FUSE NEWS
Volume 11, Issue 1
January 2007
Denise Arland, Editor
FUSE Mission
Committed to improving
the lives of children with
special needs and their
families through:
Education and training
Public awareness
Advocacy
Support
Resources and
Referrals
• Networking
• Community Activities
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2007 FUSE
Board of Directors
President
Amy Borgmann
Vice
President
Jan Bledsoe Viehweg
Secretary
Barb Wean
Treasurer
Jeff O’Brien
Director
Julie McKinney
Director
Janice Cassell
Director
Rusty Kimmerly
Director
Marcia Piercy
Director
Paula Parke
Director
Juanita Swallers
Executive
Director
Denise Arland
February and March Meeting Info
Have you heard of a functional
behavior assessment? Do you know
what positive behavior supports
would include? If you’ve heard these
terms but aren’t sure what they
mean, our February meeting is just
for you! Kelly Hartman, President
and CEO of Insights Consulting, will
be the speaker at our meeting on
Monday, February 5, from 6:30 to
8:30 p.m.
Kelly Hartman has her Masters
Degree in Counseling Psychology
from Ball State University and has
worked with people who have
developmental disabilities and
behavioral challenges for over 15
years. Her primary focus is to help
people achieve better lives through
Positive Behavioral Supports. She
strongly believes that behavioral
change and improved quality of life
comes through focusing on the
capabilities, not disabilities, of
people. By building on what a person
CAN do, not focusing on what they
cannot do. She teaches a nonaversive, person-centered approach
to personal success. Kelly’s
presentation will focus on the What,
Why and How’s of Behavioral
Challenges; the Process of Functional
Behavioral Assessment; and What to
Expect from a Behavior Support Plan
and Behavioral Consultants.
In March we will host a chat session
on Monday, March 5. At a chat
session the parents who attend set
the agenda, as it is an open forum for
questions and answers. Parents help
one another by providing support and
information to answer questions from
the group. This helps us all benefit
from the knowledge each of us has
gained along our journey.
Our meetings are held from 6:30 to
8:30 p.m. at Shares, Inc. (645 S. State
Street, Greenfield). Child care is
provided at no cost to families.
Donations are accepted. Reservations
are required for child care so we can
plan enough providers. Childcare
reservations for upcoming meetings
should be made by the following
dates:
Meeting
Childcare
Date
Reservations by
February 5
February 2
March 5
March 2
For reservations, please call Denise
at 317-462-9064 or send an email to
fuseinc@insightbb.com.
March is full of events you won’t want to
miss! Mark your calendars for March 3
and March 10. See inside for details!
Page 2
Upcoming Family Activities
The next family activity is scheduled for Saturday,
March 10, which is the Inspiring Abilities Expo.
Please come out and join us for a day of speakers
and display booths from many
service providers and non-profit
agencies in central Indiana. Child
care will be available while you
browse around the booths and
listen to the speakers available
throughout the day. The expo will
be held at St. James Lutheran Church from 9:30 to
2:00. See the flyer on page 4 for more details.
The member involvement committee of FUSE will
be meeting soon to plan family activities for the
remainder of the year. They could use another
member or two, so if you would like to participate
in the planning of these events, please email Denise
at fuseinc@insightbb.com or call 317-462-9064 and
I will get you on the list for that group!
FUSE Receives Major Grant
We are very pleased to announce that FUSE has
won a Compassion Capital Fund Award from the
Indiana Youth Institute (IYI).
FUSE will receive up to 120 hours of coaching and
technical assistance from IYI on fundraising,
strategic planning, program evaluation, technology
and other non-profit management issues. At the
end of the coaching period, FUSE will be eligible to
receive more than $20,000 to expand or enhance its
programs.
FUSE was among 22 winning community and faithbased nonprofits that were selected from 150
applications reviewed. Two winners were selected
from each of Indiana's nine Congressional Districts,
as well as four at-large winners.
The CCF awards were made possible through a
$865,350 federal grant presented to IYI by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services'
Administration for Children and Families as part of
its national Compassion Capital Fund
Demonstration Program.
FUSE NEWS
Walk With FUSE in
Walk America
Come walk with FUSE to help fight prematurity.
FUSE is entering a team in “March of Dimes
Walk America” again this year. You can collect
money from friends and family either in person or
by the internet. March of Dimes provides every
walker with a website to raise money where
people can pay on-line. It’s a very easy way to
raise funds, and it also makes it easy to ask out of
town relatives and friends to help out.
This year’s walk date is Sunday, April 29th. Bring
your family, bring the kids, strollers, wagons, etc.
There will be entertainment before the walk,
refreshment stands along the way, and hotdogs
after the walk. We will wear our FUSE t-shirts
and have a team photo before the walk. (If you
need a shirt, let us know in time to order one.)
The route takes us from the High School, to the
Hospital, along McKenzie, over to the
Fairgrounds, and back to the High School. It’s
only 4 miles and will take a small portion of your
time for a very worthy cause.
For more information on how to participate,
please contact Amy Borgmann, Team Captain,
FUSE Walk America at 317-462-4216 or cell 317979-0074, or e-mail brgmnlady@insightbb.com.
Hope you can join us for a fun afternoon.
Thank you to everyone who has
helped our family during Amy’s
illness and recovery. The meals have
been wonderful. Also, thank you to
everyone who has helped with Jacob,
done shopping, errands or housework.
It is truly a blessing to have such a
great network of support.
The Borgmann-Bayird family
Amy, Dale and Jacob
CASINO NIGHT
Volume 11, Issue 1
Page 3
FUSE and Edelweiss Equine Assisted Therapy Center are having a Casino
Night Benefit. Come have a night of fun playing blackjack, craps,
roulette or your favorite casino game! Use
your “winnings” for prize drawings at the
end of the evening. Cost is $40 per person.
Hors d'oeuvres will be served. Registration
deadline is February 24th.
Casino night parties are strictly for entertainment. No cash bets can be made. Chips and “play bills” are
used during the party. Casino entertainment produced by the Broad Ripple Sertoma Club.
Tickets are lim
ited, so get yo
urs now!
Da
te: March 3, 2
007
Time: 7:00-9:0
0 pm
Place: Hancock
Co. FOP
400 E. Da vis Rd
., Greenf ield
Ticket price
$40 each
For more
in
Denise at fo or to get tickets
3
Elisa at 3 17-462-9064 (ca contact
17-861-8
sh/c heck
s
6
sales) or
E-mail: fu 17 (cash or credit ales) or
seinc@ins
ightbb.co card
m
Cash bar available
Exchange your “play bill” winnings
for fabulous prize drawings like a
*Bed and Breakfast Package from
Hilton Hotel
*Autographed Pacers basketball
*$100 Cynthia’s Hallmark Gift
Certificate
And many others!
Page 4
FUSE NEWS
FUSE invites families of children with disabilities
to attend the first annual
An opportunity for families to connect with service providers, non-profit agencies,
public service agencies and vendors of
products and services that may benefit your child.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
9:30 am – 2:00 pm
St. James Lutheran Church
1741 S. State Street, Greenfield IN
Vendor Displays
Door prizes
Speakers on hot topics such as:
Special needs trusts
Public financial resources
Challenging behaviors
Sensory integration
And many more!
Full speaker schedule will be released mid-February.
Child care available for attendees, so you can browse the booths or listen to speakers
while your children are entertained elsewhere!
Lunch will be available for a nominal charge on site.
Plan to stay for the day or come for a couple of hours,
whatever suits your needs.
Pre-registration will help us with planning.
Please RSVP to Denise at 317-462-9064 or fuseinc@insightbb.com by
Friday, March 2. Attendees who RSVP will be entered into a special door prize
drawing to be drawn at lunch time.
Page 5
Volume 11, Issue 1
Rat-a-tat-tat At Drum Circle
Children Our Best Investment
Are you interested in finding a new activity for
your child? If so, you might want to check out the
Drum Circle in New Castle! Drum Circle is
sponsored by Meaningful Day Services, a Wavier
Provider company based in Brownsburg, serving
individuals with special needs statewide.
The 9th annual Children Our Best Investment
conference will be Monday, February 5, 2007, from
9:30 am to 4 pm at the Indiana Convention Center
Downtown- 100 S Capitol Ave. Indianapolis, IN.
The Drum Circle is held every third
Wednesday in 2007 at Raintree
Programs, 1510 Washington Street,
New Castle. Most of the year the
time is 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. In the summer
months of June and July, Drum Circle will be held
at 3:30. Drum circle is fun and entertaining, but it
also is designed to
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Increase social skills
Increase active attending skills
Increase eye contact
Increase fine/gross motor coordination
Increase receptive and expressive
Communication skills
Increase sensory-processing skills
Drum Circle is facilitated by a Music Therapist.
All activities are designed for individuals of all
ages and abilities.
There is a $3.00 charge to attend this event. All
individuals receiving services through Meaningful
Day Services, Inc. will be admitted at no charge.
All individuals served by Raintree Programs are
admitted for only $1.00.
Please RSVP for the drum circle. This assists us
in contacting you if the drum circle is cancelled
short-notice.
RSVP to: Liz Frank
765-683-1442
lfrank46012@yahoo.com
This year's event will combine Children Our Best
Investment and the Point of Youth Legislative Day
to bring over 500 youth and adult advocates from
across the sate. The event will help Indiana
residents learn how they can assist their state
legislators in making effective decisions regarding
important child and family issues. Last year, over
200 advocates from across the state participated in
the event, and continued to make their voices heard
throughout the legislative year.
This event continues to be sponsored by a
partnership of organizations and agencies
committed to making Indiana a state where all
children and families can reach their fullest
potential. This year we will explore, beginning
advocacy techniques, as well as, more experienced
advocacy topics for attendees. The event will also
include a visit to the Indiana Statehouse to meet
with legislators. Youth are encouraged to attend, as
well as anyone interested in advocating for Indiana
children.
Cost for adults to attend is $30. Students over 18
are $10, and students under age 18 are free! To
register or get more information on this event, you
can call (317) 264-2700, or log onto the website,
http://www.childrensbureau.org/cobi. You will find
registration forms and a letter you can present to
your school principal to request an excused absence
for your child to attend with you. Thank you for
your help in spreading the word to all
those interested in advocating for children!
The Sponsoring Partners of Children Our Best
Investment-Youth Legislative Day include:
Children's Bureau, Inc., Indiana Criminal Justice Institute,
IARCCA, Riley Hospital for Children, Lutheran Family
Services, the Martin Luther King Center, Whites Residential
Family Services, YMCA, Indiana Juvenile Justice Task Force,
the Villages, Kid's Voice, Department of Child Services,
Indiana Youth Advisory Council Hederick Partnership,
Children's Coalition of Indiana, DAMAR, MCCOY, Indiana
Healthy Marriage and Family Coalition, Inc.
Page 6
FUSE NEWS
Home and Community Based Waivers: The Basics
Contributed by Rylin Rodgers, Family Voices Indiana
Not all children and youth with severe disabilities
can qualify for an SSI payment and, thus,
Medicaid. In the case of children with severe
disabilities who live with their families, SSI rules
require that a portion of the family's income be
counted as available ("deemed") to the child. Even
in the case of low-to-moderate income families,
this requirement can result in the child's not
qualifying for an SSI payment and, thus, make the
child ineligible for Medicaid. However, if the child
were placed permanently out of the family home in
an institutional setting, the family's income would
not be counted and the child would qualify for
Medicaid. In order to correct this problem, in 1982
Congress enacted the "Katie Beckett option" (also
known as "TEFRA 134"). Under this option, a
state can decide not to count the family's income
when the child meets SSI disability criteria and
would be eligible for Medicaid if s/he were in an
institutional setting.
services). This waiver is designed to provide
services for individuals living with family, or in
other community settings, in order for individuals
to gain and maintain optimum levels of self
determination and community integration while
allowing flexibility in the provision of those
supports. Under this program 334 individuals are
being served/2949 are waiting.
• Autism Waiver
The Autism Waiver provides community supports
to Medicaid eligible individuals with Autism,
including Autism Spectrum Disorder. Individuals
on this waiver must meet ICF-MR level of care
(ICF-MR is an Intermediate Care Facility for the
Mentally Retarded, outdated terminology still
used by the state and federal government to
describe institutions which provide care for
persons with disabilities that do not need nursing
• Serious Emotional Disability
Children who are Medicaid recipients and are
eligible for placement in a state psychiatric hospital
will be offered the choice of participation in SED
Waiver programming by their local Community
Mental Health Center, if the cost of their care is no
greater in the community as it would be in the
hospital. 30 individuals are being served by this
program.
• Developmental Disabilities Waiver
The Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver
provides services to Medicaid eligible individuals
with developmental disabilities. Individuals on
this waiver must meet ICF-MR level of care. The
services available through this waiver are designed
to assist individuals with remaining in their own
homes or in community settings, and assists those
individuals who transition from state operated
facilities or other institutions to community
settings. This waiver is designed to provide
support for individuals to gain and maintain
In Indiana, these are referred to as Home and
optimum levels of self determination and
Community Based Waivers. Indiana has several
community integration while allowing flexibility in
different types of waivers at this time. Waivers for the provision of those supports. Under this
people with developmental disabilities include the program 5345 individuals are being served/14240
Autism Waiver, Developmental Disability Waiver, are waiting.
Support Services Waiver and Serious Emotional
Disability. These programs can help families care
• Support Services Waiver
for a loved one at home or can help support a
The Support Services (SS) Waiver provides support
person with a developmental disability in a
to Medicaid eligible individuals with developmental
community-based residential program. Eligibility
disabilities. Individuals on this waiver must meet
determination for these Waivers is made by the
ICF-MR level of care. These individuals may be
local Bureau of Developmental Disability Services. residing with their families, or in other settings
1-800-545-7763, ext 2 (ask for the BDDS office in
with informal supports. Under this program 3504
your area).
individuals are being served/9672 are waiting.
(Continued on page 7)
Page 7
Volume 11, Issue 1
Home and Community Based Waivers: The Basics
Contributed by Rylin Rodgers, Family Voices Indiana
(Continued from page 6)
Waivers for people who are physically disabled
include the Aged and Disabled Waiver (which
now includes the former Medically Fragile
Children's Waiver), Assisted Living and
Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver.
• Aged and Disabled Waiver
The Aged and Disabled Waiver (A&D) is designed
to provide an alternative to nursing facility
admission for Medicaid eligible persons over the
age of sixty-five (65), and persons of all ages with
disabilities by providing supports to complement
and supplement informal supports for persons
who require care in a nursing facility if waiver
services were not available. Individuals on this
waiver must meet nursing facility level of care.
The services available through this waiver are
designed to assist participants with remaining in
their own homes and communities, as well as to
assist individuals residing in nursing facilities to
return to community settings, be it their own
homes or other congregate community settings
such as assisted living. Under this program 3576
individuals are currently being served/1876 are
waiting. This waiver now includes the former
Medically Fragile Waiver under which 94
individuals were being served/856 were waiting.
• Assisted Living Waiver
The Assisted Living (AL) Waiver assists Medicaid
eligible individuals sixty-five (65) and over and
persons with physical disabilities who are over
the age of eighteen (18) as an alternative to
nursing facility placement. Individuals on this
waiver must meet nursing facility level of care.
The AL waiver is based on the philosophy of
personal autonomy and decision making, and
provides support services in a congregate setting
by a licensed and certified assisted living provider
who provides individual single living units with
participant controlled access and food storage and
prep areas. Under this program 221 individuals
are currently being served/30 are waiting.
• Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver
The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Waiver assists
Medicaid eligible individuals of any age who have
experienced an external insult resulting in a
traumatic brain injury, and who requires services
ordinarily only available in a nursing facility.
Individuals on this waiver must meet nursing
facility level of care. This waiver is designed to
provide supports such as personal assistance,
limited habilitation services, and respite care, as
well as limited environmental modifications. Under
this program 136 individuals are currently being
served /342 are waiting.
Note:
Figures for those being served and those waiting
were current as of 12/31/2005 according to this
FSSA document:
http://www.in.gov/fssa/programs/PDF/fssawaivercha
rt20051231.pdf#search=%22area%20agency%20agin
g%20indiana%20waiting%20list%20waiver%22
In September of 2006, more families were targeted
for waivers. Families who have waited as long as
fourteen years to receive Medicaid Waiver services
may finally receive long needed supports. Letters
were sent by certified mail on Friday, September 1
to families waiting for the Developmental Disability,
Autism or Support Services Waiver. At this time, 53
families are targeted for the Autism Waiver, 127 for
the Developmental Disabilities Waiver, and 600 for
the Support Services Waiver. If families who are
targeted decline Waiver services, or if they do not
respond, the next family on the waiting lists will be
targeted.
While this is good news, you can see by the numbers
listed that there are still many more Hoosier
families waiting for assistance. Family Voices has
more information on Medicaid listed in the files and
links sections of the group website. As someone
whose family is directly affected by disability issues,
you are encouraged to sign up for these bulletins by
accessing the following link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FVIndiana.
FUSE NEWS
Page 8
2007 Events Calendar
Batter Up!
Pendleton Junior Baseball Association would like
invite any and all special needs children ages 5 to
18 to participate in our Challenger League
baseball program. This is a great opportunity
for special needs children to participate in a sport
that is tailored to their needs so that every child
can have fun and be a part of a team.
Every child gets a base hit, every child gets to go
around the bases, and every child scores. Seeing
these kids faces when they cross home plate with
the fans cheering makes it all worthwhile.
Every child gets a uniform, every child gets a
trophy, and everyone wins. We celebrate the end
of the season with a huge cookout at the park.
BEST OF ALL, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FREE.
It doesn't matter where
the family lives. We play our
games at the new Pendleton
Little League complex in
Falls park. Anyone who is
willing to drive to Pendleton is
welcome. In 2006 we had 6
teams with 72 players
total. We look forward to
growing this league so that
every child regardless of disability has the
opportunity to play baseball.
The sign-up dates are February 10th and 17th at
the Community Building in Falls Park in
Pendleton from 9 am to 5 pm.
You will find a link on the FUSE website to a
letter which gives a little explanation of the league
and the dates and times for sign-ups.
For more information, you may contact
Dave Bauer
Director of Challenger League Baseball
Pendleton Junior Baseball Association
david.bauer@mindspring.com
317-485-7075
February 5
Kelly Hartman, President, Insights Consulting
Positive Behavior Supports and Functional
Behavior Assessments
March 5
Chat meeting (annual meeting moved to May)
March 3
Casino Night Benefit
FOP, Greenfield. Call for tickets now!
March 10
Inspiring Abilities Expo—
Location: St. James Lutheran Church, Greenfield
April 9
Donna Gore Olsen, Family Voices State
Coordinator
Medical Home and Specialty Care: How To Ensure
Your Child is Getting Coordinated Health Care
Services
May 7
Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition
June 4
Brian Ketzner and Marci Wheeler
Indiana Resource Center on Autism
Sibling Support for Parents
July 14
David Borgmann Memorial Golf Outing
August 6
Chat Meeting
September 10 Speaker To Be Announced
October 1
Chat Meeting
November 5
Speaker To Be Announced
December 3
Annual Holiday Pitch In
Family activities and other special events will
be added in the future.
For details and to make reservations for
meetings or family activities, contact FUSE
at 317-462-9064 or email
fuseinc@insightbb.com
Page 9
Volume 11, Issue 1
2006-2007 FUSE SPONSORS
The FUSE Board thanks all of our sponsors for their contributions to further the mission of FUSE.
2006-2007 Individual Sponsors
2006-2007 Business Sponsorships
Friends $1 - $25
Sponsor $1 - $99
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Bronze $100 - 249
• Jane Barton, Pampered Chef
• Pampered Chef
• Sertoma Club of Greenfield
Jennifer Schlotfeld
Suzanne Flanders
Henry and Bobbi Stone
Krista & Jerry Kieffer
Rusty & Lisa Kimmerly
Uniters $26 - $50
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Max & Barb Wean
Rich & Tory Emery
Jeff & Kim Carlton
Kristina and Lymann Thompson
Supporters $51 - $100
• John Paul Kovach**
• Bert & Irene Curry
• Rob & Cathy Morgan
Silver $250 - $499
• Chicago’s Pizza
• Greenfield Banking Company
Gold $500 - $999
Platinum $1000+
• David Borgmann Memorial Golf Outing
• Wells Masonry Restoration
Encouragers $101+
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Anonymous United Way donors**
Andy & Denise Arland
Bob & Melinda Cloud**
Ed & Sally Veenhuizen **
Jeff & Sarah O’Brien**
John & Suzanne Arland**
John & Donna Lett**
Peter & Carol Thawnghmung**
Neil & Paula Parke**
Kathleen Wilhelm**
Diedre Woods**
In-Kind Contributions 2006-2007
• Meeting and library space from Shares, Inc.
• Child care from Donna Lett, Kelley Mires, Amanda
McNicholas, Toni Harpster, Erin Harpster, and Max
Harpster
• Swim program volunteer support from Hancock
Wellness
**Indicates part or all of this donation made via United Way
Thank you to all of our donors.
If you made a donation in the past twelve months and your name does not appear on this list,
please contact me at 317-462-9064 or fuseinc@insightbb.com so we can ensure that your gifts
are recognized. Thank you!
Disclaimer: FUSE publishes information about issues and events that we believe to be important and likely to be of interest to families raising children with disabilities. FUSE does not necessarily endorse all events, sponsoring organizations, individuals, products
or reports which appear in this newsletter.
FUSE, Inc.
PO Box 314
Greenfield IN 46140
Phone: 317-462-9064
Fax: 317-467-0814
Email: fuseinc@insightbb.com
We’re on the web!
http://www.fuseinc.org
FUSE Announces Changes in Board
In the past six months FUSE has undergone a
number of changes in the board. Some of our long
time board members have left the board for
personal reasons. New board members have been
appointed in their places, as well as into new seats
added to our expanded board. We currently have
10 board members, and we anticipate adding two
more in 2007.
FUSE would like to thank the following outgoing
board members for their services to our
organization:
Melinda Cloud, President
Tory Emery, Secretary
John Carreon, Board Member
FUSE welcomed two new board members in
November, Janice Cassell and Rusty Kimmerly.
We are also pleased to announce that three new
board members joined us in January: Marcia
Piercy, Juanita Swallers, and Paula Parke.
Welcome to all these new board members. We
thank them for volunteering their service to our
organization.
The 2007 officers of FUSE are:
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Amy Borgmann
Jan Bledsoe Viehweg
Barb Wean
Jeff O’Brien
The FUSE board is also interested in expanding
the membership on three of our committees:
Finance
Member Involvement
Public Awareness
Please contact Denise at 317-462-9064 or email
fuseinc@insightbb.com to find out how to
participate.