Message from the Director

A Time to be Thankful

By Jim DeBeaugrine, Director

The Holidays are a wonderful time to reflect on the good things we have in our lives. With the recent gloomy financial news and the difficult changes in our program, it may seem like there's no silver lining. A look at the big picture, however, reveals otherwise:

According to the publication, The State of the States in Developmental Disabilities 2008, Florida spends the second highest amount per participant, $16,068, to provide family supports. This is almost triple the national average of $5,400.
Florida, at 71.6%, is fifth in the percentage of people who live in their family home. This is also well above the national average of 55.8%.
Of those receiving residential services, 31% are in their own home, living independently. This also exceeds the estimated national average of 26%.
Our waiver program reaches a higher proportion of citizens with developmental disabilities than the national average. We serve 1.72 per 1,000 people while the national average is 1.66.

All of you should be very proud of these accomplishments.

While we all would like to see per-recipient funding improve, we should never allow this to become an end unto itself. Instead, we should focus on the actual outcomes that matter most to the people we serve. How we spend public dollars may well be more important in this respect than the amount. Our average per-recipient funding, for instance, would be much higher if we relied on costly, segregated settings to the extent that most other states do.

I recently attended a meeting of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services. I learned that many states face much more formidable economic challenges than Florida's. Many of these states plan to move toward more integrated settings to cut costs. Thankfully, we are well ahead of the curve in this area. The only drawback is that the solutions we develop will likely require a little extra effort and creativity. We have a challenge but a wonderful opportunity as well.

As we face this challenge, let's pause to be thankful for what we have already achieved. Let's also be thankful that the people of this wonderful state and nation are willing to spend their hard-earned tax dollars to support the individuals we serve. Let's tell them, and their elected representatives, how much we appreciate their investment. More importantly, let's show them that it has been used wisely and has made a real difference to those we serve.

Most of all, let's be thankful that we have one another. Together, I am confident that we can meet any challenge the future may bring if we maintain focused on what is important.

With the involvement and commitment of families, self-advocates, our APD employees, business partners, and other stakeholders, we will continue to improve the lives of Floridians with developmental disabilities.

I wish you and your family the happiest of holiday seasons and look forward to the hard, but rewarding work ahead of us.

Happy Holidays!

Clicking on most photos will open a larger version.

Play Ball!

On November 5, a new inclusive era began for baseball in the Capital City when a Miracle Field was dedicated by assorted dignitaries from the City of Tallahassee and Leon County. City Manager Anita Favors Thompson acted as the ceremony's emcee. Agency for Persons with Disabilities Director Jim DeBeaugrine was also in the stands for the festivities.

The baseball field is covered with a special rubberized surface which allows children and adults with special needs to participate in this fun outdoor activity.

Tallahassee Mayor John Marks threw out the first pitch with a student from Gretchen Everhart School serving as catcher.

Having a Miracle Field in Tallahassee was the idea of David Jones, president of the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association. Since 2006, Jones has been working with city and county leaders, in addition to private sector donors, to raise money to build the first Miracle Field. The Kiwanis Clubs of the Big Bend raised over $200,000 toward the project. Donations are still being collected to buy uniforms and build a storage shed for equipment.

Where the Spirit Moves Him

By Melanie Mowry Etters

Jason Hamilton has mastered the intricacies of the complex postage machine in EverBank's mailroom. After seven years under his belt as a mail clerk in the Jacksonville bank, Hamilton knows all the cost center codes to plug in when running mail through the machine. He likes his job and co-workers and appreciates the many other benefits of full-time employment.

"It has good health benefits, a 401K, and good pay," says Hamilton.

Hamilton has a developmental disability.

EverBank's Assistant Vice President of Administrative Services Donn Holder says, "Jason handles his job and tasks very well. He's a great guy, a very intelligent guy. He has a large thirst for knowledge."

APD pays for the services of Hamilton's Waiver Support Coordinator, Sebena Masline, who visits him regularly.

Masline says, "He is an expert on the postage machine. It is neat to see him in action at work. I was there during his mail run. He knows everyone. He is at home there and definitely part of the team."

The popular young man recently caught the eye of a famous political figure. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin saw Hamilton near the stage at a political rally in Jacksonville when she was the Republican vice presidential candidate. She came down from the stage to shake his hand and told him he looked like her son. That encounter was also featured on NBC News.

Although Hamilton enjoys his current work, he feels he is being called by a high power to do another job.

"I'm studying on my own to become a priest," says Hamilton. "It depends on God on when it would happen, and the Bishop would decide where."

Trillium Brings ABC System into the Information Age

By Celeste Gutierrez-Sanders

Its name may sound like a NASA space project, but Trillium is rooted in something more common on earth—street addresses. Trillium Software™ is a data-quality application that APD has acquired to improve the accuracy of information in our Allocation, Budgets and Contracts (ABC) system. It's being used to validate addresses in ABC against U.S. Postal Service data and to automatically standardize or correct recognized addresses.

As ABC has had to accommodate thousands of community users with varying degrees of aptitude over the years, there has been concern about the accuracy of data. The acquisition of Trillium is just the beginning of many steps that will be taken to improve the integrity of the data in ABC.

The agency has established the Data Quality Improvement Workgroup (DQIW) to identify weaknesses in the current system, determine root causes, and evaluate available options. The workgroup consists of representatives from Administrative Services, Operations, and Information Technology.

High on the workgroup's to-do list are issues that were identified in a survey of area quality leaders that was conducted in August. Responses were compiled into a needs assessment, and then categorized into issues that can be addressed by technology and those that will need to be addressed by changes in the way work is performed.

The workgroup already has deleted obsolete fields from view screens, partial or "orphan" files not linked to anyone specific, and invalid records that were the result of data anomalies within ABC. The focus now is to review what Trillium has identified as potentially duplicate client records. That task, and others that will require manual review and correction, can be reduced by eliminating error at the point of entry into the system. It also requires the cooperation of everyone to ensure errors are corrected and information is updated.

The role of waiver support coordinators in meeting this basic requirement of their service agreement is critical. The agency recorded 2,765 address errors during the initial tier notification process, with a loss of about $1,020 in postage. More importantly, such errors pose a safety risk to individuals receiving services.

Improving the data in ABC will have numerous benefits. An immediate and visible impact should be a reduction in the number of returned letters following a mass mailing. Long-term benefits will be confidence in the results of statistical analysis of ABC data, better forecasting of expenditures, better information for users to meet their work needs, more efficient use of human and fiscal resources, and the ability to better serve those in need of services.

Governor Appoints Commission Members

Governor Charlie Crist has announced appointments and, in many cases, reappointments to the Governor's Commission on Disabilities. The current terms of all the board's members began on November 5 and will end on July 1, 2009. Chip Wilson, Statewide Disability Coordinator

APD Director Jim DeBeaugrine and Statewide Disability Coordinator Chip Wilson are among the commission's reappointed members. All of the current commissioners are listed below. The Governor's Commission on Disabilities gathers input from all sectors of the disability community in order to make recommendations to the governor and Legislature on law and policy.

Lance Block of Tallahassee, attorney and commission chair, reappointed

Marc Buoniconti of Coral Gables, ambassador of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and president of the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, reappointed

Carol Ann Christopherson of Jacksonville, president of Florida Service Dogs, Inc., reappointed

James DeBeaugrine of Tallahassee, executive director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, reappointed

Thomas DeLilla of Tallahassee, bureau chief of the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program of the Department of Health, reappointed

J.R. Harding of Tallahassee, partnership specialist III in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation of the Department of Education, reappointed

Kenneth Littlefield of Tallahassee, executive director of the Florida Statewide Advocacy Council, reappointed

Bambi Lockman of Tallahassee, bureau chief of Exceptional Student Education in the Department of Education, reappointed

Carlos Montas of Miami, advocate, reappointed

Trueman Bell Muhrer-Irwin of Tallahassee, veteran, reappointed

William Peeler of Lake City, supervisor of veteran claims examiners at the Lake City Veterans' Affairs Medical Center, Department of Veterans' Affairs, reappointed

Cheryl Stone of Orlando, medical technologist at Florida Hospital and consultant for Metroplan Orlando, reappointed

Gregory Venz of Tallahassee, assistant general counsel in the Department of Children and Families, reappointed

Remer "Chip" Wilson of Jacksonville, statewide disability coordinator, Florida Division of Emergency Management and APD, reappointed

Darcy Abbott of Tallahassee, Medicaid services administrator for long-term and behavior health care in the Agency for Health Care Administration, newly appointed, succeeding Sybil Richard

Charles Corley of Tallahassee, deputy secretary and chief of staff of the Department of Elder Affairs, newly appointed, succeeding Jenny McNeely

Henry Dittman of Crestview, retired, newly appointed, succeeding William Perry

Christine Eckstein of Sanford, homemaker, newly appointed, succeeding Barbara Day

Susanne F. Homant of Tallahassee, president and chief executive officer of the Able Trust, newly appointed

Judy Meyer of Tallahassee, administrator in the Agency for Workforce Innovation, newly appointed, succeeding Cynthia Lorenzo

Audria Moore of Fort Pierce, public information officer in the Fort Pierce Police Department, newly appointed

Around the State

Area 12 Takes Time to Share

By Ed DeBardeleben, Area 12 Administrator

For the fourth consecutive year, Cheryl Fleshman has spearheaded Area 12's Thanksgiving Food Drive in Daytona Beach. Over the course of the last six months, Area 12 staff and friends made generous contributions to create 24 food baskets

The baskets contained turkeys, stuffing, gravy, vegetables, bread, cranberry sauce, and condiments—everything for an enjoyable Thanksgiving feast—and were donated to individuals and families in Area 12 that are most in need.

When asked why she takes on the added task of coordinating this activity each year, Fleshman said, "Because I can sleep at night knowing that people are taken care of."

The baskets were delivered to the families by Area staffers Patrick Burwell, Dave Cassady, and Dagne Tremblay. Burwell said that, as he presented the Thanksgiving basket to the mother of four individuals that the agency served, she began to cry in appreciation, saying that she "didn't expect it" and that it would help add to their holiday.

"It's one of the few times in the year that, as a General Revenue case manager, I can feel like I am giving something to the individuals on my caseload, and know that it's really appreciated," said Burwell.

In a year of difficult changes and challenges, it warms the hearts of the Area 12 staff to bring joy to the individuals and families that we serve.

Area 10 Gives and Gives Again

By Martha Martinez, Area 10 Administrator

In these tough economic times, there are more people in need than ever. The Area 10 Office in Fort Lauderdale saw an opportunity to open their hearts and give. The staff contributed food, money, and time to gather boxes of food for families in need. The bounty was donated to Volunteer Broward for distribution.

Then, on the Monday before Thanksgiving, during the normal course of a meeting with the mother of an individual we serve, our General Revenue support coordinator realized that the family would have no Thanksgiving dinner and asked the mom, Yvonne Louis, to come back the next day. In one day, the General Revenue Unit collected the fixings for an entire Thanksgiving dinner, including a 13–pound turkey, and presented mom and son with a Happy Thanksgiving, indeed.

The accompanying photos show how much fun it is to give and to receive!

Champion Staff
Melanie Mowry Etters - Editor
Jeff Saulich - Photo Editor
Lloyd Harger - Web Development


In This Issue: Play Ball! Where the Spirit Moves Him Trillium Brings ABC System into the Information Age Governor Appoints Commission Members Message from the Director A Time to be Thankful By Jim DeBeaugrine, Director The Holidays are a wonderful time to reflect on the good things we have in our lives. With the recent gloomy financial news and the difficult changes in our program, it may seem like there's no silver lining. A look at the big picture, however, reveals otherwise: According to the publication, The State of the States in Developmental Disabilities 2008, Florida spends the second highest amount per participant, $16,068, to provide family supports. This is almost triple the national average of $5,400. Florida, at 71.6%, is fifth in the percentage of people who live in their family home. This is also well above the national average of 55.8%. Of those receiving residential services, 31% are in their own home, living independently. This also exceeds the estimated national average of 26%. Our waiver program reaches a higher proportion of citizens with developmental disabilities than the national average. We serve 1.72 per 1,000 people while the national average is 1.66. All of you should be very proud of these accomplishments. While we all would like to see per-recipient funding improve, we should never allow this to become an end unto itself. Instead, we should focus on the actual outcomes that matter most to the people we serve. How we spend public dollars may well be more important in this respect than the amount. Our average per-recipient funding, for instance, would be much higher if we relied on costly, segregated settings to the extent that most other states do. I recently attended a meeting of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services. I learned that many states face much more formidable economic challenges than Florida's. Many of these states plan to move toward more integrated settings to cut costs. Thankfully, we are well ahead of the curve in this area. The only drawback is that the solutions we develop will likely require a little extra effort and creativity. We have a challenge but a wonderful opportunity as well. As we face this challenge, let's pause to be thankful for what we have already achieved. Let's also be thankful that the people of this wonderful state and nation are willing to spend their hard-earned tax dollars to support the individuals we serve. Let's tell them, and their elected representatives, how much we appreciate their investment. More importantly, let's show them that it has been used wisely and has made a real difference to those we serve. Most of all, let's be thankful that we have one another. Together, I am confident that we can meet any challenge the future may bring if we maintain focused on what is important. With the involvement and commitment of families, self-advocates, our APD employees, business partners, and other stakeholders, we will continue to improve the lives of Floridians with developmental disabilities. I wish you and your family the happiest of holiday seasons and look forward to the hard, but rewarding work ahead of us. Happy Holidays! Clicking on most photos will open a larger version. Play Ball! On November 5, a new inclusive era began for baseball in the Capital City when a Miracle Field was dedicated by assorted dignitaries from the City of Tallahassee and Leon County. City Manager Anita Favors Thompson acted as the ceremony's emcee. Agency for Persons with Disabilities Director Jim DeBeaugrine was also in the stands for the festivities. The baseball field is covered with a special rubberized surface which allows children and adults with special needs to participate in this fun outdoor activity. Tallahassee Mayor John Marks threw out the first pitch with a student from Gretchen Everhart School serving as catcher. Having a Miracle Field in Tallahassee was the idea of David Jones, president of the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association. Since 2006, Jones has been working with city and county leaders, in addition to private sector donors, to raise money to build the first Miracle Field. The Kiwanis Clubs of the Big Bend raised over $200,000 toward the project. Donations are still being collected to buy uniforms and build a storage shed for equipment. Where the Spirit Moves Him By Melanie Mowry Etters Jason Hamilton has mastered the intricacies of the complex postage machine in EverBank's mailroom. After seven years under his belt as a mail clerk in the Jacksonville bank, Hamilton knows all the cost center codes to plug in when running mail through the machine. He likes his job and co-workers and appreciates the many other benefits of full-time employment. "It has good health benefits, a 401K, and good pay," says Hamilton. Hamilton has a developmental disability. EverBank's Assistant Vice President of Administrative Services Donn Holder says, "Jason handles his job and tasks very well. He's a great guy, a very intelligent guy. He has a large thirst for knowledge." APD pays for the services of Hamilton's Waiver Support Coordinator, Sebena Masline, who visits him regularly. Masline says, "He is an expert on the postage machine. It is neat to see him in action at work. I was there during his mail run. He knows everyone. He is at home there and definitely part of the team." The popular young man recently caught the eye of a famous political figure. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin saw Hamilton near the stage at a political rally in Jacksonville when she was the Republican vice presidential candidate. She came down from the stage to shake his hand and told him he looked like her son. That encounter was also featured on NBC News. Although Hamilton enjoys his current work, he feels he is being called by a high power to do another job. "I'm studying on my own to become a priest," says Hamilton. "It depends on God on when it would happen, and the Bishop would decide where." Trillium Brings ABC System into the Information Age By Celeste Gutierrez-Sanders Its name may sound like a NASA space project, but Trillium is rooted in something more common on earth—street addresses. Trillium Software™ is a data-quality application that APD has acquired to improve the accuracy of information in our Allocation, Budgets and Contracts (ABC) system. It's being used to validate addresses in ABC against U.S. Postal Service data and to automatically standardize or correct recognized addresses. As ABC has had to accommodate thousands of community users with varying degrees of aptitude over the years, there has been concern about the accuracy of data. The acquisition of Trillium is just the beginning of many steps that will be taken to improve the integrity of the data in ABC. The agency has established the Data Quality Improvement Workgroup (DQIW) to identify weaknesses in the current system, determine root causes, and evaluate available options. The workgroup consists of representatives from Administrative Services, Operations, and Information Technology. High on the workgroup's to-do list are issues that were identified in a survey of area quality leaders that was conducted in August. Responses were compiled into a needs assessment, and then categorized into issues that can be addressed by technology and those that will need to be addressed by changes in the way work is performed. The workgroup already has deleted obsolete fields from view screens, partial or "orphan" files not linked to anyone specific, and invalid records that were the result of data anomalies within ABC. The focus now is to review what Trillium has identified as potentially duplicate client records. That task, and others that will require manual review and correction, can be reduced by eliminating error at the point of entry into the system. It also requires the cooperation of everyone to ensure errors are corrected and information is updated. The role of waiver support coordinators in meeting this basic requirement of their service agreement is critical. The agency recorded 2,765 address errors during the initial tier notification process, with a loss of about $1,020 in postage. More importantly, such errors pose a safety risk to individuals receiving services. Improving the data in ABC will have numerous benefits. An immediate and visible impact should be a reduction in the number of returned letters following a mass mailing. Long-term benefits will be confidence in the results of statistical analysis of ABC data, better forecasting of expenditures, better information for users to meet their work needs, more efficient use of human and fiscal resources, and the ability to better serve those in need of services. Governor Appoints Commission Members Governor Charlie Crist has announced appointments and, in many cases, reappointments to the Governor's Commission on Disabilities. The current terms of all the board's members began on November 5 and will end on July 1, 2009. APD Director Jim DeBeaugrine and Statewide Disability Coordinator Chip Wilson are among the commission's reappointed members. All of the current commissioners are listed below. The Governor's Commission on Disabilities gathers input from all sectors of the disability community in order to make recommendations to the governor and Legislature on law and policy. Lance Block of Tallahassee, attorney and commission chair, reappointed Marc Buoniconti of Coral Gables, ambassador of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and president of the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, reappointed Carol Ann Christopherson of Jacksonville, president of Florida Service Dogs, Inc., reappointed James DeBeaugrine of Tallahassee, executive director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, reappointed Thomas DeLilla of Tallahassee, bureau chief of the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program of the Department of Health, reappointed J.R. Harding of Tallahassee, partnership specialist III in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation of the Department of Education, reappointed Kenneth Littlefield of Tallahassee, executive director of the Florida Statewide Advocacy Council, reappointed Bambi Lockman of Tallahassee, bureau chief of Exceptional Student Education in the Department of Education, reappointed Carlos Montas of Miami, advocate, reappointed Trueman Bell Muhrer-Irwin of Tallahassee, veteran, reappointed William Peeler of Lake City, supervisor of veteran claims examiners at the Lake City Veterans' Affairs Medical Center, Department of Veterans' Affairs, reappointed Cheryl Stone of Orlando, medical technologist at Florida Hospital and consultant for Metroplan Orlando, reappointed Gregory Venz of Tallahassee, assistant general counsel in the Department of Children and Families, reappointed Remer "Chip" Wilson of Jacksonville, statewide disability coordinator, Florida Division of Emergency Management and APD, reappointed Darcy Abbott of Tallahassee, Medicaid services administrator for long-term and behavior health care in the Agency for Health Care Administration, newly appointed, succeeding Sybil Richard Charles Corley of Tallahassee, deputy secretary and chief of staff of the Department of Elder Affairs, newly appointed, succeeding Jenny McNeely Henry Dittman of Crestview, retired, newly appointed, succeeding William Perry Christine Eckstein of Sanford, homemaker, newly appointed, succeeding Barbara Day Susanne F. Homant of Tallahassee, president and chief executive officer of the Able Trust, newly appointed Judy Meyer of Tallahassee, administrator in the Agency for Workforce Innovation, newly appointed, succeeding Cynthia Lorenzo Audria Moore of Fort Pierce, public information officer in the Fort Pierce Police Department, newly appointed Around the State Area 12 Takes Time to Share By Ed DeBardeleben, Area 12 Administrator For the fourth consecutive year, Cheryl Fleshman has spearheaded Area 12's Thanksgiving Food Drive in Daytona Beach. Over the course of the last six months, Area 12 staff and friends made generous contributions to create 24 food baskets The baskets contained turkeys, stuffing, gravy, vegetables, bread, cranberry sauce, and condiments—everything for an enjoyable Thanksgiving feast—and were donated to individuals and families in Area 12 that are most in need. When asked why she takes on the added task of coordinating this activity each year, Fleshman said, "Because I can sleep at night knowing that people are taken care of." The baskets were delivered to the families by Area staffers Patrick Burwell, Dave Cassady, and Dagne Tremblay. Burwell said that, as he presented the Thanksgiving basket to the mother of four individuals that the agency served, she began to cry in appreciation, saying that she "didn't expect it" and that it would help add to their holiday. "It's one of the few times in the year that, as a General Revenue case manager, I can feel like I am giving something to the individuals on my caseload, and know that it's really appreciated," said Burwell. In a year of difficult changes and challenges, it warms the hearts of the Area 12 staff to bring joy to the individuals and families that we serve. Area 10 Gives and Gives Again By Martha Martinez, Area 10 Administrator In these tough economic times, there are more people in need than ever. The Area 10 Office in Fort Lauderdale saw an opportunity to open their hearts and give. The staff contributed food, money, and time to gather boxes of food for families in need. The bounty was donated to Volunteer Broward for distribution. Then, on the Monday before Thanksgiving, during the normal course of a meeting with the mother of an individual we serve, our General Revenue support coordinator realized that the family would have no Thanksgiving dinner and asked the mom, Yvonne Louis, to come back the next day. In one day, the General Revenue Unit collected the fixings for an entire Thanksgiving dinner, including a 13–pound turkey, and presented mom and son with a Happy Thanksgiving, indeed. The accompanying photos show how much fun it is to give and to receive! Champion Staff Melanie Mowry Etters - Editor Jeff Saulich - Photo Editor Lloyd Harger - Web Development Email Address: Subscribe Unsubscribe The Agency Supports Persons with Developmental Disabilities in Living, Learning and Working in their Community.
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