March 1, 2024

VOR's Weekly News Update

VOR is a national non-profit organization

run by families of people with I/DD and autism

for families of people with I/DD and autism.

VOR's 2024 Legislative Initiative

MAY 7 - 9, 2024

Registration Is Open!

Our 2024 Legislative Initiative will be held in Washington, D.C.

May 7th and 8th.

Additional meetings may be held on the 9th,

depending on the availability of key staffers.

We have reserved a modest block of rooms at the YOTEL, formerly the Liaison Hotel, on New Jersey Avenue, just a hop, skip, and a jump behind the Senate Office Buildings on Capitol Hill. The rates are quite reasonable, $179 per night for a single King Bed, $209 per night for a double with two Queen-sized beds.

We plan to arrive on the afternoon of Monday, May 6th, and have an informal

get-together that evening. We will meet with congressional staffers from our state representatives on Tuesday, May 7th and Wednesday, May 8th. We also plan on meeting with staff on some of the congressional committees that are discussing the bills that affect our loved ones with I/DD and autism, and some of the federal agencies like DOJ, DOL, CMS, HHS, and ACL to remind them of our issues and our concerns with many of their activities.

As always, we will provide our participants with contact lists for the congressional staff members for their state's D.C. offices. In the weeks before the initiative, we will hold meetings on Zoom to go over the materials we will be sharing with legislative offices and to help participants prepare for their meetings.

For information about how to register for the conference, please:

CLICK HERE

We ask that all participants in the 2024 Legislative Initiative are

current members of VOR.

Unable to attend this year?

We understand, of course.

You can still help us advocate for your family by becoming a sponsor.

To make a contrubution to VOR's 2024 Legislative Initiative,

Please Click Here

Reminder:

VOR's Quarterly Networking Meeting

March 25, 2024

5 pm Eastern, 4 pm Central, 3 pm Mountain, 1 pm Pacific

on Zoom

This month's topic:

"How can we better communicate and connect with others in-state"

We often rely on our ICF family groups to network with others who share our concerns, but what do we do when we need to connect other ICF groups, or folks with similar concerns who have loved ones in HCBS group homes or who receive services for their child who lives with them in their own home?

When an ICF closes, how do we keep the support and advocacy we once knew when families are separated and their loved ones live elsewhere across the state?

Not everyone wants to put up a Facebook page or start another in-state organization with monthly meetings. Not everyone can make it to legislative hearings in the state capital. Some of us simply want to create better networks for like-minded folks, without obligations.

Join with us on Monday, March 25th as we discuss ideas for how we can work to improve networking and in-state advocacy.

Registration for this is free, and is open to the public. You don't need to be a member of VOR to attend this meeting.

Please click here for more details and a link to the Zoom meeting.

March is Developmental Disabilities Month!

For years, Rita Winkeler, Board Secretary of VOR and President of fhe Murray Parents Association, has worked closely with her State Representative Charlie Meier. Rep. Meier has become champion for Murray Center and for the ICF system in Illinois. After persistently requesting that the Lt. Governor and other state officials tour the center, they finally arranged a visit.

and were pleaantly surprised with what they found.

Illinois - Lieutenant Governor and New Secretary of IDHS Visit Murray Center

By Bruce Kropp, Southern Illinois Now, February 26, 2024

Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton along with the new Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services Dulce Quintero made their first visit to Murray Developmental Center in Centralia last week.

The President of the Murray Parents Association Rita Winkeler says the visit went well and allowed them to press for some improvements.

“It was really eye-opening for them. They were very impressed.  When they left both of them said what they noticed more than anything was the love and joy that the individuals had. You can’t fake that. That was coming from their heart. How happy the individuals were. They commented on staff. They were very impressed with what they saw.   We talked about the capital development things that need to be done at the center putting on new roofs on many of the buildings, fixing leaky roofs, and also the need for a new heating and cooling system which is in the process of being discussed.”

Winkeler says Murray officials were able to provide good news on the employment front as many of the openings for mental health techs have now been filled and large training classes are underway.  Additional staff are being added to allow Murray to accept more residents. Winkeler says new residents could begin coming to Murray by June after new residents were cut off in October due to the staff shortages.

State Representative Charlie Meier set up the visit. Other state officials attending were Tonya Piephoff, Director for the Division of Developmental Disabilities, Kimberly Jones-Oparah Interim Deputy Director of State Operated Developmental Centers, and Amanda Elliot, Chief of Staff (IDHS). Murray leadership in attendance were Interim Center Director Lori Demijan, and Assistant Center Directors Kacie McIntosh and Sara Myers, along with Murray Medical Director Dr. Shrestha.

Read the full article here

Reminder:

The President's Committee for People With Intellectual Disabilities - Next Meeting March 21, 2024

The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID) will host a virtual meeting for its members to address issues surrounding Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) to be examined in the Committee's Report to the President. All the PCPID meetings, in any format, are open to the public. This virtual meeting will be conducted in a discussion format with committee members addressing the issues and recommendations identified by PCPID workgroups proposing to be incorporated in the PCPID Report to the President.

We urge our members to attend this virtual meeting, and to submit comments (polite comments, please) to the committee regarding your loved ones and their needs for residential, medical, and behavioral services.

Please click here for more information, to register for the meeting, or to submit comments

Yesterday, February 29th, was Rare Disease Day

The FDA Could Help Save My Son From a Rare Disease

Opinion by Judy Stecker, Wall Street Journal, February 27, 2024

My eldest son, Wheeler, has a rare genetic disease that will steal his vision, mobility, memory and, ultimately, his life. Every morning when he leaves for preschool, I worry it may be the last time he’ll be able to see my face.

One in 10 Americans have rare diseases—defined as affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S.—and 95% of these afflictions lack a Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment or therapy. Three in 10 children affected by rare diseases won’t live to see their fifth birthday. Wheeler turns 5 in May.

When my son was diagnosed with CLN3 juvenile Batten disease at 4 weeks old, research into possible therapies offered hope. That hope is all but gone. The Beyond Batten Disease Foundation’s planned 2023 Phase III clinical trial of a potential treatment is in limbo, seeking funding. Earlier this month,

Amicus Therapeutics abandoned its pursuit of the only proposed gene therapy. These developments are devastating but unsurprising. Given this, the anti-innovation sentiment in Washington and unnecessary bureaucracy at the FDA have made it difficult for companies to justify investments in rare-disease therapies.

Though I know firsthand that the FDA’s civil servants are committed to their mission, the agency’s onerous bureaucracy impedes access to possible treatments with no meaningful gain for patients. 

Read the full article here

States Offer Services for Disabled Kids, Then Make Their Families Wait 10 Years for Them

By John Hanna, Associated Press via US News, February 28, 2024

When Lilly Miller was in elementary school, teachers told her parents they needed to immediately sign up their youngest daughter, who has Down syndrome, for a wait list so the state would pay for a day program when she grew up. The teachers predicted a six-year wait. 

The Millers have been waiting 10 years. Lilly is now 21 and has aged out of special education programs in the public schools in their hometown of Wichita, Kansas. Her parents, also teachers, have hired a home caregiver. A day program, where she would learn new job skills or flex existing ones while socializing, would cost between $1,500 and $2,000 a month, Marvin Miller said.

Across the U.S., hundreds of thousands of children, adolescents and young adults with physical or intellectual disabilities are waiting for state-covered services. In Kansas, a legislative committee approved higher funding Wednesday, and another is expected to consider it Thursday. But even with more funds, it could take years to eliminate the state's waiting lists.

The services, which include day programs, employment assistance, and home care, are designed to foster independence and build work skills. Without them, Marvin Miller said, his youngest daughter isn't getting enough social interaction. "We've actually seen her regress.”

“Someday, I won’t be around anymore, and that’s a parent’s greatest fear," Miller said during an interview. “I want her to be at the place where, if something should happen in 15 years when I’m gone, she will still have a community of supports and friends and all the things that we take for granted when we work in jobs and and have neighbors.”

At least 692,000 people with physical or intellectual disabilities are waiting for services in at least 40 states, according to a November 2023 survey by KFF, a health policy research group. Federal law doesn’t require states to provide home and community based services, and what they cover varies. 

Continued

Understanding and Supporting Neurological Conditions Among the Incarcerated

By Audrey Nath, Open Access Government, February 26, 2024

In prisons, jails, and immigration detention, neurological complaints are common, accounting for around 10% of medical complaints in this marginalized population. Additionally, there are neurological conditions that present a higher prevalence within the population of incarcerated people than the general population, and these conditions may affect rates of false confessions, prison violence, deaths, and decreased functioning after release.

Intellectual disabilities among the incarcerated

Within the incarcerated population, there is a higher prevalence of intellectual disabilities (ID) compared to the general population. ^(2-6) Prisoners with intellectual disability may also experience other negative health outcomes, such as higher rates of heart disease, obesity, and hearing problems, plus fewer preventative care interventions and immunizations.

Even after release, prisoners with developmental disabilities have more emergency department visits and hospitalizations than the general population does.

Intellectual disability may also increase the risk of false confessions in an interrogation setting.

Epilepsy in prison populations

Epilepsy has up to four times greater incidence in jail and prison populations than in the general population. Uncontrolled epilepsy, which occurs at about double the rate in incarcerated people compared to the general population. may be an underlying risk factor for sudden unexplained death in epilepsy patients (SUDEP), as are inadequate antiepileptic drug treatment and the prone position at the time of death. While the exact rate of SUDEP deaths in incarcerated populations is unclear, these factors may be risk factors for epilepsy patients who are incarcerated

Traumatic brain injury

There may be higher rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) amongst incarcerated people compared to the general population, at approximately 51% among the incarcerated group compared with 38% in the general population.

The lifetime prevalence of TBI may be as high as 87% in incarcerated individuals, with 36% of TBI sustained over the preceding year. In one study of female inmates in the United Kingdom, there was a prevalence of 79% of lifetime TBI, with 38% having a history of six or more injuries.

Read the full article here

Disability Employment Hits Record High

By Shaun Heasley, Disability Scoop February 27, 2024

The number of people with disabilities across the nation who are employed is at its highest level since federal officials started keeping track.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics says that 22.5% of people with disabilities had jobs in 2023. That’s an increase of 1.2 percentage points from the year before and is the most since the agency started collecting data on disability employment in 2008.

The findings come from an annual report out this month that’s based on information gathered last year through the Current Population Survey, a monthly survey of some 60,000 households about employment and unemployment in the U.S.

Despite the gains, the employment rate for people with disabilities was roughly a third of that for the general population and unemployment rates remained much higher for those with disabilities compared to others no matter their level of education.

“Across all age groups, people with a disability were much less likely to be employed than those with no disability,” the Labor Department found.

People with disabilities were almost twice as likely as others to work part-time and a larger percentage of these individuals were self-employed, the data shows. They were also more commonly employed in service occupations and were “much less likely” to work in management and professional positions.

Continued

Please note: The figures in this article are for people with ALL disabilities. The number of people with Intellectual disabilites is significantly lower.

Feds Take Steps To Shore Up Disability Caregiver Workforce

By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, February 29, 2024

The Biden administration is rolling out a host of new initiatives aimed at addressing the severe shortage of workers supporting people with disabilities living in the community.

With a pair of technical assistance opportunities, an online information hub and a webinar series, federal officials said they’re looking to boost systems for recruiting, retaining and developing direct care workers across the nation.

The moves from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living come as disability service providers have struggled in recent years to maintain and grow their stable of direct support professionals, limiting the supports available to people with disabilities.

A survey last fall of hundreds of providers of community-based services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities found that staffing shortages had forced 77% to stop accepting referrals while nearly half had cut back on their offerings.

“Urgent action is needed to address the shortage of direct care professionals, which is threatening to reverse decades of progress in community living,” said Alison Barkoff who leads the Administration for Community Living.

Read the full article here

Please note: This funding is being administered by the Administration for Community Living, and uses ARPA funds. Therefore, it covers only DSPs who work in HCBS settings. This iniitiative will not help the workforce that provides care to [eople in State- or Privately-Operated ICFs.

Kentucky - Opinion: Senate Bill 173 Aims to Safeguard the Most Vulnerable Among Us  

By Ann Jeanette Pierce, LinkNKY, February 29, 2024

In the heart of our community lives a 32-year-old woman with Level 3 autism, the most severe form, characterized by significant communication challenges and a profound dependence on others for basic needs. Her days are filled with simplicity and an innocent love for “The Little Mermaid,” yet hidden behind her sky-blue eyes is a world fraught with vulnerability and mistreatment.

This young woman’s life in a Medicaid-funded Supports for Community Living (SCL) home is supposed to offer her safety and dignity as an alternative to institutional living. However, the reality is starkly different. Despite the caregivers’ best efforts, the industry faces challenges in attracting and retaining compassionate and competent staff, leading to instances of neglect and abuse that go unreported and unaddressed due to the victims’ inability to communicate.

The statistics are alarming: a survey by the Disability and Abuse Project reveals that 70% of individuals with developmental disabilities in group homes have experienced neglect or abuse.  This is not just an isolated issue but a systemic failure that demands immediate action. 

In response, Senator Reginald Thomas (D-KY) has introduced Senate Bill 173, which proposes the use of surveillance cameras in private residential rooms of group homes. This measure seeks to protect residents by deterring potential abusers and providing crucial evidence for holding perpetrators accountable. Despite opposition from various associations citing privacy concerns and potential misuse, the bill emphasizes the right to safety and security over privacy, especially for those unable to voice their own experiences.

The objections raised against the bill, from privacy violations to the potential for misuse of cameras, overlook the essential need for transparency and accountability in the care of our community’s most defenseless members. It’s imperative to understand that surveillance serves as a voice for those who cannot speak and a guardian for those who cannot protect themselves.

As constituents of Kentucky, we have a moral obligation to advocate for the rights and well-being of all members of our community, especially the most vulnerable. This is not a matter of partisan politics but of human decency and compassion.   

Continued

In New Jersey, People with Disabilities Face ‘Excruciatingly Long’ Wait for Group Home Funding

By Gene Myers, North Jersey Online, February 29, 2024

Even after a big boost in funding in recent years, thousands of New Jerseyans with disabilities are waiting seven to 10 years to access critical funding for group homes and other support.

New Jersey's Community Care Program was designed to help disabled adults who require “institutional-level care” to live as independently as possible.

Run by the state's Division of Developmental Disabilities, it taps state and federal money to fund essentials like caretakers, therapy and transportation to assist adults with developmental disabilities, either in their family homes or in group facilities.

But despite $1.4 billion pumped into the system by Gov. Phil Murphy over the last two years, demand for the help still far outstrips its resources. Almost 4,400 people with developmental disabilities are on New Jersey's waiting list for the Community Care Program, according to the latest figures.

A report issued by the advocacy group Disability Rights New Jersey last fall highlighted one result of that lack of capacity: hundreds of people with developmental disabilities are placed in nursing homes without the proper care because they have no better options. The Murphy administration recently announced $6 million to build and upgrade more group home slots, but the money is expected to cover only about 100 more people.

Currently, there are 2,589 people like Mullery on a state "priority list" to get CCP funding. The list includes people whose parents are 55 or over and may have trouble caring for adult children with disabilities, according to the Department of Human Services, which oversees the DDD.

Read the full article here

Take It From Me: Iowa is Not a Good Place to Have a Disability

By Josh Turek, Des Moines Register, February 25, 2024

As the sole permanently disabled representative in the Iowa Legislature, I feel an enormous responsibility to be the voice of the 15% of Iowans with a disability. In service to this, I would like to provide you with a "Condition of the State for Disabled Iowans." And quite frankly, Iowa is not a good place to be disabled.

Iowa’s Republican trifecta in the House, Senate and governor's office, in its crusade against public services, has directly attacked the disabled community. I believe this attack is largely the result of genuine ignorance, a consequence of the disabled population having essentially no direct representation in state government. This and of course the most important factor — that privatized health care’s focus on maximizing profits comes at the expense of providing quality care. For the past several years, politics and culture wars have been the top priorities of the governor and too many lawmakers while disabled Iowans have been ignored.

The preeminent issue affecting disabled Iowans is health care. Iowa now has 20,468 disabled individuals on the Home- and Community-Based Services Medicaid waitlists, a number that grows by 1,000 each year. The longest waitlist, the intellectual disability waiver, currently has a six-year wait, plus an additional 14 months just to qualify. Disabled Iowans are waiting for such services as personal care, food preparation and critical home repairs or modifications. While waiting, they often go without care, pay for services out of their own pockets, end up in emergency rooms, or stay in expensive institutional settings. Years of insufficient funding have greatly worsened this problem. Most states have set aside funding and resources to eliminate their waitlist. In Iowa our waitlist is one of the longest and continues to grow.

Disabled Iowans also face barriers to employment. Median earnings for Iowa’s disabled workers rank 47th out of 50 states. Only 15% of permanently disabled Iowans are fully employed. This is largely due to the state’s harsh restrictions on Medicaid qualification. Currently, a disabled Iowan on Medicaid is severely limited in earnings to poverty and limited to $12,000 in total assets, or $13,000 if married. If this is exceeded, they lose all of their health care benefits. This disincentivizes marriage, employment, and career progression, keeping this minority group in enforced poverty. It is unjust to have to choose between basic health care and earning a livable wage, marriage or home or vehicle ownership. Many other states have moved to a system without income or asset limits for their disabled. In Iowa, we keep our disabled in poverty and unemployed.

Along with outdated and bad disability policy, the Legislature has made things worse here recently. Gov. Kim Reynolds' legislation to defund and dismantle the AEAs would eliminate critical services for children with disabilities and special education needs. Last year, Republicans passed a bill to make it more difficult to receive SNAP food benefits. 46.7% of those on SNAP in Iowa have a disabled member in the household.

Additionally, last year the Legislature voted to move Vocational Rehabilitation, which provides employment and educational services to disabled Iowans, from the Department of Education to Workforce Development. There is now a long waiting list for its services, and some programs have been discontinued due to the changes. Worst of all, the denial rate in our state for wheelchairs and medical services to the disabled has increased by at least 850% since our health care became “managed” by the MCOs.

Continued

[Please click on blue link to view information about the bill]

VOR SUPPORTS:

H.R.7267 - Disability Community Act of 2023 To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a temporary higher Federal medical assistance percentage for Federal expenditures under the Medicaid program that are associated with the cost of compliance with certain Federal regulations with respect to services furnished in certain intermediate care facilities or home and community-based services furnished to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

S.7302 - The Credit for Caregiving Act of 2024 Sen. Michael Bennett (D-CO) This bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a nonrefundable credit for working family caregivers. In the case of an eligible caregiver, there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter for the taxable year an amount equal to 30 percent of the qualified expenses paid by the taxpayer during the taxable year to the extent that such expenses exceed $2,000. The tax credit is not to exceed $5,000 per year.

S.1332 / H.R.2941 - Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act

Sen Maggie Hassan (D-NH) / Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to establish a separate category within the Standard Occupational Classification system for direct support professionals (i.e., individuals who provide services to promote independence in individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability) for data reporting purposes.

H.R. 553 - Workplace Choice and Flexibility for Individuals with Disabilities Act

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6) - This bill would amend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to clarify the definition of competitive integrated employment.

H.R.1296 - Restoration of Employment Choice for Adults with Disabilities Act Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6) - To amend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure workplace choice and opportunity for young adults with disabilities.

H.R.485 - Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act of 2023

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5) - This bill prohibits all federal health care programs, including the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and federally funded state health care programs (e.g., Medicaid) from using prices that are based on quality-adjusted life years (i.e., measures that discount the value of a life based on disability) to determine relevant thresholds for coverage, reimbursements, or incentive programs.

H.R.670 - Think Differently Database Act

Rep. Marcus Molinaro (R-NY-19) - This bill would amend title IV of the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a clearinghouse on intellectual disabilities, and for other purposes. Such clearinghouse shall include information on individual community-based services and long-term support services available to individuals eligible for medical assistance under a State plan under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act.

S.1298 - Supporting Our Direct Care Workforce and Family Caregivers Act

Sen. Time Kaine (D-VA) A bill to award grants for the creation, recruitment, training and education, retention, and advancement of the direct care workforce and to award grants to support family caregivers.

H.R.2965 / S.1333 - Autism Family Caregivers Act of 2023

Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) / Sen. Robert Menendez (D_NJ) To award grants for providing evidence-based caregiver skills training to family caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities 

H.R.3380 - HEADs UP Act of 2023

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to support health centers that provide services for individuals with developmental disabilities, including dental care. Grant recipients must provide specialized treatment to individuals with developmental disabilities as necessary.

VOR OPPOSES:

S.533 / H.R.1263 Transformation to Competitive Employment Act

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) / Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA 3) - This bill would support employers who wish to transform their facilities to provide only competitive integrated employment while forcing the elimination of programs that offer employment opportunities under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. This bill would be unlikely to create a significant increase in employment for people with I/DD and autism, but would deprive over 120,000 individuals of the opportunity to work, develop skills, and be part of their community.

S. 1148 - The Guardianship Bill of Rights

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) - A bill to establish rights for people being considered for and in protective arrangements, including guardianships and conservatorships, or other arrangements, to provide decision supports. This bill would give ACL power to create a Guardianship Council and appropriate more money to P&As so they may encourage people to leave guardianships and move to Supported Decision Making. Dangerous over-reach in response to media hype on Britney Spears, et al.

S.1193 / H.R.2708 - The Latonya Reeves Freedom Act of 2023

Sen. Michael Bennett (D-CO) / Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) Allegedly written and strongly supported by ADAPt and other self-advocacy groups, this is a watered-down version of the Disability Integration Act. It is strongly biased against care in larger congregate facilities, and falls just short of seeking the elimination of ICFs.

VOR HAS SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS WITH:

S.100 / H.R.547- Better Care Better Jobs Act

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) Rep. Debbie Dingell (D MI) This bill establishes programs and provides funds for state Medicaid programs to improve home- and community-based services (HCBS), such as home health care, personal care, case management, and rehabilitative services.

The bill also makes permanent (1) the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program (a grant program to help states increase the use of HCBS for long-term care and decrease the use of institutional care), and (2) certain provisions regarding Medicaid eligibility that protect against spousal impoverishment for recipients of HCBS.

S.762 / H.R.1493 - The HCBS Access Act

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) Rep. Debbie Dingell (D MI) While this bill purports to eliminate waiting lists and provide more Home and Community-Based Services for people with I/DD and autism, it favors the aspirations of those individuals who are most independent and neglects the very real needs of those most dependent on Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports. It would not distribute funds appropriate to the varying needs of individuals, but to providers of HCBS programs. It fails to recognize the severity of the DSP and Nursing Crises, and paints an unrealistic picture of a simplistic solution. This is a purely political bill that would ultimately fail to make the extensive changes that the DD/A system needs.

S.3118 - The HCBS Relief Act of 2023

Sen. Boby Casey (D-PA) A bill to provide for an emergency increase in Federal funding to State Medicaid programs for expenditures on home and community-based service. This bill, like others above, only provides funding for people receiving Long-Term Services and Supports through HCBS, denying any support for people in nursing homes or ICFs.

VOR supports increasing funding for people with I/DD, but we have concerns that the above bills, in their current form, would discriminate against people with the most severe I/DD and autism and jeopardize the higher-care facilities that are most appropriate to their needs.



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Direct Support Professionals!

VOR ❤️s OUR

DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS!

Our loved ones' caregivers are essential to their health, safety, and happiness.

In appreciation of their good work and kind hearts, VOR offers free digital memberships to any DSP who would like to receive our newsletter.

We encourage our members to speak with their loved ones' caregivers to extend this offer of our gratitude.

If you are a Direct Support Professional interested in receiving our newsletter and e-content, please write us at

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