Reminder to apply for respite funding

Apply for Caregiver Support (respite) Funding beginning July 1 for the fiscal year 2016. Applications received during fiscal year 2015 for Caregiver Support Services do not carry over to fiscal year 2016. Each fiscal year an application must be completed; Here is more information Caregiver Support Services:
• The program is 100 percent state funded and available on a first-come, first-served basis;
• As long as the Caregiver Support Services funds are available, services may be approved when
an individual meets the state eligibility definition of intellectual and developmental disabilities and the primary caregiver selects an approved provider;
• Caregiver Support Services are available to the primary caregiver if the targeted individual is not currently receiving and does not begin to receive other services from BDDS or other related state programs such as (but not limited to) Vocational Rehabilitation Services, First Steps, CHOICE, or a Medicaid Waiver;
• Applications may be made online, by mail or in-person;
• Online applications are available on this Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) webpage: https://ddrsprovider.fssa.in.gov/BDDS/ConsumerInfo/CaregiverSupportRequest.aspx;
• To apply by mail or in-person please call or visit your local Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services (BDDS) District Office to request an application. Contact information for your local BDDS Office can be found on this webpage: http://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/4088.htm.

Initial budgets will be approved in the amount of $500 for each eligible individual regardless of the number of eligible individuals residing in the home. Successive budgets may be requested by the Caregiver Support Services provider and will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Any new budget is dependent upon available funds. Here is a link to frequently asked questions about the Caregiver Supports Program: http://www.in.gov/fssa/files/Caregiver_Supports_FAQ.pdf.

From Marci Wheeler, Social Work Specialist at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism

Funds for Attending Trainings

The Consumer Investment Fund (CIF) implemented by the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities (GPCPD) can help individuals with disabilities and family members with funding to participate in educational events. Educational activities include conferences, workshops, and other training formats as well as attendance at public forums, hearings, and task force meetings.

To learn more about this funding, please visit IRCA's article at: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=551

Military Family Autism Equality Act

The Tricare health program, the Pentagon-issued insurance for veterans and active-duty personnel, may soon cover autism therapy for children of retirees.

Republican Representative Jeff Miller of Florida has proposed the Military Family Autism Equality Act, which would allow veterans the same access to autism care as active-duty service members. This would provide "up to $2,500 per month for training, rehabilitation, special education, institutional care and sometimes transportation." Legislators and advocates hope that the act will help take the sting out of costly therapies that, thanks to low Medicaid reimbursements, ex-military families must often pay for out-of-pocket.

You can read more about the proposal in the Army Times.

Autism in Public Schools

There can be no doubt that autism in our public schools is on the rise. And as the number of children with autism in schools continues to increase, those schools are being challenged to educate their kids without breaking the bank. Check out this special report from Edutopia: Overcoming Autism: Public Schools Deal with a Growing Problem, that highlights some of the issues facing public schools today.