2020 Budget Questions for the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities

2020 Budget Questions for the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities
Posted on October 29, 2019 by cmhbc • Posted in Access to care, Budget • Leave a comment
October 29, 2019

Dear Chicago City Council Members,

The Community Mental Health Board would appreciate it if you would please consider asking Commissioner Tamley a few of the attached questions during the City Council Departmental Budget Hearing on the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities 2020 Budget.

Six questions:

ADA Accessibility

After the Community Mental Health Board of Chicago filed a complaint with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) in 2017, the MOPD surveyed Greater Lawn Mental Health Center (4150 W. 55th) and Lawndale Mental Health Center (1201 S. Campbell) for accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Both facilities were found to have access issues. Board membership includes persons with wheelchair experience.

The two mental health centers determined not accessible under the ADA were surveyed in 2012, as well. No action was taken then. But as a result of the 2017 survey, the renewed lease for the Greater Lawn Mental Health Center was revised in 2018, to include requirements to fix ADA access code violations. Please see O2018-4236, Exhibit A.

In response to the Board’s follow up request, on September 26, 2019, MOPD resurveyed the Greater Lawn Mental Health Center building. See attached. Several ADA code violations remain unfixed.

(1) What is the MOPD policy or procedure for following up on problematic facilities that house city services to be sure that identified problems get fixed? Do any of the remaining three mental health centers have ADA accessibility or other facility issues that still need to be fixed?

As a result of the MOPD survey of the Lawndale Mental Health Center facility, 12/4/2017, the City plans to relocate the mental health center to another leased facility at 1111 S. Western Avenue. Please see O2019-5592. At our request, MOPD surveyed 1111 S. Western on October 1, 2019. ADA access code violations were identified. Please see attached.

(2) How is MOPD working with Chicago Department of Public Health to ensure ADA code violations are fixed at 1111 S. Western Ave?

(3) What does Commissioner Tamley think about an ordinance requiring MOPD to survey facilities, under consideration to house city services, before the City signs off on a lease with the property owner?

The CDPH Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation (CARF) Survey Reports for three of the four past surveys have noted mental health service access barriers and recommended, each time, the CDPH come up with an accessibility plan and a plan for annually monitoring mental health service accessibility: “The plan should be reviewed at least annually for relevance, including progress made in the removal of identified barriers and areas needing improvement, and be updated as needed.” See CDPH-CARF Survey Reports 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016

(4) How are you working with the Chicago Department of Public Health to “implement an accessibility plan that includes actions to be taken and timelines for the removal of all identified barriers?” See CARF Survey 2016. [MOPD did not actually answer this question last year.]

Telepsychiatry

(5) This month CDPH initiated telepsychiatry at Englewood Mental Health Center. Has MOPD reviewed the accessibility of CDPH’s telepsychiatry service?

According to the most recent 2018 Illinois Department of Mental Health data, the employment of persons receiving mental health services from state supported services (including Medicaid) – such as CDPH is quite low. See 2018 SAMHSA Uniform Reporting System (URS) Output Tables. CDPH mental health center participants have asked for employment support.

(6) How is the MOPD (Task Force on Employment and Economic Opportunities For People with Disabilities and the Work Incentive Planning and Assistance programs) working with CDPH mental health centers to support and help people secure employment?

Thank you for your attention and consideration.

The Community Mental Health Board of Chicago

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0 THOUGHTS ON “2020 BUDGET QUESTIONS FOR THE MAYOR’S OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES”
Kathy Powers says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
November 3, 2019 at 7:33 pm
Is accessibility a second-thought, unimportant aspect of this City’s agenda? I want to see MOPD inspect all facilities, and not sign off on them until they are up to code. If you can’t get in, you can’t get services. If you can’t hear, understand the language, can’t see a computer screen or are not afforded reasonable accommodation, you can’t get services. The ADA is the law of the land, for some time, and must be followed.

Chicago Mental Health Advocates

October 29, 2019

Dear Chicago City Council Members,

The Community Mental Health Board would appreciate it if you would please consider asking Commissioner Tamley a few of the attached questions during the City Council Departmental Budget Hearing on the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities 2020 Budget.

Six questions:

ADA Accessibility

After the Community Mental Health Board of Chicago filed a complaint with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) in 2017, the MOPD surveyed Greater Lawn Mental Health Center (4150 W. 55^th) and Lawndale Mental Health Center (1201 S. Campbell) for accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Both facilities were found to have access issues. Board membership includes persons with wheelchair experience.

The two mental health centers determined not accessible under the ADA were surveyed in 2012, as well. No action was taken then. But as a result of the 2017…

View original post 477 more words

2020 Budget Hearing Questions for Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC)

This is a warm line. Is there a hotline or is it all on 911?

Chicago Mental Health Advocates

Dear Chicago City Council Members,

Proposed questions for Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) for your consideration.

(1) Can OEMC please provide annual and year-to-date 911 statistics on the total number of calls by police district and also a breakdown of the number of calls by district that are related to a mental health crisis, a substance use crisis, and the number responded to by a CIT trained police officer, for years 2017, 2018, and 2019 to-date?

(2) Can OEMC please explain why OEMC and the City are contracting out the handling of 311 calls for mental health services referrals to NAMI Chicago (National Alliance on Mental Illness of Chicago) instead of employing and training city workers to perform this function? Were any other vendors considered? Did OEMC consider referring residents to the already existing Illinois Department of Human Services Warm Line?

(3) Can OEMC please provide year-to-date and…

View original post 59 more words

Proposed Committee on Budget questions for the Depart. of Fleet and Facility Management (“2FM”)

I love the new murals at Greater Lawn Mental Clinic! Why don’t all of the clinics look as welcoming? Ask your alderman.

Chicago Mental Health Advocates

October 31, 2019

Dear Chicago City Council Members,

Proposed Committee on Budget questions for the Department of Fleet and Facility Management (“2FM”) below.

A.      Mental Health Center Signage

The city has five mental health centers. Often people in the local communities don’t know that mental health centers are available in their neighborhoods in part because many of the city centers do not have adequate signage.

Last spring, the city posted new external signs at CDPH mental health centers. However, all the new signs call the mental health centers “health center” and not “mental health center.”

(1)    Why was it decided to name the mental health centers “health centers”? Is there any concern that people will come into the centers expecting to find primary medical care services there? Does this mean that in the future the city plans to add a variety of health services to these sites?

(2)

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Coroners versus DWP

Murder in the most unlikely places!

Stop UK lies & corruption

A number of coroners have come out and stated the DWP played a role in the death of their clients. The DWP have the cheek to say the coroners are wrong – who are you more likely to believe – the professionals whose job it is to investigate deaths or a Government department with its own agenda?

Coroner Michael Oakley said the DWP benefits assessment was key to the death of Nick Barker.  Coroner Andrew Haigh concluded the death of Tim Salter was mostly caused by the DWP who drastically reduced his benefit.  Coroner Mary Hassell found that the trigger for Michael O’Sullivan‘s suicide was his recent assessment by a DWP doctor as being fit for work.

Meanwhile these people died under questionable circumstances with the DWP.  Cecilia Burns had cancer.  The DWP declared her fit for work.  She appealed the decision but died shortly after…

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CDPH Mental Health Facilities -Review

Chicago Mental Health Advocates

Facilities Meeting Note #1.
Greater Lawn:

The city has leased the building at 4150 W 55th for 31 years or since 1988.
2/25/88 the City Council first approved the facility lease from James L Warner (PIN 19-10-419-043, Lease No, 10035). See original lease, covering the period from 5/1/88 – 4/30/93.

As of the first day of occupancy, the rent was $18,748.33 per month and was to increase annually to $22,765.83, until 4/30/93.

Rent per Council records
$18,748.33 5/1/88 to 4/30/89
$19,685.75 5/1/89 to 4/30/90
$20,663.34 5/1/90 to 4/30/91
$21,694.50 5/1/91 to 4/30/92
$22,765.83 5/1/92 to 4/30/93
(Journal of Proceedings page 140 to 147)

Renewed lease on 8/4/93 starting at the same rent as in 1988.
$18,748.33 5/1/1993 to 4/30/1995
$19,685.75 5/1/1995 to 4/30/1996
$20,612.40 5/1/1996 to 4/30/1997
$21,707.89 5/1/1997 to 4/30/1998
:
:(Additional leases not retrieved yet.)
:
Lease renewed 10/16/2013; O2013-6548
for 10/1/2013 to 12/31/2016
Rent
$23,500.00 10/1/13 to…

View original post 362 more words

France: Yellow Vests breakdown the doors of government building, Officials evacuated

ANARCHIMEDIA

Yellow Vest demonstrators used a forklift to breakdown the doors of a government compound on Saturday. A government spokesperson said he and his team had to escape through a back door and take refuge in a nearby hotel when protesters broke through the front doors.

#YellowVest / #GiletsJaunes protesters smashing open a government building with a forklift truck in France.

(Via @arisroussinos) pic.twitter.com/KFmfDZqw4y

— Jake Hanrahan (@Jake_Hanrahan) January 6, 2019

This weekend marked the 8th consecutive Saturday of demonstrations. The first Yellow Vest demonstration of 2019. The protests saw a lull during the holidays, but Saturday’s numbers were up and demonstrators were more energized.

The yellow vest protests were sparked by a fuel tax in November has escalated into widespread anger over Macron government’s policies and fury over the rising costs of living.

More than 50,000 people protested across France on Saturday.

Photo: “Les Gilets Jaunes” by Patrice…

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Venezuela-ALBA Weekly 12.28.2018 Statements from ALBA 16th Summit

A New Year’s Blockade Outside a Child Detention Camp

We have our humanity. Let’s use it together!

Transformative Spaces

(Photo: Christmas in Tornillo)

This post was originally featured on the author’s Patreon.

Around 6:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, activists with Christmas in Tornillo: The Occupation set up a blockade during a shift change that halted 20 charter buses carrying workers into the Tornillo detention camp. Organizers of the protest say 3,000 children are being held at the detention camp, which activists refer to as a “concentration camp.”

The blockade included a Christmas Tree made from water jugs that had been slashed by border control and numerous containers of water. The jugs were originally placed in the desert to help migrants survive their journey to the United States. Organizers say jugs were recovered by No Más Muertes after being destroyed by border control.

The shift change was disrupted for an hour by the blockade before police turned the buses around. When the police attempted to remove the blockade…

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6. Good structure is made of desire.

Sesquiotica

You probably learned in high school how to structure an essay: “Say what you’re going to say, say it, then say you’ve said it.”

For high school students, this is a reasonable instruction. It helps them learn to organize their thoughts instead of just pouring their stream of consciousness onto the paper. It also makes essays easier to grade.

Just in case you missed day one of these gifts for writers: You’re not in high school anymore. You can outgrow the high school rule. Your readers aren’t there to grade you. They’re there because of desire.

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Let’s Live Now: Reflections on 2018

Transformative Spaces

A puppet peers over the fence of the Tornillo detention facility at the U.S.-Mexico Border, where activists say 3,000 migrant children are being held. (Photo: Lisa Fithian)

This piece was originally featured on the author’s Patreon page. 

At this time last year, many of us were clamoring for the end of a terrible year. As 2018 comes to a close, we are no less discontent, but I have seen far less enthusiasm about the new year as a means of leaving the old. Instead, there is a subdued grumbling afoot — a sense that we are all simply going through the motions, as we stumble through a world beyond our control. After all, what does it mean to celebrate the arrival of a new year, amid so much darkness? Celebrating the passage of time, when we have only 11 years left to stop the clock on climate change, feels…

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