Quick Links OCRA PSA DDPSA Website Survey Donate Top 10 Pubs

News about us (See agency events also)

September 2010

Denver Post, 9/2/10

Pueblo mental health institute bars restraint technique after patient's death

August 2010

SF Gate, 8/25/10

State can't exclude felons from in-home care

California Watch, 8/21/10

Prosecutions of elder abuse cases decline under Jerry Brown

Sacramento Business Journal, 8/27/10

Mental health care on edge

Sacramento Bee, 8/23/10

Editorial: ERs are no place to treat mentally ill

Sacramento Bee, 8/23/10

Viewpoints: County must fix plan for mentally ill

Sacramento Bee, 8/23/10

Editorial: Court tells county: These cuts are crazy

SF Gate, 8/19/10

State pushing for tougher caregiver standards

Recorder Online, 8/19/10

Population shrinks, PDC expands

Daily News, 8/18/10

Glenn Sacks and Margaret Johnson: Senate bill would protect rights of disabled parents

Sacramento Bee, 8/18/10

Editorial: ERs are no place to treat mentally ill

Recorder Online, 8/17/10

Judicially-committed to live 'normal' lives

L.A. Times, 8/15/10

Paul K. Longmore dies at 64; leading disability scholar and activist

Sacramento Bee, 8/15/10

Mental patients swamp unprepared ERs in Sacramento County

USA Today reports on home care cuts, focusing on California

Petra Kuppers, left, sneaks a smooch to her partner Neil Marcus by her tent in "Arnieville." Both have disabilities which cause them to be wheelchair users. Both receive assistance from the State of California.

Read the article and view more USA Today photos.

New America Media, 8/8/10

Social Security agency forced to restore funds to thousands cut off illegally as "fleeing felons"

July 2010

Sign On San Diego, 7/30/10

Robbers says he did it to go back to prison

San Francisco Examiner, 7/30/10

Los Angeles homeless agencies mandated to take in service animals

California Healthline, 7/22/10

Federal Judge Thwarts Sacramento County's Mental Health Plans

Sacramento Bee, 7/22/10

Sacramento County mental health cuts blocked by federal judge

California Business Journal, 7/21/10

County mental health treatment centers to stay open while court reviews new wellness-center plan

L.A. Times, 7/5/10

Dan Brzovic, Disability Rights California Associate Managing Attorney at the Bay Area Regional Office, is quoted in this story on food stamp dilemma.

June 2010

L.A. Times, 6/29/10

Sacramento County budget cuts trigger lawsuits

9th Circuit Court of Appeals hears arguments about our class action lawsuit to stop cuts in IHSS based on Functional Index scores, California Progress Report, 6/15/10

Dozens of low-income Californians with disabilities and their family members gathered outside the James Browning Courthouse in San Francisco on June 15 to show concern about the hearings taking place inside. A panel of judges listened to arguments from co-counsel on the V.L. v. Wagner case about why the state of California should not make cuts in In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) according to the Functional Index scores of recipients. In October, Federal Judge Claudia Wilken granted the injunction requested by Disability Rights California and co-counsel, halting the IHSS cuts affecting hundreds of thousands of people. The Administration then filed an appeal and the June 15 hearing was the result. The time that a panel takes to issue a decision varies with each case; a decision may not be issued for a number of months, according to Melinda Bird, Disability Rights California senior counsel.

In the meantime, the public is welcome to listen to the arguments on the 9th circuit's website. Read a June 15 news story about the IHSS recipients and service providers who would be seriously affected by the cuts.

PR Newswire, 6/14/10

Federal Appeals Court to Hear Case on IHSS Cuts

Examiner, 6/11/10

Disability rights groups file law suit against Sacramento County

Sacramento Business Journal, 6/9/10

Group seeks injunction to stop Sacramento County mental health cuts

Willits News, 6/7/10

Statewide hotline aims to help voters with disabilities

State warns Sacramento County budget cuts could forfeit funding, 6/4/10

Sacramento County's idea to scrimp on mental health services doesn't just threaten vulnerable patients. It turns out the plan may well be illegal and end up costing the county more than it would save. Read the rest of the Sacramento Bee Editorial, County must rethink cuts to mental health.

State warns Sacramento County budget cuts could forfeit funding, 6/3/10

Sacramento County's plan to cut $17 million from mental health programs is illegal and could trigger a loss of $40 million in state funding, the chief counsel for the California Department of Mental Health has warned. Read the rest of the Sacramento Bee article.

May 2010

Mental Health Weekly, 5/24/10

Advocates sue Sacramento County over termination of services,

Capitol Weekly, 5/18/10

Sacramento: May Revise would add $24 million to local mental health shortfall

Photo by Rick Jauregui

Report finds abuse by nursing home staff not treated as crimes, 6/15/10

This report by Disability Rights California's Investigations Unit examines 12 cases of abuse in California nursing homes and finds an alarming pattern of under-reporting of these crimes to law enforcement.

Read the May 3 press release and Listen to interview of Attorney Leslie Morrison on this May 11 KPFK program about our investigation

 

Sacramento Bee, 5/14/10

Editorial: Adding to crisis for those in crisis

Sacramento Bee, 5/7/10

Disability groups sue Sacramento County over proposed mental health cuts

Sacramento Bee, 5/7/10

Groups sue Sacramento County to halt mental health cuts

California Business Journal, 5/7/10

Disability advocates sue Sacramento County to block cuts to outpatient mental health services

Associated Press, 5/7/10

Sacramento County sued over mental health cuts

State Mandates, KCRA.com, 5/7/10

Sacramento County Sued Over Mental Health Cuts Group Says Cuts Violate Federal

California Healthline, 5/7/10

Sacramento County Sued Over Planned Mental Health Care Cuts

Daily Journal, 5/7/10

Suit Targets Sacramento Health Cuts

CVBT, 5/5/10

Sacramento County sued for ending outpatient mental health services

Sacramento Bee, 5/22/10

Sacramento County sued over cuts to probation funds

Sacramento: May Revise would add $24 million to local mental health shortfall, 5/18/10

Stuart Seaborn, a Disability Rights California attorney is quoted in the Capitol Weekly article

California Healthline, 5/18/10

Governor's Budget Plan Aims To Boost Accountability at California Nursing Homes

California Watch, 5/17/10

Disability Rights California staff member, Deborah Doctor, is quoted in this article "Governor seeks more accountability for nursing homes" regarding concerns of recent budget proposals on nursing home care.

Voice of San Diego, 5/13/10

Government Scrutiny Increasing for Rapidly Growing Caregiver Program

April 2010

State plans to spend millions to photograph IHSS consumers despite lack of authority or proof of widespread fraud, 4/6/10

Without any authority from the Legislature, the Schwarzenegger Administration is planning to purchase up to $5 million worth of military/security cameras to take pictures of the 450,000 seniors and people with disabilities who receive In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) homecare. Related media:

• The IHSS Coalition, of which Disability Rights California is a member, issued this press release, emphasizing the objections of consumers and legislators to the Administration's plans to divert more IHSS funds away from its mission of life-saving assistance. Read the related Sacramento Bee March 17 article here.
• Sacramento Bee March 20 editorial says cameras would not reduce fraud, are a waste of money.
• State Plans to Spend Millions to Photograph In-Home Supportive Service Consumers Despite Lack of Authority, Proof, California Progress Report, 3/18/10. Read the article here.

• California to Test Fingerprint, Photograph Devices on In-Home Care Patients, Govtech.com, 3/19/10.

March 2010

Crumbling Health Care, AARP, 3/1/10

Disability Rights California are cited as "[winning] reprieves from legislators and the courts in 2009 to temporarily avert some of the most draconian cuts." Read the article here.

Sacramento, March 17 & 18: important public meetings on IHSS, Olmstead, 3/18/10

Among numerous public meetings and hearings on the budget taking place in Sacramento duing the week of the Ides of March are:

• March 17 (10am-12pm): Teleconference on In-Home Supportive Services program, integrity and fraud prevention stakeholder process; toll-free number 1-800-700-7414; organized by the Department of Social Services
• March 18 (starts at 9:30 or when the Senate floor session ends): Room 4203, budget hearing, held by budget subcomittee #3 of Department of Health & Human Services, covering IHSS, CalWORKS, Dept of Aging
• March 18 (10am-4pm): Olmstead Advisory Committee public hearing, Department of Rehab Building, Room 262 or toll-free phone participation 1-800-232-0362, passcode 785453; agenda includes proposed closing of Lanterman Developmental Center, expansion of Medicaid section 1115 waiver

Read many other details in this CDCAN News Release.

Govtech.com, 3/19/10

California to Test Fingerprint, Photograph Devices on In-Home Care Patients.

House passes bill to prevent restraint & seclusion in schools; now, focus is on Senate, 3/16/10

On March 3, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Keeping All Students Safe Act (H.R. 4247) to ban dangerous practices of physically restraining students or secluding them in isolated or locked rooms. The bill was passed quickly, following 2009 Congressional hearings on these extreme techniques which have caused deaths in the schools, and national studies by the General Accounting Office and the National Disability Rights Network. Read about the legislation in the NDRN press release, the Washington Post, and the New York Times.

Monterey Herald, 3/7/10

Children with mental health disabilities get lost in the system. Maggie Roberts, a Disability Rights California Associate Managing Attorney, reacts to an investigation by the California Department of Education which "found [that] several Monterey County agencies are violating state and federal laws in their handling of students with mental health problems."

Preliminary analysis by Disability Rights California of 2010-11 Governor’s Proposed Budget (updated 2/26/10). Read it here...

Related Links:

• Budget updates from the California Budget Project, 2/11/10
• The 2010-11 Budget: Overview of the Governor’s Budget, Legislative Analysts Office, 1/12/10
• Governor’s 2010-11 January State Budget, California Mental Health Directors Association of California, 1/11/10
• A First Look at the 2010-11 Health Care Budget Proposal, Health Access, 1/8/10
• Governor Proposes Devastating Cuts to Health and Welfare Programs, Western Center on Law & Poverty, 1/8/10
  (archived 3/3/10)

ADAPT keeps Olmstead principles alive in Obama administration, 3/3/10

Two weeks into ADAPT's Defending Our Freedom Campaign, there are already two victories. One, a resolution passed by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), has its roots in ADAPT's four-day and four-night protest vigil last July, held outside the DNC headquarters in Washington, D.C. despite torrential rains and no shelter for activists. The second victory is a meeting with staff from the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (HHS OCR) scheduled for mid-April just prior to the spring ADAPT action in Washington. Read more here...

February 2010

Contra Costa Times, 2/18/10

Study: Cuts would deny care to elderly, disabled

Ventura County Reporter, 2/18/10

Those who have the least get the least

KPBS.org, 2/17/10

UCLA Report Finds Governor’s Cuts Would Hurt Disabled Seniors

Sacramento Bee, 2/26/10

Health care department breaches privacy

January 2010

BeyondChron, 1/6/10

Channeling State Budget Outrage into Action

 

Agency events

June 2010

June events feature recognition of leadership

In Los Angeles during our June 7-10 conference with the National Disability Rights Network, several awards were given to recognize outstanding leadership. Shown here in photographs taken by Ricardo Jauregui, are leaders from California. In the photo above are (left to right) Dara Schur, Disability Rights California’s director of litigation; Justice Carlos R. Moreno of the Supreme Court of California and former president of the Mexican American Bar Association, recognized for addressing critical cutting-edge social policy issues; Attorney Henry Su of Howrey LLP, recognized for pro bono work on Americans with Disabilities Act cases (reported below); and Dianne Millner, president of our Board.

In the second photo above (left to right) are Catherine Blakemore, our executive director; Angelica Rodriguez, self-advocate, recognized for her courageous reporting of violent restraint practices used by a California psychiatric hospital; and Michael Stortz, senior attorney in our San Diego office and mental health advocate. On the dais above are Colleen Miller and Curt Decker, NDRN president and executive director, respectively. As we receive additional photographs of the June events, we will post them here or on our Facebook page.

600 attend joint conference of National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and Disability Rights California, Los Angeles, June 7-10

Award winners: the Strategist, Henry Su, and the Soloist, Nathaniel Ayers (photo by Virginia Knowlton)

Among highlights of the 4 days of intensive training sessions were awards in recognition of advances in implementation of rights since the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed 20 years ago this July. Shown at left are two recipients: attorney Henry Su, who together with his firm, Howrey LLP, was recognized for successful strategies in major class action lawsuits filed due to discrimination based on the ADA; and classical musician Nathaniel Ayers, whose success story in the book and film, “The Soloist,” made a positive impact in the media about mental health challenges. Read more about award winners here.