Children's Redesign (Medicaid)

Coeur d'Alene:
June 1st 6:00-8:00 pm
1120 Ironwood Drive
Large Conference Room



So, on Wednesday, June 1st we are supposed to put our busy lives on hold and go to this meeting.  Which, I've got to say is one of the more inconvenient times I've heard of to go to a training class.  It's in the middle of the week and late enough in the day that child care will be needed.  Great, so who's providing that? Also, What about those of us that don't live IN Coeur d'Alene? I live in the Sandpoint area.  For me to go to this meeting, I need to leave directly after work, eat dinner on the run, sit in a meeting - attentively, and then drive home.  It will be almost 10pm before I'm home . . .and I still have to do the MOM stuff before bedtime.  Its an informative meeting, and I need to be there. I got it. So why isn't the state doing it webinar style?  It's not hard and there are quite a few classrooms and meeting rooms in our area that are set up for video conferencing.

I'm just grumpy about it I suppose.  As an individual with Autism, I DON'T like change.  What was so wrong with the way Medicaid was working?  Are these changes supposed to SAVE money?  Already I know that my son will be losing his Service Coordinator.  I'm not happy about it, but we already kind of know what services are out there. But what about the new parents? Or the families that are just moving into the area?  They don't know what's out there or even who to ask.  We have to force most of the schools in our area to even admit that our children MIGHT have a special need that requires Special Education, let alone have them volunteer info.  (Yes, I know that there are many schools out there that do volunteer info. Unfortunately you are the exception, not the rule - but that just means you are exceptional and that's why we like you.)

The Redesign project is the primary reason that I started the  Autism in North Idaho website (http://autismnorthidaho.weebly.com/index.html).  I'm hoping that I can fit enough information in it - in a way that makes sense - that it will help the new families and re-energize those of us that have been in the trenches so long that we've taken up housekeeping.  I can't even think of the number of times the thought "If I knew then what I know now" has crossed my mind.  There is no reason we should have to reinvent the wheel.

I don't know even a fraction of the organizations that are out there to support people with special needs.  So, I hope that if you know of an organization or if you are part of one, that needs to be on my web, please let me know.  Email is good or go to the website and fill in the form.