Tag Archives | 377 Board

McHenry 377 Board Advocates Prepare for April 9 Vote

By on March 20, 2013 in Government, Housing

McHenry 377Disability advocates in McHenry County are advancing their efforts to pass a referendum to form a 377 Board (What is a 377 Board).  The vote takes place on April 9, 2013.  If passed, McHenry County will realize some $9M per year to serve those with developmental disabilities.

The website Vote Yes McHenry County Developmental Disabilities Board (http://www.voteyesddb.com/) plainly presents the problem, proposed solution and plans for service.  It contains information and materials for advocates to use in the final days of the campaign.

This initiative is being watched by advocates around the state who face the same issues of inadequate services for family members, slow state payment to providers and increasing need among families.  A similar initiative in Kane County  (See ShowYouCareKane.com)  is aiming for a 2014 vote.  Kane advocates will be collecting signatures at polling places in Kane County on April 9th.   They need 8,000 more signatures  for placement of the referendum on the 2014 ballot.

For more information  on the McHenry initiative  contact Cindy Sullivan, Executive Director, Options & Advocacy for McHenry County, 815.477.4720 x 233, cindy.sullivan@opad.org   or Patrick Maynard, PhD, President/CEO, Pioneer Center for Human Services, 815.759.7044, pmaynard@pioneercenter.org

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377 Board Petition in Kane County

By on December 13, 2012 in Government, Housing, Other

Kane County now has an initiative to form a 377 Board to serve the needs of the developmentally disabled.  In order to get the referendum on the April 9, 2013 ballot, they need to collect 20,000 signatures from registered Kane County voters.  They currently have 7,000 signatures and are asking Kane County voters, advocates and others to help them reach this goal by December 31, 2012.  Advocates decided to act at this time because of the crisis in state funding for housing, transportation, jobs, job training and respite services.   Local funds are being sought to provide care.

Organizers cite the needs of 10,000 adults in Kane County who need lifetime care, and another 10,000 who need a lesser level of care.  This need grows as care-giving parents age and cannot care for their loved ones.  Moreover, there are 17,000 students receiving special education services in Kane County.  Some portion of these individuals will need care as they mature.

It is still possible for the County Board to approve placement of the referendum on the ballot, but there has been no action to do so.  County Board President Chris Lauzen was also cited by the Kane County Chronicle as saying that if voters ultimately approved the levy, he would try to keep the effect tax neutral by cutting in other areas.

A well-developed website supports this effort at http://www.showyoucarekane.com The site has links to petition information, press coverage, and an explanatory power point presentation.

For more information contact Kathy Hazelwood,Vice President Marketing & Development, Association for Individual Development, 847-931-2290,Khazelwood@the-association.org

 

 

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377 Board Placed on Ballot in McHenry

By on November 27, 2012 in Background, Government

The McHenry County Board approved placement of the 377 Board referendum on the ballot April 9, 2013.    Twenty of the 23 board members in attendance voted in favor of placement.  About 40 people attended the November 20 meeting, and about half of those spoke.  The Northwest Herald published this article on the meeting.

Organizers are preparing to present their case to the voters of McHenry County.   The next meeting of the DD Task Force will be on Wednesday December 19. at 6:30 pm at the Shah Center in McHenry.

For more information contact:  Cindy Sullivan, Executive Director, Options and Advocacy for McHenry County, cindy.sullivan@opad.org, (815) 477-4720

 

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377 Board To Go Before County Board

By on November 20, 2012 in Government, Special Event

McHenry County Public Health & Human Services Committee approved the resolution to form a 377 Board in McHenry County.   The County Board will review the recommendation and act on placing the referendum on the ballot at their next meeting.  This will take place on Tuesday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the McHenry County Administration Building, at 667 Ware Rd (at Seminary Avenue) in Woodstock.  The meeting is in the second floor conference room.

McHenry residents with developmental disabilities, their families and friends are encouraged to attend this meeting to communicate the need for this board.  Organizers are hoping for a full room.  They remind potential attendees that their attendance is critical, and that they will not be required to speak, although they may do so if they wish.

If the County Board approves inclusion of the resolution on the ballot, voters will decide whether to establish a 377 Board for persons who have developmental disabilities at the spring election on April 9, 2013.   Approval would result in creation of a fund of approximately $10M under local control.   The Northwest Herald has come out in favor of including the item on the ballot.

You can view the most recent Northwest Herald article on the Options & Advocacy website.  www.optionsandadvocacy.org


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What is a 377 Board? Background

By on November 2, 2012 in Background, Government, State Agency

Editor’s Note:  TheNemoNews readers have asked for some background on a 377 Board as they take interest in the current McHenry County initiative.  While Nemo is not a lawyer, we have decided to share our understanding a 377 Board with Nemo readers.  A significant portion of this information has been drawn from the Association of Community Mental Health Authorities of Illinois.

Governmental care for those with developmental disabilities is characterized by great need and few resources to meet those needs.  Services vary widely by locality, making states very different, and localities very different in the quality of life offered to its dependent citizens.  At this time, Illinois suffers from a profound financial shortfall that reaches into the lives of families and individuals with developmental disabilities.  Service agencies teeter on the edge of solvency because of slow payment from the State.

Yet the unrelenting need for services confronts everyone associated with the world of developmental disability.  The need for planning, assessment and delivery of services relating to housing, transportation, health care, employment, social supports often goes unmet.  It is not uncommon to find a 60 year old individual with a developmental disability living with an 80+ year old parent and relying on them for everything.  The state is then called in when the caregiver’s health fails.  The life of the surviving person is changed forever.  Often a lack of local services and facilities requires them to move miles away, into an unfamiliar world with few established supports.  Some localities seek to remedy this situation.

A 377 Board is one of three different kinds of taxing authorities allowed by the State of Illinois that localities can use to fund services for individuals who are disabled by mental illness, substance abuse or developmental disabilities.  These three are referred to as 708, 377 and 553 Local Mental Health Authorities or Boards.  More than one of these authorities can exist in a locality.  Some exist in townships, others exist in counties.

The most prevalent kind of board is a 708 — a Mental Health Board.  There are 50+ counties with these Boards.  Some townships have 708 boards.  McHenry County is currently served by a 708 board that allocates approximately 15% of its budget to the care of those with developmental disabilities.  This portion does not meet the needs that exist in McHenry County.

A 553 Board is called a Health Department Board.  Some health departments are formed under a 553 referendum of voters and become independent taxing authorities.  In Chicagoland, Lake, DuPage and Will Counties have 553 Boards.  Services for the mentally ill, substance abusers and developmentally delayed individuals are channeled through the health department in those counties.  Again, need often overwhelms the department resources.

The 377 Boards address the specific needs of the developmentally delayed.  They exist on the county level.  There are 14 Illinois counties with 377 Boards, and 4 of these also have a 708 Board.  McLean County has a 377 Board and a 553 Board.  The 377 legislation calls for a voter referendum to form the Board.  The Board is enabled to plan, evaluate and deliver services for the developmentally delayed population in their jurisdiction.

 

 

 

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377 Board Initiative in McHenry Moves Forward

By on October 25, 2012 in Government, Housing, Other

Supporters of the initiative to create a 377 Board in McHenry County are moving forward to get the item placed on a ballot in March 2013.  On November 2 they will present their case to the Health and Human Services (HHS) committee of the County Board.  The HHS is expected to advise the Board on placement of the  initiative on the ballot.  The County Board is expected to act on November 20.

Supporters met on October 17 to discuss their next steps and timeline.  Included steps were the outreach to the Boards of Directors of county agencies and creation of a steering committee.   In addition the need to educate voters about needs in the developmentally disabled community of McHenry County was explored.  The group wishes to contact churches, civic groups and others that may want more information.

Current statistics show that there are 5,236 individuals in McHenry County who are developmentally disabled.  The majority are not being served.  Over the next 5 years, 1300 of these individuals are expected to have urgent needs as caregivers pass on and other circumstances change.   These needs are not being met by state programs.

For more information contact Cindy Sullivan, Options and Advocacy, cindy.sullivan@opad.org, 815-477-4700.

 Click here for a link to the previous NemoNews article.

 

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