For residents of the State of California there is important news in regard to IHSS - In Home Supportive Services that may affect your home health care position or hours starting in January 2012.

If you are not aware of the IHSS program, please refer to this overview. Every year there is a change to this program, no matter who is in the Governor's office. It looks like 2012 will be no different in their attempt to make cuts to hours.

20% IHSS Cuts Fact Sheet is a twelve page PDF from the Union. Eight of the pages consist of the Physician's Survey Regarding Functional Limitations form. On December 15, 2011 state officials will know how much money they are taking in, which will determine if the plan for the 20% cuts to IHSS on January 1, 2012 will take effect.

In the meantime a temporary restraining order has been granted to halt the cuts. A Judge will make the determination on December 15, 2011 on whether the cuts go through or not. Union members received recorded messages noting to call 1-877-698-5829 for more information.

The State is supposed to send consumers a notice about the cuts by December 15, 2011. There will also be a note on time cards. The notice will also inform consumers how to apply for an IHSS Care Supplement by January 3, 2012.

Some consumers are exempt from the 20% cuts - those that get services under one of the State's Home and Community Based Services Waivers -


- AIDS Waiver,
- DD Waiver for Regional Center consumers,
- Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP),
- Nursing Facility/Acute Hospital (NF/AH) Waiver, and
- In-Home Operations (IHO) Waiver

This is the brochure for the Home and Community Based Service Waivers.

On another note 2012 brings a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 3.6% to Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries.

Prior to these proposed cuts for 2012 there is the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program Medical Certification Form that needs to be filled out and returned to IHSS Service Coordinator within forty-five days. Please note they include Saturday in that count.

This form indicates that a licensed health care professional must provide a medical certification declaring the individual is unable to perform some activity of daily living independently and without IHSS the individual would be at risk of placement in out-of-home care. The form I received is SOC 873 (7/11) consisting of two pages.

Here is an autism grants spreadsheet that might be useful for families in obtaiing some assistance.

For parents of children with disabilities and young students with disabilities under the age of twenty six, funding is now available from the Family Participation Fund. This is a stipend for attending meetings on a local, state or regional level providing ideas to decision makes about education policies.

These meetings include, but are not limited to, the following:

* The Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC);
* The Regional Coordinating Councils;
* The State Special Education Advisory Committees;

This is the annual budget flow chart for the State of California