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Home Divisions Developmental Disabilities Director's Office Know Your Rights Campaign

Know Your Rights Campaign

The Developmental Disabilities Supports Division (DDSD) is excited to join in a nationwide movement to ensure the rights and dignity of all individuals with disabilities, including those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in the United States are fully realized.

On January 16, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a Final Rule addressing several sections of the Social Security Act. The Final Rule amends the regulations which govern the Medicaid 1915 (c) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs. These rules are an important step forward in federal policy, supporting inclusion and integration of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community.

The Final Rule applies to New Mexico’s Home and Community Based Services provided through the Developmental Disabilities, Mi Via and Medically Fragile waivers, as well as Centennial Care. All states are required to be in compliance with the new rule by March 2019.

DDSD is launching the “Know Your Rights” campaign which is what we will now call the HCBS settings requirements transition plan and implementation.

In the fall of 2018, the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) announced a new Advocate Rights and Responsibilities Campaign. Building off of the very successful Know Your Rights Campaign, advocate responsibilities are now central, in addition to rights, in the campaign’s message as advocates continue to grow in empowerment and strength.

The DDPC has partnered with DDSD, NM Allies for Advocacy, providers and other advocacy organizations to host Town Halls around the state, beginning in September in Alamogordo. The Town Hall format will once again be used with presentations and panels focusing on the rights and responsibilities of people with disabilities as defined in federal regulations (the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Final Rule), the Waivers, etc. The Town Halls include interactive presentations about the CMS Final Rule and stories of advocacy, responsibility and success from Waiver participants as well as discussion and conversation with the audience.

Essential Information

Please see the following essential information to learn the basics about this topic.

Town Hall Meetings

On September 20, 2018 the first Advocate Rights and Responsibilities Campaign town hall meeting took place in Alamogordo, NM for waiver participants, advocates, family members and guardians. The Mayor of Alamogordo, Richard Boss, welcomed the panelists, State staff and audience members while the local Jr. ROTC Cadets initiated the meeting with Honor Guard-Color Flags and Pledge of Allegiance. The well-attended town hall demonstrated a community interest in the Advocate Rights and Responsibilities Campaign and empowered advocates to educate their community and their peers on disability rights, advocacy, inclusion, responsibilities and Federal rules.

See the Know Your Rights: Alamogordo Presentation on Advocate Rights and Responsibilities document for details.

More Advocate Rights and Responsibilities Town Hall Meetings will be scheduled throughout the state over the next year.

On February 1, 2017, DDSD in partnership with the Know Your Rights Campaign Steering Committee began conducting statewide town hall meetings for waiver participants, advocates, family members and guardians.

The purpose of the Know Your Rights town hall meetings is to engage people with disabilities and advocates to strengthen advocacy, raise awareness, and educate communities across the state that people with disabilities are entitled to rights like everyone else. Additionally, the town hall meetings are a forum to inform waiver participants, families and guardians about the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Final Rule: HCBS Settings Requirements.

Stakeholder Meetings

Learn More

Please read the following documents to learn more.

Home and Community-Based Settings

Know Your Rights

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