North Carolina will soon expand START crisis services to children and youth with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) and autism. Many of these children with complex mental health or behavioral needs have not been served by current crisis services due to a lack of space, and are held in emergency rooms or transferred to…
Speak Out on NC Budget Proposals
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. On June 1, the NC Senate released its version of the budget adjustments bill for this year. Despite advocacy directed at the Senate to improve on what the NC House budget offered, the Senate includes no funding for federally required…
Governor Proposes New Funding to Assist Autism Community
Today Governor Pat McCrory announced new initiatives that will be included in his proposed 2016 budget to be presented to the legislature before this year’s short session. The Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) and other partners have worked with the governor’s office and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to include these…
Taking a Look at the CDC Numbers
Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an update to its ongoing surveillance study of autism prevalence. The study involves eleven states and began in 2000. Much of the prevalence data that we read about (1 in 68 8-year-old schoolchildren nationally, or up to 1 of every 58 8-year-old schoolchildren in North…
Learn About Innovations Waiver Changes, Share Opinions on IDD Issues
UPDATE: The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has notified us that the changes to the Innovations waiver are now proposed to go into effect November 1 to allow for additional training and preparation, and to provide additional time for approval of the changes by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The…
Wrapping Up the 2015 Legislative Session
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. The NC General Assembly recently concluded an eight-month legislative session, the longest on record for the past 14 years. During the long session, ASNC continued to advocate for our legislative priorities, including access to high quality services and supports, better education…
A Closer Look at North Carolina’s 2015-17 Budget
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. The new state budget for budget years 2015-17, which began on July 1, 2015, sits at $21.7 billion. It includes several important policy initiatives for people with disabilities, but it also makes changes that could keep people with autism, intellectual…
NC Passes Autism Insurance: What It Means for Families
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. On Tuesday, the North Carolina General Assembly passed SB676, “Autism Health Insurance Coverage.” The bill now goes to the governor’s desk for his signature, which would make North Carolina the 43rd state to enact autism insurance legislation. This is a historic…
General Assembly Approves ABLE Accounts for NC Families
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. On Monday, Aug. 3, The General Assembly approved legislation authorizing ABLE accounts in North Carolina; Gov. Pat McCrory is expected to sign the bill into law. The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, a federal law signed in December…