Tag Archives: DHHS

Survey Monkey Time! Will Our Dysfunctional State Gov’t Finally Listen?

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Who knows…I’m not holding my breath

in a 7 question survey found on the client portal of my area agency, last week wether I was on my male-period or what, I decided to be blunt

Here was the 4th question: What improvements or changes would you like the Bureau of Development Services to consider regarding self-directed programs?

listen to the area agencies’ concerns as families are not allowed to be in contact with BDS or have BDS involved more with families and individuals

They also asked “Are there any innovative approaches or best practices you have encountered that support self-directed programs?”

listening to the individuals and not push them what a coordinator’s grand view is of supports and services.

Another one I threw in a Direct Support Professional shortage and how the state has a law that prohibits anyone making over $20 an hour without justification, the question was ”

What areas do you feel you need additional support to successfully manage your self-directed program?”

more *qualified* direct support staff that can be paid in a liveable wage [sic]

Anything else you want the BDS to know… I sure sounded off…

The Bureau knows for years pushing clients out into community based supports 6+ hour days and 5 days a week in the wild has not worked for a number of clients. Their vision of community based supports, for some individuals feels like someone else’s delusion. Also the importance of direct support professionals and how they need to be paid better, and the career ladder shouldn’t have DSP and management on the opposite sides of said ladder

I really don’t care about political correctness to conservative bureaucrats anymore – if their grannie panties go up in a bunch, not my responsibility. I can’t see this anymore.

Re-De with the local DHHS

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I am saying this loosely, even for high functioning autistics, people like me need to have benefits… because I am not enough work wise too.

The annual re-determination process (aka re-de) is in August, where my mother has to file the annual paperwork to say I am totally and permanently disabled and we have to supply the state the last checking and savings monthly statement, etc. Because my mother neglected a certain detail that changed this year, I did not get my bi-monthly benefits beginning in September.

my mother tried to call the office one time in early September but because I didn’t fill the consent to talk, it further delayed. We tried calling the office again later in the month and was on hold for nearly 20 minutes.

Despite the Cisco CallManager on-hold music, it got my mother really anxious. My grandmother was dying to be blunt.

Last Wednesday, we went to our local DHHS office, and much to my chagrin, there was no wait, my name was the only one on the digital display, and for all intensive purposes, we were applying for benefits (aka it was like being 18 all over again with the paperwork.) However that part got expietitied because of the long term supports (i.e. my day services connection.) My mother did apply for Food Stamps because other benefits in a re-de last year shrunk because of a misunderstanding of how the funds were supposed to be used.

Obviously, I do not want to share the details, nor embellish it. I do want to say there is some shame living with a pre-existing autistic condition. That’s explained in a follow up phone meeting on Friday.

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EBT Card Abuse, Arrogance, and Potential Crackdowns for the Legit Crowds

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This dateline is in my own back yard of my homestate of New Hampshire. Last week, elderly woman got fired from a convenience store. The fireble offense? A 20 year old man was attempting to use his Electronics Benefit Transfer or EBT card to pay for cigarettes. The use for EBT cards in New Hampshire is supposed to be prohibited for purchases of cigarettes, booze and other things that aren’t a need so to speak.
In her words, to the local press, Jackie Whiton told the Union Leader on June 28th:

“‘What happened was, a young man came in and wanted to buy cigarettes and I asked him for his ID and he handed me his EBT card. I told him he couldn’t them with the card and he said yes he could’ The following day, the foster mother of the man, who Whiton estimates to be about 20, came into the convenience store to complain. Whiton still refused to accept the EBT card for cigarettes so the woman went to her boss, she said”

She also said to the Union Leader this:

“The next day, I got a call from the home office and they said I have to sell to him and I said at 65 years old, I have do anything I don’t want to do. I said I would bow out gracefully and gave my two weeks’ notice. The next day, they fired me.”

However the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services told the same paper that EBT benefits can be used to purchase anything. Theoretically, these “benefits” is used for spending money since if others are receiving Social Security benefits. From what I know, the media has wrongfully made public benefits very glamorous, while many are in fixed incomes, with disabled people, and people with autism having a cap of $700 a month of revenue in order to receive benefits and for their adult services programs as well.
Now the man was kinda arrogant. The EBT card is not a valid ID. Now in the defense of the State, its their responsibility to say no or cancel purchases on ciggies or booze. Says Terry Smith, the head of the Division of Family Assistance: “if the state were to enact restrictions on how cash assistance is spent, DHHS would have to set up a costly infrastructure to monitor use, We’d need more staff and travel budgets”
Of course they have no budgets – just look at the whole Managed Care drama over the last year! Obviously various bureaucrats and pols have been on the attack of ANY public assistance.
Now for Ms. Whiton, her stance is questionable both on legal and just plain wrong as a customer service perceptive. Yes, the question for ID is right on, but to deny it because the EBT card prohibits that, when in fact the DHHS said it’s ok – thats wrong part. (I am just being fair and honest.) She said to the Union Leader “I am not against EBT grocery cards. I am not. But a woman cant even buy toilet paper or tampons with those.”
Now Jackie Whiton has applauded by the feel-me-good-tough-love-excessively emotional conservatives and has made appearences on the Howie Carr Show, a column from Carr on this story and she appeared on the Fox News Channel and other outlets as well.
But this story hitting close in my home state, when the next legislative session starts this winter, I won’t be surprised to see legislation to not only limit funding for an agency that has had the bone cut, but more zero-government approaches of our ignorant legislatures to the New Hampshire General Court and the bureaucrats of the State of New Hampshire.