For those that have not seen this – it is worth the 3 minutes. In some cases better and less expensive that than the government. I remember the first time I met Kai – I told him that everyone knows you can’t do this. I’m glad I was wrong. He, his partner Claire, and the True Link Financial team have certainly made major changes in how we administer supplemental needs trusts.
Each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition. However, mental illness affects everyone directly or indirectly through family, friends or coworkers. That is why each year, during the first week of October, NAMI and participants across the country raise awareness of mental illness, fight discrimination and provide support through Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW).
We believe that mental health conditions are important to discuss year-round, but highlighting them during MIAW provides a dedicated time for mental health advocates across the country to come together as one unified voice. Since 1990, when Congress officially established the first full week of October as MIAW, advocates have worked together to sponsor activities, large or small, to educate the public about mental illness.
This year’s MIAW is centered around our new awareness campaign, “Together for Mental Health,” where we will focus on the importance of advocating for better care for people with serious mental illness (SMI). Each day throughout the week, we will be raising the voices of people with lived experience to talk about SMI and the need for improved crisis response and mental health care.
Mental Illness Awareness Week runs from October 3–9 and coincides with additional related events:
Tuesday Oct. 5: National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding
Thursday Oct. 7: National Depression Screening Day
Saturday Oct. 9: NAMIWalks United Day of Hope
Sunday Oct. 10: World Mental Health Day
This year’s NAMIWalks Your Way Vermont is going to look a little different – while making a lot of difference! We’re going HYBRID!
We are happy to offer up a little something for everyone this year with our hybrid event so that you can participate at your own comfort level. Along with offering some of the virtual elements we introduced with our virtual event in 2020, we are also hosting a traditional in-person walk in downtown Burlington (in compliance with the local health department COVID-19 guidelines).
Virtual Activities All Day!
In Person Walk at 1:00 pm (Check in starts at Noon)
at First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington
We are happy to offer you multiple options for how to participate this year so that you can make this special United Day of Hope exactly what you want it to be and at your own comfort level. That’s why it’s called “Your Way!”
We are giving you the choice to:
Join us online virtually on Saturday for a day of live streaming, videos, photos and updates.
Create your own activity for the day – walk in your neighborhood, take a bike ride, go leaf peeping, practice yoga.
Or join us for our in-person walk around downtown Burlington.
However you choose to spend the day, know that you are making a difference in your community! But don’t just take our word for it! Here why others love to participate in NAMIWalks Your Way:
Register today, set up a fundraising page, and join us on October 9!
Visit www.namiwalks.org/vermont to get started!
Below is a list of all of the Vermont Family Network publications in alphabetical order. This list includes our Fact Sheets and other publications.
Administrative Complaint Template for Special Education Evaluation Delay
Adult Services for People with Developmental Disabilities Fact Sheet
Care Notebook; Also available in Nepali upon request
Common Signs of Learning Difficulties in Preschoolers Fact Sheet
Disabled Children’s Home Care (also referred to as Katie Beckett) Medicaid application & information packet is only available hard copy. Please contact our office.
Finding and Hiring a Child’s Personal Care Attendant Fact Sheet
Going to Work and College: Information for Youth on Supplemental Security Income
Guardianship and Alternatives for Adults with Disabilities Fact Sheet
Guide for Families with Children Traveling to Out-of-State Placements
Helping Children Understand How to Solve Math Problems Fact Sheet
Holistic Transition Guide for Families of Children with Disabilities
Medical Home for Children with Special Health Care Needs Fact Sheet
Reading Development and Instruction Beginning in the K-2 Classrooms Fact Sheet
Recreation for Children and Young Adults with Disabilities Fact Sheet
Resource Guide for Families of Children with Special Needs Planning to Move to Vermont
Resource Guide for Parents of Transition-Age Youth with an Emotional Disability
Sample Letter Requesting a Meeting to Discuss Compensatory Education Services
Sample Letter to Request Compensatory Education Services – Transition to Adult Life
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) What you should know when your child turns 18
Supporting My Child with Intensive Social Emotional Needs Using PBiS Fact Sheet
Travel Guide for Vermont Families Receiving Care at Boston Children’s Hospital
Vermont’s Early Childhood Developmental Disorders Insurance Fact Sheet
Vermont Family Network brochure in 6 languages (English, French, Nepali, Somali, Spanish, and Swahili)
What to Do When Children Have Trouble with Writing Fact Sheet
We have received reports of a new COVID-19 vaccine email scam where people are asked to complete a survey. They offer a free reward but ask people to pay a nominal fee “to cover shipping.”
Download a Printable Scam Alert Here >>
Survey scams like this are a creative way to steal your identity or money. Many survey scams offer a reward and give you a limited time to respond if you want to take the survey. A legitimate survey would not assign a time limit, nor would they ask for your credit card or bank account to pay for a reward.
Scammers know people have received vaccines and are capitalizing on it. Don’t give out sensitive information. Fake surveys can be used for a myriad of uses; to steal your information, collect data about you to commit identity theft, or even install malware on your computer when you click on a link in your email.
CMS, the CDC, and the vaccine companies (Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson) are currently directing all vaccine recipients to enroll in the CDC V-Safe program as a post-vaccine monitoring mechanism at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/vsafe.html. There is no other survey being recommended at this time.
During the 2015 State legislative session, the Office of the State Treasurer worked with Vermont stakeholders, State agencies and departments, and legislators to draft and pass Vermont's enabling legislation of the federal ABLE Act. The Vermont Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Savings Program is intended to ease financial strains faced by individuals with disabilities by making federal tax-free savings accounts available to cover qualified expenses such as education, housing, and transportation. American families currently enjoy tax incentives to save for significant future expenses such as college, retirement, and other life events. The ABLE Act empowers disabled individuals and their families to save their own money in a 529A (or ABLE) account for the purpose of maintaining health and independence.
A 529-ABLE account or 529A, allows for an account within Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and is a (Federal) tax-free savings vehicle operated by a state for disability-related expenses that will supplement, but not supplant, benefits provided through private insurances, the Medicaid program, the supplemental security income program, the beneficiary’s employment, and other sources. Contributions are in federal after-tax dollars, but earnings would grow tax-free just like with 529 college savings accounts (Roth style). Withdrawals must be for qualified expenses.
VermontABLE launched on February 22, 2017. Vermonters can sign up for VermontABLE at VermontABLE.com.
Disability Rights Vermont Continues to Help People with Disabilities Our staff remains committed to our clients and to protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities throughout Vermont. We are aware that our clients may be at greater risk in times of crisis and may need access to advocates and lawyers. Call our confidential intake line at 1-800-834-7890 anytime and leave a message, we will contact you as soon as possible. You can also email us at: info@disabilityrightsvt.org. If you are currently working with one of our advocates or attorneys, they are available via telephone or email.
Check back – We’re adding resources daily!
Puppets in Education Anxiety Program Home Edition for children and families: Video and Guide to Getting the Conversation Going
Department of VT Health Access Covid-19 Updates
Facebook Group – State of Emergency Order for Caregivers (parents getting paid to care for loved ones)
Form for Essential Works to Request Childcare; Essential Persons for Childcare
Vermont Agency of Education Questions & Answers Addressing the Needs of Students with Disabilities During School Closure Due to a Novel Coronavirus Outbreak (revised 3/19/20)
Vermont Agency of Education – Free Appropriate Public Education for Students with Disabilities During School Closure Called for in Governor Scott’s Order – AOE Continuity of Education Plan Guidance 2, Updated 3/17/20
Vermont Department of Health & Vermont Agency of Education – School Closure and Dismissal During a Novel Coronavirus, Technical Guidance for Local School Officials, 3/10/20
CIS (Children’s Integrated Services) Guidance to the Field Re: Covid-19 (3/19/20)
Connectivity resources to support Vermonters during Covid-19 State of Emergency in Vermont
Legal and Benefits Updates for Vermonters
Guide to Virtual Museum Resources, E-Learning, and Online Collections
CDC Guidelines If You Are Sick or Caring for Someone
Family Voices Emergency Preparedness
U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
UDL Scan Tool from the Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities
New! Vermont website with many translated Covid-19 materials: Vermont 411 – Resources for Everyone in our Community
Short videos created in Vermont about Covid-19 in these languages: Arabic, Bosnian, Dinka, English, French, Kirundi, Lingala, Nepali,Somali, Spanish, and Swahili. More detailed videos in these languages: Nepali and Vietnamese. Covid-19 videos in different languages are on this YouTube channel.
Vermont Department of Health has a general information document Tips to Help Keep Illness from Spreading:
Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, English, French, Kirundi, Nepali, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Vietnamese
Vermont Department of Health What You Need to Know About Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Arabic| Burmese| Chinese |English| French| Kirundi| Nepali| Somali| Spanish| Swahili| Vietnamese
Covid-19 Information By and For People with Disabilities (written in plain language by Green Mountain Self-Advocates)
The ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC), managed by National Disability Institute (NDI), has been closely monitoring the situation surrounding the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic. The coronavirus is unprecedented and we are working to identify ways to address the challenges of this moment in our country’s history and how it intersects with the important work we do on behalf of the disability community that we serve. As such, we are actively working to develop materials for people with disabilities and others with chronic health conditions to help them maintain their financial stability and security during the COVID-19 outbreak.
We would like to share this excellent article by disability advocate, Andrew Pulrang, that recently ran in Forbes Magazine: 5 Things to Know About Coronavirus and People with Disabilities. We hope you find it helpful.
In addition, the CDC has released coronavirus.gov, a new website to share CDC updates on COVID-19. The website provides ways in which the community can take measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in different settings.
Please stay tuned for more information that will be coming out from us.
Be well and be safe.
Miranda Kennedy, M.P.P.
Director, ABLE NRC
Generally, contributions to the ABLE account are treated as non-taxable gifts to the account owner and the third party contribution limit to a 529 ABLE account is the same as the gift tax limit under the IRS tax code. However, if a third-party contributor makes other gifts to the ABLE account owner in addition to the ABLE contribution and the total aggregate amount of all gifts exceeds $15,000, the contribution limit this year, it could give rise to a gift tax liability.
An ABLE program must return excess contributions, including any interest earned on the extra contributions. The last funds received must be returned to the contributor(s) on or before the due date, including extensions, for the federal income tax return of the ABLE account owner, for the tax year in which the excess contribution or excess aggregate contribution was made. Visit the 2020 IRS 1099 Instructions for more information.
It depends. The IRS allows one tax-free rollover of a 529 account per beneficiary in a 12-month period. If you violate the 12-month rule, you must treat the transaction as a non-qualified distribution and pay federal income tax and a 10% penalty on the earnings portion.
If you have not rolled over a 529 account in the 12-month period, a 529 to 529 ABLE account rollover within the same state is generally not subject to adverse state tax consequences. However, if you roll over a 529 state college savings plan to an ABLE account in another State, the earnings portion of the rollover may be subject to state income tax. Also, the rollover may be subject to taxation to recapture a state tax deduction if the account owner previously deducted it.
Finally, the Internal Revenue Service Notices 2001-81, 2001-52 and IRB 617 state that the distributing 529 plan must provide a breakdown of the earnings portion of the rollover amount to the recipient 529 ABLE plan. Until the recipient 529 ABLE plan receives appropriate documentation showing the earnings portion, the entire rollover amount is treatable as earnings. As a promising practice, it is helpful to include a statement from the 529 account that shows the breakdown of the contributions/principal and the earnings to verify this rollover to the 529 ABLE program. For more information, please visit Guidance on Recontributions, Rollovers and Qualified Higher Education Expenses under Section 529.
Please consult your tax practitioner for further advice and information.
Yes, you can make the transfer. However, there may be tax consequences. A transfer of funds that do not meet the IRS rules for program to program transfers constitutes a non-qualified withdrawal subject to federal income tax on the earnings portion and an additional 10% tax. It may negatively affect the account owner’s eligibility for federal or state benefits. Further, a transfer to a person who is not a member of the family may subject the designated beneficiary to other taxes such as federal gift taxes and “generation-skipping transfer” taxes.
https://www.ablenrc.org/march-april-2020-achievable-newsletter
On March 13, 2020, the Social Security Administration (SSA) clarified that food is considered a “qualified disability expense” from an ABLE account.
“For ABLE purposes, food is considered a qualified disability expense (basic living expense).”
Although the policy above permits the deposit of monthly SSA payments into the ABLE account, the ABLE National Resource Center, as a promising practice, recommends that beneficiaries use their monthly benefit payments, and in particular their SSI, to pay for some or all of their housing and food costs before depositing any excess into the ABLE account. This is recommended for two reasons:
Benefit payments deposited may not be immediately available due to “hold times” which differ from ABLE program to ABLE program;
When monthly benefit payments are directly deposited into the ABLE account, this money is counted towards the annual contribution limit, thereby decreasing the amount available for additional contributions, even though the ABLE balance may be zero since the funds were used to cover regular monthly expenses.
https://www.ablenrc.org/march-april-2020-achievable-newsletter/#ssa-news-flash
Enhanced Life Options Group announces the appointment of two new board members. The staff and current board of Enhanced Life Options Group are happy to welcome the two new board members. By engaging new leaders, we can enhance the lives of people with disabilities and promote consulting, advocacy mentoring and trust related services for the disabilities community, including special needs trusts, supplemental needs trusts, pooled trusts and trusts for independent living.
New Members are: Lynn O’Connor, of Gilmanton, N.H., Administrative Assistant and Licensed Real Estate Agent at Weeks Commercial and Brittani Cornell, of Sanbornton, N.H., a public guardian for the Office of Public Guardian.
“Our Board of Directors is comprised of a dedicated team of community leaders and family members who are committed to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities,” said Nina Hamberger, Executive Director of Enhanced Life Options Group. “We are excited to channel Lynn and Brittani’s talent, expertise and energy into furthering our mission.”
The two new members join a seven-member board that oversees Enhanced Life Option Group’s finances, policies and practices, strategic planning and statewide outreach. Members of our group have been active in the disabilities community for many years. They include: Jeff R. Kellett, President, David Baldassara, Vice President, Susan M. King, Secretary, Grace Herbert, Treasurer, Charlene Mayo, Dave Qualey, John Parker and Nina Hamberger, Executive Director.
Enhanced Life Options Group is a non-profit organization committed to enhance the lives of people with disabilities. We serve all people with disabilities regardless of category of disability.
To Contact Enhanced Life Options Group:
3 Executive Park Drive, Suite 269
Bedford, NH 03110
603-472-2543
Email: nina@elonh.org
Web: www.elonh.org
Lynn O’Connor
Brittani Cornell
The Commission speaks with a number of callers about service and assistance animals, what constitutes one or the other, and what the law requires. This month I bring you information on this subject in hopes it assists with the vast confusion around the subject of service and assistance animals. - Karen Richards
Did you know? Beginning on March 15, 2011, only dogs and in some instances, miniature horses, are recognized as service animals under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Service animals are allowed in all areas where the public is normally allowed to go in State and local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that serve the public. Otherwise known as places of “Public Accommodation.” There are only two questions staff may ask when it is not obvious what service an animal provides: 1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and 2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? There are NO certifications or registration requirements by law for service animals. Nor is it required that a service animal wear any collar, vest or otherwise indicating same. An assistance animal is allowed in housing and is not restricted to dogs. Assistance animals are regulated by the Fair Housing Act and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). An assistance animal can be any animal that works, provides assistance, or performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, or provides emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability.
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Contact Us Vermont Human Rights Commission 14-16 Baldwin Street Montpelier, VT 05633-6301 Phone: 802.828.1625 800.416.2010 Fax: 802.828.2481 Email: human.rights@vermont.gov Visit us on the web at hrc.vermont.gov
WIC has a new app that saves time and makes shopping easy! Just follow these steps;
Install WICshopper from your app store.
Select New Hampshire as your WIC Agency.
Register using the 16-digit number on your WIC Card.
Your available benefits will display each time you use the app.
Scan product bar code while you shop to check eligibility!
Select your favorite store and view WIC approved items available.
Mental Health Services in Vermont
The Department of Mental Health oversees the publicly-funded community-based and inpatient services to Vermonters to ensure early intervention and mental health treatment and supports as needed to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities.
DMH central office staff provide leadership and direction for the community-based public mental health system as well as program and service monitoring and assessment to assure adherence to state and federal regulations and to monitor the quality of services and supports delivered by contracted providers.
Developmental Disabilities Services Division
The Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) plans, coordinates, administers, monitors and evaluates state and federally funded services for people with developmental disabilities and their families within Vermont. DDSD funds services through 15 private non-profit Service Providers and provides systems planning, technical assistance, training, quality assurance, program monitoring and standards compliance.
There are nearly 100 Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) in the US and Territories.
These Centers perform a variety of direct services for children and youth with disabilities, families, professionals, and other organizations that support them.
Some of the activities include:
Working with families of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, birth to 26
Helping parents participate effectively in their children’s education and development
Partnering with professionals and policy makers to improve outcomes for all children with disabilities
Your central “Hub” of information and products created for the network of Parent Centers serving families of children with disabilities
All the materials found on the CPIR Hub have been created and archived for Parent Centers around the country to help them provide support and services to the families they serve. The CPIR employs a user-centered process, gathering the perspectives of our experienced audience—Parent Center staff members and other experts—every step of the way, to create products and services that increase Parent Centers’ knowledge and capacity in specific domains.
Advocacy and Leadership
Disabilities or Special Health Needs
Early Childhood Development
General and Special Education
Health Care Access
Mental Health
Transition to Adulthood
Main office in Williston:
600 Blair Park Road, Suite 240
Williston, VT 05495
Monday through Friday from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm.
Field office in Rutland:
135 North Main Street, Suite #4,
Rutland, VT 05701
Field staff are located in Rutland and the Northeast Kingdom. Please call our Williston office for a referral to our field staff.
We develop and carry out enhanced life option plans for people with disabilities
Main Office
3 Executive Park Drive, Suite 269
Bedford, New Hampshire 03110
Phone: (603) 472-2543
Fax: (603) 524-5766
Email: elo@elonh.org
Lakes Region Office
55 Church Street
Laconia, New Hampshire 03246
Phone: (603) 524-4189
Fax: (603) 524-5766
Email: elo@elonh.org
Vermont Office
Enhanced Life Options Group
c/o: Passumpsic Savings Bank
PO Box 38
1236 Main Street
St. Johnsbury, Vermont 05819
Phone: (603) 524-4189
Fax: (603) 524-5766
Email: elo@elonh.org
Website: http://www.elovermont.org
Hours
9:00am - 4:00pm
Monday thru Friday
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