Click below for Medicaid Waiver Update

/Documents/APD Questions and Answers on the Medicaid Waiver 2007.doc

Medicaid Waiver Services Reduction Alert!
Attention Consumers and Families
If you received a letter from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), to explain service limitations to the Developmental Disabilities Home and Community Based Waiver that were established as law and will become effective on July 1, 2007 and these reductions will compromise the health, safety and independence of you or your family member.
And/or
You received a letter advising you of pending service eliminations to the Developmental Disabilities Home and Community Based Waiver that do not contain an effective date and could be a threat to you or your family member's health, safety and independence,

Then here is what you can do?

1) Call and write your local legislators (www.leg.state.fl.us).
2) Call and write the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities at (800) 342-0823.
3) Request in writing information from your local agency or support coordinator to initiate a DOAH hearing.

What is Medicaid?
Medicaid is a state and federal partnership that provides health coverage to people with low incomes…

Is Medicaid different from Medicare?Florida Medicaid http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/Medicaid/flmedicaid.shtml

Medicaid is the state and federal partnership that provides health coverage for selected categories of people with low incomes. Its purpose is to improve the health of people who might otherwise go without medical care for themselves and their children. Medicaid is different in every state.

Florida implemented the Medicaid program on January 1, 1970, to provide medical services to indigent people. Over the years, the Florida Legislature has authorized Medicaid reimbursement for additional services. A major expansion occurred in 1989, when the United States Congress mandated that states provide all Medicaid services allowable under the Social Security Act to children under the age of 21.

Summary of Service

http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/Medicaid/flmedicaid.shtml

In Florida, the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) develops and carries out policies related to the Medicaid program. A description of the services offered by the Florida Medicaid program can be found in the Summary of Services, 2006-2007 [1.9 MB PDF] - Updated 10/31/06

http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/Publications/index.shtml

Note: If you experience problems opening the Summary or Services or any other file on this web site, please right click on the document name and choose "Save Target As". You can then save the document to your desk top or to a file of your choosing to access without going to the Internet. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to read or print this file and is available at no cost at the Adobe web site.

http://floridamedicaid.acs-inc.com/index.jsp?display=handbooks

Medicaid State Plan
The state Medicaid plan is the document that defines how each state will operate its Medicaid program. Each state submits its own plan to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval. The state plan addresses the areas of state program administration, Medicaid eligibility criteria, service coverage, and provider reimbursement. Follow this link for more information regarding Medicaid state plans.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/default.asp?

http://hhs.gov/

Medicaid is different from Medicare…Medicaid is the state and federal partnership that provides health coverage for selected categories of people with low incomes. Its purpose is to improve the health of people who might otherwise go without medical care for themselves and their children. Medicaid is different in every state.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people who are age 65 or older or disabled. It is administered by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Eligibility for Medicare is not based on the person's income or assets. For more information, please click on the following links:

The Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare
Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage http://www.medicare.gov/

How do I find out if I am eligible for Medicaid?

http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/Medicaid/about/about2.shtml

The Department of Children and Families handles Medicaid eligibility…

Reports of Medicaid eligibles… May 3, 2007

What services does Medicaid cover?

http://http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/Medicaid/beneficiary.shtml
How do I become a Medicaid provider?
If you are interested in serving Medicaid recipients, an online enrollment application is available for your convenience:

http://floridamedicaid.acs-inc.com

. To download the enrollment application, click on the link to Provider Support on the left side of the page, then click on Enrollment.

If you are a current Medicaid provider and need information on services, billings, changes, etc., please visit our fiscal agent website: http://floridamedicaid.acs-inc.com.

What is new in Medicaid?
Current List of Drug Rebate Manufacturers http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/Medicaid/index.shtml

Florida Senior Care: Managed, Integrated Long Term Care

http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/Medicaid/long_term_care/index.shtml

Medicaid Reform http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/Medicaid/medicaid_reform/index.shtml

2007 Session
Legislative Wrap-Up Report
Jane Johnson Director
Agency for Persons with Disabilities May 7th Medwaiver Update
http://apd.myflorida.com/about/docs/2007-legislative-wrap-up.pdf

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ famous Yellow Book

(click on the link, go ahead) this is a great information source for those just entering the APD for services, or someone thinking of applying!

OR, if you’re among those of us who get paper cuts just by looking at paper, click here and check out the book in its Acrobat Reader (.pdf) glory. It’s a great book and anyone connected with people with disabilities should be acquainted with it and be able to refer folks to it. Also on this Agency for Persons with Disabilities web site you will find applications for service from the APD, Medwaiver info, provider rates, and more! It is a great link and the Yellow Book is a great resource check it out! Thank you to Rueben Betancourt at the FDDC for the information link!

Social Security is also a way to help assist your child or loved one with financial support based on qualifications to apply please click on the link below

www.socialsecurity.gov

How to Contact Us

Have you or your child been turned down for a brand name drug, or a drug that is now not covered by the new Medicaid Formulary Change? This is the form your doctor can file to get that drug covered!

/Documents/request_multi_source_drugs_6_3_04.pdf

__Florida Medicaid Preferred Drug List Update 2007

http://ahca.myflorida.com/Medicaid/Prescribed_Drug/pharm_thera/fmpdl.shtml

The Florida Medicaid Preferred Drug List is subject to revision following consideration and recommendations by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and the Agency for Health Care Administration.

These lists are updated from the January 10, 2007, P&T Committee meeting.

Click on links below to access the PDL you would like to search.
_______________________________________

Florida Medwaiver Info and Updates!

Contact names, numbers, and program info!

Medwaiver is a very viable option for paying for therapy, getting behaviorial services, respite and more. Most people are on the waiting list for an average of 3-5years. Sometimes this list moves quicker so it doesn't hurt to get on the list! Most individuals are being placed on the FSL Waiver while still waiting for the "Big Waiver" the Home and Community Based Services Waiver. The list is moving at a rate of 30 individuals a month at this point with an average of 3-5000 still waiting. The following are the criteria to meet to be placed on the waiting list;

New Toll-Free number benefits the disabled;
Governor's Office launches new phone number

TALLAHASSEE, Fla

.In the spirit of Florida
Governor Charlie Crist Office of Open Government
and Plain Language Initiative, the Agency for Persons
with Disabilities has secured a toll-free phone number
to better serve Florida citizens.

The agency new phone number is 1-866-APD-CARES or
1-866-273-2273. It will be manned Monday through
Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. (EDT). The phone
operators will answer questions directly. For more
complex questions, however, the caller will be
transferred to the best person to respond in a timely
manner. The goal is to answer a citizen question
quickly and accurately while not making the citizen
incur long distance phone charges.

Toll-free telephone service will make the Agency for
Persons with Disabilities more open and accessible to
the people of Florida, said Governor Crist. I am
pleased with the work the agency is doing to better
assist and serve the people of Florida.

Interim Agency Director Ray said, The Agency for
Persons with Disabilities is continually looking for
ways to improve the relationship with our customers.
Providing a toll-free phone number is long overdue. We
want our services to the public to be transparent and
we want to resolve questions as quickly as possible.

We think having a mechanism in place to encourage
dialogue and feedback is a good idea.

The agency currently serves more than 35,000
Floridians with the developmental disabilities of
mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, spina
bifida, and Prader-Willi syndrome. Of those citizens,
25,360 are currently enrolled in the Developmental
Disabilities Home and Community-Based Service waiver.
There are 6,092 people on the Family and Supported
Living waiver and over 13,000 waiting for waiver
services due to state funding limits. For more
information on the agency,

call 1-866-APD-CARES or
visit

www.apd.myflorida.com

Suncoast Area Information

General Information

Area Administrator: Carl Littlefield

Office Address: 9393 N. Florida Ave., Suite 400, Tampa, FL

33612 - 7236

Main Phone Number: (813) 558 - 5540
Counties served: De Soto, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota

Area Staff

Staff Name and Area of Responsibility	Email Address	Phone Number
Marcia DiGrazia, Area Quality Leader/Training	Marcia_DiGrazia@dcf.state.fl.us	(727) 217 - 7021
David LePere, Quality Assurance/Improvement	David_LePere@dcf.state.fl.us	(727) 217 - 7023
Richard Robertson, Licensing	Richard_Robertson@dcf.state.fl.us	(727) 217 - 7030
Brenda Clark, Supported Employment	Brenda_Clark@dcf.state.fl.us	(813) 558 - 5548
David Gross, Supported Living	David_Gross@dcf.state.fl.us	(727) 217 - 7039
Zohara Peters, Family Care Counsel	Zohara_Peters@dcf.state.fl.us	(813) 558 - 5558
Laurie Harlow, Medical/Behavior/Quality Improvement/Quality Assurance	Laurie_Harlow@dcf.state.fl.us	(813) 558 - 5559
Wanda Blanton, Waiver Support Coordination/Family and Supported Living/Home and Community-Based Waivers	Wanda_Blanton,@dcf.state.fl.us	(727) 217 - 7019

Developmental Disabilities/Home and Community Based Services Waiver or the Supported Living Waiver Application

To become a client of the DD program, the individual must also meet one of the following:

IQ must be 59 or less
IQ is 60-69 and has a secondary conditions OR the IQ has severe
functional limitations in at least 3 of the major life areas
Primary diagnosis of autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida and Prader-
Willi syndrome and have substantial functional limitations in three or more major life areas

Family and Supported Living Waiver

The Family and Supported Living Waiver (FSL Waiver) provides home and community-based supports and services to eligible persons with developmental disabilities living in their own home or family home. The FSL Waiver provides services to developmentally disabled Floridians with goals to participate in the community that may include a goal for independent living. The FSL Waiver offers eleven services with dollar cap limits. Each service limit may be exceeded if the request is prior authorized and medically necessary. However, the total annual budget cap of $14,282.00 may not be exceeded. The FSL Waiver was expanded this year to include children as well as adults.

The services are:

Adult Day Training services support the individual in daily valued routines of the community, stress training in the areas of self-help, adaptive and social skills, and are age and culturally appropriate. The services are generally provided in a congregate, facility-based setting.

Behavior Analysis services include the analysis, development, modification and monitoring of behavior analysis service plans for the purpose of changing an individual's behavior.

Consumable Medical Supplies are those non-durable supplies and items that enable individuals to increase their ability to perform activities of daily living, not otherwise available through Medicaid State Plan services. Examples include incontinent supplies, wipes, pads, and over-the-counter medications related to the individuals specific medical condition. Excludes items of general use, like toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, deodorant, mouthwash, bath soap, feminine hygiene supplies, razors, shaving cream, etc.

Environmental Accessibility Adaptations are those physical adaptations to the home that are of direct medical or remedial benefit to the individual or enable the individual access to the home. Major modifications require a professional assessment by a rehabilitation engineer. Excludes new square footage, carpeting, fencing, roofing, swimming pools, spas, pool/spa heaters, central air conditioning and all other items of general utility.

In-Home Support services provide up to 24 hours a day of companionship, personal care, assistance with activities of daily living, and other activities necessary to maintain the individual in his or her own home or family home.

Personal Emergency Response System is an electronic communication system that enables an individual who lives alone or who is alone for extended periods of time to secure help in the event of an emergency.

Respite Care provides short-term supportive care and supervision to an individual when the primary caregiver is unavailable due to a planned temporary absence or unexpected illness.

Support Coordination is the service of identifying, developing, coordinating and accessing supports and services on behalf of an individual or assisting an individual or family to access supports and services on their own regardless of the funding source of the services.

Supported Employment services are defined as assistance necessary for the individual to obtain and maintain competitive employment, which may be performed on a full-time or part-time basis in an integrated setting. The individual must be compensated at or above minimum wage, but not less than the customary wage and level of benefits paid by the employer for the same or similar work performed by individuals who are not disabled.

Supported Living Coaching services provide training and assistance in a variety of activities to support individuals who live in their own homes or apartments and are performed by a supported living coach.

Transportation services provide rides to and from home and community-based services to enable an individual to receive the supports and services identified on the support plan and approved cost plan.

Support Coordination is a required service.

Services provided by the FSL Waiver are to be used only after all other means of support have been explored. Examples of other supports are:

natural supports through family and friends

community supports such as church programs

other State and Federal programs such as Medicaid State Plan services

Waiver funds cannot be used to provide services that are covered under Medicaid State Plan.

FSL Waiver consumers are selected from the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Wait List for persons with developmental disabilities. The notification process began in August 2004. Consumers on the wait list that were 18 years old or over were notified of the option to participate in the FSL Waiver. In July, 2005, the FSL Waiver was expanded to include children.

Individuals who choose to participate in the FSL Waiver may remain on the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Wait List for an opportunity to participate in the Developmental Services Home and Community-Based Services Waiver at a future date.

Consumer Directed Care Plus

Consumer Directed Care Plus (CDC ) was launched January 1, 2004 as a result of the successful research and demonstration project, Consumer Directed Care. Under CDC , consumers direct their own care and develop a purchasing plan to manage their allocated monthly budgets in order to meet their long-term care needs. As of August 1, 2005, there are 979 developmentally disabled consumers receiving monthly budgets.

Florida has the largest and most comprehensive CDC project in the nation.

There are three goals of CDC :

Opportunity
The overriding goal of the Consumer Directed Care Plus program is to provide an opportunity for consumers to improve the quality of their lives by empowering elders, people with disabilities and their families to make choices about services that will best meet their needs.

Independence
CDC strives to provide consumers and their families with the ability to make cost-effective purchases and to demonstrate that consumers of long-term care services can make more appropriate use of Medicaid resources when they have greater control over choice and delivery of services and related purchases.

Advantage
The program seeks to demonstrate the positive benefits to consumers who use consultant services to assist them in forming a plan to meet their long-term care needs.

Four populations participate in the CDC program: frail elders, adults with physical disabilities, adults with brain and/or spinal cord injury and adults and children with developmental disabilities. Consumers in each population may have a representative decision maker (e.g., friend, caregiver, family member) if they need or want assistance managing their care.
Medicaid enrolled individuals receiving services from one of the following Medicaid 1915(c) waiver programs are eligible for CDC :

Florida Freedom Initiative

The Florida Freedom Initiative (FFI) is designed to change how people with disabilities maintain long-term supports while breaking the poverty cycle and achieving self-determination. Persons with developmental disabilities who are currently enrolled in CDC are among those eligible for FFI.

FFI goals include:

The primary purpose of the FFI is to demonstrate when income and asset limits are raised and Medicaid has more flexibility, individuals will seek employment and resolve housing and transportation issues as ordinary citizens.

FFI also serves to promote meaningful, valued lives in the community and to demonstrate cost efficiency in the use of public funds.

Waitlist

Recently, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) announced that approximately 6,600 additional persons with developmental disabilities would be served in the FY2005-2006 fiscal year. Letters are already going to individuals on the waitlist to begin the enrollment process. To date, over 3,000 new people have been enrolled for services and supports. We will continue moving down the waitlist until we reach capacity. This is as a result of new accountability measures as well as additional funding allocated by Governor Bush and the Florida Legislature.

In 2004, we implemented accountability measures to ensure funds were being spent according to client service plans and in an appropriate and accurate manner. These accountability measures have resulted in an annual savings of valuable Medicaid funds that otherwise would have been spent in error without providing extra services to anyone. As directed by the Legislature, these savings generated through new accountability measures and greater efficiency will be spent on those with the greatest needs -- persons with developmental disabilities on the wait list.

Governor Jeb Bush signed the FY2005-2006 State budget that provides the APD with over $1.2 billion to provide services for Floridians with developmental disabilities. Through the dedication and exceptional leadership of Governor Bush and steadfast commitment from the Florida Legislature, we have been able to provide critical services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities to reach their full potential in the home and community. We have increased the budget by 144 percent and in FY2004-2005 served over 33,000 Floridians with developmental disabilities. APD will reach approximately 40,000 persons with developmental disabilities this year, an increase of 18 percent.

It is important to note that the APD will always put persons with developmental disabilities first. We recognize that by being good stewards of our funds we can serve even more persons with developmental disabilities with the same critical services and supports that our consumers deserve.

Numbers on the waitlist since July 1:
July 1, 2005	14,629
August 1, 2005	14,269
September 1, 2005	14,021
October 1, 2005	12,594

Individuals Waiting for Waiver Services
Table and Bar Graph Reflecting Number of Individuals Waiting for Waiver Services. Totals reflect both Statewide and by Area.

Recipient Wait List Rule
Recipient Wait List Rule from the Developmental Disabilities Waiver Services Coverage and Limitations Handbook

Medicaid Waiver Enrollment and Service Delivery

Objective: During FY 2005-2006, enroll and begin service delivery under the Medicaid waiver program to 6,600 people waiting for services

Enrollment:

Medicaid Eligibility:
The Department of Children & Families - Economic Self Sufficiency office determines Medicaid Eligibility.

Support Plan Development, Prior Services Authorization and Service Delivery Arrangements:

Medicaid Waiver Support Coordinators (WSC) are independent contractors under Medicaid agreements to develop supports and services for individuals on the Medicaid waiver program. When the Waiver Support Coordinator receives the file from APD the following key activities are performed.

The Prior Service Authorization contractors review and approve the support plan/cost plan documentation prepared by the waiver support coordinator to determine medical necessity. This process takes 10 days if all information in the request is complete.

Upon receipt of PSA approval the Waiver Support Coordinator issues a Service Authorization to the provider to begin services and services are initiated.

Service providers will usually begin billing within one month after services are initiated.

APD is taking the following steps to streamline the enrollment process:

Medicaid Waiver Enrollment and Service Directory Timeline

For information on the Florida Waiver (formerly known as
Developmental Services/Home and Community Based Services
DS/HCNBS Waiver)
click here Medwaiver Handbook

For more information on waiver programs and what they cover.

Medicaid state Plan Services

For information where you are on the waiting list;

Terri McGarrity, Program Administration
Agency for Persons with Disabilities
Tallahassee, Florida
(850)414-7452 or Suncom 994-7452
Terri_McGarrity@dcf.state.fl.us

More Florida Agencies, Providers and Support

Support and Advocacy Links (check out the rest under the links and info)

A tremendous resource is also

Wrights Law

www.wrightslaw.com

Family Network on Disabilities of Florida, Inc. is a statewide alliance of individuals with disabilities, special needs, or at-risk and their families. Their mission is to provide family-driven support, education, information, and advocacy. http://fndfl.org

Statewide Advocacy Network on Disabilities, Inc. (STAND) offers advocacy training and education of legal rights as provided by the Individuals with DisAbilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with DisAbilities Act (ADA). http://www.standadvocates.org

Attorney Reed Martin's web site on special education legal rights and legislation issues. http://www.reedmartin.com

Autism Awareness Action is a web site by a parent dedicated to helping other parents advocate for their children and to offer autism information for families. http://www.geocities.com/aaa_list/

Patient Centered Guides Autism Center, Support and Advocacy. Links to worldwide organizations. http://www.patientcenters.com/autism/

Disability-Specific Organizations

Attention Deficit Disorder
To identify an ADD group in your state or locality, contact either:

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
8181 Professional Place, Suite 150
Landover, MD 20785
(301) 306-7070
(800) 233-4050 (Voice mail to request information packet)
Web: www.chadd.org

Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
P.O. Box 543
Pottstown, PA 19464
(484) 945-2101
Web: www.add.org

Autism
Autism Society of Florida, Inc.
P.O. Box 970646
Coconut Creek, FL 33097
(954) 349-2820
Web: www.autismfl.com

Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD)
(One of six regional centers for autism and related disabilities)
University of Florida
P.O. Box 100234
Gainesville, FL 32610
(352) 846-2761; (800) 754-5891
E-mail: card@mbi.ufl.edu
Web: www.card.ufl.edu
To identify the CARD serving your region, either call the 800 number above, or visit:
www.card.ufl.edu/state.html

Governor
Honorable Jeb Bush
Executive Office of the Governor
400 S. Monroe Street
The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
(850) 488-4441
(850) 487-0801 (fax)
E-mail: jeb.bush@myflorida.com
Web: www.myflorida.com

Official State Web Site
Web: www.myflorida.com/

State Department of Education: Special Education
Bambi Lockman, Chief
Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services
Florida Department of Education
325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 614
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
(850) 245-0475
E-mail: bambi.lockman@fldoe.org
Web: www.fldoe.org

State Coordinator for NCLB (No Child Left Behind)
Pam Kaperak, Senior Policy Director
Office of No Child Left Behind
Florida Department of Education
325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 316
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
(850) 245-0501
E-mail: pam.kaperak@fldoe.org
Web: www.fldoe.org

Programs for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: Ages Birth through 2
Dr. Phyllis Sloyer, Division Director
Early Steps
Children's Medical Services, Department of Health
4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin A-06
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1707
(850) 245-4218; (800) 654-4440
E-mail: phyllis_sloyer@doh.state.fl.us
Web: www.cms-kids.com/InfantHome.htm

Lou Ann Long, Director
Florida Directory of Early Childhood Services
2807 Remington Green Circle
Tallahasse, FL 32308
(850) 487-6301; (800) 654-4440
E-mail: lalong@centraldirectory.org
Web: www.centraldirectory.org

Programs for Children with Disabilities: Ages 3 through 5
Cathy Bishop, Program Specialist
Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services
Florida Department of Education
325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 601
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
(850) 245-0478
E-mail: cathy.bishop@fldoe.org
Web: www.fldoe.org

Lou Ann Long, Director
Florida Directory of Early Childhood Services
2807 Remington Green Circle
Tallahasse, FL 32308
(850) 487-6301; (800) 654-4440
E-mail: lalong@centraldirectory.org
Web: www.centraldirectory.org

State Mental Health Agency
Roderick L. Hall, Ph.D., Director
Mental Health Programs Office
Department of Children and Families
1317 Winewood Boulevard, Building 6, Room 275
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0700
(850) 488-8304
E-mail: rod_hall@dcf.state.fl.us
Web: www.state.fl.us/cf_web/

State Mental Health Representative for Children and Youth
Sue Ross, Chief
Mental Health Programs Office
Department of Children and Families
1317 Winewood Boulevard, Building 6, Room 290
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0700
(850) 488-8304
E-mail: Sue_Ross@dcf.state.fl.us
Web: www.state.fl.us/cf_web/

State Developmental Services
Shelly Brantley, Director
Agency for Persons with Disabilities
4030 Esplanade Way, Suite 380
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0950
(850) 488-4257
E-mail: Shelly_Brantley@apd.state.fl.us
Web: www.myflorida.com

Councils on Developmental Disabilities
Debra Dowds, Executive Director
Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc.
124 Marriott Drive, Suite 203
Tallahassee, FL 32301-2981
(850) 488-4180; (800) 580-7801 (in FL)
Web: www.fddc.org

Protection and Advocacy Agency
Gary J. Weston, Executive Director
Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities
2671 Executive Center Circle West, Suite 100
Tallahassee, FL 32301-5092
(850) 488-9071; (800) 346-4127 (TTY)
(800) 342-0823; (800) 350-4566 (Spanish and Creole Speaking Clients)
E-mail: info@advocacycenter.org
Web: www.AdvocacyCenter.org

Client Assistance Program
Corey Hinds, CAP Program Director
Contact Protection and Advocacy Agency listed above

Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Dr. Phyllis Sloyer, Division Director
Children's Medical Services, Department of Health
4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin A-06
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1707
(850) 245-4218; (800) 654-4440
E-mail: phyllis_sloyer@doh.state.fl.us
Web: www.myflorida.com

State CHIP Program
(health care for low-income uninsured children)
Florida KidCare
Agency for Healthcare Administration
P.O. Box 980
Tallahassee, FL 32302-0980
(888) 540-5437
Web: www.floridakidcare.org

Programs for Children and Youth who are Blind or Visually Impaired
David Newton, Program Consultant
Division of Blind Services
Department of Education
325 W. Gaines Street, Room 1114, Turlington Building
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
(850) 245-0322; (800) 342-1828 (in FL)
E-mail: david_newton@dbs.doe.state.fl.us
Web: http://myflorida.com/dbs/index.shtml
Technology-Related Assistance
Jane E. Johnson, Director
Florida Alliance for Assistive Service and Technology
325 John Knox Road, Building 400, Suite 402
Tallahassee, FL 32303
(850) 487-3278; (888) 788-9216
(850) 922-5951 (TTY)
E-mail: faast@faast.org
Web: http://faast.org/

State Mediation System
Eileen L. Amy, Administrator
ESE Program Administration and Quality Assurance
Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services
Florida Department of Education
325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 614
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
(850) 245-0476
E-mail: eileen.amy@fldoe.org
Web: www.myfloridaeducation.com/commhome

Police, Safety, and Autism.....

Avoiding Unfortunate Situations

By Dennis Debbaudt

(Permanent URL: http://policeandautism.cjb.net/)

Also see Dennis' other site:
Autism Risk & Safety Management
including video clips from the new Autism & Law Enforcement Video, and additional information about Dennis' training session business.

Introduction

Law enforcement agencies in the 21st Century are embracing community policing and better education for their increasingly diverse workforce. There is also a growing interest in the global autism community to bring public awareness of autism and the people it affects to law enforcement professionals. As a parent of a young man with autism and reporter/researcher on this topic since 1991, I hope to bring you useful information about autism and the law enforcement community. Sharing critical autism recognition and response information with our law enforcement, first response, criminal justice and educational communities is my mission. The goal? Better community experiences for everyone.

I'm telling the world about our stories in the best way I can: through my books and articles, through train-the-trainer workshops for law enforcement, first responders, and educators, and through the media. Autism awareness and education for law enforcement, emergency response and criminal justice professionals is a personal, and now, professional part of my life. Public awareness--telling others about our everyday lives as families affected by autism--is a key element of my personal and professional advocacy. Positive outcomes for our loved ones can be the result when we take the time to educate others about autism spectrum disorders. I want to tell your stories, too. Let me know what they are.

Contact information

Please e-mail dennis@policeandautism.cjb.net
Or write: Dennis Debbaudt
2338 S.E. Holland Street
Port St. Lucie, FL 34952
U.S.A.
Phone: 772-398-9756

About the Website Author

Dennis Debbaudt is the author of Autism, Advocates and Law Enforcement Professionals: Recognizing and Reducing Risk Situations for People with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London-Philadelphia, 2002, Avoiding Unfortunate Situations Way/SAC, Detroit, Michigan, 1994, and a veteran of law enforcement in the private sector since 1977.

Dennis has reported for the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press and worked with network television current affairs programs including Granada TV's World In Action (UK), CTV's W-5 (Canada), and ABC News 20/20 (U.S.). Debbaudt's articles, workshops and conference presentations specific to autism and law enforcement are listed below.

Debbaudt is a frequent presenter at autism conferences worldwide, and is increasingly hosting train-the-trainer workshops for school districts, law enforcement training programs, and autism advocacy groups. Since 1995, he has conducted numerous workshops for law enforcement agencies including the Detroit Police Department, Michigan Department of Corrections, New Hampshire Police Academy and Sheriff's Departments throughout the United States. He has also led workshops for law enforcers in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Debbaudt recently completed a chapter on safety and risk for an upcoming (2003) book about Asperger's syndrome and adolescence edited by Liane Holliday Willey for Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Debbaudt has worked on writing grant proposals, curriculum and script development, and consults to persons affected, families, educators, law enforcers, prosecutors & defense attorneys about specific issues related to autism and law enforcement. He continues to research and report from Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Dennis, his wife, Gay, and son, Brad, reside in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Now Booking Workshops Conferences & Trainings

Debbaudt's workshops focus on autism recognition and response; contact, perpetrator and victim trends; restraint and arrest options, dilemmas in interrogation and interview settings; school resource officer issues; model programs & cross educational opportunities.

The information is presented via PowerPoint, video and handouts. The one-day workshops are based on his exhaustive research and 12-year experience and personal involvement.

Workshops are personally designed to meet the local needs of/and educate law enforcement trainers, school resource officers, criminal justice and forensic professionals, educators and others about autism recognition, response and risk management.

To schedule a workshop or conference presentations or to inquire about fees, publications, curriculum, script and grant development projects, and case consultations, contact Dennis Debbaudt at:

dennis@policeandautism.cjb.net
Call: 772-398-9756
Write: Dennis Debbaudt Agency, 2338 S.E. Holland Street, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952, USA.

Chronological list: books and articles

Avoiding Unfortunate Situations: A Collection of Experiences, Tips and Information from and about People with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities and Their Encounters with Law Enforcement Agencies, by Dennis Debbaudt. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne County Society for Autistic Citizens (Way/SAC). Available through Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) -- click 'bookstore'
Strategies For Safer Interaction within Communities, by Margaret Creedon Ph.D., Dennis Debbaudt and Michael Campbell. Open Minds, Open Doors: Proceedings of the 1996 Autism Society of America National Conference. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Law Enforcement and Autism: A National Perspective, by Dennis Debbaudt. Advocate: The Newsletter of the Autism Society of America, May-June 1998
Avoiding Unfortunate Situations: Awareness When Shopping, by Dennis Debbaudt. The Source, A Publication of ASPEN of America (now Asperger's Syndrome Coalition of the United States, Inc.). Winter, 2000
Law Enforcement Awareness of Autism: In Memory of Calvin Champion, Jr., by Dennis Debbaudt. TASH Newsletter, August 2000
You Do Not Have the Right To Remain Silent! A Report on Advocacy Efforts for Law Enforcement Professionals' Awareness of Autism, by Dennis Debbaudt. Autism Aspergers Digest Magazine January-February 2001
Autism & Police, by Dennis Debbaudt. LINK, the Newsletter of Autism-Europe, Winter 2001
Autism & Airport Security, by Dennis Debbaudt (Fall, 2001), online at British National Autistic Society
Contact With Individuals With Autism: Effective Resolutions, by Dennis Debbaudt and Darla Rothman, Ph.D. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, April 2001 [PDF format, 2.6 MB]
Effective Resolutions of Contacts with Autistic Individuals, by Dr. Darla Rothman and Dennis Debbaudt, Sheriff, March-April 2002
Train officers to deal with autistic students, Dennis Debbaudt was interviewed for and provided information to this report for the Maintaining Safe Schools Newsletter, LRP Publications, October 2002
Autism, Advocates and Law Enforcement Professionals: Recognizing and Reducing Risk Situations for People with Autism Spectrum Disorders, by Dennis Debbaudt, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London UK-Philadelphia, 142 pages, ISBN # 1-85302-980-7, Copyright 2002

Conferences, Workshops, Special Projects

ASA National Conferences (North Carolina, 1995, Wisconsin, 1996, Atlanta, 2000 Indianapolis 2002)
Autism Network International (New York, 1995)
MAAP (Indiana, 1995)
American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (Chicago 1996)
Autism Society of Wisconsin (Appleton, 1998)
Autism Society of Ohio (1998, 1999 and 2001)
ARK Autism Awareness Rally In Washington D.C. (April 2000)
Autism-Europe Congress (Glasgow, Scotland May, 2000)
National Symposium on Autism (St. Louis, Missouri, April, 2001 & April, 2002)
Autism Society of Ontario (Toronto, May 2001)
UK Workshops-Hampshire Autistic Society (Winchester), Asperger Backup Campaign (Bournemouth), SACAR (Bradford, Autism North (University of Sunderland), (September, 2001)
Autism Society of California-San Diego Police Department (October, 2001)
Autism Society of Los Angeles (March, 2002)
Autism Society of Iowa (April, 2002)
Ohio State Legislature Rally (April, 2002)
ASPEN (Asperger's Syndrome), New Jersey (May, 2002)
Mental Health Associates /Orange County, NY (Sept., 2002)
Autism Society of New Hampshire (October, 2002)
Asperger Association of New England (October, 2002)
Calcasieu Parish Louisiana School District (November, 2002)
Law enforcement trainings and train the trainer sessions since 1995 in Detroit at Metropolitan Detroit Police Academy, Wayne County and Oakland County, Michigan, Columbus, Ohio, New Orleans, Louisiana, Ocala, Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida, Kilgore, Texas, Long Island, New York, New Hampshire Police Academy, Goshen, New York, Wellesley Massachusetts Police Department, Shelby Township, Michigan Police Department
Team Project Development member, on-camera host & narrator for "Autism Awareness Video for Law Enforcement/Community Service Personnel" (1999 winner ASA Excellence In Media Award)
Curriculum Review Team member and resource for "Why Law Enforcement Needs To Recognize Autism" Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions (October, 1999). The first ever, by and for, law enforcement curriculum on autism awareness.
Cited resource for "Recognizing Special Needs: A Police Officer's Field Guide To Selected Disabilities", by the Municipal Police Officers' Education & Training Commission, (Hershey, Pennsylvania)

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