CCOSD - State Agencies

"Let's Join Hands"

State Agencies

State agencies provide information for people with disabilities. News especially for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing people are posted for announcement only.

CDHI Web Site Updated

Commission on Deaf and Hearing Impaired's website is updated now.

Visit the CDHI web site.

Affordable Rental Housing Can Now Be Found Online

From: Governor Rell
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 1:05 PM
Subject: Affordable Rental Housing Can Now Be Found Online

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) has joined with a non-profit housing search company to create a free housing registry to help people find accessible and affordable rental housing in Connecticut.

"Connecticut's working families must have quality, affordable housing options," Governor Rell said. "Our state is creating thousands of new jobs - more than 10,000 new positions just since this year began - but to continue this boom, workers need to locate their families in safe and secure neighborhoods.That means connecting people to what's available through tools such as CTHousingSearch.org. This is an easy, one-stop resource for finding rental options in their community."

For more information, please visit www.ct.gov/governorrell .

The Dept of Mental Retardation's Name Change

As required by Public Act 06-92, Department of Mental Retardation (DMR) has issued its report regarding a possible name change. The report is available on the Internet at DMR website. The report is 19 pages long.

From the DMR website (excerpts):
Public Act 06-92 (HB 5478), An Act Concerning the Department of Mental Retardation (DMR), passed the Connecticut General Assembly during the 2006 legislative session. The act required DMR to solicit input regarding a name change for the Department from clients and families receiving services provided by the department, advocates of person with mental retardation and other interested parties.

The report was due to the Governor, the Office of Policy and Management and the Public Health Committee not later than January 1, 2007. The report was delivered on Friday, December 29, 2006. The recommendation is to change the name of DMR to the Department of Developmental Services.

DMR would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their thoughts and opinions on this issue. The Department looks forward to working with the legislature in the upcoming 2007 session to carry out the agency name change.

Office of Protection and Advocacy - Task Force Highlights

Read the highlights of the January 25, 2006 task force meeting with State Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with the Disabilities:

OPA Deaf Advocacy Advisory Group
January 25, 2006
Present: Wade Terry, Ivy Velez, Mark Myers, Harvey Corson, Sandy Inzinga, Jim Pedersen, Barbara Cassin, Brian O’Rourke, Jim McGaughey

Summary of Discussion Points:

Everyone agreed that OPA needs to establish a deaf outreach and advocacy capacity; that doing so is necessary to make the agency truly accessible. Jim M. explained that previous efforts to obtain permission to develop a budget option for this have not succeeded. He will contact Attorney Howard Rosenblum in Chicago (affiliated with the P&A system there) to discuss how such a position could be integrated into a P&A office, and to see if Atty Rosenblum would be available for consultation and training.

PA will plan on holding 3 forums in early spring (probably in April) in order to solicit information about issues affecting deaf people. These will be held in Hartford, Bridgeport and New London and will (hopefully) be co-hosted by CDHI in Hartford, FSW in Bridgeport and BRS in New London. Promotional fliers and announcements will describe the forums as being specifically for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Experiences shared by people attending the forums will be compiled along with issues involving human service systems and agencies that are identified by Advisory Group members. OPA (with help from the Advisory Group) will put together a report to clearly state what these issues are and to provide some analyses and recommendations. Hopefully, this report will aid organizing and empowerment efforts within the deaf and hard of hearing communities in Connecticut. Issues such as communications and isolation in institutional environments, the lack of counseling and follow-up services for people with mental health and substance abuse problems will be included. Attempts will also be made to include statistical data.
Depending on the nature of issues that surface at the forums, OPA will attempt to interest the U.S. Dept. of Justice or other investigator agencies in enforcement or other remedial actions.
Jim M. will provide descriptive material about OPA for Jim P. to use to inform CCOSD members about OPA’s services (and limitations).
OPA will post a page on its website that addresses deaf civil rights issues.
OPA will explore sources of in-service training for members of its staff, focusing on “deaf-deaf” learning experiences. FSW can provide this type of training.
OPA will explore installation of video phone technology through State vendors.

List of CNA's, LPN's or RN's working with state agencies

A deaf client will soon be having a surgery. Commission on Deaf and Hearing Impaired wants to develop a list of any deaf, hard of hearing or hearing (fluent in sign) CNA’s, LPN’s or RN’s who would be willing to contract with state agencies to work with this client (and the list will be kept for any others that may need nursing assistance in the future).

CDHI will not be the “middle man” for the contracts. CDHI can’t answer about details (hours, pay etc.)

For those who are interested, CDHI will pass their contact info on to the designated state agency people. It might be a short list like the lawyer and counselor lists, but some resources would be available.

Contact Diane Wixted, Supervisor, CDHI Counseling Department - diane.wixted@po.state.ct.us or (860) 231-8169 or 800-708-6796