Georgia DOJ Settlement: October 2011

Friday, October 28, 2011

-Eric Neudel and Alison Gilkey, Director and Producers of Life Worth Living, a historical documentary about the Disability Rights Movement, will attending the screening at Shepherd on November 8th, Noon-1, (1-1:30, Q&A), 7th Floor Auditorium.

-Movie treats and drinks will be served.

-RSVP Requested (thanks to those of you who already have)

-Trailer: http://www.itvs.org/films/lives-worth-living

-NY Times Review: http://tv.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/arts/television/lives-worth-living-on-independent-lens-review.html

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Documentary on Atlanta Legal Aid Tonight: Includes story of Olmstead

Tonight! Documentary on Atlanta Legal Aid Society, including story of Olmstead v. L.C.

ONE LAW FOR ALL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30,
PBA, CHANNEL 30

ONE LAW FOR ALL, co-produced by DAVID DUKE and his SON, JOHN, tells the story of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. Founded in 1924 and one of the oldest legal services agencies in the country, Atlanta legal aid offers civil legal services to low-income persons.

You will enjoy this thirty minute documentary: Thursday, October 27 at 8:30.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

OCR Findings Olmstead Findings Letter Sent to Georgia DCH

Georgia Department of Community Health
In a letter of findings to the Georgia Department of Community Health, OCR found the entity failed to assist the complainant in moving out of a nursing home and back into the community as required by the Olmstead decision. In Olmstead, the Supreme Court held that the ADA requires public entities to provide community-based services to persons with disabilities when such services are appropriate; the affected persons do not oppose community-based treatment; and community-based services can be reasonably accommodated. This complainant has lived in a nursing home for 17 years and has been very clear about her desire to move to the community. She has been determined by her doctor to be appropriate for community placement and the state has made no showing that such services cannot be reasonably accommodated.

People who believe that an entity receiving federal financial assistance has discriminated against them (or someone else) on the basis of disability, may file a complaint with OCR at: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/complaints/index.html.

Summaries of each of these enforcement efforts can be found on OCR’s website: www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/activities/agreements/. For more information on community living and Olmstead please visit: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/disability/serviceolmstead/index.html.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Powerful Documentary Chronicles the History of America’s Disability Rights Movement

Lives Worth Living Premieres on the PBS Series Independent Lens on Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10 PM

Powerful Documentary Chronicles the History of America’s Disability Rights Movement

Lives Worth Living Trailer--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-GgxIgNje0

While there are close to 50 million Americans living with disabilities, Lives Worth Living is the first television history of their decades-long struggle for equal rights. Produced and directed by Eric Neudel, Lives Worth Living is a window into a world inhabited by people with an unwavering determination to live their lives like everyone else, and a look back into a past when millions of Americans lived without access to schools, apartment buildings, and public transportation – a way of life unimaginable today. Lives Worth Living premieres on the Emmy® Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens, on Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10 PM (check local listings). Lives Worth Living traces the development of the disability rights movement from its beginning following World War II, when thousands of disabled veterans returned home, through its burgeoning in the 1960s and 1970s, when it began to adopt the tactics of other social movements. Told through interviews with the movement’s pioneers, legislators, and others, Lives Worth Living explores how Americans with a wide variety of disabilities — including the blind, deaf, mentally, and physically challenged — banded together to change public perception and policy. Through demonstrations and legislative battles, the disability rights community finally secured equal civil rights with the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, one of the most transformative pieces of civil rights legislation in American history.
To learn more about the film, and the issues involved, visit the film’s companion website at www.pbs.org/independentlens/lives-worth-living. Get detailed information on the film, watch preview clips, read an interview with the filmmaker, and explore the subject in depth with links and resources. The site also features a Talkback section, where viewers can share their ideas and opinions.

Georgia Ranks at Bottom for services and supports for older adults and people with physical disabilities

A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

AJC Article on Independent Reviewer Report

Report: Work remains, but Georgia's mental health overhaul significant by Misty Williams, AJC, October 11, 2011

Monday, October 10, 2011

FaithWorks 2011 Mental Health Conference November 17th

FaithWorks 2011 Mental Health Conference on Thursday, November 17 from 9am-1pm (registration starts at 8:30am) at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.

The conference emphasizes the uniquely important role that faith and spirituality play in treatment for those with mental and addictive illness. The conference is also approved for 4 CE units by the GA Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of GA, and GA Addiction Counselors Association (toward certification).