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The Connecting Point

Volume 3 Issue 19 February 2nd, 2006

In This ISSUE:

1. SSI Recipients Must Act Now to Get More each Month in Food Assistance from the WA. Department of Social and Health Services
2. Developmental Disabilities Residential Study January 2006 Report
3. Preparing Students for Life and Work – A Guide to the New Graduation Requirements, January 2006
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1) SSI Recipients Must Act Now to Get More each Month in Food Assistance from the WA. Department of Social and Health Services - Most SSI recipients are eligible to receive Food Stamps in Washington State. However, in the past, few SSI recipients applied for food assistance. In December, 2001 Washington State started a Food Stamp demonstration program known as Washington State Combined Application Program (WASHCAP) to increase the number of SSI recipients getting Food Assistance. You can find more information about this program at http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/esa/eazmanual/Sections/WASHCAP.htm

A recent court case brought by Columbia Legal Services could mean that some Food Stamp recipients might be eligible for up to $68additional amounts of Food stamps. Those people will be receiving a letter explaining steps they must follow to be eligible. They will have 30 days to return the signed letter.

It is important that SSI recipients understand that there are 2 programs that have been providing food assistance and each program may provide different amounts of assistance (WASHCAP and Basic Food). There are also time limits that will limit recipients from changing from each of the 2 programs.

It is therefore important that all SSI recipients review which program will best meet their needs.

The Questions and Answers document available from Columbia legal Services web site at will provide additional information and resources to help SSI recipients and their advocates to better understand how this might be of assistance to an individual. http://www.columbialegal.org/pdf/FAQs.pdf

2 ) Developmental Disabilities Residential Study January 2006 Report At Governor Gregoire's request, the Legislature authorized a Developmental Disabilities Residential Study with the adoption of the state's 2005-2007 operating budget. The study, to be overseen by an advisory council, is to identify a preferred system of residential services for individuals with developmental disabilities and a plan for implementing the preferred system within four years.

Approximately 32,000 individuals with developmental disabilities are enrolled as clients of the state's Division of Developmental Disabilities. Approximately 7000 of these clients receive paid out-of-home residential services, in both large state-operated facilities and in many smaller community-based settings. The state is at a "fork in the road" with regard to the delivery system for residential services for this population. The five state owned and operated Residential Habilitation Centers are in need of capital improvements. Additionally, many clients are waitlisted for community-based residential services. The Council will consider what an optimal residential service system would look like, as well as options for reorganizing or reallocating existing resources to meet current and future needs.

Governor Gregoire's supplemental budget proposal did not recommend extending the timeframe of this project. The 2006 Legislature will make a final decision regarding the next steps for this project.

The January 2006 is now available online at http://www.governor.wa.gov/disabilities/pdf/study.pdf

3) Preparing Students for Life and Work – A Guide to the New Graduation Requirements, January 2006 – Beginning with the class of 2008, students will need to meet four state graduation requirements:

1. Earn 19 credits in core courses
2. Complete a culminating project (often referred to as a senior project) to apply learning in a particular area of the student's interests
3. Complete a “high school and beyond” plan that outlines steps needed to earn a diploma and prepare for the first year after high school
4. Earn a certificate of Academic Achievement by passing the reading, writing and math portions of the high school Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL); science also will be required beginning in 2010.

The new guide is available on line from Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction at http://www.k12.wa.us/Communications/Resources/GradRequirementsHandbook.pdf

State law provides the Certificate of Individual Achievement for some students enrolled in special education programs. The Certificate of Individual Achievement is for students whose individualized education program (IEP) teams determine that passing one or more portions of the high school WASL isn't an appropriate measure of the students' abilities. For more information about the Certificate of Individual Achievement see the OSPI publication “Guidelines for Participation and Testing Accommodations for Special Populations in State Assessment Programs” at www.k12.wa.us/Assessment/TestAdministration/pubdocs/GuidelinesSpecialPopulationsStateTests2005.pdf