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Advantages of Hiring People with Criminal Records

Greater Boston Legal Services

Supported Decisions

Center for Public Representation and Nonotuck Resource Associates
The Center for Public Representation and Nonotuck Resource Associates have an ongoing pilot project using Supported Decision-Making (SDM) as an alternative to guardianship. In the pilot, one of the first in the United States, participants -- people under or at risk of guardianship -- design a…

MassHealth coverage of electronic tablets dedicated to use as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

MAC
Attached is the fact sheet regarding MassHealth new coverage of electronic tablets (such as iPads) dedicated to use as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).along with related software, when medically necessary for communication.    Please help distribute to families,…

The battle over the words used to describe migrants

Camila Ruz, BBC News Magazine
The word migrant is defined in Oxford English Dictionary as "one who moves, either temporarily or permanently, from one place, area, or country of residence to another". It is used as a neutral term by many media organisations - including the BBC - but there has…

Medicare Part B Income-Related Premiums and Part D Income-Related Premium Adjustments

Medicare Advocacy Project
These charts explain the income-related premiums for Medicare Parts B and D for 2013-2016.

Applied Behavior Analysis for MassHealth members under age 21

MLRI
Applied Behavior Analysis for MassHealth members under age 21.  ABA providers can apply to MassHealth to enroll as a provider and get prior authorization to provide services NOW. Also, for children and young adults (under 21) enrolled in private insurance with the Partnership for their…

Race Equity Impact Assessment

The Center for the Study of Social Policy
From the article: An assessment tool that is tailored to child welfare policy decision-making. This tool can be used by child welfare decision makers when developing new policy proposals or considering modifications to existing policy. It can be useful in efforts aimed at reducing or preventing…

Adobe Legal Department Legal Style Guide

Adobe
Adobe's Legal Department developed a Style Guide to help its lawyers write in Plain English and avoid legalese.  Click the "Go to Website" link below to download it from Adobe's website.  In particular, the section on Word Choices (p.15) has some useful substitutions for…

2015 Language Access Conference Materials

MA Language Access Coalition
Second Annual Langauge Access Conference Beyond Service, Toward Empowerment Friday, June 26, 2015 UMass Medical School, Worcester, MA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE PACKET   The following is a virtual conference packet containing the…

Racism is Not a Mental Illness

Jeremy Adam Smith
Many people argue that the white man who killed nine black people in Charleston must be mentally ill. What does the science suggest?

Race Reporting Guide

Race Forward
Race Forward’s Race Reporting Guide aims to provide critical support for the use of responsible language and story framing that reflects ethical and rigorous journalistic standards and affirms the dignity and human rights of people of all races. This is not meant to be comprehensive,…

2015 Language Access Conference Invitation

Kendra Sena
The MA Language Access Coalition invites you to the Second Annual Language Access Conference Beyond Service, Toward Empowerment Friday, June 26, 2015, 9:30am-4pm at UMass Medical School, Worcester, MA To register online,…

How to Obtain Your Criminal Record in Massachusetts

CPCS
If you have ever had any contact with the police, you may have a criminal record. If so, you need to get your criminal record before you apply for any immigration relief, like President Obama’s new deferred action, and you need to ask a lawyer to review your record with you to make sure you…

Web link to Browse for Coverage from the Connector

Connector
Do you have more than one option for insurance coverage and want to check out what is available through the Connector before you actually apply? You can both get a rough idea whether you may qualify for help reducing the costs of insurance purchased through the Connector and compare the costs of…

Links to Consumer Information About Vehicles

MLRI
Links to consumer brochures about issues involving automobiles, cars, and other vehicles. Lemon Aid Law MA Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation New and Leased Car Lemon Law MA Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation Used…

Immigration Links -- Government and Court Websites

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
The following are links to immigration related government and court websites and materials:  Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR): Contains links to all immigration courts nationwide, forms, statistics, etc. EOIR Virtual Law Library:  Various indexes of BIA and…

ConnectorCare-Basic Info Needed to Select a Plan

Health Connector
ConnectorCare is the name for those private plans purchased through the Health Connector with the lowest premium & cost sharing for individuals with income that does not exceed 300% of the poverty level. It is comparable to the former Commonwealth Care program.  Once found eligible for…

Update on People Losing Health Coverage

Vicky Pulos MLRI
This updated April 10, 2015 Table shows the two different groups of people who had health coverage end recently or will be getting MassHealth termination notices soon.  Both groups need to reapply for coverage but they have different deadlines and different remedies if they miss their…

Alert for Legal Immigrants Getting Connector Denials, April 2015

Vicky Pulos
Please help us identify lawfully present immigrants who were incorrectly denied benefits by the Connector & received only MassHealth Limited or Health Safety Net from MassHealth.    Attached is an alert for affected immigrants including information about how to get legal…

Alert to legal aid offices and social service providers about MassHealth terminations and the availability of MassHealth Renewal Extensions

Vicky Pulos, MLRI
It is not too late for renewing MassHealth members who receive termination notices to reapply and reinstate their coverage back to the date it ended, and you can help What happened? Almost 300,000 MassHealth renewal notices were mailed in January and February giving 500,000 MassHealth members…

National Senior Citizens Law Center/ Justice in Aging

Justice in Aging
The National Senior Citizens Law Center is now called Justice in Aging.

Utility Discount Rates for Low Income Consumers in Massachusetts

MLRI
Low income consumers in Massachusetts whose income is within 60% of the state median income may be eligible for discounted rates on electric and gas service.  M.G.L. c. 164, section 1F(4)(i) states that discounts should be available to low-income consumers who can verify that they receive…

Basic TAFDC, EA and Food Stamp (SNAP) Rights

MassLegalHelp
The following are links to the website www.MassLegalHelp.org, which contains information about how the programs work, program rules, and how to apply for the benefits: TAFDC SNAP/Food Stamps Emergency Shelter (EA)    

Tool Kit: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System

Migration and Child Welfare National Network
Healing the Damage: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System, by the Migration and Child Welfare National Network, provides public child welfare and community-based agencies working with immigrant families with guidelines for integrating child welfare practice with trauma-informed…

DESE Advisory 2014-3 Identifying the Need for Paraprofessional Support

Mass Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Special Education Technical Assistance Advisory on the use of and training for paraprofessionals.  The purposes of this advisory are to: Advise school districts and parents about concerns regarding inappropriate utilization of paraprofessionals. Clarify when it may be…

What exactly is a microaggression?

Jenée Desmond-Harris
Microaggressions are more than just insults, insensitive comments, or generalized jerky behavior. They’re something very specific: the kinds of remarks, questions, or actions that are painful because they have to do with a person’s membership in a group that’s discriminated against or subject to…

Paying an Unfair Price: The Financial Penalty for Being LGBT

Movement Advancement Project
The new report "Paying an Unfair Price: The Financial Penalty for Being LGBT" in America documents how LGBT people in the United States face clear financial penalties because of three primary failures in the law:  lack fo protection from discrimination, refusal to…

MassHealt-Connector Cover Sheet -revised Feb 2015

Office of Medicaid
The following link is for a revised cover sheet to be used when faxing or mailing information to MassHealth or the Connector. A separate cover sheet should be printed out for each use (not photocopied) to assure that the bar code works properly.  Using these cover sheets should improve the…

National Unaccompanied Children Resource Center

Immigration Advocates Network, American Bar Association, Pro Bono Net
The Unaccompanied Children Resource Center offers free legal resources and information for advocates and immigrants.   Children and their families or guardians can find out more by clicking on "Do you need legal help?" There is a map to help find a lawyer, and information about…

Nationwide: maps with summaries of law in all states

Human Rights Campaign Fund
summaries of the law, including but not limited to applicable laws on marriage, hospital visitation, second parent adoption, anti-discrimination, employment, public accommodations

Excerpt from a report on criminal justice system involvement of LGBT Clients

Rebecca Vallas & Sharon Dietrich
The attached document quotes a recent 2014 report by Rebecca Vallas & Sharon Dietrich which says that LGBT clients have a high incidence of criminal justice system involvement.  A link to the full report is included below too.

LGBT Elder Abuse: An Invisible Problem within an Invisible Community

Emily Crim
Article on LGBT elder abuse by Emily Crim from GBLS.

Same-Sex Spousal Health Benefits

GLAD & Health Law Advocates
This document attempts to address some of the questions that may arise with regard to same-sex spousal health coverage. Click the "Go to Website" link below to download the guide from GLAD's website.  

Prescription Advantage Rate Schedule Guide

Prescription Advantage
Prescription Advantage rate schedule guide for members eligible for Medicare and for members not eligible for Medicare. The latest rate schedule guide, linked below, is effective April 1, 2015.  Previous rate schedule guides are attached to this post.

Link to Mass. Medical Records Statute, G.L. c .111, Sec. 70E

This statute mandates that medical records be provided free of charge if requested for the purpose of supporting a claim or appeal under any provision of the Social Security Act or federal or state financial needs-based benefit program.

Navigator List (2014-2015)

Connector Authority
Attached is the list of organizations that received Navigator grants from the Connector for the 2015 enrollment season. Navigators are trained to assist consumers to apply for MassHealth or insurance through the Connector and enroll in a plan. This list also describes the languages spoken by…

Beware of Notario Fraud

American Immigration Lawyers Association
Fact sheet from AILA in English, Spanish and Potuguese with the following warning against immigration scams: "Do not believe notarios and other unauthorized consultants who promise immediate action in order to steal your money." See the fact sheet for more information, or click…

Shelter And Housing Options For Domestic And Sexual Violence Victims In Massachusetts

Housing and Shelter Study Commission of Chapter 260 of the Acts of 2014
On August 8, 2014, the Legislature enacted Chapter 260 of the Acts of 2014, An Act Relative to Domestic Violence, which created enhanced laws, protections, and responses to domestic violence crimes in Massachusetts. Section 47 of Chapter 260 created this study commission to assess housing and…

Non-EA Shelter lists

GBLS
List of Non-EA Community Rooms, in English and Spanish. .

An Open Enrollment Primer for Non-Health Lawyers in Massachusetts

Vicky Pulos
This document is written for non-specialists about the current effort to reach 400,000 low and moderate income people who currently have health coverage under programs that end in early 2015. It provides background on the current situation, describes the affected clients, and offers some practical…

MLRI REPORT: The Ties That Bind: Strengthening, and Reducing Racial Disparities in, Kinship Foster Care in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
This report addresses how Massachusetts can reform specific policies to advance its commitment to kinship foster care and achieve a higher number of good kinship placements, especially for children of color. Massachusetts has been an early national leader and pioneer in its commitment to placing…

Multicultural Populations Resource Directory

Massachusetts Department of Mental Health
Compiled by the Department's Office of Multicultural Affairs.  "This directory contains information about agencies and institutions in the Commonwealth that offer culturally and linguistically appropriate services. The information collected is based on organizations' self reports. We hope that…

LegalAidResearch: NLADA website about civil legal aid

NLADA
NLADA has launched a new website called LegalAidResearch.org. Thanks to a generous grant from the Public Welfare Foundation, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association has developed this research database providing free access to research reports and other documents about…

Tips for Meeting a Deductible for MassHealth Disabled Individuals Under Age 65

Nancy Lorenz, GBLS
Fact sheet for calculating one-time deductible or spenddown for CommonHealth disabled people who are not working 40 hours or more a month.

Coding for Lawyers

V. David Zvenyach
A free, online guide to basic computer coding, geared for lawyers and advocates.

Advising Seniors and Persons with Disabilities Who May Need Help Using SNAP EBT Benefits

MLRI
Since February 2014, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) has been sending letters to some SNAP (food stamp) recipients telling them they have unused SNAP benefits they may lose. Some people have had their SNAP expunged (taken away) or put "off line".   See the…

The Essential Plain Language Collection

LawNY Inc.
LawNY has created www.writeclearly.org to help unrepresented people have greater access to the justice system by having access to plain language legal documents. The Essential Plain Language Collection is a guide created by LawNY and Trancend for legal aid advocates. It is organized by…

Hospital Discharges and Your Clients Rights

NCOA Center for Benefits Access
Learn how to help your clients understand their rights related to hospital discharges and Medicare. Click the "Go to Website" link below to download the memo from the National Council on Aging's Cneter for Benefits Access.

Employees' Practical Guide to Negotiating and Requesting Reasonable Accommodations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Job Accommodation Network, U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy
From the intro: "The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free service of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. JAN consultants have been providing job accommodation information since 1983 when JAN was founded. In addition, JAN consultants have been…

Advocacy Tips: The Basics on Food Stamp/SNAP Expedited Benefits

MLRI
Advocacy reminders from MLRI on the Food Stamps/ SNAP expedited rules with citations to DTA’s regulations and relevant procedures.