People With Disabilities Foundation

PROVIDE EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE WITH PSYCHIATRIC AND/OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES,WITH OR WITHOUT PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, SO THAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE.

ADVOCACY PROGRAM: PWDF CONTINUES TO CONSULT WITH AND REPRESENT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PSYCHIATRIC, INTELLECTUAL,AND/OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES (P/IDD) ON CASES THAT INVOLVE SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY, EMPLOYMENT, AND HOUSING BENEFITS INCLUDING WITH REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS ISSUES. WE PRIMARILY REPRESENT CLIENTS BEFORE THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (SSA) FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE (SSDI) AND SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI) BENEFITS,INCLUDING IN POST-ENTITLEMENT AND POST ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS. WE HAVE CLINICS FOR BENEFICIARIES OF SSDI AND/OR SSI WHO HAVE ISSUES DUE TO SSDI WORK REVIEWS AND SSI REDETERMINATIONS BASED ON INCOME AND/OR RESOURCES, AND RESULTING OVERPAYMENTS IN EITHER OR BOTH PROGRAMS. THIS WORK CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC,BUT AT REDUCED OPERATIONS (50%); OPERATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE AS PANDEMIC RESTRICTINS ARE LIFED. IN 2012, PWDF RECEIVED FAVORABLE OUTCOMES IN TWO FEDERAL COURT CASES FILED AGAINST THE SSA ALLEGING THAT THEY DISCRIMINATE AGAINST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL (SCHIZOPHRENIA) AND DEVELOPMENTAL (AUTISM) DISABILITIES. (CASE NOS. 3:06- CV-6108 EMC (NC) AND 3:09-CV-980 EMC (NC).) THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE SSA OFFERED REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS ON THE BASIS OF MENTAL/DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE ENFORCEMENT STAGE, ENSURING THE SSA IS NOT IN VIOLATION OF THIS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT TO DOE: DAVIS PASSED AWAY. THIS FISCAL YEAR,(IN 11/2020), PWDF FILED A PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI WITH THE U.S. SUPREME COURT AGAINST THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS) AND TWO INSURANCE COMPANIES WHO DENIED BENEFICIARY MEDICARE PART D COVERAGE FOR A MEDICATION USED TO TREAT WASTING SYNDROME AS A SYMPTOM OF LIPODYSTROPHY BECAUSE CLAIMANT DOES NOT HAVE ANOTHER UNRELATED DISEASE (HIV). HHS ALSO FAILED TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE MEDICARE COMPENDIA USED AS A BASIS FOR THE DENIALS. PWDF BELIEVES THAT DENYING COVERAGE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS DISCRIMINATES AGAINST THE BENEFICIARY BASED ON DISABILITY (NON- HIV LIPODYSTROPHY) AND VIOLATES BENEFICIARY'S CONSTITUTIONAL DUE PROCESS RIGHTS BY BASING THE DECISION ON AN IRRATIONAL BASIS. THE PETITION FOR THE WRIT WAS DENIED, AS ARE MOST.

EDUCATION PROGRAM: IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES CEASED IN MARCH 2020 DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS, SO PWDF'S PUBLIC EDUCATION ACTIVITIES CONTINUED AT A REDUCED LEVEL, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE EXPECTED TO RESUME AS STATE AND COUNTY HEALTH ORDERS ALLOW. GERERALLY, PROGRAM ACTIVITIES INCLUDE OUTREACH EVENTS,GUEST SPEAKING, A QUARTERLY E-NEWSLETTER, INFORMATIONAL SEMINARS,TRAINING SESSIONS AND A YOUTUBE CHANNEL, WHICH HOSTS AND DISSEMINATES OUR SEMINAR AND OTHER VIDEOS. TO-DATE, WE HAVE VIDEOS OF NEARLY 20 3-HOUR EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. IN ADDITION, WE CONTINUE TO MARKET OUR TRAINING VIDEOS FOR DISTRIBUTION. OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN EXPANDING OUR PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION PROGRAM FROM A PRIMARILY LOCAL PROGRAM TO A NATIONAL PROGRAM THOUUGH TECHNOLOGY. PWDF HAS DONE RESEARCH AND PLANNING FOR OUR NEXT FREE PUBLIC AWARENESS SEMINAR, WITH THE WORKING-TITLE OF "OLDER ADULTS AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES: DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND RELATED AWARENESS ISSUES." THIS SEMINAR WILL ADDRESS PSYCHIATRIC ISSUES RELATED TO AGING, INCLUDING THOSE THAT OFTEN OR MAY ONSET LATE-IN LIFE SUCH AS DEMENTIA (NOW PER DSM 5, "NEURO-COGNITIVE DISORDER),PERSONALITY DISORDER, COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSIONTO PROVIDE A ROBUST AND IMPORTANT TOPIC WITH WHICH TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY. IN 2015, WE BEGAN INCREASING OUR WORK IN SUBMITTING PUBLIC COMMENTS TO GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES ADVOCATING FOR POLICIES AND REGULATORY CHANGES AS THEY PERTAIN TO PEOPLE WITH P/IDD, BECAUSE THIS POPULATION IS TOO OFTEN UNDERREPRESENTED AND STIGMATIZED. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020-21, WE SUBMITTED COMMENTS TO U.S. SENATORS FEINSTEIN, HASSAN, BROWN, AND CASEY AND U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DINGELL ON THE DRAFT HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES ACT. WE PROVIDE TRAINING ON THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) AS WELL AS (SSDI) AND SSI WITH A FOCUS ON HOW THE RULES AFFECT PEOPLE WITH P/IDD. WE PROVIDE THESE TRAININGS STATEWIDE AND LOCALLY, INCLUDING FOR ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS NAMI CALIFORNIA, NAMI SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER, NAMI MARIN CHAPTER, THE BAR ASSOCIATION OF SAN FRANCISCO, AND SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, AMONG OTHERS. WE DID NOT PROVIDE THESE TRAININGS DURING THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE OF OUR REDUCED PROGRAM OPERATIONS BUT EXPECT TO RESUM.

GRANT PROGRAM: PWDF CONTINUED OUR PILOT GRANT PROGRAM, PROVIDING FUNDS FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR WORK IN SUPPORT OF PEOPLE WITH P/IDD. IN FY 2020-21, WE REVIEWED THE 12-MONTH REPORTS AND RENEWAL APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2019 GRANTEES AND OFFERED A NEW GRANT ROUND. WE RENEWED GRANTS TO FOUR NEW PROGRAMS,FOR A TOTAL OF EIGHT GRANTS IN THIS PERIOD. A PROGRAM WE FUNDED IN FY 2019-20 WAS POSTPONED, IN PART, DURING THE PANDEMIC, SO WE EXTENDED THE GRANT PERIOD.

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