In Attendance: Amy Kahora, Lisa Lux, Lynn Koncz, Michelle Mitchell

 Carbon Lehigh Transition
Coordinating Council Meeting
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Snow Date: Thursday, February 19, 2015
Transportation Building, Walnutport
In Attendance: Amy Kahora, Lisa Lux, Lynn Koncz, Michelle Mitchell, Michele Dotta, Suzanne
Rentschler, Floyd Brown, Scott Bartholomew, Amy Killeen, Ashley Sarisky, Shannon , Micha Fell,
Lauren Coni, Joshua Williams, Nicole Markulics, Shanel Vinson, Shannon Morris, LaRonda
Moorefield, Wendy Smith, Donna Hibshman
Presenters:
1. LaRonda Moorefiel, Early Reach Coordinator (ERC) for the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational
Rehabilitation (OVR) in Allentown. LaRonda is the ERC for Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe and Northampton
Counties. Contact information include: 45 N. Fourth Street, Allentown, PA 18102, P: 610.821.6441,
[email protected].
The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), is a State Agency with the mission to assist Pennsylvanians
with disabilities secure and maintain employment and independence. OVR services are a “fit” for an individual
if they meet the following criteria: 1. They have a disability. 2. Their disability is a barrier to employment. 3.
They need and will benefit from vocational rehabilitation services to prepare for, enter in, or retain employment.
OVR needs the name of the individual, as well as their contact information, from there, they can determine if
someone meets the criteria for services. Some of the services offered include: diagnostic services (which
occurs only for their services, NOT an evaluation for students to go to college), placement services, counseling
and guidance services, vocational evaluation, restorative services (such as hearing aid, home or vehicle
modifications), and training services.
The process and timeline for services, generally is six months to a year in length, and contain the following
steps:
Referral ---- Application ---- Eligibility ---- IPE ---- Service Provision ---- Employment
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OVR has identified a need for early outreach for students with disabilities between the ages of 14-17. The
Early Reach Initiative is a program with a goal of identifying eligible youth with disabilities so they may learn
more about OVR services and can better prepare to transition from school to adult life. The Early Reach
Coordinator (ERC) looks to reach out to youth age 14 and up, with disabilities, their parents, local schools, and
community agencies that serve youth to inform them about OVR services and how best to prepare for OVR
services. Referrals can be made by: Educational Providers, Individuals/Families, Medical Providers,
Community/Social Service Providers.
Members of the Rehabilitation Team will work with youth, their families, educators, and community resources
to provide services to meet identified post-secondary goals.
Key Points to Remember:

OVR’s services can be instrumental in helping youth
transition from high school to work, college, or vocational
training.

OVR offers an array of services to help youth with disabilities prepare for, obtain, and maintain
employment and independence.

OVR offers both cost and no cost services.

OVR does not take a “quick fix” approach to vocational services.
For students with visual impairments, a referral can also be made at the age of 14.
LaRonda is available to school staff to do presentations. Please contact her if you are interested in seeking
her to present.
2. Joshua Williams, Unit Manager, the Clubhouse of Lehigh County.
A Clubhouse is a community intentionally organized to support individuals living with the effects of mental
illness. The Clubhouse is a model of psychological rehabilitation. It is a non-medical model, meaning there
are no medicines provided, nor therapy sessions. A Clubhouse is a restorative environment for people who
have had their lives drastically disrupted, and need the support of others who believe that recovery from mental
illness is possible for all.
The Lehigh County Clubhouse opened in 1999 in the basement of Dubbs
Church in Allentown. It was a partnership with Good Shepherd, The
Conference of Churches, and Haven House. In 2000, the partnership was
dissolved, and a new collaboration was formed with Good Shepherd. The
current location at 15th and Gordon Streets in Allentown, opened in 2001.
The facility has since transitioned to Goodwill Keystone Area in July 2012.
Core to the program is the requirement that members and staff work in a side-by-side relationship as
colleagues and work together to accomplish every function of clubhouse operation. A person is seen first as a
valued participant, a colleague, and as someone who has something to contribute to the rest of the group.
Each person is given the message that he or she is welcome, wanted, and needed and expected to contribute
each day.
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CLTCC Minutes – Thursday, February 12, 2015 Page 2 The Clubhouse has three unit areas in which work is needed: Culinary, Support, and Services.
 Culinary activities include: working in the kitchen preparing meals, running the snack bar, preparing
menus, and ordering food
 Support unit activities are: overall janitorial responsibilities, horticulture activities, and front desk duties
 Service unit encompasses: all clerical work such as IT, data entry, employment, and education aspects
of the house.
In April 2013 Lehigh County approved a contract with Goodwill Keystone Area to open a Drop-In Program at
the Clubhouse site. They opened the program in May 2013. The Drop-In program mission is to provide a
stress-free, stigma-free atmosphere for persons 18 and over who have experienced mental health issues. The
hours of the Drop-In center are Monday-Friday 4:00 – 8:00 PM and Saturday 2:00 – 8:00 PM. Activities
include: Arts and crafts, movies, Wii games, board games, holiday gatherings, special events/groups, and
many more activities!
The facility is located at 1437 Gordon St., Allentown, PA 18102,
Cell: 610.554.6141and website: www.yourgoodwill.org
Phone: 610.433.9910, Fax: 610.433.9940,
Access Services
Access Services – Welcome: Ashley Sarisky, Life Program Director, who serves individuals with disabilities
in the Lehigh Valley, and also Carbon and Schuylkill County Regions. The following are some of the services
Access provides: Mental Health: Adult Mobile Crisis Support, Peer Support Talk Line, Mental Health Wellness
Center, Transition Age Youth/ Young Adult Peer Support Program, Starting Point Program, Respite Services
and Developmental Disabilities: Lifesharing, Community Homes, L.I.F.E. (Learning in a Functional
Environment) Day Support, Supported Living, and Respite Services.
Ms. Sarisky can be reached at C- 610-547-0446, O- 610-866-6667 ext. 241or [email protected].
The website is http://www.accessservices.org/.
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Lehigh Carbon Community College – Secondary Engagement Education
Determination (SEED) Program – Michelle Mitchell, from the Disability Service
Office provided information on the SEED Program. The Success, Engagement,
Education, Determination program is being created in cooperation with a grant
received through the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council. It is a
program that will provide comprehensive follow along services for students with
disabilities interested in either an academic or career track program providing the soft and/or hard skills,
mentoring, socialization, and independent living skills necessary for postsecondary success. SEED: Plants the
seed of success for all students through college and community engagement in creating an inclusive culture,
fostering growth. Information sessions, informative flyers, and applications will be received in all of the 14
supported school districts of Lehigh Carbon Community College. If you are interested in further information,
please contact Michelle Mitchell, [email protected]. To learn more about the SEED program, click:
http://www.lccc.edu/?destination=node%2F5084
CLTCC Minutes – Thursday, February 12, 2015 Page 3 Mental Health
The Hidden Homeless – Transition Age Youth
SOAR WORKS - SAMHSA - http://soarworks.prainc.com/content/hidden-homeless-%E2%80%93-transition-ageyouth
by Abigail Lemon
January 7, 2015
When one thinks about the demographic of people most often affected by homelessness, an image of a
single adult often comes to mind, maybe a veteran, or a family that has been displaced into homelessness.
However, homelessness among teens and young adults has risen in recent years. This demographic is known
as the ”transition age youth,” often defined as someone between the ages of 16-25. This group of individuals
often presents with unique service challenges being that they are too old for child services but often not ready
or eligible for adult services. This population is also often times ”hidden” in plain sight; homeless youth do not
tend to have the appearance of the stereotypical individual experiencing homelessness, nor would you expect
to see a homeless youth residing at the local adult shelter, or seeking services alongside homeless adults.
Due to this, the issue of homelessness among youth continues to grow.
Let’s look at the numbers:
The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that about 50,000 youth in the U.S. sleep on the
street for 6 months or more, and approximately 550,000 unaccompanied single youth and young adults up to
age 24 experience an episode of homelessness longer than one week.
The 2014 Point-In-Time Estimates on Homelessness, which were counted on a single night in January
2014, counted 45,205 unaccompanied children and youth experiencing homelessness nationwide.
Eighty-six percent (38,931 individuals) were between the ages of 18 and 24, while the remaining 14
percent were under the age of 18. (Given the difficulty of counting youth experiencing homelessness, that
estimate is likely an undercount.)
Of those youth experiencing street homelessness:
 Approximately 55 percent were male, 40 percent female, and 5 percent identified as transgender.
 Approximately 33–40 percent identified as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or
questioning).
 Over 25 percent of youth had a history of foster care, had resided in group homes, or been in
juvenile detention.
 It was also estimated that the ethnic groups most affected by youth homelessness were African
American and Native Americans.
The experience of many homeless youth is often compounded by the fact that they may be experiencing
symptoms of untreated mental or physical disabilities. The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers a
CLTCC Minutes – Thursday, February 12, 2015 (article continued on next page)
Page 4 variety of programs to assist youth, these programs include Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for disabled
children, SSI for children who transition to adults, benefits for Disabled Adult Children (including Title II Social
Security Disability Insurance benefits), and employment programs for youth looking to begin or transition back
to work (such as the Youth Transition Demonstration project). Overall, SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access,
and Recovery) can play a key role in assisting youth transitioning out of homelessness and on the road to
recovery.
For more information on Transition Age Youth and Social Security benefits for children and youth:
Social Security Administration: Youth Transition Demonstration:
http://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/youth.htm
Social Security Administration: Benefits for Children: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10085.pdf
National Alliance to End Homelessness - Youth: http://www.endhomelessness.org/pages/youth
SSI for Children: Determining Childhood Disability: http://soarworks.prainc.com/article/ssi-children-determiningchildhood-disability
SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on
America's communities.
At Long Last, Athlete with Down Syndrome To Compete
By Erika Pesantes, Sun Sentinel/MCT,
November 6, 2014
Garrett Holeve, who has Down syndrome, is scheduled to face David Steffan, who has cerebral palsy, in a
sanctioned mixed martial arts match.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Cooper City mixed martial arts athlete with Down syndrome has fought fiercely
for a chance to fight in a sanctioned match. The long wait will come to an end Saturday.
But Garrett Holeve, 25, must leave his home state to get in the cage and face his opponent — “Cerebral
Assassin,” a fighter from Nebraska with mild cerebral palsy.
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CLTCC Minutes – Thursday, February 12, 2015 Page 5 Holeve, who uses the moniker of “G-Money,” is scheduled to fight against David Steffan, 30, in Sullivan, Mo., a
town about 70 miles away from St. Louis. He is traveling to Missouri on Thursday.
“He’s excited. He’s really focused,” said Mitch Holeve, of his MMA fighter son. “He’s always wanted to win a
(championship) belt. The opportunity to do that is really motivating him.”
A possible win in a sanctioned fight inspires the young fighter who vows to “never stop fighting.”
“People respect me — like a man,” Garrett Holeve told the Sun Sentinel during an interview in July.
It’s not the first time Holeve and Steffan have tried to set up an amateur match between them that is
sanctioned by the state. In August 2013, the pair was ready to face off at the Seminole Casino in Immokalee
when the bout was called off.
The Florida State Boxing Commission prohibited the match because it was unsanctioned, officials said at the
time. An advocacy group later filed a federal lawsuit on Holeve’s behalf alleging that the commission and other
entities denied him the chance to participate because of his disability.
The lawsuit is pending.
The “G-Money” v. “Cerebral Assassin” fight is being sponsored by Fighting for Autism, an autism awareness
and advocacy group.
Steffan on Wednesday said he was traveling to Missouri and ready to live out his dream on Saturday. And
even though he and Holeve will be opponents in the ring, he says they have a united purpose.
“I do belong in this sport,” Steffan said. “Hopefully, after we get this done, people will see
that. This is just one more step. I’m just as capable as anybody else.”
Holeve told the Sun Sentinel: “I love the sport. I won’t back down. I won’t quit.”
Holeve will be joined by his parents, brothers, and two coaches. But although he relishes
any opportunity to fight in an amateur bout, “there’s a little less glimmer because,
unfortunately, he’s not going to be fighting in front of his friends,” his father said.
“They’re going to have an opportunity to show people this can be done safely and that they’re skilled martial
artists,” Mitch Holeve said. “At the end of the day, everybody wins.”
Copyright © 2014 Disability Scoop, LLC.
More with Disabilities Finding Jobs
By Shaun Heasley
November 7, 2014
As the job market shows signs of improvement, statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor suggest people
with disabilities are making gains as well.
The unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities dipped to 11.3 percent in October, the Labor
Department said Friday. That’s down from 12.3 percent the month prior.
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CLTCC Minutes – Thursday, February 12, 2015 Page 6 Meanwhile, the jobless rate for the general population declined to 5.8 percent as the economy added 214,000
jobs last month.
Federal officials began tracking employment among people with disabilities in October 2008. There is not yet
enough data compiled to establish seasonal trends among this population, so statistics for this group are not
seasonally adjusted.
Data on people with disabilities covers those over the age of 16 who do not live in institutions. The first
employment report specific to this population was made available in February 2009. Now, reports are released
monthly.
Copyright © 2014 Disability Scoop, LLC.
SSI Payments to Increase
By Shaun Heasley , October 22, 2014
SSI payments will go up starting December 31 due to increased cost of
living, the Social Security Administration said. (Thinkstock) Monthly Social Security payments — including those for Supplemental
Security Income beneficiaries — will go up next year.
Benefits will rise 1.7 percent in 2015, the Social Security Administration
said Wednesday.
The increase is triggered by law through an automatic cost-of-living
adjustment known as COLA, which is based on inflation.
The change will affect 58 million people on Social Security starting in January and eight million SSI recipients
beginning December 31, officials said.
SSI benefits for individuals will increase to a federal maximum of $733 per month, up from $721 per month
during 2014.
For couples receiving SSI, the top federal payment will grow to $1,100 per month from $1,082 currently.
Many states add to SSI benefits for their residents meaning that actual payments could be higher.
Copyright © 2014 Disability Scoop, LLC.
Bill On Savings Accounts To Help The Disabled Nears Congressional Vote
Pennsylvania senator is key proponent of the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, which has bipartisan
support.
By Laura Olson, Washington Bureau
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
A proposal from Senator Casey to help disabled individuals save money may get a vote before Congress
heads home.
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CLTCC Minutes – Thursday, February 12, 2015 Page 7 WASHINGTON— In a politically divided Congress that has led to more finger-pointing than legislative action, a
proposal pushed by Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey appears to be bridging that divide.
The legislation to create tax-free savings accounts for individuals with disabilities and their families is heading
to the U.S. House floor this week, House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday. If passed, it would be one of
the most significant laws to affect disabled Americans in several decades.
Pennsylvania News: Tax-free savings for the disabled
The version being taken up isn't the one introduced under Casey's name, but the measure
advancing from U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., is expected to match the Pennsylvania
Democrat's bill. The proposal has drawn wide bipartisan support, a feat for any measure
working through the polarized chambers.
"It's great to have it moving. I don't think there's another bill in the Senate that has more co-sponsors," Casey
said, pointing to support from both outgoing Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, and the soon-to-be
majority leader, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.
Known as the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, the proposal was first introduced in Congress
in 2006. Casey became a key Senate proponent several years later.
Casey and other supporters say the tax-free accounts, which would be similar to a 529 college savings plan,
would ease the financial burden on those with disabilities. As with the college accounts, money would remain
tax-free as long as it is used for qualified expenses, such as education, housing, health care, and
transportation.
The proposal's cost has been scaled back from an estimated $20 billion over 10 years. Clarifying that someone
must be diagnosed with the disability by age 26 to qualify, and limiting annual contributions to $14,000,
trimmed that cost to $2 billion over a decade.
The Heritage Foundation has opposed the legislation, arguing that it would "expand the welfare state" because
the savings would not be counted in considering whether a person is eligible for federal assistance programs.
That opposition doesn't seem to be a major obstacle in the Republican-controlled House. GOP leaders
heralded the proposal during a Tuesday news conference, describing it as a way to help individuals to help
themselves.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said children like her 7-year-old son, Cole, who was born with Down
syndrome, would be "empowered" through the program to save money and improve their lives.
If it passes the House this week, as expected, the legislation also will need to clear a vote on the Senate floor
before lawmakers wrap up their work for the year.
"I'm not going to put any sports analogies out on this, just that we're getting closer," Casey said.
Still, advocates like Sara Wolff already are cheering the proposal's momentum.
Wolff, a 31-year-old with Down syndrome, has been traveling from her home near Scranton to Washington,
D.C., to promote the bill and meet with legislators.
Her mother died last year and she lives with her father, whom she relies on for transportation. A savings
account like the one proposed would make it easier for Wolff and her family to plan ahead.
CLTCC Minutes – Thursday, February 12, 2015 (article continued on next page)
Page 8 "If I want to go back to college, I can, and to just save money for the future," Wolff said.
[email protected], Twitter @LauraOlson
Copyright © 2014, The Morning Call
Sara Wolff, a 31‐year‐old woman who has Down syndrome was asked passage of a bill that would create special tax‐free savings accounts for people born with disabilities.
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-casey-disabled-saving-accounts-20141202story.html
Obama Signs ABLE Act
By MICHELLE DIAMENT
December 22, 2014
President Barack Obama held his year-end press conference Friday. Before leaving for vacation, the president signed the ABLE Act. (Olivier
Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS)
With his signature, the president has paved the way for people with disabilities to open tax-free savings
accounts where they can amass more than $2,000 without losing government benefits. President Barack
Obama signed the Achieving a Better Life Experience, or ABLE Act Friday before leaving Washington for the
holidays.
The new law will allow people with disabilities to open special accounts where they can save up to $100,000
without risking eligibility for Social Security and other government programs. What’s more, individuals can keep
their Medicaid coverage no matter how much money is accrued in an ABLE account. Modeled after 529
college savings plans, interest earned on savings will be tax-free. Funds accrued in the accounts can be used
to pay for education, health care, transportation, housing, and other expenses.
To be eligible, individuals must have a condition that occurred before age 26 and each person may only open
one ABLE account. Under current gift-tax limitations, as much as $14,000 could be deposited annually. People
with disabilities may be able to start opening ABLE accounts as soon as 2015. However, some hurdles remain.
While the new law alters federal rules to allow for ABLE accounts, each state must now put regulations in place
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CLTCC Minutes – Thursday, February 12, 2015 Page 9 — much as they have done for other types of 529 plans — so that financial institutions can make the new
offering available.
“We can’t mandate that a state will create a 529, but given the lobby that we’ve seen, I think by the end of next
year, I think we’ll see this in every state,” Senator Richard Burr, R-N.C., one of the measure’s chief sponsors,
said on a recent call with reporters. The law’s name was amended in recent weeks to honor Stephen Beck, Jr.,
a longtime proponent of the bill who died unexpectedly in early December.
Copyright © 2014 Disability Scoop, LLC.
Self-Advocate Gets State Of The Union Invite
By BORYS KRAWCZENIUK, THE TIMES-TRIBUNE/TNS
January 13, 2015
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, right, with self-advocate Sara Wolff in 2012. Casey has invited Wolff, who has Down syndrome, to attend the president’s
State of the Union address next week. (Butch Comegys/Scranton Times-Tribune)
Sara Wolff fought hard to help others like her, so U.S. Senator Bob Casey, D-PA., offered her a special thanks.
He invited Wolff to sit in the U.S. House gallery next Tuesday to watch President Barack Obama deliver the
State of the Union speech. Wolff helped Casey get a bill passed that helps those with disabilities.
“I was very surprised and excited at the same time,” Wolff, 31, of Moscow, PA said Monday. “This is my first
time. I’m very excited. A little bit nervous, but very excited.”
The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, ABLE Act for short, allows people with disabilities to save money
in untaxed accounts similar to tax-advantaged accounts used by families who save for college. The act also
allows Americans with disabilities to save money for education, housing, transportation, and health care
without losing eligibility for government programs.
The bill passed the House on December 3 by a vote of 404-17. In the Senate, the provision was part of a larger
tax bill that passed 76 to 16. Obama signed the bill into law December 19. “I call it history in the making,” Wolff,
who has Down syndrome, said. “It’s very important for people with disabilities, Down syndrome, autism, etc.
Now, they can save money for their future.”
Casey said he wanted to honor Wolff because of her advocacy. She kept him focused on getting the bill
passed with a catchphrase, “Stay pumped,” he said. Wolff testified for the bill at a Senate hearing in July. “If
she wasn’t the leading, she was one of the leading voices in the country for passage of the ABLE Act,” he said.
“I wanted to acknowledge her contribution, which was substantial. She was a personal witness, which was very
compelling.”
Copyright © 2015 Disability Scoop, LLC
CLTCC Minutes – Thursday, February 12, 2015 Page 10 2015-2015 CLTCC Meetings
9:00 am – 11:00 am
Thursday, April 9, 2015: Central Office, Schnecksville, Rooms F/G)Susan Tachau, Executive
Director and Tracy Beck, Operations Director, PA AssistiveTechnology Foundation (PATF) will
speak on both a low-interest loan and mini loan program. PATF serves Pennsylvania residents who
have a disability and older Pennsylvanians who need assistive technology. They also serve people of
all income levels.
Look for updates and ALL minutes on the CLIU 21 website, Transition Resources, Carbon
Lehigh Transition Coordinating Council, http://www.cliu.org//site/Default.aspx?PageID=352
CLTCC Minutes – Thursday, February 12, 2015 Page 11