Hello and welcome to Day in Washington, your disability policy podcast. I’m your host Day Al-Mohamed working to make sure you stay informed.  This is the Disability Report for March 2019.

JUSTICE:   March 1st is known within the disability community as the Disability Day of Mourning. It is the day when the disability community comes together to remember the victims of filicide – people with disabilities who were murdered by their family members. Vigils are held on March 1^st in cities around the world. Recognized since 2012, the vigils have been supported by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, ADAPT, Not Dead Yet, the National Council on Independent Living, the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund and other disability rights organizations. In March 2017, the Ruderman Foundation issued a report that provided more concrete numbers to the number of people with disabilities murdered by their caregivers.

They documented more than 200 deaths from 2011 to 2015. And of course, that is only those that merited media attention. There currently is no way to capture all of these murders based on disability. And perhaps what is more disturbing is the public perception and media focus on the killer rather than on the victim. It is seen as a “mercy” or as “ending suffering” or an “overwhelmed caregiver” in fact blaming the victim for their own death. One person with disabilities is killed by a parent or caregiver each week and the Disability Day of Mourning is a recognition of those lives taken, and lives forgotten as worth less than those of able bodied.

On Media Coverage of Murder of People with Disabilities by their Caregivers – https://issuu.com/rudermanfoundation/docs/murders_by_caregivers_wp_final_fina

DEFINITIONS: Words matter. We know this. We’ve been told this over and over. James Skoufis of the 39th Senate District of the State of New York is taking that to heart. He is the sponsor of Senate Bill S4276. The bill makes technical corrections to references to the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, changing it to the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. It is not an office for the condition, but for people.

Legislation for changes in statute the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities – https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s4276

HEALTHCARE:  The Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation and Gulf Coast Community Foundation commissioned the University of South Florida to conduct a scan of mental health services in May 2018. The goal was to identify strengths and gaps in the system and prioritize ways to make the system work for youth and families. The study revealed the annual economic cost of untreated mental illness for children and young adults in Sarasota County is nearly $86.2 million. This is primarily from suicide, criminal justice, education, and worker productivity.

Roughly 15 percent of Sarasota County’s residents are under 18 years old, or around 60,488. About one in five experiences a severe mental disorder during their life. Half of all chronic illness begins by the age of 14, and three-quarters by the age of 24.

Florida ranks 50th in mental health services, according to the Florida Policy Institute. The state has the third-highest percentage of mentally ill persons who are also uninsured.

In 2014, the state provided just $36.05 per person in support of mental health services, less than one-third of the U.S. average of $125.90.

The study specifically highlighted a lack of inpatient care, residential treatment programs, independent living options for adults, case management, post-discharge services from crisis stabilization units, and youth psychiatric treatment.

The study doesn’t solve the problem but it puts hard numbers and a price to what many disability and mental health advocates have known for years.

Sarasota County Mental Health Scan – https://barancikfoundation.org/campaigns/mental-health-scan/

SOCIAL SECURITY: The Social Security Administration is looking at expanding social media monitoring capability to front-line agency staff who work with claimants in the initial stages, before any investigations have been initiated.

So let me clear something up. Fraud investigators have always had full access to social media newsfeeds. They can use it if they suspect you might be receiving SSDI fraudulently. We have a great example of that from 2014 when the Social Security Office of the Inspector General (OIG) used social media reviews to help arrest more than 100 people who defrauded SSDI out of millions of dollars. Investigators found photos on the personal accounts of disability claimants riding on jet skis, performing physical stunts in karate studios and driving motorcycles.

But this is expanding it so regular SSA staff can review social media. The idea bothers me. Think about it. Social media is someone’s CURATED life. That doesn’t mean you see everything. You won’t see the days someone spends all day in bed because of chronic pain; dates when photos were shot are not always clear; let’s get real, what medical and rehabilitation knowledge do front-line Social Security Administration staffers actually have? Just because you have a disability doesn’t necessarily prevent you from participating in a variety of activities. Who determines what is “suspicious”?  I’m blind. I’m a filmmaker. On its face, I imagine that might sound out-of-the-pale. But it doesn’t change the truth that I still have a disability.

There is a list of federal government list of programs at highest risk for making improper payments. It is compiled by the Office of Management and Budget does not even mention Social Security.

Unfortunately, this is one more example of where policymakers, regardless of political affiliation keep getting told the same story about fraud and waste in Social Security, in SNAP, in TANF, in Medicaid, in any of the benefits given to those who do not work. The cost of many of these monitoring programs usually ends up being much higher than the actual fraud within the programs. Now THAT is real government waste.

US Government Weights Social Media Snooping to Detect Social Security Fraud – https://www.reuters.com/article/us-column-miller-socialmedia/us-government-weighs-social-media-snooping-to-detect-social-security-fraud-idUSKCN1RA12R

ASSISTED SUICIDE: New Jersey may become the next state to approve of physician-assisted suicide. A 1504, introduced by Assemblyman John Burzichelli in 2018 was later amended and held over to 2019. The bill allows adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live to get a prescription for life-ending medication. Basically a prescription of pills that the patient can self-administer at home. To date, California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Hawaii, Montana and the District of Columbia allow physician-assisted suicide. The bill requires a second opinion, counseling to determine that the patient has the mental capacity to make the decision.

Having passed, on March 25, 2019, in both the New Jersey Assembly and Senate, A1504/S1072, Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act, is awaiting Governor Phil Murphy’s signature.

New Jersey is about to legalize medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill – https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/26/health/nj-assisted-suicide-trnd/index.html

“Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act” (A 1504) – https://legiscan.com/NJ/text/A1504/id/1758781/New_Jersey-2018-A1504-Amended.html

And that’s it for this week’s show. This is Day Al-Mohamed, hoping you continue to be well, and be informed. As always, I encourage you to read and investigate and come to your own opinion.  Links and sources are available at DayInWashington.com.  Leave us a comment or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter. We want to hear from you, because democracy belongs to everyone. Thank you for listening.

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DISCLAIMER: Comments and opinions expressed in this podcast should in no way be considered representative of opinions, statements or policies of any organizations, affiliations, employers or agencies connected with the host. Audio production provided by Chris Wright.  Music is “If by Force” courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network and Twenty Twelve Records.