jeff asked if anyone had any edits for September’s full SILC minutes. No one had any. Andrew made a motion to approve the minutes as they are. Marcia seconded. All were in favor. Erin, Andrew, and Joan abstained. Motion carried.

Jeff asked if anyone had any edits for the November minutes. No one had any. Andrew made a motion to approve the minutes as they are. Marcia seconded. All were in favor. Erin, Andrew, and Joan abstained. Motion carried.

SPIL Task Forces Updates
Goal 1: IL Services Expansion 
Dorine reported for the IL task force. She mentioned that they want to transfer the task of writing a transportation position paper to the transportation task force.

She noted that their task force will be working on the fact sheets for work incentives, housing, and recreational activities. 

Rose commented that the position papers are a large task, they discussed it and decided on doing fact sheets instead of positon papers because this is a more manageable task.

Tobey noted that she will edit the SPIL with these updates.

Goal 2: Transportation
Marcia reported to the council that she was able to get through to PIC (Parent Information Center). Someone named Maureen Shields wants to come in and talk with the SILC and the transition task force. Marcia mentioned that Jeff suggested the SILC should invite the PIC to the April meeting. The SILC should also have representation from the PIC on the SILC.

Marcia mentioned that she also spoke with someone named Luanne VanBrocklin that she met at the SCC (State Coordinating Council for Transportation) meeting. She noted that Luann is the Program Implementation Director of the New Hampshire Volunteer Transportation Center and that she might be very interested in attending a future SILC meeting. 

Marcia noted that there will be a conference called the Champions of Aging on April 27th at the Lundholm gym at UNH from 10:00am to 1:00pm. There will be a lot of vendors and she found out that the SILC could have a table there for free. She would be willing to sit at the table but asked for ideas and for other people to join her. 

Goal 3: Transition
Erin mentioned that they don’t have much to report on due to missing a couple of meetings but it seems like the task force is pretty on target. They will be able to check off their objective regarding the PIC due to Marcia inviting the PIC to come to a SILC meeting.

2020-2022 SPIL
Tobey mentioned that the SPIL was updated in accordance to what the members discussed at the last SILC meeting. Jen assisted with the edits for the transportation task force. She also reminded members that according to the ACL, the current SPIL can be extended by a year. 

Tobey mentioned that she could offer support to the SILC such as paying attention to timelines, working with different task forces, being a sounding board, and checking in with people between meetings.  

Tobey noted that we are going to do a poll or survey though social media in developing the next SPIL and Jennifer can disseminate that as well as UNH. 

Tobey mentioned that Lisa Hinson-Hatz at VR wants to have a meeting with her, Jeff, and Jen to go over the work plan for the SILC because ACL will be here this summer to monitor, so she wants to check in and see what we’re working on.

Tobey discussed the SILC’s desire to increase the membership diversity of the SILC. She encouraged any of the task forces, if they have additional edits they think are necessary or new activities they want to add, to let her know so she can add them to the SPIL. Tobey asked Jeff if changes to activities need to be voted on from the full membership. Jeff responded he would have to check the bylaws, Erin responded that they do need to be voted on.

Rose mentioned that she had a hard time accessing the updated SPIL. 

Due to there not being a quorum present at the time, it was decided to vote on the updated SPIL by Doodle Poll to be sent out on the 25th. 

Membership
Review of pending SILC membership applications
It was decided that due to there not being a quorum, that members should vote by Doodle Poll to be sent out on the 25th and due by Thursday. 

Orientation process and materials
Jeff noted that this item would be tabled for this meeting.

GCD Update 
Jeff noted that the next item on the agenda was the GCD, but since neither Lorrie nor Chuck from the GCD were able to attend, the item would be tabled.

Other Business
Christopher noted that it was mentioned in the past that the SILC should have a legislative watch process. Jeff mentioned that he keeps a spreadsheet of bills of interest to the SILC that he will send out to members of the SILC.

Andrew mentioned that one of the initiatives that Governor Sununu announced during his budget address is to help high school-aged people transition into the workplace by paying for students’ freshmen year in community college, and getting businesses involved in offering apprenticeships. He reported he will try to find info on this and send it to the membership if people are interested. 

Jeff mentioned that there will be state budget hearings scheduled in the month of March and he will get back to people on the dates. He feels it will be important that we have people from the SILC attend some of those hearings and make a pitch for the priorities that we are working on in our task forces.

Erin mentioned that there is a now a third Medicaid MCO called Ameri-Health. 

Jen asked about the idea of creating a website committee. Jeff responded that he thinks that there should be another meeting with Gary, him, and Jen to discuss the website. Jeff mentioned that Jen has gotten the technical details of the website nailed down but needs help from members with getting information that can go there. Erin mentioned that all past SPILs should be available on the website. Jen said she has e-mailed partner agencies to get permission to have their logos and links on the SILC website if they will put the SILC’s information on their websites. 

Andrew mentioned that the NFB is having its annual state convention the first weekend in April, the 5th thru the 7th in Keene this year. He mentioned that anyone is welcome to come and asked folks to pass the word. 

Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 2:35pm. 

NEXT SILC MEETING: Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at Granite State Independent Living on 21 Chenell Drive in Concord, NH.

Recorded by Jennifer Beaulieu