During the January meeting we were inspired by John Badger’s work to collect items for the homeless.  As a group we collected an abundance of socks, blankets, sleeping bags, and other items.  John was very grateful and wanted to say thank you to all that participated.  He said this is the greatest donation he’s received in a long time! It is a great pleasure to be part of such an amazing group.

On February 14, 2017 we had Matthew Semenza present from Caregiver Homes.  Matthew shared the wonderful service that Caregiver Homes offer for the elderly but also for persons with disabilities that are 16 years of age or older.  To qualify for the program, the person needs to have medicare, require 24 hour live-in care, and also need assistance with one or more daily activities.  Matthew stated that the said caregiver needs to live with the individual and cannot be the guardian.  As part of this program the person would receive a daily stipend and laptop to have communication with a nurse.  Anyone can refer a family to see if they qualify for the program.  Matthew Semenza can be reached at (413)233-6481 for any further questions.  Check out this link for more information: Caregiver Homes

We also heard from Christine Vala, RPN and Dr. Tony Delellis from Community, A Walgreen’s Pharmacy located at 619 Chestnut St in Springfield, MA. They had a soft opening on February 22, 2017.  The team was very excited in their ability to work closely with families and providers.  They also have the capacity to help patients have medications delivered, quick prior authorizations (perhaps even verbal authorizations), and access to same day or next day medications.  Something to note is they will only care medications and not medical supplies.  At the time of the meeting they had not opened yet and therefor contact information was not yet available.  Please keep reviewing page, as contact information will be updated.

We thank everyone for attending these wonderful meetings and making the second Tuesday of every month something to look forward to! See you all on March 14, 2017 at 9:15am.

Thank you everyone for joining us this past January at the Medical Home Meeting.  Just a reminder that if a word is underlined or blue, it means you can click on it and it will open up a file or bring you to another link!  Typically I have been trying to attach any handouts that have been brought to the meeting by the speaker.  On January 10, 2017 we had the pleasure of having John Badger speak at the Medical Home Group Meeting.  John Badger is a housing specialist at HAP Housing.  John is very passionate in assisting individuals and families experiencing homelessness.  As a group we’ve decided that we would collect different items such as socks, water, blankets, gloves, and sleeping bags. We will give collected items to John, as he still does community outreach on his personal time to assist the homeless population in surrounding areas.

John explained the process when a person is attempting to obtain assistance from HAP Housing.  He reported that the first step is a pre-assessment appointment.  During the pre-assessment meeting, the person needs to bring in several different documents such as birth certificates, identification, current lease, social security card, income verifications, and any letters supporting changes to income or other factors such as medical.  After the pre-assessment meeting, the family will be contacted by a counselor to discuss further options.  Typically prior to meeting with a counselor, there is a mandatory workshop that discusses budgeting and other housing issues. John discussed the differences between a 14 day breach of payment and a 30 day breach of a lease.  HAP needs more than just the 14 day letter; they need a 30 day notice and in the process of an eviction.  Some reasons for assistance through HAP would be: significant and ongoing loss of income, significant other leaving home or being laid off, theft (police report needed), and/or circumstances that impeded the persons ability to work.

John encouraged people to visit the HAP website http://www.haphousing.org .  He also provide us with this hap-housing-handout.  He shared us with the name of the housing discrimination officer, John Fisher, if someone is struggling w/ issues of discrimination in their housing search or eviction process.  John brought some amazing folders packed with information. He stated most of the information is available via the HAP website.  However, here is some of the information that was in the  folder and easy to scan: housingapplications and othertools .

We look forward to seeing everyone during the next meeting and please feel free to bring items such as socks, water, blankets, gloves, and sleeping bags and we will make sure to get it to John Badger!  Again, thank you everyone for your passion around this issue that is a struggle for so many people in our community.

During our meeting on December 13, 2016, we thanked Marianne Beach for her hard work and dedication as she retired from her position at the Department of Public Health.  Everyone is sad to see her go but also grateful for the support she has given to both providers and families.

We started off the meeting with presenter Andrew Wilson who showcased Symmetrisleep from the Helping Hand Company.  Symmetrisleep is a positioning equipment that can be used for children and/or adults.  Andrew educated the group on the importance of sleep position as we sleep for about 2,920 hours a year or 121 days a year. This really put it into perspective!  He shared success stories that others had with the use of this equipment. Andrew was honest in stating that this equipment doesn’t work overnight and sometimes needs to be adjusted given the child’s needs. At this time, the equipment is not covered by health insurance.  Andrew kindly shared this link http://www.position2relax.com/ for additional information.  Any questions, Andrew is available via e-mail at andrew@symmetrikit.com.

The second speaker was Noemi Arguinzoni from the Department of Transitional Assistance.  She reviewed SNAP, TAFDC, and EAEDC. Her PowerPoint presentation offered a great amount of information, including income guidelines, eligibility, and accessibility. Here are some quick tips! You can apply for SNAP online, walk-in, or call over the phone.  For TAFDC, the only way to apply is in person at 95 Liberty Street Springfield, MA from 7:30am-5:00pm.  In order to be eligible for a daycare voucher, one must be collecting TAFDC.  Lastly, Lisa Sheehy shared the Food Source Hotline (1-800-645-8333) which provides information and referrals for families facing hunger.

We hope you find this information helpful and we look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on January 10, 2017 at 9:15am.

-Cristina Rivera, LICSW