ARCIL, Inc. - Issue Alert

January 2010

 

Commenting on State Policy

ARCIL encourages people with disabilities, their families, and anyone who cares about human services in Texas to get active in state policy.

Policy groups, like on the other side of this page, meet regularly on a broad range of services for people with disabilities.

ARCIL can help you identify the policy groups that work on the issues that are important to you – employment, medical care, home health services, transportation, etc.  We can help you research, develop and deliver your message to state leaders.

For more information, contact:

John Meinkowsky, Policy Advocate, ARCIL, Inc.
825 East Rundberg Lane, Suite E-6  Austin TX 78753
512 832-6349 or email johnm@arcil.com

 

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING:

Task Force for Children with Special Needs


The Task Force for Children with Special Needs will hold a public hearing Wednesday, February 17, 2010, in Austin to hear testimony about its ongoing work.
The hearing will run from 4-7 p.m. in the Public Hearing Room of the Brown-Heatly Building, 4900 N. Lamar Blvd.
The Task Force was established in 2009 by S.B. 1824, 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009. It includes state agency representatives, legislators and public members. The goal of the Task Force is to focus key decision-makers in creating a strategic plan to improve coordination, quality and efficiency for the delivery of services for children with chronic illnesses, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and/or mental illness. The strategic plan will provide specific recommendations to be implemented over a five-year period.
The Task Force’s areas of focus include health, mental health, education, juvenile justice, crisis prevention, transitioning youth, long-term care and early childhood intervention. Public input helps the Task Force identify promising practices, system entry points and service obstacles.
Anyone with ideas or concerns relating to services for children with special needs is encouraged to testify. The Task Force will use this information in its efforts to improve the coordination, quality and efficiency of services for children with special needs. To ensure that all interested parties are provided the opportunity to speak; time for verbal testimony may be limited depending on the number of witnesses present. Written testimony may also be submitted in addition to or in lieu of verbal testimony.

For those unable to attend the hearing, testimony may be emailed to opccy@hhsc.state.tx.us, or sent via U.S. mail to:

Task Force for Children with Special Needs
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
P.O. Box 13247
Mail Code: BH1542
Austin, TX 78711

For additional information, contact:

Kate Volti, Office of Program Coordination for Children and Youth
Health and Human Services Commission, 4900 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78751
(512) 487-3497

This meeting is open to the general public. No reservations are required and there is no cost to attend this meeting.

People with disabilities who need auxiliary aids or services for this meeting are asked to call Cassandra Marx at (512) 424-6963 at least 72 hours before the meeting.