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The Arc Raises Questions in Case of Shocking Abuse and Neglect Against Teenager in Indiana

Indianapolis, IN – Fifteen years old and weighing less than 40 pounds. Covered in feces and locked in a room, alone and for an unknown amount of time, by her grandfather. The police reports released in Anderson, Indiana about the shocking abuse against a teenager with a disability raise significant questions about how this situation could go unnoticed in the community and unmonitored by a litany of state agencies which allowed this child to fall off the radar.

It has been reported the girl was removed from school to be home schooled – Indiana law does not require ongoing involvement from public schools when a family removes a child to be home schooled. Indiana’s Department of Children’s Services (DCS) had contact with the family at one time, but the case was closed. The police have learned that the child lost access to Medicaid which helped cover nutritional supplements, but as there is no requirement for Medicaid case workers to follow up in such cases, this loss of coverage went unnoticed.

“This is a tragic situation that should never have happened. The question now is, what can we as a community of advocates, state agencies, and individuals do to learn what went so terribly wrong for this young girl, and how can we all seek and act on ways to keep others safe and free from harm,” said John Dickerson, Executive Director of The Arc of Indiana.

“This is a shameful case of abuse and neglect that should force the system and society to think about how this young girl was hidden in plain sight, starving and without access to medical care, and to force action to prevent something like this from ever happening again. People with disabilities are far too often victimized, without regard for their basic human rights. And now this teenager is fighting for her life,” said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc.

The National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD) is operated by The Arc and is the first national effort of its kind to bring together both victim and suspect/offender issues involving people with IDD under one roof. NCCJD is a national clearinghouse for research, information, evaluation, training and technical assistance for criminal justice and disability professionals and other advocates that will build their capacity to better identify and meet the needs of people with IDD, whose disability often goes unrecognized, and who are overrepresented in the nation’s criminal justice system. Currently, NCCJD is developing training for law enforcement, victim service providers and legal professionals that will support police departments, prosecutor’s offices, and other professionals in the criminal justice system to effectively and fairly administer justice for people with disabilities.

NCCJD is a much needed resource for the Anderson, Indiana police force and local prosecutors as they pursue this case and will continue to be a resource for many other communities facing similar tragedies. Persons with disabilities are nearly three times more likely to be victimized – people with cognitive disabilities have the highest rate of victimization. Children with intellectual disabilities are at twice the risk of physical and sexual abuse compared to children without disabilities.

The Arc Advocacy Network in Indiana can provide information, referral and advocacy to assist and guide individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in understanding and applying for government programs, including Medicaid and home and community based services through the Medicaid Waiver program. It can also serve as a resource to schools and local public and private agencies serving children and adults with disabilities.

Finally, The Arc has launched an online pledge to generate support to end acts of violence, abuse, and bullying of people IDD. The Arc and The Arc of Indiana encourage members of the public to sign this pledge to show their support.

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A Blueprint for Change

Earlier this year, The Arc of Indiana embarked on a broad-based campaign to create change in Indiana’s systems for serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Starting with the creation of a Big Minds Group made up of leaders in the field, and continuing with Pathways Forums held throughout Indiana to gather input from individuals with IDD and their families, their efforts led to the formation of the Indiana Response Team to develop goals and take action. All of those elements of the campaign have come together in The Arc of Indiana’s Blueprint for Change.

The Blueprint for Change is a thorough report which takes a fresh and sometimes hard look at current systems in Indiana then lays out a bold action plan for creating change in how individuals and families receive services. The Arc of Indiana is actively distributing this blueprint online and sending out hard copies upon request. They recently distributed copies to attendees at their annual state conference and provided additional copies to local chapters throughout the state so those chapters could lead the way in taking action in their communities. Contact The Arc of Indiana at 1-800-382-9100 for more information.

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The Arc of Indiana Assails Budget Cuts

With 2011 barely a month old, advocates in Indiana reeled from incoming reports that Indiana’s budget crunch has become so severe that some state workers suggested to families that they leave their family members with disabilities at homeless shelters.

While the Indiana Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services (BDDS) officially said this is not the agency’s policy, parents were told this was one option when families can no longer care for children at home and have not received Medicaid waivers that pay for services that support individuals living independently.

While news reports said that “there have been no confirmed cases of families dumping severely disabled people at homeless shelters because Indiana wouldn’t provide the care needed,” advocates received conflicting reports.  Kim Dodson, Associate Executive Director of The Arc of Indiana asserted that reports had been received of state workers in several BDDS’s eight regional offices steering families to take adults with disabilities to homeless shelters.

Funding at Risk Across the Country

From coast to coast, funding for basic services is at risk and thousands will continue to be hit hard.  Advocates know more budget cuts undermine the ability of an individual to make choices about where they live, work and enjoy the freedom to live independently.  As one disability advocate said, “the bottom line is that the more budget cuts we endure, the more our civil rights are reduced.”

Waiting lists for waivers in Indiana is 10 years and The Arc of Indiana has been vigilant in addressing the needs of thousands currently on the list.  In late 2010, The Arc of Indiana kicked off its next phase of the Pathways Campaign – a collaborative effort to redefine Indiana’s system of programs and services for people with developmental disabilities.

“With waiting lists now reaching over 20,000 people,” said John Dickerson, Executive Director of The Arc of Indiana, “the wait for too many families remains too long.”  In working for systems change through the Pathways Campaign, “we remain committed to advocating for and working with the state to move as many people as possible off waiting lists each month, and to providing Medicaid waivers to those facing emergency, crisis or an end to school aged residential programs.”

Recently, Dickerson was featured in PBS’ Need to Know addressing What Happens When Care Runs Out?  With thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities sitting on waiting lists, this has reached a crisis point in communities across the country.

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What Happens When Care Runs Out?

Thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have their names sitting on waiting lists across the country, hoping they can gain access to the services and support they need to live normal lives. Family members wonder what will happen when funding for services for their school-aged children runs out.

It’s a grim picture.

Watching this segment from PBS’ Need to Know will give you just a glimpse into the world of a person with an intellectual or developmental disability and their family. It’s families and individuals like those highlighted in the story that The Arc, and in this case, The Arc of Indiana helps every day.

This is why The Arc does what it does. Our more than 700 chapters across the country provide unique services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We create national initiatives – like the Walmart Foundation: School-to-Community Transition Project, which funds programs that help young adults transition from schools to community settings – to foster solutions to complicated problems.

And, as one father says in the story, “to uplift those who are not as uplifted as we are.”

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The Arc of Indiana’s John Dickerson on the “Real Problem”

On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that some state workers in Indiana suggested leaving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at homeless shelters if they can’t be cared for at home due to decreased funding for support services.

The Arc of Indiana’s John Dickerson wrote on his blog about the “real problem.”

He said:

No family who cares for a loved one with a developmental disability—such as autism, Down syndrome, or cerebral palsy—should ever be told that a homeless shelter is an option. But, punishing state employees will not address a very real problem.

The real problem is that viable options are not being made available to families due to Indiana’s revenue short fall and changes in state policy. Families in need are facing a crisis in receiving critical services.

What can you do to help?

  • Learn a bit more about what we do.
  • If you’re in Indiana, join The Arc and contribute to the solution.
  • Or you can make a donation, and know that it will go a long way in helping create solutions to this pressing issue.
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Indiana Ends Food Aid for People With Developmental Disabilities

The Arc of Indiana’s John Dickerson, the chapter’s executive director, says:

We’ve got to have some sort of a way to cover people in the meantime because otherwise this new food policy could leave people without any food budget at all.