8/7/2019 East Central Georgia Family Council Resolution 20101130
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RESOTUTIONOF THE EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA FAMITY COUNCIT
REGARDING THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEENTHE GOVERNOR OF
GEORGIA AND THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
WHEREAS, the "East Central Georgia Family Council" (hereinafter,
"the Family Council") had itsoriginal name as the "Gracewood Family
Council"; andWHEREAS, the Family Council was founded in July 1984;
andWHEREAS, the Family Council's mission is quality care and choice
for every individual withmental retardation and developmental
disabilities (MR/DD), irrespective of race, nationalorigin, creed
of family members, or place of residence; andWHEREAS, the Family
Council has been an advocate for quality life and safety of persons
withMR/DD who reside at the East Central Georgia Regional
Hospital's Gracewood campus; andWHEREAS, members of the Family
Council have been actively engaged in advocacy by (a)meeting
Georgia State Legislators and Congressmen about issues impacting
their familymembers who reside in Intermediate Care Facilities for
Persons with Mental Retardation(lCFs/MR), (b) joining VOR, a
national advocacy organization, and (c) attending VOR's
annuallegislative thrust in Washington, D.C.; andWHEREAS, members
of the Family Council applied for a position on the Governor's
OlmsteadPlanning Committee which purpose is to develop a plan to
transition people from lCFs/MR tosmaller settings; andWHEREAS, the
members of the Family Council were never acknowledged as applying
for aposition on the Olmstead Planning Committee and were not
accepted; andWHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court's Olmsteod
decision mandates individual choice;andWHEREAS, the Governor of
Georgia, the Honorable Sonny perdue, with the United
StatesDepartment of Justice, without consultation with families,
entered into a legal agreementthat, if implemented, will displace
lcF/MR residents against their best interests and withourregard to
choice, contrary to Olmsteod; andwHEREAS, the United states
Department of Justice has undermined the u.s. supreme
courrsOlmstead decision by being forceful and aggressive with
regard to community transitions andthereby omitting the element of
resident choice, whether that be a communitv or ICF/MRsetting;
andWHEREAS, if everyone is forced to accept community living, then
no one has choice; and
Fomily Council Resolution for ChoiceNovember 30, 2010
8/7/2019 East Central Georgia Family Council Resolution 20101130
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WHEREAS, the Olmstead decision does not exclude lCFs/MR as a
choice; andWHEREAS, the ideology of the U.S. Department of iustice
and the Georgia Governor should notsupersede the needs, services
and choices of the most frail, fragile, and vulnerable populationof
Georgians with MR/DD; andWHEREAS, the ideology of the professional
should not take precedence over the familymember: andWHEREAS, at
the annual staffing the interdisciplinary team (lDT) has made a
mockery of theabilities of the most vulnerable and fragile
population of people with MR/DD. The IDT hasreported that people
with profound mental retardation who have the cognitive ability
ofinfants and no verbal skills have stated they want community
living. The IDT has also suggestedthese individuals can administer
their own medication, learn money management, and othersuch living
skills.NOW, THEREFORE, BE lT RESOLVED, that the East Council
Georgia Family Council will step up tothe plate, rise to the
occasion, remain advocates, and will reckon with the Governor, and
theU.S. Department of Justice, with passion, zeal, zest and
steadfastness on behalf of Georgia'smost frail population with
mental retardation and developmental disabilities; andBE lT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution will be sent to the
following officials,and oth ers:
The Honorable Sonny Perdue, Governor of GeorgiaThe Honorable
Nathan Deal, Governor-elect of GeorgiaFrank E. Shelp, MD, MPH,
Commissioner, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and DDThomas
Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of
the United
States Department of JusticeRoosevelt Freeman, Regional
Director, Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health
and Human ServicesApproved and adopted on the thirtieth (30'h)
day of November 2010. We, the undersigned,hereby certify that the
foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the Executive Committee
of
Roy Barrios, lmmediate Past PresidentTheresa Senior, Vice Presid
entKomala Ba lakrish na n, TreasurerBetty French,
Member-at-LargeRobert Bradford, Member-at-Largelrene Welch,
Member-at-Large
Family Council Resolution for ChoiceNovember 30, 2010
the East Central G
Ann S. Knighton,
Hodgson, Secreta
