Broward: Florida's Voice on Developmental Disabilities conference @ NSU (10/31/09)

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Subject: Florida's Voice on Developmental Disabilities conference @ NSU (10/31/09)To: Date: Sunday, October 11, 2009, 5:58 PM

FOR YOUR INFORMATION & SHARING WITH OTHERS

Florida’s Voice on Developmental Disabilities (FVDD), a 501( c )(3) non-profit, advocacy and networking organization for families and friends of persons with developmental disabilities, announces its annual statewide conference which will take place on Saturday, October 31, 2009, from 9 AM to 5 PM, at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the Terry Building’s Hull Auditorium.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Legal and Legislative Initiatives for Special Needs.â€

The morning session, facilitated by attorney Arlene Lakin, will open with personal stories by family members of their legal and legislative experiences. All of these family members are outstanding advocates: Goldstein (former state representative), Lila Klausman (Parents Planning Programs), Jack Kosik (Noah’s Ark), Sammons (Noah’s Ark), and Ven Sequenzia (President, Autism Society of Florida). Attorney Sullivan of the Florida Coastal School of Law will then provide a history and system overview of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities and the Medicaid “tiers†program in Florida.

The morning session will conclude with a governmental and legislative panel consisting of the following dignitaries: State Rep. Ari Porth, State Rep. Elaine Schwartz, State Senator Eleanor Sobel, and F. Vaughan who is the Executive Director of the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities.

The afternoon session, facilitated by attorney Glenn, will open with attorney Ann Siegel of the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, who will discuss pending House Bill 81 concerning restraints and seclusion in public schools, and its impact on persons with developmental disabilities. Attorney Katy DeBriere of the Florida Institutional Legal Services Office will then discuss how the reduction in Medicaid waiver behavior services impacts the criminal justice system.

An afternoon training on the Medicaid “tiers†system and how to handle an appeal of denial or reduction of Medicaid waiver benefits, including an overview of current legal and administrative initiatives, will be conducted by attorney of the Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc. and by attorney a Ruiz of Southern Legal Counsel.

The fee for this full day conference, including lunch, is $ 25.00 per person. The on-site registration fee is

$ 40.00 per person. 7.5 CLE’s for attorneys. CEU’s pending for guardians. This conference is open to the public.

To pre-register on-line: www.FloridasVoice.org. For further information, email: FVDDorg@..., or, telephone .