OLMSTEAD UPDATES

News blog follows implementation of landmark 2014 federal consent decree that requires Rhode Island to remedy violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the U.S. Supreme Court's Olmstead decision. Over ten years, Rhode Island must reinvent state services for citizens with developmental disabilities to give them opportunities for supportive employment and meaningful activities in their communities.

By Gina Macris

The public will have a chance to talk with consultants reviewing the Rhode Island’s rates and payment structure for developmental disability services during the next community forum sponsored by the state Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) Tuesday, Nov. 5 in Barrington.

The forum will run from 4 to 5:30 at the Barrington Public Library, with officials from the New England States Consortium Systems Organization (NESCSO) facilitating a conversation with the audience during the last half of the meeting.

NESCSO’s work will not be completed until next June, but consultants have said they expect to make some interim recommendations by the end of the year, in time to be incorporated into the budget that begins next July 1. .

NESCSO officials also plan to reach out to those served by DDD at the annual statewide conference of Advocates in Action Thursday, Oct. 31 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, according to a spokesman for the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH).

The first half of Tuesday’s meeting will feature updates on the BHDDH strategic plan and its initiatives. The library is at 281 County Road (Route 114), adjacent to the Town Hall and school department offices.