VOR Letter to the American Psychiatric Association on Proposed Changes to the DSM-5
VOR has wrtitten a letter to the American Psychiatric Association opposing a request by AAIDD that would further dilute the defiition of intellectual disabilities.
VOR Response to National Council on Disability's Position on Guardianship and Supported Decision Making
In March of 2018, the National Council on Disability issued a position paper, "Beyond Guardianship, Toward Alternatives That Promote Greater Self-Determination". In September, VOR's Issues Oversight Committee submitted a report on our position and findings regarding that report.
VOR Comments on HHS Strategic Plan FY 2018-2022
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently published a draft of their Strategic Plan for FY 2018-2022. The plan fails to mention ICF's or to acknowledge the specific needs of people with I/DD.
VOR has submitted point-by-point comments to each of the goals and strategies outlined in the plan.
People as Pendulums: Deinstitutionalization and People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
By Tamie Hopp, VOR Director of Government Relations & Advocacy in Nonprofit Quarterly, July 16, 2014 (and reprinted in the Summer 2014 Nonprofit Quarterly Print edition)
Early reforms were quite properly motivated by the need for a system of care and supports that responded to the very individualized and diverse needs of the entire population of people with I/DD. These reforms, however, also set the stage for decades of ongoing deinstitutionalization, resulting in the elimination of specialized housing, employment and education options for people with I/DD, leaving some to question the price of “progress.”
VOR Letter to HHS and CMS
On March 14, 2017, Secretary Tom Price and CMS Administrator Seema Verma sent a letter to the Nations' Governors concerning their goals for making changes to Medicaid.
VOR President Caroline Lahrmann wrote back in response to Secretary Price and Administrator Verma. Administrator Verma replied on August 2nd.
Read the original Letter from Secretary Price and CMS Administrator Verma here
Read the Response to VOR from Administrator Verma here.
Comments to the Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education recently issued a request for comments, in response to Executive Order 13777, which requires federal agencies to to evaluate and implement measures to lower regulatory burdens on the American people.
On September 20, VOR's Caroline Lahrmann and Jill Barker submitted their own personal comments to this request.
